Guest Blogger—Dee Bogetti
Virginia Dog Lovers: Take a Stand!
House Bill 429, if passed, will clarify that under Virginia law dog pounds and shelters cannot set policies to routinely take the life of every member of any certain breed of dog. It would also prohibit policies that prevent dogs of a specific breed from being made available for adoption.
What does this mean in plain English? It means that if this law passes, dogs might not die because they are or look like one of the bully breeds. Can you imagine not even being put up for adoption because of the way you look? Think about that. Breed specific legislation (BSL) legalizes the murder of an entire group of dogs because of how they LOOK. Virginia needs to stand up and defend the rights of dogs to find their forever homes. Pit Bulls and all their bully relatives need our support.
How can you help?
House Bill 429 is presently before the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee. It is essential that the bill move out of that committee in order for it to be voted upon by the House. Write or call members of that Committee to encourage their support.
Why is passage of House Bill 429 so important?
The primary focus here is the Pit Bull, a breed that has suffered terribly at the hands of very bad people who have forced them into dog fighting. Because of bad press, the general public has an underlying belief that Pit Bulls are bad, evil animals. There are jurisdictions out there banning all Pit Bulls. Others won’t allow them to be adopted out of their shelters, which means – unless a rescue group saves them – they are murdered (euthanized is just too soft a word here). Instead of punishing innocent dogs, big fat tough laws need to be enacted nationwide to ensure that any human being involved in dog fighting goes to jail for a very long time, that their property be seized and the proceeds given over to the rehabilitation of the very dogs forced to fight.
Within all breeds of dogs there are the good and the bad. Generalizations of any kind about a group of animals are as inappropriate as those about groups of people.
Contact your Delegate and Senator TODAY! Tell him or her that you support House Bill 429. And then go hug your dogs! They’ll be proud of you for taking a stand.
BARK Back Richmond
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Dee Bogetti is a full-time dog trainer in Richmond, VA, specializing in service, therapy and companion dog training, as well as behavior modification. Her positive training techniques, including clicker training, enhance the bond you have with your dog. Dee is a public speaker, writer and educator, as well as the co-host of Bark Radio. Her book, Puppies Eat Shoes, Don’t They? is a must-read for anyone welcoming a puppy into their home. You can learn more about Dee at www.deethedogtrainer.com.
—Photo by coral11
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Fight the good fight, Virginia! BSL is the pits!
My daughter adopted a pit-bull mix from the Katrina distaster and “Choco” has turned out to be one of the best pet’s she has ever had. Her son, at time of adoption age 7 now 10, loves that dog like no there’s no tomorrow! He stays in the house most of time and when outside stays within the invisible fence that was installed so that he wouldn’t wonder off. They also have four cats and Choco gets along just fine with everyone. What a great dog and pet! It would be ashame to punish this type of dog because of it’s looks and not be able to become adopted into loving families as Choco was.
I’ve worked closely with many bullies, rotties, and other dogs who are targeted by BSL. Unfortunately, there is far too much ignorance in our society which leads to Breed Specific Legislation, by both dog owners and non-dog people. Quite frankly, it makes me sick that people look at a dog and make judgments based on the false information that has been disseminated throughout our culture.
It seems that there are groups out there that are hell-bent on ostracizing certain breeds of dogs, and dogs who resemble those breeds. They fuel the ignorance and misinformation that permeates our society, and the only ones who suffer as a result are innocent dogs. All dogs, regardless of breed, deserve a chance at a good life. The dog on death row could be your loyal companion, if given the opportunity.
Chances are, that grinning, body-wagging pit bull you see in the shelter is a better person than most people you know.
Please support this legislation.