In San Bernardino, California, animal control will begin enforcing a newly implemented dog spay and neuter initiative to help control the pet population. I am still on the fence with this one. On one hand I think it’s great to enforce legislation that will ultimately prevent the excessive breeding and selling of dogs. On the other hand it leaves a sour taste in my mouth that Pit Bull and “Pit Bull type dogs” are the only breeds being targeted. This mandatory sterilization program reeks of BSL to me, just packaged a bit differently for the public to digest.
Apparently, the animal control officers in SB are going to be taking to the streets for this initiative. They’ll be knocking on doors, and checking on the resident dog(s) license status, as well as whether or not they are altered. The animal control officers will also be visually determining whether or not the dog meets the criteria for a “Pit Bull”, and can give the dog’s owner a citation if they are in possession of an unaltered, Pit Bull type dog.
Again, it seems that the (possibly) well-intentioned lawmakers are missing the point. A responsible owner will have already had their dog altered, or will take the proper precautions to ensure that their dog isn’t out rampantly procreating. Some people truly believe it’s cruel to remove a dog’s reproductive organs, and if that is the case, they should be allowed to use their discretion to ensure that their dog remains under control. The people who are going to be breeding and mistreating their dogs, a.k.a. the ones who deserve to be fined for possessing an unaltered dog, are just going to go further underground.
This new law is not going to affect negligent owners at all, because they’re not going to allow their dogs to be seen. Do you know where I’m headed with this scenario? These careless and abusive owners will take themselves, and their unaltered dogs, out of the spotlight, using underground networks to sell their (now more highly) valued puppies. They’ll become more secretive about their activities, and again, we’ll only hear about these dogs when one of their badly trained, mistreated dogs does something awful. This is exactly the type of scenario that is detrimental to responsible owners, and a major reason why BSL just is not going to work. BSL-tinged laws like this one do nothing other than make Pit Bulls more attractive to those who choose to use them for harm. Creating a law like this almost supports the ignorant notion that these dogs are born killers and that steps need to immediately be taken to ensure no more of them are born.
Keep trying to systematically eradicate the planet of these dogs. Continue believing their jaws lock, they have a taste for human blood, they’re inherently vicious and are unsuitable to live in homes as companion animals.
What do we do when we’re afraid of a spider? We kill it. I guess then it’s reasonable to take that same approach toward other living creatures, including dogs.
If the mainstream media says Pit Bulls are unstable because they have brains that swell out of control it must be true, right?
Did you ever consider the notion that the media is simply feeding you the stories you want to hear because they want to make money? Stories on the nightly news about Pit Bulls that go out to dog parks and play well with others are hardly newsworthy stories. On the contrary, the story of a Pit Bull attacking a police officer is certain to be a top headline and money earner. Nevermind the fact that numerous eye witnesses to the event stated on the record that the dog was friendly and wagging it’s tail as it approached the officer. It is a much better seller to purport that the dog was vicious and deserved to be shot 7 times before it even got close enough to the officer to possibly have a chance to bite. These are the types of stories people have told news outlets that they like to hear, and that’s exactly what they are – stories. If we’re lazy and stupid enough to subscribe to and believe everything the mass media tells us, then we should just continue to be fearful of these dogs and kill them all. Without rhyme or reason. Just don’t be surprised when all the Pit Bulls are gone and the spotlight turns on your dog.
I don’t own any dogs wright now I lost my little girl to old age (16)a little over a year ago. She was the best jack in the world to me and my family. I know a few people who have pits that are great dogs would not harm anyone on less you are going to do harm to a family member which my jack Russell world do quicker than the pitbulls I know. I think it is the way pits are raised is what makes the dog I am a true believer that the pits get a bad name because of its owners that treat them badly when rase them to me it does not matter the breed it’s how they are rased. I do have a dog in my life it belongs to my son’s family a (6 year old )boxer the best dog I have ever seen. Thanks for your time Paul