Photo courtesy of www.downtownpet.com
Robyn Driscoll, a Democrat who represents the 51st District, has introduced a bill that would authorize the state sanctioned killing of all pit bulls in the state. If the bill is made into law, any person who owns a pit bull will have to surrender their dog(s) for euthanasia within 10 days. If a person who has a pit bull refuses to cooperate under this scenario, any officer can obtain a search warrant to seize the dog(s).
As a person whose pets are like her children, I cannot imagine anything more horrible.At the risk of sounding too cliched, dogs become a threat when they are not raised, trained, and cared for properly. Any animal can bite, and any animal can turn vicious. Be it a pit bull, a shi tzu, a snake, or a parakeet, any animal that is kept as a pet has the potential to strike out at a human or another pet.
The National Canine Research Council reports that between 1965 and 2008, there were 3 fatalities in Montana from dog bites. Yes, 3 in 43 years. In 2005 alone, just one year in Montana, 1,400 people died from smoking and 251 in traffic accidents. (Maybe Driscoll should work to protect Montanans from smoking and second hand cigarette smoke or negligent or drunk drivers; that would at least be something useful.)
The NCRC notes, “All the dogs involved … were …not spayed or neutered….All three cases involved unsupervised children left alone in a yard with unfamiliar dogs (2 cases) or the child wandering off and encountering an unfamiliar, chained dog (1 case).
source: Animal Law Coalition
Neville - Photo courtesy of the Animal Farm Foundation
Neville is a beautiful pit bull who was rescued from Canada after breed-specific legislation (BSL) forced him into a shelter. He is now a happy, healthy, and much loved bomb-sniffing dog in United States. Read his story here.
Dogs are not designer bags. It is unfair and shortsighted to single out one breed simply because it looks a certain way. You can help to put a stop to this unfair, cruel legislation. Contact Robin Driscoll and other legislators and remind them that BSL is misguided and wrong!
- Robyn Driscoll, (406) 534-4874, rdriscoll@peoplepc.com
- Contact the House Local Government Committee by calling Joe Kolman, 406-444-9280
- Find Montana legislators and email, fax or call them and urge them to say no to H.B. 191. Here is the fax number for the House: 406-444-4825
If you aren’t sure what to write, just remember, be respectful, don’t insult the person you are writing to, and always be sure to proofread. If you still aren’t sure, feel free to copy and paste what I sent. Try to add your own thoughts, though.
Dear Ms. Driscoll:
I am writing to express my concern over the unfair breed specific legislation that you have introduced in Montana. Breed specific legislation is, at best, shortsighted. Proposing to kill all of the pit bulls in the state is cruel and inhumane.
Please, take the time to learn more about the breed that you are working to eradicate in name of misguided fear. No animal should be punished for ignorance or because it has an irresponsible and/or incompetent owner.
Thank you for your time.
8 responses so far ↓
selwyn marock // January 12, 2009 at 12:17 AM
I do not propose debating Hitler’s BSL policies,merely to point out that in the USA his policies are being reintroduced.Imagining I was a Jew in Germany during the Holocaust,would you have suggested I write the following letter.
Dear Mr Hitler,
We are a little concerned with your policy of
Murdering us Jews,would you consider visiting
our Synagogue one Friday night and enjoying a Shabbas meal with our congregation and seeing
what good and decent people we are and how unfair some of your policies are.
Respectfully yours,
Selwyn Marock
Do you think that this could have worked.?
selwyn marock // January 12, 2009 at 12:37 AM
I do not know if you are following the voting that is going on on the site Change.org but our cause”BAN BSL” ,We have around 16oo votes and are in 34th position and require another
3,700 votes to get into 10th position and our
cause to land up on Obama’s table,and something like this happening is the only hope for the pitbulls and all the dogs in America.
Right now our chances are very slim,as out of the 1600 votes achieved by the Anti BSL lobby
at a guess 1000 are American,which just does not cut it.The apathy shown by our lobby is a bloody disgrace,and if one goes onto the site that is in no1 position “Legalise Marijuana” with
their 11000 votes you can ubderstand why,they are not fighting for their cause just in Montana,
Denver ,Miami etc etc but collectively,and this is the only way we can win.
wvbocere // January 12, 2009 at 12:28 PM
Selwyn, what are you suggesting?
Do you honestly believe that contacting Ms. Driscoll and comparing the pit bulls of Montana to the Jewish people of Nazi Germany will convince her to reconsider?
As far as I am concerned, ridiculous comparisons like those only serve to weaken any clout that animal rights groups have.
If I misunderstood your post, please correct me.
selwyn marock // January 12, 2009 at 1:14 PM
It is not comparing jews with pitbulls(I am Jewish myself) But this law that the Americans
have copied is absolutely identical to Hitler’s laws down to the spay and neuter policy which was also one of Adolph’s favourites.
Some of the areas in Fascist USA have had these
monumentally cruel and Evil laws for 20 odd years.
and all the anti-bsl lobbies have been writing
these cute bloody letters,they do not work
because this ridiculous law has absolutely
nothing and I mean nothing to do with the
dogs.
It is time if you wish to defeat this BS to call a spade a shovel and of course to try and rally
support from your new president.
I feel strongly enough about this issue that although I have family in Dade county I will
never set foot there as long as Hitler’s law exists
in that county.
You mention the Jewish Americans I also am very surprised by the fact that many of them
had family that were “EUTHANISED” in Germany and yet
they ignor what is taking place in the USA.
selwyn marock // January 12, 2009 at 1:49 PM
Sorry to correct you,but animal rights groups
have clout animal welfare groups have very little. The problem with these little groups they become very egoistical and beleive by trying to fight on 1 front they can win,Denver ,Dade County Ontario Canada are perfect examples,in all these places this law has been in place for many years and looks like it will stay for many
more unless the new president intervenes.
anonymous // January 19, 2009 at 6:13 PM
HB 191 does not say that all pit bulls in Montana will be killed. It has a grandfather clause. Here, read it. It’s only three pages long
http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2009/billhtml/HB0191.htm
Not saying it’s a not a stupid bill, just that your post isn’t quite accurate.
Big Pit // January 20, 2009 at 4:25 AM
If we look at statics, which politicians rarely do. Then they would know that the APBT is not a dog that has human aggression. Let’s look at stats, your ten times more likely to get bitten by a Jack Russel, Chihuahua, or a Standard Poodle, than a APBT. Responsible ownership of any breed helps minimize the risk. I am an avid APBT lover and owner. He is a larger APBT weighing in at over 110 lbs. Yet he is more gentle with my 1 year old grandson, than anyone thats of human species. So the way it should be is that owners of any breed, are held responsible for thier pets actions.
Danielle // January 22, 2009 at 12:42 AM
For the record I feel VERY strongly that this is a ridiculous bill and is profiling pits when they (she) should be more concerned about the owners. I have signed the petition against this abomination and anyone who cares should as well!!
http://savethepitbulls.bitsurge.net/
Also for ANYONE concerned this is PUBLIC contact info for Rep. Robyn Driscoll…the person proposing this RIDICULOUS bill to kill our four legged FAMILY members.
ROBYN DRISCOLL (D) HD 51
404 HOULE DR
BILLINGS, MT 59102-4861
Home: (406)534-4874
rdriscoll@peoplepc.com
Please feel free to let her know how you feel. REALLY FEEL!