Colorado: Aurora Residents Urged to Vote Yes to Repeal Breed Specific Legislation

In the next few weeks, residents of Aurora, Colorado, will be receiving mail-in ballots. Question 2D on the ballot asks, “Shall the people of Aurora adopt an ordinance allowing pit bulls back into their city?”

A vote of “YES” will provide the opportunity for Aurora dog lovers and residents to fight discrimination, restore the rights of dog owners in the city, and protect the lives of dogs that are determined to be “pit bulls”. The AKC encourages all Aurora residents to vote YES on Question 2D.

For the last decade, the city of Aurora has banned American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American pit bull terriers, or any dog that “substantially conforms to the standards” for these breeds. As a result of the ban, dogs deemed to be on the restricted breed list can be impounded and euthanized unless the dog is transferred to someone outside city limits.

The American Kennel Club vigorously opposes legislation/ordinances that determine a dog to be “dangerous” based on specific breed or appearance. Such laws are ineffective and harm the community they are designed to protect.

Instead, the AKC supports reasonable, enforceable, non-discriminatory laws to govern the ownership of all dogs.

The AKC believes that all dog owners should be responsible for their dogs and we support dangerous dog laws that that: establish a fair process by which specific dogs are identified as “dangerous” based on stated, measurable actions; impose appropriate penalties on irresponsible owners; and establish a well-defined method for dealing with dogs proven to be dangerous.

Voting “YES” on question 2D will remove the ineffective and harmful breed-specific ban in Aurora and allow responsible dog owners the freedom to once again own the breed of their choice – regardless of its appearance.

Points to Consider:

• Breed-specific laws unfairly targets responsible dog owners and innocent dogs. Dog owners should have the right to own the dog that is the right fit for them and their family, as long as they do so in a responsible manner. They should not be punished, and their pet should not be impounded or euthanized, simply because of the dog’s appearance. The emphasis should be on responsible dog ownership for ALL dog owners – regardless of the dog they choose to own.

• Breed-specific laws (BSL) hinder community safety. BSL places the emphasis on a dog’s appearance rather than its behavior. To truly protect the community, animal control and law enforcement should be able to focus on a dog’s specific actions, regardless of its appearance.

• Breed-specific laws are costly for the community and taxpayers. Dogs that are declared a “restricted breed” can be impounded by the city, where they must be housed and/or euthanized at taxpayer’s expense.

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Posted by chesliepickett on Oct 20 2014. Filed under Breaking News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.