This is where it started: http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/article_95dadfc2-1c3b-11df-a4ff-001cc4c002e0.html

and this is where it has gone in just a few days: http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/article_8a49b23a-1de1-11df-af9c-001cc4c03286.html?mode=story

I have written a lengthy bit to support the APBT in regards to this current issue, because this is so close to home and I start to worry that maybe one day someone won't have control of their dog and it will be banned from my town and it could be one of my three dogs that would have to go-if it were the case, I would be moving out of town as soon as I could. That said, we're already making plans to move out of town asap, because we want to trian dogs and my hubby would like to get me an APBT. I certainly don't want the local cop saying to me, like he did my neighbor who adopted an adult pit bull, that he would shoot the dog whether it was doing anything wrong or not, if it's loose it's getting shot (he'd shoot to kill).

This makes me so mad because of the ignorant and uninformed will always hold weight in some communities.

I feel like sending this Grandma tapes of The Dog Whisperer's shows where Daddy comes in a calms and rehabilitates dogs that don't have good pack leaders.
Or a German Shepherd that has been trained by Will R.

The ignorance of a few, coupled by sheep mentality, makes for foolish laws down the road.
JMHO!

This is what I wrote: http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/article_8a49b23a-1de1-11df-af9c-001cc4c03286.html?mode=comments Mine is under kstull, it's the longest post on there.

Wow... i'm not saying it's anymore wrong than any other breed specific legislation... but Rottweilers and German Shepard?!?!? soon it will be no dogs over 20 pounds or something.

where I live it's no breed that has similar physical traits to pitbull, because they have had trouble proving what was a pitbull or not. somebody just had her dogs taken away because she couldn't prove that they weren't pitbulls.

When everyone in town is related everything becomes about yo' mama.

Someone should just suggest adding labs to this list so maybe it'll just go away. *eyeroll*

Keleah,
Excellent response! You should be very proud, it was so very well written. For what it is worth, I am proud of you.
Way to go Keleah!

Keleah,

Well written, thoughtful response.

Ya' just gotta love the hypocracy of the mother who was willing to sign the petition to ban her son's breed of choice but then flipped when the GSD - her breed - was added.

Knee jerk reactions on so many levels, and all harmful to the wonderful breeds of dogs involved.

Great response Keleah!!

You know, I don’t wish ill on anyone and believe that we can all live responsibly in peace, with each other and the other natural inhabitants of this earth. We all need to take precautions with our own lives – driving cars, operating equipment (stoves, sewing machines, woodworking tools, etc) and interacting with potentially dangerous individuals. We tell our kids not to talk to strangers but every “potentially lethal dog” should be fair game for any rambunctious child or elderly person to approach and interact with.

As we do with the Charles Manson’s and Jeffrey Dahmer’s - deal with the problem children, not their siblings, relatives or cultures as a whole. As well, train our nation to spot the signs and avoid them. Not run up with open arms and welcome them into our home – regardless of how innocent they may look.

I would love nothing more than to start a petition and place on ban on this type of “ignorant attitude”. Perhaps we could designate a portion of our country to these people only. Gated communities with absolutely no nature or wildlife – God forbid, the trees could attract a bug that may spark up an allergy. Wall to wall padded cement, rubber cars and their unforgiving self-righteous attitude. I’ll bet that would make Gramma and her band of merry men happy - then the rest of us could live in peace too.

I feel for you Keleah – please let me know if there’s anything we can do to help your cause.

Thanks everyone, I've recieved a better response from people here than my own mother, who is a dog owner (owns a small standard poodle) so she really has nothing to worry about, ever.

It took me two days and almost 7 full pages to write that out and then another hour or so to type it out. I sent that exact paper to the journalist working on the article. Hopefully something will come of it, because it does make me nervous that other small towns will follow suit and perhaps my town will be one. I will not give my dogs up for any reason, ever. I would fight the city to the death if I had to to keep my dogs and their breed safe from ignorance.

I appreciate everyone here that feels the way I do. And I do agree, someone should bring up banning Labs so maybe the whole thing will get dropped. But chances are the people that are trying to fight against the ban aren't doing their homework on bite stats and other breed information on the "to be banned" dogs. Which is very sad and it really ticks me off.

Edited by Keleah Stull (02/22/2010 10:55 PM)
Edit reason: added last paragraph

Our city, in southern California, doesn't have bans on different breeds, but MOST of the insurance companies have a policy that they won't insure any house that has any of those breeds living in it. In fact, the list of breeds you can't have in order to get homeowners insurance is a lot longer than your city's proposed list. Do you guys have this where you live too?