Today I would like to share some information that makes my
puppies and I very sad!
Three little ol’ letters… BSL. Such small letters, but they
mean BIG problems!
BSL (technically) means Breed-Specific Legislation.
But what does it really
mean, exactly?
Basically, BSL is bigotry... for dogs.
BSL means you can’t buy a house in certain cities if your
dog looks a certain way… unless you’re willing to get rid of her.
BSL means if you get caught with a dog that looks a certain
way in a certain city, animal control can take him from you…and kill him. THIS IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION. <----- (click me)
BSL means you could be held to higher standards, have to spend
more money on higher fences, and pay higher insurance deductibles if your dog
looks a certain way.
When I bought my first house, I had not fallen in love with
pit bulls yet. I looked at many, many houses in Waterford, MI, as I was drawn
to the lakes. I ended up choosing a home in a neighboring city, not knowing it
would be one of the best choices I ever made! You see, a few months later I
started looking to adopt my first dog, and I fell in love with pitties. During
the adoption process, I had to promise I would take my dog to the vet, keep up
with his license, and preferably fence my yard. No problem! Keeping my dog safe
and healthy was a no-brainer.
But then they asked me… “What city do you live in?”
“Auburn Hills,” I said… “why?”
“Well, because you can’t have a pit bull in certain cities,
like Waterford.”
“Why not?”
“Well…”
WHY NOT? Honestly, I don’t even know where to start with
this. It’s infuriating. BSL exists because some people believe everything that
is shared on the internet. It exists because people hear of one bad experience
and assume every dog will behave the same way. Do you know what we call people
who make those types of assumptions about humans?
Bigots.
Check out the puppy’s photo in the beginning of the article below. Looks evil, doesn’t she?
Unfortunately, some people believe that this dog will grow up to be a vicious killer regardless of how she is raised. (If you're interested in reading the ASPCA's entire position statement on BSL, you can find it here.)
Now, I will admit that this is an emotional topic because it's very personal. I have two pit bull mixes (by the way, "pit bull" is not even a recognized breed of dog, but a general term used to include multiple breeds) who are the sweetest, most loving and fun dogs on the planet. It makes me terribly sad that people who have never met them are afraid of them, and that I am prohibited from living in certain areas unless I am willing to give them up.
Well, this is what my dogs and I have to say about that:
I focus mainly on pit bulls because they are the most common
target of bad publicity and BSL, and because I have two. However, if you're
considering a move and have ANY of the following breeds, you might want to do a
quick internet search before you put your deposit down (from this
site):
"American Bulldogs, Mastiffs, Dalmatians, Chow Chows, German
Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers … even Chihuahuas and Shar Peis (or dogs that just look like any of the
above)." <----- which, in many cities,
can be determined by an animal control officer!!
This is just a small sample list from one site and is by no
means all-inclusive.
I could go on about this for days, but I'm a student and I
need to sleep sometimes! I know this is a highly controversial topic, so I will
just close by saying if you are unfamiliar with BSL, please take a few minutes
to read about how it affects families around you. And if you are afraid of
pitties or have any questions, drop me a note and
I will be happy to arrange a meet and greet with my adorable puppies :) or answer anything I can!
I had no idea!
ReplyDeleteI did not know about that! That is very sad. I believe that the dogs are not born aggressive, it is the way you raise them. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSome places even require you to keep a muzzle on your dog at all times - indoors or out... even if they are in your fenced in yard! Thank you for reading!
ReplyDeleteMany with kids take offense comparing animals to their kids, but... I think the parents of the kids and owners of the dog are directly responsible for how the kids and dogs turn out. I agree that it is very subjective-- there are many breeds that "can act aggressively".
ReplyDeleteThat is a great point, Anthony! I actually wrote a post on my personal blog (unrelated to this class) about being a mommy to furkids. :)
DeleteWow! Good blog post! I personally don't own any pets but to hear about this make me quite sad!
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to read it! It IS very sad.
DeleteI didn't realize that we had zones for pets. We definitely live in a world, where we want equality/no cruelty but we have set a stage where we have very little chance to succeed
ReplyDeleteI agree! Arizona just became the 20th state to do away with BSL, so we are headed in the right direction... slowly but surely!
DeleteHow sad! Because of the internet word gets around SO much faster than it used to. Everyone thinks the world is so much worse today than it used to, but actually it's the same, we just hear about bad things more often because we are always connected to people all around the world through the internet. Same goes for poor pitbulls. A few bad headlines and people want to exterminate the breed. It's almost always how you raise the animal, not the type of breed that determines how the animal behaves. Interesting post.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading! Unfortunately, positive news doesn't spread as quickly as bad news does, but I'm trying! :)
DeleteKeep up the great writing Cassie. I can not express how angry I get hearing about this stuff too. Its a cop out for people to blame the wrong side of the problem. Ignorance is to rampant in the world, thank you educating people. It has nothing to do with the breed and everything to do with the owner raising them.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading Mark! I get very emotional too - sad, frustrated and angry!
DeleteBSL is definitely a problem! It reminds me of segregation from the 60's and I think it is so wrong! I love this post!
ReplyDeleteThank you Nicole! Discrimination is discrimination whether it's dogs or people!
DeleteMy cousins ran into a similar problem when the city made them get rid of their pet goats due to specific legislation. Granted theirs is an extreme case; BSL seems to be a much more common frustration and should be revised.
ReplyDeleteI actually just saw a documentary on the NFL player who got busted for dog fighting. We have the same issue having four dogs and one being a pitiful. She's the sweetest dog you've ever met. My best friend of 28 years was having a conversation with me about how she doesn't want pit bulls around her kids, blah blah blah. I said, "Bailey is a pit bull!". She said, "She is? But she's so sweet! No wonder the media influenced me not to trust them." One person at a time is what its going to take! Great post!
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, I have two dogs myself and am a dog lover. Some of that legislation seems too harsh. I have witnessed two dog attacks and both were pit bulls. In both cases the owner was at fault for provoking and poor training and lack of proper housing. Unfortunately due to these experiences I could never own one myself, but I think its great that others do despite the bad publicity.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me so sad that there are such strict restrictions on animals in certain areas. All fur babies should be accepted if they are not causing harm to anyone!
ReplyDeleteThis is very sad, I have known many people who own dogs listed, and I have never once heard of an issue with them. I know there is a possibility of having an issue, but that possibility comes with ANY animal.
ReplyDelete