This past weekend my dog rescue friends and I went to see the film  Beyond The Myth sponsored by our local rescue Angels of Assisi.  This is a film about Breed Specific Legislation (B.S.L.) and  how big government wants to round up all the Pit Bulls, Pit Bull mixes or any dog who resembles a Pit Bull. If you get a chance to screen this movie, try to go because it is a true eye opener. Because of all the tainted and negative media attention the Pit Bull breed receives from the local and national media outlets, it’s no wonder our elected officials over react when it comes to Pit Bulls. I don’t know about all of you, but I have a huge problem with B.S.L. because it targets innocent dogs and their owners.

We should all get involved and pressure our local government officials and law enforcement departments to have real repercussions for the criminals who breed and fight pit bulls. Let’s target the criminals not the innocent victims of such crimes.

Click here to go to the official website of the film Beyond The Myth

If you live in an inner city I strongly advise you to find out what your local city and state goventment entities are up to as far as passing B.S.L. legislation through under the radar. Try to find out where your local officials stand on B.S.L. Many times they pass these laws without anyone even knowing the B.S.L. laws have been passed (politicians are sneaky that way). It is up to all of us to make sure our local governments do not tread on our rights as far as what kind of dogs we can accept into our families. Do you know what the local laws pertaining to dogs are in your area are? If not, you should try to find out.

Here is an article I ran last year and I think this article is even more revelant today. It was in the Chicago Sun Times by Esther Cepeda and I have to say the author makes excellent points about the upcoming proposed B.S.L. being voted on by city council in Chicago soon. She makes sense so much so I don’t think I could have said it or written it any better then she did myself.

According to all of our deaf Pit Bull Mixes we have in our Deaf Dogs Rock community, Esther Cepeda, totally ROCKS! ~ Christina Lee – Deaf Dogs Rock

 

My dogs went wild in fight, but don’t ban them by ESTHER CEPEDA ejc@estherjcepeda.com  January 8, 2012 Chicago Sun Times – Online.

Two summers ago I was involved in a violent, terrifying dog fight.

During a quiet evening stroll around my neighborhood, my husband, our two dogs and I spotted a family of four up the street. A mom pushing a baby in a stroller, a young girl trailing behind a big, white Samoyed and dad with a large, leashed Boxer were headed our way and we decided to cross the street to let the merry band pass.

But one of our dogs barked, setting off a cacophony of growls and woofs, and the next thing I know, the girl with the large white dog had been yanked face-first onto the concrete sidewalk from the force of her dog charging at ours.

As her mom started screaming, the dad started running toward us to gain control of the loose dog with his increasingly agitated, though leashed, boxer in the lead. Before we were able to get our own two dogs reined in, I was in the middle of a full-on dog melee.

The boxer bit the hindquarters of one of my dogs while my other dog struggled to tear open the snout of the Samoyed, despite being violently flailed in the air. There was some blood and neither of the large attacking dogs walked away unscathed from their encounter with my two pets, who had turned instantly into seemingly demon-possessed killing machines at a moment’s notice.

Are my two canine children — who would have gladly torn the throats out of the unsuspecting boxer-and-Samoyed combo had my husband and I not been able to grapple them away from the fracas — of a vicious breed? Hulking, blood-thirsty, bred-to-kill pit bulls, perhaps?

No, not at all. I own two Chihuahuas. They weigh 15 lbs. combined and soaking wet. They require darling little sweaters to get through the cold Chicago winters.

My point here is not to boast about my dogs’ ability to throw down in the name of protecting their loving owners. It is to illustrate that under the right circumstances, any dog — even when placid temperament, good training and responsible ownership are factored in — can be a lethal weapon.

Sure, pit bulls can be the equivalents of a loaded gun, a ferocious package of animal instinct and near super-human strength. But you could realistically categorize most dog breeds that way in many situations. Then you’re looking at banning the ownership of all dogs, and that’s no solution at all.

What happened to the Chicago lakefront jogger who was mauled by two loose pit bulls so badly last Monday that he spent most of last week fighting for his life is nothing less than a tragedy. But a citywide ban on pit bulls — or other large breeds with bad reputations — would punish scores of dogs and their responsible owners instead of putting the penalty where it belongs: on the testosterone-fueled and negligent people who keep these dogs only to make statements about their own personal power.

When the City Council meets on Jan. 18, they must be ready to put laws with real teeth onto the books so that careless, irresponsible pet owners can be held accountable — without unnecessarily persecuting reliable owners who, despite best efforts, can sometimes have their dogs somehow escape the family backyard.

In any case, it’s owners, not whole breeds of dogs, who should be punished for reckless behavior.

Note from Christina of Deaf Dogs Rock: If you need more proof on what amazing deaf pit bull dogs can be be sure to check out our Deaf Dog’s Rock Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog Wall of Fame by clicking here.