Australian officials set today to begin euthanizing pit bulls and other “dangerous” breeds

by Joanne Brokaw

A new Australian law requires all dangerous dog breeds or dogs that share physical characteristics of dangerous breeds, to be registered or risk euthanization.

This story takes place on the other side of the world, but given the “all pit bulls are dangerous” mindset prevelant across America, it’s worth noting here.

Following the death of a 4-year-old Melbourne girl, a new law in Australia could mean the systematic euthanization of dogs that deemed inherently dangerous. According to the VIN News service:

“Beginning Friday, authorities will knock on doors in Victoria [Australia], seizing and euthanizing any American pit bull terrier — or dog that looks like one — that is not registered as a restricted breed with local officials. Owners of lookalikes such as American Staffordshire terriers need a certificate from a veterinarian or pedigree papers from breed registry groups that prove their ancestry. ”

Other dogs required to be registered as dangerous include  perro de presa canario, dogo Argentino (Argentinian fighting dog), Japanese tosa and fila Brasileiro (Brazilian fighting dog).

Pitty Love Rescue hosts screening of “Beyond The Myth”

Join the folks from Pitty Love Rescue on Wednesday, October 19 at The Little Theater as they host the Rochester, NY screening of the documentary film, “Beyond The Myth”.

The film explores the contributing factors behind the public’s generalized fear of “pit bulls”, and examines the conflict existing between advocates and opponents of breed discriminatory laws, commonly referred to as breed bans. It investigates the myths associated with the breed, challenges the idea that they are inherently vicious, presenting eye-opening research regarding the media’s role in influencing people’s opinion on “pit bulls”.

The screening begins at 7 PM on Wednesday, October 19 at The Little Theater, 240 East Avenue. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance at www.beyondthemythmovie.com.

For more information about Pitty Love Rescue, visit their website.

Bad dogs, bad behavior and three people I have on speed dial

by Joanne Brokaw

Bandit, Bailey and Scout

It’s been a wild week here at The Funny Farm. Lots of barking, a little biting and even some blood. That’s because yesterday morning, very early, two of our dogs got into a tussle and while trying to separate them, darling husband was bit.

A friend told me this week that I ought to write about what happened and how we’re dealing with the situation because there are probably other people out there dealing with the same problem.

And if we’re being honest here, other people might have given in a long time ago. I know, because I’ve volunteered at an animal shelter and seen dogs come in and never leave because they’re “bad” or “aggressive” or they’ve “bitten” someone and need to be put down.

So starting tonight, I’ll be blogging every week about our “bad dogs” - or rather, our dogs’ bad behavior – and how we’re dealing with the situation so that other dog owners will realize that they’re not alone, that there are resources available, and that really, they don’t have bad dogs. They just have dogs with normal (and OK, sometimes bad) behavior that needs some redirection.

Understand that I’m not a dog trainer or dog professional. I’m a writer with three dogs, an insatiable curiosity about dog behavior, genetics, and communication, and about 20+ years of experience as a dog owner at all ends of the spectrum – from totally clueless to mildly educated and still learning. I can’t give advice, but I can tell my own stories and track down answers to your questions.

We’ll start with what happened this week.

Dog limits and other town ordinances

In our village, keeping three dogs requires a special use permit. Do you know how many dogs you're allowed to have in your town?

Those of you who follow along on my personal blog, Notes From The Funny Farm, or on Bandit’s blog, It’s A Dog’s Life, know that our family has been fostering a pit/shepherd mix puppy for the last few months.

The issue is that we already have two dogs, the legal limit in our village. So last night we went before the Planning Board to request a special use permit to keep a third dog.

You can read about our experience on my personal blog, but here’s a question for you: do you know what your town, village or city laws are about how many dogs you can keep, licensing requirements, leash laws, etc?

It’s important to know, not only so you can avoid tickets or having to surrender a dog. But also so you can be a good neighbor. Having three dogs when the town allows two doesn’t have to be a problem – if they’re licensed, vaccinated, kept on your property, and trained.

You can learn more about your town’s dog ordinances by calling your local animal control. There’s a list of local animal control phone numbers right here on the Bark Around Town blog!

“Responsible Pit Bill Owner” seminar on Saturday, February 12

Sophie was rescued from a hoarding bust in Ohio, and she's looking for a family to call her own!

If you have a pit bull or are interested in owning  a pit bull – or any of the “bully breeds” – be sure to check out the Responsible Pit Bull Seminar this Saturday afternoon from 3:00-5:30 at Tails of Success Doggy Daycare and Training Facility located in the Depot Plaza at 999 Ridge Road East, Irondequoit NY 14621.

Contrary to popular myth, pit bulls are not horrible, vicious dog breeds. But they can be horrible and vicious if they’re owned by irresponsible owners to mistreat them, misbreed them, and otherwise do them harm. (Which is the same for every other breed of dog, just for the record.)

So it’s important for pit bull owners to make sure they’re doing everything they can to raise, train and socialize their pit bulls. And Pitty Love Rescue is helping with education like this seminar. The rescue group is dedicated to restoring the breed’s reputation as a great family dog.

This seminar will cover everything bully from breed origins and history to what makes an ideal “pit bull” owner. There will be an extensive Q&A section where any and all questions will be answered to the best of our abilities.

The event is free, but donations are always accepted. You can learn more about Pitty Love Rescue on their website. You can learn more about Tails of Success Training Center on their website.

And just as an aside: If you’ve been following along with Bailey, the little pit bull/shepherd mix puppy I’m fostering, you can meet her Friday night at Petco in Greece from 6-8 PM. She’ll be there for a Pitty Love adoption event.

October 23 is Pit Bull Awareness Day

 

October 23 is National Pit Bull Awareness Day

Today is National Pit Bull Awareness Day, founded to help educate and foster positive communications and experiences in the communities where pit bulls live.

With breed specific legislation amping up all over the country, it’s important to educate people about dogs, dog breeds, and dog behavior. At different times throughout the years, different dog breeds have been the focus of breed specific bias, from Dobermans and Rottweilers to Bloodhounds.

 But the truth is that pit bulls are not inherently more dangerous than other dog breeds. Because of their althleticism and strength, they are, however, the choice for bad owners who want to use their dogs for less than responsible purposes.

And therein lies the rub. The problem isn’t the dog, it’s the human. And try as we might, dog laws won’t change the behavior of dog owners bent on breaking the rules. All we’re doing is fostering the misconception that dog breed always equals dog behavior.

The irony is that not that many years ago, the pit bull was a respected dog in America. Buster Brown’s dog Tige? Pit bull. Petey from “Little Rascals”? Pit Bull. And according to Cesar Milan’s website, “The pit bull was so respected in the early 1900′s that the military chose an image of a dignified pit bull to represent the country on WWI propaganda posters.”

Not long ago, I did a post about why pit bulls have such a bad rap. Here are five reasons I included in that post: