At Dog is Good® we are equal opportunity dog lovers. We believe no breed should be singled out and labeled, but instead, it is our job as humans to educate ourselves about the realities and responsibilities associated with sharing our lives with animals.
Here in the US, Pit Bulls are discriminated against. Entire towns and municipalities are banning the breed.
This discrimination doesn’t end at our borders either – in the entirety of the UK, Pit Bulls and other breeds are absolutely and totally banned by the “Dangerous Dogs Act”.
To celebrate our Never Drink Alone series April feature t-shirt the PitBull Porter we wanted to share a bit more about the breed and the particular issues these pups face.
Pit Bull Discrimination Laws in the United States
Breed specific legislation (BSL) is being passed around the globe to the detriment of the survival of the Pit Bull. We think all pet owners should concern themselves with the matter of BSL. We found a fantastic website for Pit Bull and other breed owners to visit to learn more about BSL and how to get involved to protect their right to live – read on to learn more. After all, there’s no breed ban on Dogvergnügen!
So, what is BSL?
BSL is legislation that targets specific breeds of dog (namely Pit Bulls and
“pit bull types”) because they are supposedly inherently dangerous and
therefore deserving of prejudicial rules and regulations. BSL can be loosely
divided into two types:
Type 1 Bans
Bans make it illegal to own, house, harbor, import, train, or breed any of
the dogs listed in the legislation in a particular location. Dogs that already
exist in the area of the ban are usually grandfathered in, but their owners
have to comply with extensive laws in order to keep their animals. These
laws usually require owners to take out expensive liability insurance on
their dogs, muzzle the dogs in public, keep the animals confined in
kennels, mandatory spay/neuter, among other things.
Type 2 Ownership regulation
Regulation legislation doesn’t outright ban a breed, but rather makes it
extremely difficult to own a certain breed. Requirements such as liability
insurance, mandatory spay/neuter, higher licensing costs, muzzling in
public, etc. are typical of legislation like this. Ownership regulation also
places age limits on who can own or handle certain breeds. Through this
type of legislation, the government is basically deciding who is and who is
not allowed to own certain dogs.
Learn more at http://www.realpitbull.com/laws.html
Also, if you’re a Pit Bull owner, or just a fan, here’s a great forum {which was started by a friend of D.I.G.} to promote and celebrate education and responsible Pit Bull ownership: http://pitbullforum.com/
