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Home > Blogs > Hamilton News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > June > 10 > Entry
American kennel club responds to potential animal control legislation
Last Wednesday, Animal Friends Human Society Director Leland Gordan addressed the Hamilton Ordinance Review Committee about adopting tougher animal control laws. View his ideas here.
Today, I received an email from the American Kennel Club’s legislative liaison in response to his ideas.
Elizabeth Brinkley’s response:
“To begin with, there is no breed called “pit bull”. Pit Bull was a term used for “many” breeds that were used to fight in the pits. Actually in 1989 when the AKC took the NYC Department Of Health to the Supreme Court to over-turn the Pit Bull Ban in NYC, one argument they used was, there is no such breed as pit bull. I have been involved in canine legislation for approximately 20 years and have yet to have city council members, police officer, etc. correctly identify breeds when I show them photos of various short haired dogs. Anything with short hair is identified by the media as a “pit bull”.
Our laws should identify illegal activities and define the penalties associated with breaches of the law. Domesticated canines are considered personal property and present problems in society only when owned or tossed out by irresponsible people. Our laws should address irresponsible canine ownership and should never refer to specific breeds.
Breed specific legislation is an intolerable form of discrimination that has many undesirable far reaching consequences, including economic ones. Breed specific legislation is expensive and difficult to enforce; impacts people who both live in and visit jurisdictions; impacts vets, breeders, AKC, dog food manufacturers, and, in many cases, canine divisions of various law enforcement agencies. To make matters worse, canine racial profiling (breed specific legislation) is a total waste of time and money, as it will not turn irresponsible owners and breeders into responsible owners and breeders. Irresponsible canine ownership can only be prevented by addressing the problem directly: define the problem, define the penalty or penalties, and enforce the laws. Most urban jurisdictions have laws on the books now that, if enforced, would eliminate most dog aggression disasters. The best defense against dangerous dogs is a strongly enforced LEASH LAW - not outlawing a breed. The outlaws will simply ruin another breed.
Elizabeth Brinkley
AKC Legislative Liaison”
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Comments
By Mike Pfirrman
August 20, 2008 10:25 AM | Link to this
I stopped altogether watching anything connected to AKC when I found out they were behind any constructive legislation in Ohio that aims to control dog breeders (mostly puppy mills). AKC supports not only the absolute rights of dog breeders, but turns a blind eye to the fact that Ohio practically leads the nation in active puppy mills. Until breeders can be controlled in the numbers of puppies they produce, don’t support the AKC in any way. They contribute to the high numbers of animals being killed at our shelters each and every day.By Mike Pfirrman
August 20, 2008 10:25 AM | Link to this
I stopped altogether watching anything connected to AKC when I found out they were behind any constructive legislation in Ohio that aims to control dog breeders (mostly puppy mills). AKC supports not only the absolute rights of dog breeders, but turns a blind eye to the fact that Ohio practically leads the nation in active puppy mills. Until breeders can be controlled in the numbers of puppies they produce, don’t support the AKC in any way. They contribute to the high numbers of animals being killed at our shelters each and every day.