Readers react to proposed pit bull law

| | Comments (5) |

Just as my colleague Tania Chatila found out (see her and Jennifer McLain's Leftovers from City Hall blog), when you write about cities trying to tell pet owners what to do about their pets, you are gonna get a spirited response.

Here are a few comments from folks reacting to Pasadena's proposed law to require spaying and neutering of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes in the city:

"My neighbor has a pit bull and my new dog is a lab-pit mix. Both of them are wonderful dogs, loving animals with no mean bones in their bodies. YET I have met Chihuahuas and smaller dogs that would tear you apart if you met them.

"
I don't mind taking precautions on animal population. My 12 year old Labrador was not neutered and I can honestly say he never got out and became a father, nor was he vicious to any person, child or other animal.  I just think that focusing in on one breed (results in) a Pit Bull being targeted as an unfriendly breed."

-- Ruth S.

I have owned and shown Staffordshire Bull Terriers most of my life. My breed, which has never been documented to do anything malicious, is typically lumped into these bills and what we try and do is educate the public and the council members as to the distinct difference in our breeds and the fact that (breed specific legislation) or banning of certain breeds never works. In fact a pit bull is basically a term describing a mixed breed that may resemble another and not purebred AKC registered show dogs like I have.

"I have been to the Pasadena Shelter and have not seen an overpopulation of pit bulls. I saw mainly mixed breeds and a purebred intact male Boxer being handed over for example the day I was there. Typically when you attend a shelter there is not an abundance of one breed. There is an abundance of mixed breeds."


-- Kristina E.

"Got a warrant, if not then Leave. Forced Neuter of Pits I would have to take that to court. In the mean time keep there (sic) stupid (deleted) San Francisco excrement... out of So. Cal."

-- Randy G.

"Four dogs running loose is a 'horrifying incident'?  no… rapes... murders... violent human crimes are HORRIFYING incidents. Of course none of these occur in Bungalow Heaven...  Do those people who perpetrate those crimes get shot... just for being on the street?  There is already a 5-10 week wait to spay/castrate these animals.. so obviously there are people stepping up tot the plate to have the dogs altered... so why a law?  What will it do... I will tell you... more dogs will be KILLED... either shot on sight ( for doing nothing but being loose) or killed in the shelters as people turn them in at even higher rates when they cannot abide by the new law in a timely manner... This is thinly veiled attempt to eradicate “pit bulls”.. there is NO SUCH BREED of dog... if we were talking about doing this to PEOPLE we would here (sic) the cries of DISCRIMINATION throughout the land... Encourage spay/neuter... and so far it is working... how about increasing the budget for VOLUNTARY??  Looks to me like someone needs to be re-elected... like some of the council members???

--  Jan D.

Pit Bulls are not the problem - focusing on pet overpopulation, spay & neuter programs, breeders & puppy mills, and responsible ownership is the solution.  I find the discrimination against pit bulls as nothing but media hysteria, public misinformation, and quite frankly a form of racism.

-- Whitney



City staffers are expected to bring back a draft version of the ordinance to the council in two months. It would require mandatory sterilization of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes in the city over 8 weeks old, with exemptions for licensed breeders and animals with certain physical deformities that would make sterilization dangerous. Owners who violate the law would be subject to anything from a citation to misdemeanor charges.

If approved, the law would make Pasadena the first city in the Southland to require breed-specific mandatory sterilization. San Francisco has already passed a similar ordinance, which is being challenged in court by a dog owner advocacy group.



5 Comments

dog sense said:
Don't blame the breed blame the owners. Neuter them and in one generation no one will own pit bulls.
I know said:
You own a pit bull for two reasons: 1 to compensate for a certain physical shortcoming 2 You can't afford a Porsche
daisy said:
I am not suportive of BSL (breed specific legislation). Having said that I have seen far to many intact pits in the Pasadena Altadena area. Home boys walking their unueterd males around on chains, disgusting! Therefore, I would support this as long as the back yard breeders were targeted, and heavy fines were imposed. There are lots of Pits and Pit mixes in the Pasadnea shelter, and there are alot of BAD dog owners who caused this problem. I own a spayed female pit, who is the light of my life.
thanx said:
Thanx for spaying her you sound like a responsible pet owner. I think the purpose of the legislation is to go after the bad actors and not responsible owner/breeders. The problem with "ban the deed not the breed" is that you have to wait for a tragedy before you may act. I have never heard of a toy poodle ripping off an infants face or sending a postal carrier to the emergency room.
Jaclyn Pelchat said:
One year ago I didn't particularly like dogs. I adopted a 2 month old pit bull from an SPCA. It was a present for someone who ended up not taking her. Being an animal lover in general, I kept her. I had no clue about how to raise a dog, nor did I know about the pit bull histeria. All I knew was that I wanted it done right because I have seen a small mix breed put down for aggression when I was a child\teenager. I researched the breed, and watched\read about training. Now my 16 month old Pit bull is the best trained dog in the neighborhood. I get compliments from the same nieghbors who were scared of her at first. She doesn't bark at people whether in the house or outside. She is best friends with my two 8lb. cats, and plays with other dogs at the park. Needless to say I am a declared dog lover now and am interested in persuing a career in this field. All because of a dog who some people think should die simply because she is a Pit bull.

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Jaclyn Pelchat on Readers react to proposed pit bull law: One year ago I didn't particularly like dogs. I adopted a 2 month old ...

thanx on Readers react to proposed pit bull law: Thanx for spaying her you sound like a responsible pet owner. I think ...

daisy on Readers react to proposed pit bull law: I am not suportive of BSL (breed specific legislation). Having said th ...

I know on Readers react to proposed pit bull law: You own a pit bull for two reasons: 1 to compensate for a certain phys ...

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