Breed-Specific Legislation and its effect on Traveling Dogs
There is an unfortunate trend in cities, counties, states and provinces towards what is known as Breed-Specific Laws (BSL) in which a municipality bans or restricts the freedoms of dog owners with specific breeds of dogs. These laws vary from place to place and are affecting a greater number of dog owners every month. Most people may think that these laws affect only the "Pit Bull" but this is not the case. There are at least 50 breeds of dogs as well as mixed breeds that include targeted breeds named in the various laws in North America. The majority of Dogs affected are Pit Bulls and similar dogs, but other breeds are affected as well. These laws range from registration requirements and leash or muzzle requirements to extreme laws in which the breed(s) are banned from the municipality outright. Some places may even be permitted to confiscate a visitors dog who unknowingly enters the region with a banned breed.DogFriendly.com does not believe in Breed-Specific Legislation, we do not think it works. In particular, as one breed is banned, people who train dogs to be vicious will move on to a different breed, causing it to be banned in due time. This hurts the responsible owners of these breeds. We especially oppose BSL regulation that forces, or allows the confiscation, and possible execution of a dog even if it did not harm anyone. However, we suggest that dog owners whose dogs may be effected by these laws be aware of them and check that they are following all existing laws. To keep up to date on these laws we suggest checking the following websites, but keep in mind that they may not have the latest law updates. US Breed Specific Laws (see map): http://www.understand-a-bull.com/BSL/Locations/USLocations.htm Canada Breed Specific Laws (see map): http://www.understand-a-bull.com/BSL/Locations/Canada/CanadianLocations.htm AKC Legislation Department:http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/index.cfm Find the Pit Bull - why ID'ing a breed is a problem: http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Findthebull/findpitbull_v3.html National Geographic Article on Breed-Specific-Lawshttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/06/0617_040617_dogbans.html Understand-a-bull.com's 10 worst breed-specific-laws list::http://www.understand-a-bull.com/BSL/TenWorstList.htm Ontario's Pit Bull Law and people traveling with Dogs |
| Before you visit an establishment or place, please contact them and verify that they are still dog-friendly and available, as policies and management change frequently. All places listed on DogFriendly.com require your dog to be leashed and under your direct control unless specified otherwise by an establishments (including parks and beaches) management. Please be aware of local Breed-Specific Laws that may be in place where you are visiting. The information on this site is not a recommendation. DogFriendly.com, Inc. makes no warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied, as to the operation of the site or the information, content, materials, or products included on this site. If you find an establishment that no longer allows dogs, please let us know so we can remove them from our list. For full Rules and Regulations for Use of This Site, including the legal disclaimer and copyright notices, click here before using the site. Send email to us at email@dogfriendly.com |
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