Breed Discriminatory Legislation Introduced in Florida

Ask your Florida Representatives and Senators to oppose H.B. 189 and S.B 922 Written by Best Friends StaffFlorida State Rep. Perry E. Thurston, Jr. filed H.B. 189, "an act relating to dangerous dogs," to repeal the prohibition on breed discriminatory legislation (BDL) in Florida. An identical bill, S.B. 922, has also been filed by Senator Anthony C. Hill.H.B. 189 and S.B. 922 would allow any Florida local government to restrict or regulate any breed of dog. A similar effort to legislate BDL was unsuccessful in 2008.Click on photo to the right for a video interview "Owning a pit bull couldsoon be illegal" from Fox 9, Tampa Bay news. Currently Miami-Dade is the only county in Florida that is allowed to “profile” dogs and destroy them because of this. They enacted a “pit bull” ban in 1989 and last year around 800 “pit bulls” were picked up and destroyed simply because of their breed.Best Friends opposes canine profiling. The problem of dangerous dogs is not remedied by the quick fix of breed-discriminatory laws. All dogs can bite. Dogs are individuals and should not be judged by their appearance, but by their temperament.In its study of human fatalities resulting from dog bites, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) did not support the breed specific approach. The CDC noted many other factors beyond a dog’s breed may affect a dog’s tendency toward aggression – things such as reproductive status, heredity, sex, early experience, and socialization and training.These concerns seem well-founded, given that more than 70% of all dog bite cases involve unsterilized male dogs. In fact, an unneutered male dog is 2.6 times more likely to bite than a neutered dog and in 2006, 97% of all dog related human fatalities in the United States involved unsterilized canines.Another insidious problem seen with canine profiling is the potential for abuse. Selective enforcement can be triggered simply by the ethnic background of the owner.Breed discriminatory laws cause unintended hardship to responsible guardians of entirely friendly, properly supervised and well-socialized dogs who happen to fall within the regulated breed category. Although these dog owners have done nothing to endanger the public, they may be forced by the municipality to either give up their dogs or move. Those pets who are relinquished are then killed.The most harmful consequence of breed-discriminatory laws is their tendency to compromise, rather than enhance, public safety. Resources are shifted away from routine, effective enforcement of laws that have the best chance of making our communities safer: leash laws, dog license laws, spay/neuter laws and animal fighting laws.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:Politics is not a spectator sport. Please take action on behalf of animals.► H.B. 192 was referred to the committee on January 22, 2009. Florida residents are asked to please write the members of the House Agricultural and Natural Resources Policy Committee and ask them to vote “NO” on H.B. 189 ► Also, constituents are asked to please write or call your Florida Representatives and Senators and respectfully ask them to vote “NO” on H.B. 189 and S.B. 922, "an act relating to dangerous dogs." Local governments already have the ability to adopt regulations regarding dangerous dogs and protect the public as they see fit. Breed bans are ineffective, costly to enforce, and penalize responsible dog owners.To find your Representatives and Senators, please click on the following links:FL Representatives and FL SenatorsFor some ideas on alternatives to BDL, please view the Best Friends Community Safety Program.You can also download the following article posted on Animal Law Coalition’s website to send to your legislators. It contains additional information that confirms that BDL is ineffective and offers real solutions to keep communities safe. ► Join the Stop BSL community for more information on how you can help put an end to breed discrimination.