HELP! PA proposed legislation to allow BSL

[valliesong]

For those of you that don't know, PA is one of the states that had a statewide ban on BSL. There is currently legislation in the works to allow municipalities to enact BSL at their own free will. This will be disastrous as there are already several cities (Reading, Philadelphia, and Hazelton) that are just waiting for the ok, and many other areas will likely follow suit.

Please please PLEASE help!



American Kennel Club News Article
PA Bill to Allow Local BSL


Date of Article: May 22, 2008

Pennsylvania House Bill 2553 will remove the state's prohibition on breed specific local ordinances, thereby allowing municipalities to adopt any type of law applicable to dangerous dogs, including breed-specific ordinances. It is imperative that concerned dog owners in Pennsylvania contact their legislators and express their strong opposition to this bill.



The American Kennel Club supports reasonable, enforceable, non-discriminatory laws to govern the ownership of dogs. The AKC believes that dog owners should be responsible for their dogs. We support laws that: establish a fair process by which specific dogs are identified as "dangerous" based on stated, measurable actions; impose appropriate penalties on irresponsible owners; and establish a well-defined method for dealing with dogs proven to be dangerous. The American Kennel Club strongly opposes any legislation that determines a dog to be "dangerous" based on specific breeds or phenotypic classes of dogs.



By allowing municipalities to impose breed-specific dangerous dog ordinances, HB 2553, if passed, will permit communities to unfairly target well-behaved dogs of specific breeds, thereby raising the possibility of harsh care and condition requirements or the possibility of penalties for owning certain breeds while not focusing on whether or not an individual dog has previously exhibited dangerous behavior. Additionally, the breed-specific ordinances allowed under this bill will create an unenforceable patchwork of dangerous dog rules across the Commonwealth.



WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Concerned Pennsylvania dog owners should contact the members of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. Respectfully let them know that HB 2553 is an unacceptable means to address dog control issues.



Majority:

Hon. Michael K.

Hanna, Majority Chairman
302 Main Capitol Building
PO Box 202076
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2076
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Hanna, click here.




Hon.

Gary Haluska, Majority Vice Chairman
114 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202073
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2073
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Haluska, click here.




Hon. David R.

Kessler, Majority Secretary
115A East Wing
PO Box 202130
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2130
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Kessler, click here.




Hon.

Mike Carroll
28A East Wing
PO Box 202118
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2118
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Carroll, click here.




Hon. Mark B.

Cohen
128 Main Capitol Building
PO Box 202202
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2202
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Cohen, click here.




Hon. H.

Scott Conklin
101B East Wing
PO Box 202077
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2077
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Conklin, click here.




Hon. Peter J.

Daley
214 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202049
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2049
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Daley, click here.




Hon. Richard T.

Grucela
G-01 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202137
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2137
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Grucela, click here.




Hon.

Harold James
317 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202186
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2186
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

James, click here.




Hon.

Babette Josephs
300 Main Capitol Building
PO Box 202182
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2182
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Josephs, click here.




Hon.

Tim Mahoney
104B East Wing
PO Box 202051
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2051
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Mahoney, click here.




Hon.

John Myers
305 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202201
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2201
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Myers, click here.




Hon.

Frank Louis Oliver
34E East Wing
PO Box 202195
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2195
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Oliver, click here.




Hon. Timothy J.

Solobay
G-14 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202048
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2048
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Solobay, click here.




Hon.

Tom Yewcic
300 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202072
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2072
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Yewcic, click here.




Hon. Rosita C.

Youngblood
121A East Wing
PO Box 202198
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2198
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Youngblood, click here.




Minority:

Hon.

Art Hershey, Minority Chairman
202 Ryan Office Building
PO Box 202013
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2013
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Hershey, click here.




Hon.

Bob Bastian, Minority Vice Chairman
402A Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202069
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2069
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Bastian, click here.




Hon.

Mike Fleck, Minority Secretary
159A East Wing
PO Box 202081
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2081
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail:mfleck@pahousegop. com


Hon.

Karen Boback
141B East Wing
PO Box 202117
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2117
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-Mail: kboback@pahousegop. com


Hon.

Michele Brooks
153B East Wing
PO Box 202017
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2017
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail:mbrooks@pahousegop. com


Hon.

Jim Cox
412 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202129
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2129
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail:jcox@pahousegop. com


Hon.

Gordon Denlinger
163A East Wing
PO Box 202099
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2099
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail:gdenling@pahousegop. com


Hon. David S.

Hickernell
143B East Wing
PO Box 202098
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2098
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
To e-mail Rep.

Hickernell, click here.




Hon. Rob W.

Kauffman
163A East Wing
PO Box 202089
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2089
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: rkauffma@pahousegop. com


Hon. Mark K.

Keller
5 East Wing
PO Box 202086
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2086
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: mkeller@pahousegop. com


Hon. David R.

Millard
402B Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202109
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2109
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail:dmillard@pahousegop. com


Hon.

Dan Moul
G-32 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202091
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2091
[phone]
E-Mail: dmoul@pahousegop. com


Hon.

Tina Pickett
155A East Wing
PO Box 202110
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2110
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: tpickett@pahousegop. com


For more information, contact AKC's Government Relations Department at [phone], or e-mail doglaw@akc. org.




. akc. org/news/index. cfm?article_id=3508

[RealPitBull]

More on PA:

State Rep. John T. Galloway
D-Bucks
www.pahouse.com/Galloway

MEDIA ADVISORY

Galloway to hold news conference May 29 to unveil dangerous dog legislation

BRISTOL, May 21 – State Rep. John Galloway, D-Bucks, will be joined by Luna, a beagle recently attacked by a pit-bull dog in Bristol, for a news conference Thursday, May 29 to unveil legislation he is introducing that would allow municipalities to pass their own dangerous dog ordinances.

Luna was being walked by a 5-year old girl and her uncle when she was attacked by a pit-bull dog that had wandered out of its yard. Galloway crafted his bill after learning about the attack.

Also expected to attend are Bristol Borough Council President Ralph DiGuisseppe and other local and state officials, dog owners and concerned residents, including the 5-year old girl who was walking Luna at the time of the attack.

Media coverage is encouraged.

· WHAT: News conference to unveil Galloway's new dangerous dog legislation

· WHEN: 11 a.m. Thursday, May 29

· WHERE: Bristol Borough Hall 250 Pond St., Bristol

Scheduled to attend:
· Luna and the 5-year old girl who was walking her at the time of the attack
· Bristol Borough Council President Ralph DiGuisseppe and other borough council members, as well as other state legislators
· local dog owners and concerned residents

[valliesong]

Thanks for the update! Here is more news:

This amends the current statute that prohibits any form of
BSL. Brackets indicate words to be removed.
The Bill has been Referred to AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS.
This committee meets Tuesday, July 15, 2008


____________ ___
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
17 hereby enacts as follows:
18 Section 1. ...
a)...b)...

c) Local ordinances.- - [Those provisions of local
11 ordinances relating to dangerous dogs are hereby abrogated. A
12 local ordinance otherwise dealing with dogs may not prohibit or
13 otherwise limit a specific breed of dog.]