This abandoned dog found a foster home and then a forever home.
Here is the story from Houston’s Channel 2 (http://www NULL.click2houston NULL.com/video/26421731/index NULL.html) about Cynthia Kent’s proposed bill.
Also, we have had our club covered on Dallas, Channel 5 (http://www NULL.nbcdfw NULL.com/news/local-beat/Family-of-Mauling-Victim-Pushing-for-Texas-Pit-Bull-Ban-113518174 NULL.html). Thank you Channel 5.
I’ve had a lot of questions about this story, so to clarify: Former Judge Kent doesn’t have a sponsor for this bill (“Justin’s Law”). Therefore, no bill has been introduced yet. A breed-specific bill has been introduced every year since 2005, however. See the Action Center for how you can help.
If you contact your State Senator or Representative about Justin’s Law, (including Rep. Hopson and Sen. Eltife, to whom the draft bill was presented) they will probably say they “don’t support this bill,” which is not surprising. There are not enough prison beds in Texas to hold a million-something people who own dogs that look like pit bulls. Also, it’s unlikely that our legislature would take control away from local governments by passing a statewide ban.
Kent’s strategy is obviously to float a crazy and extreme proposal so that a lesser breed-specific bill will be accepted. We will not compromise. No mandatory spay/neuter, no special permits, no “you can keep your dog if you keep it in a lion cage with a muzzle and an orange collar”, no mandatory special insurance, no grandfather clause. Why? Because these breed-specific exceptions are designed to make people get rid of their pets, not to keep them.
We don’t support people who keep truly dangerous dogs in the community or allow their dogs to menace their neighbors. However, since Texas already has a number of options to deal with irresponsible owners, it makes no sense to divert resources in order to focus on dogs based solely on their appearance.
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I totally agree to pass such a law, would be insane. Now owners of Dogs that are dangerous to their neighbors, community Texas does have laws deal with irresponsible owners. But to single out one breed of dog to pass a BSL is wrong no matter wat the breed.
I’m caring and covering the clinic cost for a young female pit bull that was attacked by a human and had her leg broken…who is the animal here?
All truly dangerous and highly aggressive dogs need to be dealt with and the irresponsible owners of pit bulls need to be dealt with…but the majority of these dogs are well cared for pets.
Look at the areas where most of the attacks by pit bulls take place and you will find that they are areas well known for drugs and ilegal activity. Something to ponder.
Years ago these same people had Rotties and Dobermans.
It is a true form of communism when a government can limit a man’s choice of domestic animal. This country is suppose to be a republic not a dictator ship.
I find this idea of a ban totally outrageous! I feel sorry for the family of the child, I truly do, but the animals that attacked and killed him could have been any breed of dog, or coyote, or snake for that matter. To state that an entire breed should be banned only goes to reinforce the ignorance the other states believe we have.
I do not own a Pit, but I will definitely contact my rep to let him know I am not at all happy with the thought of a ban on any domestic animal.
i posted this in the comment section of this article):
“I am the proud owner of a rescued pit bull – am I a felon? Bans will not work, and may promote the “street” appeal of owning them. I believe regulation with enforcement and education are the best methods. Every breed is different, and since pit bulls seem to be in vogue now, there needs to be increased education about them. Parents, watch your kids, kids need to know how to act around dogs (don’t stare it down, don’t approach strange dogs, don’t run away, don’t stick your finger in it’s eye or grab it’s ears or stick your arm through a fence…etc.) Bad owners are the root of the problem – there needs to be licensing for breeders, and police and citizens need to crack down on illegal breeding when they see it. Illegal breeding is a cheap and alternatives for irresponsible, uneducated (dog-wise) and financial incapable people to obtain badly raised/sickly dogs from just as irresponsible, uneducated and financial incapable breeders. There needs to be restrictions on who can adopt a bully breed dog (or even extend it to Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherds, Akitas.. etc.) and require classes/testing on breed history, temperament and proper training. Many shelters and rescue organizations already run background checks and make scheduled check-ups on recently adopted dogs. Individuals who illegally breed, fight, or abuse dogs (or animals in general) should be someone flagged from EVER owning/profiting from dogs/animals again. Responsible owners should have nothing to hide and have no problem getting their dogs registered. Personally I think dog registration (by city/county) should be mandatory. It would help so many lost dogs and bereft owners. My dog has 3 tags at all times: name tag with my phone number, rabies vaccination tag, and county registration tag. Even a small fee, say $5-10, plus a large fine for failure to register your dog would be a great way to discourage irresponsible owners.
Don’t breed, don’t buy. Rescue.
Bad dogs aren’t born, they’re made.”
I love dogs, and I really hate to say Im with banning pit bulls in Texas. I truely believe that it is the owners fault for making these poor dogs mean. But b/c of human stupidity and we cant ban humans in Texas or just stupid people. I have to say the next step down the line is banning pit bulls. Its such a shame it has to come to that, but I have 3 kids and I would hate to not speak up and one of my kids get hurt by one or another child in Texas!
