Wednesday, July 11, 2012

It's not about one dog...

It's not about one dog.  It's about the thousands unfairly killed because of BSL.

While I realize that my blog is named "Foster Dog Diaries", I can't help from straying from the stories of my foster dogs to address this issue...

Breed Specific Legislation, commonly know as BSL, and fondly known by many of us as BS.  That's what it is.  It's bullshit.  If you're not up to par on your BSL knowledge, check out Wikipedia's definition.

What sparks this recent hatred, you ask?  If you're a dog lover, you've probably heard about Lennox and the 2-year battle to free the innocent "pit bull type" dog.  However, in Belfast, a UK owned territory, "pit bull type" dogs are banned.  Any of these dogs are to be euthanized... though I hardly think it's far to use such an innocent term.  These dogs are being murdered.  Forget the fact that the dog might just be the sweetest and most harmless dog in town - it doesn't matter.  Don't you know?  It's not about personality - it's about looks - about the breed.  Hmmm, sounds kind of like racial profiling, doesn't it?

Even though there were many other options for Lennox, including Victoria Stillwell's (famous dog trainer of It's Me or the Dog) offer to pay the expenses and rehome the dog in the U.S. where BSL exists... but not as strictly as it does in the UK.

Unfortunately, Belfast City Council refused to take anyone up on their offers... and insisted on murdering Lennox early this morning.  My heart goes out to the family that wouldn’t give up, and I only hope that Lennox’s story will reach the ears of millions and show them exactly how wrong BSL is.

  I am the proud owner of a “pit bull type” dog... as well as a German Shepherd mix.  Both are as sweet as sugar and would never pose a threat to humankind... yet both are banned and/or restricted in many places.  We must continue to fight BSL... because YOUR dog might be next.

2 comments:

  1. Breed specific prejudice has just hit us here in Norfolk. Cops just fired on a pit mix yesterday. Thankfully, Chopper will be fine, but witnesses say the dog was just wagging his tail checking things out, cops say the dog was about to attack. Such a shame, so careless, so unnecessary.

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    1. Ugh, seriously? Shame on them. Screw BSL!

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