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April
21st 2004: Colorado Prohibits Breed-Specific Bans
On April 21st, the state of Colorado signed into law a bill which made breed-specific bans on dogs illegal. Until that time, in many cities in Colorado it was illegal to own a Pit Bull Terrier. If you owned one, you received a single warning to move it outside the city line. If you did not comply, the dog would be seized by an animal control officer and euthanized. Thankfully, the state superceded the local bans, as thousands of dogs with absolutely no history of aggression of any kind could have been seized and killed. Colorado is the 14th state to make these bans illegal.
These bans have targeted in many states have fifteen different breeds including: pit bulls, rottweilers, dalmations, German shepherds, akitas, and mastiffs.
It is our opinion that there are very few inherently dangerous dogs. We can usually identify these dogs by 8-10 weeks of age. There are a lot of dangerous owners out there. Some are vile and train their dogs to recklessless attack other people and dogs. Most are just oblivious to the fact that all dogs require not just love, but discipline based on respect of people. There is frequently a mismatch of owner timidness and an assertive dog. This can be a recipe for disaster. But does that mean that all dogs of a breed are bad?
Here at Orange Villa, we see a great many Pitt Bulls, Shepherd’s, and Rottweilers. These are strong dogs, capable of dealing a great deal of damage if they bite. 99% of these dogs are nice, cooperative, well adjusted dogs that are a threat of drowning you in saliva when they lick you. These dogs have owners who recognize the fact that these breeds need a little more discipline than a poodle. Smaller breed dogs actually are often more aggressive than larger dogs, but due to their small size, aren’t nearly as likely to cause major injury.
Luckily, the state government in Colorado realized where the blame goes when it comes to dog attacks…to the owners of those dogs. Besides making breed bans illegal, it increases the owner’s liability if their dog bit someone.
If
you’d like more information on breed-specific bans, please go to:
http://acf2004.tripod.com/americancaninefoundationeducationandlegislation/index.html
This is the website of the American Canine Foundation who fought the fight
to save these dogs. They are continuing the fight in Colorado, as Denver
and other cities are fighting the law.
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