Hi, Amanda and imunlisted-
Thank you for your comments. We don’t agree with BSL in any form, including special permits or licensing, because we know from experiences in other states that they kill dogs.
Well-meaning people often do think “responsible owners have nothing to hide” but responsible people do end up losing their dogs. Two main reasons are: 1) Owners don’t understand the special pit bull requirements, either due to language, education or other issues. Their dogs never cause a problem but they are still violating a law and get tickets and impoundments that they cannot pay for, and the dog dies. You cannot have a law without consequences for not following the law — “Give us $600 and you can have your dog back.”
2) Animal control may interpret the regulations in an arbitrary manner. Example: The EBA recently helped a lady in MO who lost her special pit bull permit, solely because she let the dog outside in her fenced backyard to pee without a muzzle. The ordinance was unclear about whether or not a muzzle was required while in a fenced backyard with the owner present. These sort of things really happen and we can’t have that in Texas.
Both public and private rescues are free to have whatever adoption restrictions they choose for whatever breeds they choose (when I adopt out rescues I am a real pain in the ass), but I do not want the government involved in my private affairs.
If the authorities have to spend time looking “pit bulls” that are peeing in their own fenced backyards, it takes time and money way from looking for all loose and aggressive dogs. The shelters are full enough without adding dogs that already have homes to the population.
Counties and cities are all allowed to pass breed-neutral licensing requirements and many do not because they don’t have the resources. However I would encourage people to ask their local elected officials for a registration program, since it is the dogs’ ticket home.
Amanda-do you really believe that those of us who are responsible pit bull owners should have loving members of our family put down based on the irresponsibility of others? Having to have your dog put down of 9 years based on the inability of other owners to take care of their dogs is cruel and unjustified. What if you had to have your dog put down? Could you really look them in the eye while they are being euthanized knowing they have done nothing wrong?
I also own a german sheperd and honestly I won’t let her around little children at all. Shes very aggressive while my pit bull is the sweetest dog. I don’t see anyone talking about german sheperds or rots though.
I think it is time to care more about our children. All dangerous dogs should be banned from neighborhoods. The reason they target pitbulls is that statistics show they are the main culprits. In Texas it sibecoming aculture to own them and breed them and many children are loosing their lives and being hurt. Do we care more about animals or human beings. Even if you are the most responsible owner one day it may happen to you. My friend loved her pitbull and I always knew her as a nice dog. One daythe dog decided to maul her nephews face,this one instance change the law in Lawrenceville Georgia. Denver colorado is a city that hasthe toughest lawand is it just something less their citizens have to worry about,
Also I hear about people owning aggressive dogs in their comments. What is the point? They are a liability to you. I do not understand when animals became more important than human life. The only one I feel sad about is the child. He is the only victim.
I don’t see the point either. If your dog shows aggressive tendencies, you need to consult your vet right away. Is it a physical problem or something a qualified behaviorist can help with? If you cannot resolve the problem or keep the dog confined with 110% certainty that he will not bite anyone, then he needs to be euthanized.
The ADBA standard specifies a solid temperament: “Confident and alert
B. Interested in things around them, in control of their space, not threatened by anything in their surroundings.
C. Gentle with loved ones Faults: shy or timid.” further down it says: Disqualifications: Man aggression.
Other than in cases where there is a physical problem such as pain or a brain tumor, dogs that seriously injure someone have bitten before, and that includes the dogs in the case being used to justify BSL (“Justin’s Law”) in Texas.
There are a lot of reasons why dogs bite or seriously injure small children. Texas has been home to a very large number of bull breed-type dogs for many years. We have club members that have owned them for 30-40-50 years and never had an incident. In 2010, 2 children were killed by dogs, 5 in 2009. These cases are tragic but they are very rare and were caused by a variety of factors. I suggest the AVMA’s Community Approach to Dog Bite prevention which is the most comprehensive study I have seen about this subject: http://www.avma.org/public_health/dogbite/dogbite.pdf (http://www NULL.avma NULL.org/public_health/dogbite/dogbite NULL.pdf)
The Denver law is simply not increasing public safety, so I don’t see it as a model for the country. This organization, a group of vets, shelters, etc. based in Colorado has done extensive research on this topic; http://www.livingsafelywithdogs.org/ (http://www NULL.livingsafelywithdogs NULL.org/)
We don’t put dogs above children – we want ALL dog owners to be held accountable for their actions. I don’t want animal control wasting time messing with dogs that haven’t done anything but sleep on the couch. I want them going after the loose dogs and neglectful owners.
