Sept 25, 2009: Dead Dogs Barking

[xoxoxoBruce]

20 years ago, Denver, Colorado, outlawed "Pit Bulls".

Any dog suspected of having a majority mix of the breed is impounded at the municipal animal shelter.
​Each dog is evaluated by three shelter employees to see if it has the "the majority of the characteristics" of the three pit bull breeds defined in the ordinance: American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier.
Since 1992, 5,286 pit bulls have been impounded by the city under the ordinance.

Pit bulls can be released if their owners pay impound fees and provide proof that the dog will be relocated out of city limits.

​The law prevents shelters in Denver from putting pit bulls up for adoption. So dogs will only be released if staff can find space in shelters outside the city. But such arrangements are rare. Under the ban, Denver has put down an estimated 3,497 pit bulls.
​Doug Kelly became director of Denver's animal control in 2000. He can offer no definitive proof that the pit bull ban works. Still, his agency must enforce what's written in the ordinance.

Yeah... it's the law. What a goddamn shame.

link

[Antimatter]

I dislike fighting dogs. The meat has to cook for hours to become tender enough to eat.

[ZenGum]

I dislike fighting dogs. Sometimes I get badly bitten.

[capnhowdy]

There is absolutely nothing American about this "ordinance". Makes me fucking sick. Goddam guv'mint!

Next it will be certain types/races of people being "put down". Just a matter of time. We better wake up and smell the coffee, folks.

[capnhowdy]

I dislike fighting dogs too.

I always feel like we're improperly matched.

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by capnhowdy

There is absolutely nothing American about this "ordinance". Makes me fucking sick. Goddam guv'mint! ....

Until a pit bull eats your son or a dingo takes your baby. Pit bulls don't maim and kill their canine opponents, and attack neighborhood children - people do!

[Shawnee123]

Ha @ spexx!

If my nieces lived near a pit, I would breathe a sigh of relief that they weren't in danger of getting their faces ripped off.

Jack the Golden Retriever has no face-ripping-off tendencies...either innate or learned.

I know the arguments this will bring. When I start hearing about golden retrievers ripping faces off, I might change my attitude.

'Course, I find many tiny yippy dogs suspect as well.

Ah well, flame away.

[Pico and ME]

I'm right with you Shawnee.

This just isnt the evil guv'mint at work, this is about people who know of no other way to prevent a horrible dog attack, the ones pit bulls are notorious for.

[spudcon]

Every pit bull I've ever seen has been sweet and loving. And yes, I know I'm leaving myself open for jokes, but it's true.

[spudcon]

Oh yeah, and they taste awful too.

[Shawnee123]

I've known some nice pitbulls too.

I love dogs. I love animals in general. When I was at the zoo I wanted to crawl into the cage and cuddle with the cute black bear.

I know better. I would no more trust a breed with a propensity for face-ripping around my nieces than I would throw them into the bear cage for cuddle.

Wild animals are wild animals. All dogs have, deep within, the instinct for face-ripping. Some are bred for gentleness, some are not.

I know this opinion isn't popular. I'm the first to say "awwww, sweet doggie." I'll risk my face at my own...er, risk. I wouldn't risk a child's face for any amount of assurance that "it's a really nice dog."

[Tawny]

We put to death MILLIONS of dogs and cats in this country each year.

Because there aren't enough homes for all the stray/impounded animals, if those 3,497 pit bulls hadn't been put down in Denver, they'd have put down 3,497 other dogs.

We need to ban puppy mills and indiscriminate breeding so we don't have a surplus of pets.

[TheMercenary]

Spay and neuter, spay and neuter.

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by capnhowdy

There is absolutely nothing American about this "ordinance". Makes me fucking sick. Goddam guv'mint!

Next it will be certain types/races of people being "put down". Just a matter of time. We better wake up and smell the coffee, folks.

Would you be against "putting down" all Islamic fundamentalists? You never know when one might fly a plane into a skyscraper.

[Gravdigr]

I think Colorado has enough problems, what with terrorists and such, they should just start impounding their citizens instead of the dogs. And, just for the record, ANY dog can be made into a mankiller. ANY dog. If golden retrievers were as muscular as pits/staffordshire types, you better believe that the people who breed/train them for fighting/attacking would be using golden retrievers.

And if they have such a problem w/dog fighting/attacks, I think that reflects more on the citizens than the dogs.

All in all, Denver is using a very wrong-headed, ill-thought out plan. And like the guy said, no proof that it works at all.

BTW, I don't like dogfighting, it's so hard to get boxing gloves on a dog...