I bred rotts for years and they are some of the smartest dogs on the planet believe it or not. THAT WAS MY BREED! A friend of mine gave me a pit and I couldn’t stand pits because, FIRST OF ALL, I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE BREED, BLOODLINES, ETC. All I knew was they were aggressive dogs “and they turn on their owners”!! THAT TURNED OUT TO BE THE BIGGEST LIE EVER TOLD! Please do not buy into the hype that pits are “baby killers”!!!! I now breed pits! I had a family gathering and my wife’s cousin wasn’t paying attention to her baby and the TWO YEAR OLD WAS IN THE BACKYARD GETTIN LICKED AND TICKLED BY 4 GROWN PITS! She was hysterical, becuz SHE was scared of the dogs and the stories that shes heard! Not to say that was right, but I’d rather that baby gotten lost in my backyard with my pits then run out in the street and gotten hit by a car! In short… PARENTS AND OWNERS alike can stop these attacks from happening. NO DOG IS ALIKE, ALL DOGS HAVE DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES just like humans. You have some dogs that dont wanna b bothered with kids or certain people JUST LIKE U GOT PEOPLE THAT DONT LIKE DOGS OR CERTAIN PEOPLE!! SO SHOULD WE PUT THOSE “AGGRESSIVE” PEOPLE DOWN TOO!? MY DOGS R MY KIDS AND I’LL FIGHT TO KEEP THEM JUST LIKE ANY GOOD PARENT WILL!
hi, i have been a proud pitbull owner for what will be a year on February 1st, I got him when he was an 8 week old puppy from a very organized and well known breeder in San Antonio, I have not had a single problem with him (other than the usual housetraining difficulties that come with every pup). He is now one year old and is very well known in my neighborhood as Prinz. He is about 90 pounds and while he looks aggressive he is actually the exact opposite! When I take him for walks my neighbors that are outside love to come and take a look at him due to his dominant and beautiful stature, he loves the attention as well. One of my neighbors has two sons that are the age of 10 and 12. They love my dog and are always wanting to come over and play with him when they get a chance. This same family also happens to own a 125 pound male Rottweiler, who also happens to be a great dog. When I went on a business trip about 8 months ago I left my pitbull with my neighbors who have the Rottweiler and they became the best of friends. Basically what I’m trying to say is dogs, no matter what the breed, are not born mean, they are raised to be. You can train any dog to be aggressive and it’s a shame that pitbulls are being singled out the way they are. However, I do have a problem with these ‘backyard’ breeders that are mating dogs just to make a profit, they dont know what the intentions of the buyer are and where the dog will end up a year or so down the road. I don’t believe they should ban all pitbulls from Texas because of neglectful owners. Get your dog spayed or neutered. I believe there is a much more logical solution to this than just banning a breed all together, which will probably lead to more criminalization like underground breedings which could turn into a huge problem that I’m sure congress does not want to deal with!!!
I was once one of those people who feared “those kind of dogs”. If I saw one while walking with my children I would become very nervous. In February of 2010 my husband went behind my back and made arrangements to buy an American pitbull Terrier puppy from a local well known breeder. I was livid. The man came to our home with a crate full of these fat little boogers. And that’s when I met Zoe. She was smaller than the rest but unlike her siblings came right out of the crate, crosed the room to where I was sitting (on the stairs) and began to try and climb into my lap. I was still leery. My husband tells the man how I feel about this breed and the man looks at me and smiles. He says to me ” What do you have to fear if you love her, respect her and teach her” Being slightly embarrassed I left the room. Zoe turned a year old this year. She has never shown any aggression. She is loving, smart and completely content to nap on the couch with my six year old son. I started reading anything I could find on the breed. I watched several heart wrenching videos about how many of these dogs are euthanized without ever having done anything to deserve it save for being born. I now know that many dog attacks are just said to be by pit bull as many dogs have the same looks. I now know that many many people when shown several pictures and asked to pick out “the bull” fail repeatedly to do so. Its an extreme case of mistaken identity and some wonderful animals are taking the fall for it. I can relate to the mothers of the children who have died from attacks, I am a mother and would feel the same need to lash out. BSL is not the answer, the answer is to as may others have said educate people. owners need to know that as much as they love their dogs if they are aggressive without provocation they need to be put down, for their own safety and the safety of the people who they may come into contact with. “Backyard” breeders need to be stopped, and hefty fines and jail time could make them less likely to do it. Dont leave young children unattended with ANY animal. Kids tend to climb on dogs and can hurt them, but if the dog bites its a “dangerous dog” Respect the fact that these are domesticated animals with natural instincts. They may try and “protect” their food so teach children to never ever mess with a animal that is eating. It really is just common sense. Furthermore, this is America. We are not in a dictatorship here we can choose for ourselves. For somebody to try and take the right we have to choose something as basic as what kind of pet we own is ludicrous. They can take my pit when they can take my gun.
I never feared a pit but I was a person who agreed on the ban. Until I got my puppy he is the best dog I have ever owned and known I have gotten bit by a few differ breeds. But ill be darn if someone takes my pit away. I love him like a child. Dont get a pit if you dont know how to raise one. Everyone who wants them banned never owned one. Theres no way.they are so loving dogs. Google pitbull heros, so many famous people have owned pitbulls. They save lives. I bet if you were in a burning building and a pit came in risked his life to save you. You would not want to ban them then. Well they save people all the time. The only reason you dont hear about it is because the media. If someones child killed someone will you ban yours?