Support bill removing 'vicious' designation from pit bulls

To the Editor:

I am writing in regards to House Bill 79, which would amend section 955.11 of the Revised Code to remove pit bulls from the definition of "vicious dog" in state law. This bill was introduced in March 2009 by state Rep. Sears. I am writing to urge readers of this letter to contact their representatives, as well as members of the House Committee for Agriculture and Natural Resources, in favor of this bill.

I am very much in favor of this legislation for several reasons. The biggest one is that ANY dog has the capability of being vicious depending upon training, socialization, interaction with humans, and abuse or neglect, no matter how overt. Breed or genetics has been proved to have very little, if anything, to do with whether or not a dog will be "vicious." It is a case of nature versus nurture, with nurture being the biggest factor.

Are you aware that, among the alleged top 10 most vicious breeds are familiar household pets, including the collie, the labrador retriever, the husky, the Jack Russell terrier, and the chihuahua? And yet, under Ohio's breed-specific legislation, not one of these dogs is mentioned. The current laws do nothing to reprimand irresponsible owners, and only serve to punish responsible owners. In addition, Ohio is the only state in the union that automatically defines pit bulls as vicious.

Did you know that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stopped reporting breed with its dog-bite statistics? This is because the determination of breed is very subjective, and dog-bite reports are usually based solely upon eyewitness accounts, not those of trained veterinary medical personnel or those who are legally allowed to make that determination.

In the state of Ohio, only an animal-control officer may determine whether a dog is full or part pit-bull. With the recent advent of cost-effective and accurate canine DNA testing, this has become an almost entirely obsolete way of determination, and is still highly subjective.

I am writing as a concerned citizen to urge you to continue to support House Bill 79 in any way possible. In 2007, the city of Athens proposed legislation that would ban the ownership of "pitbull type dogs" from the city limits. This proposed legislation was dropped almost as quickly as it was introduced.

Many people in Athens are proud owners of pit bulls who are well trained, well loved and well socialized, and do not pose any threat to those around them, be they two-legged or four. Many people in Athens are unaware of the already existing legislation that governs their pets, and have the potential to suffer because of it. Rescue organizations that exist within the county, including the Athens County Dog Shelter, Friends of the Dog Shelter, and the Athens County Humane Society are often unable to adopt out perfectly sane and safe animals because of this legislation, leading in some cases to undue euthanization of these animals.

Coupled with House Bill 70, which would upgrade the abuse and neglect of animals to a felony, these measures would go far in the improvement of the lives of companion animals and their owners in Athens County.

Thank you very much for your time, consideration and critical thinking.

Caitlin Seida
Clinton Street
Nelsonville

REPLY TO THIS COMMENT

Hocking Hick

I'll support your bill -- IF you support a full set of Leash Laws for ALL of Athens County.

Nickels

I totally agree with Hocking Hick. Leash laws need to be enforced and harshly. I don't know how many times while hiking at Sell's park, the ridges, or biking on the path that someone's unleashed dog has approached me in an unfriendly manner. I'm an animal lover and would not harm a dog unless it was going to severely injure me. I do however often hike and carry a weapon for defense where legal. It's unfortunate that eventually if people continue to let a dog that is aggressive towards strangers run without a leash eventually that dog will meet a non-animal lover who will kill or severely injure the dog because they feel threatened. Then it will be a public fiasco because the owner will shout to the hills about animal cruelty. Your dog depends on you as its master to protect it. Having a dog unleashed when it can be dangerous to others and in danger from others is poor behavior on the part of owners. [i]"Are you aware that, among the alleged top 10 most vicious breeds are familiar household pets, including the collie, the labrador retriever, the husky, the Jack Russell terrier, and the chihuahua?"[/i] Of the ones you mentioned two cannot inflict much damage. A lab yes, a husky yes, but a chihuahua and jack russell? Unless you are hemophiliac a nip on the ankle won't be live threatening. A bite to the vital neck area from a powerful animal like a pitt or rott will result in death often times. They look at character of the breed and ability to inflict bodily harm. A pit bull is a dog that unfortunately often bred to be a killer. I know you love your pet, and I've know people who have rotts, dobermans, etc. that are the biggest babies in the world, but if you meet one of those dogs unsocialized, good luck. So Hocking Hick is right most would support the change if leash laws are enforced and problem animals are controlled either though use of a muzzle and leash or other methods.

Terry

Ohio already requires leashing. 955.22 Confining, restraining, debarking dogs. (C) Except when a dog is lawfully engaged in hunting and accompanied by the owner, keeper, harborer, or handler of the dog, no owner, keeper, or harborer of any dog shall fail at any time to do either of the following: (1) Keep the dog physically confined or restrained upon the premises of the owner, keeper, or harborer by a leash, tether, adequate fence, supervision, or secure enclosure to prevent escape; (2) Keep the dog under the reasonable control of some person.

Caitlin

Hocking Hick - I fully support leash laws, especially the ones, as Terry pointed out, that are already in effect. I do wish they were enforced more often. As someone who owns dogs myself (nothing here of interest, just two big, lazy mutts, or rather "Dogs of mixed heritage"), I advocate on a regular basis for people to care for their animals better. I am currently pursuing my degree to become a veterinary technician for this exact purpose. I don't want to deal with someone else's dog biting me any more than I want to be the one to receive a knock on my door from an irresponsible neighbor who allowed their dog to run free and is now in a precarious state of health because it got hit by a car, chomped on by a coyote, or encountered any number of hazards present and available to dogs who are not properly controlled or confined. Nickels - I appreciate your standpoint. As someone who has worked with animals both large and small, dangerous and not, the first responsibility of an individual is to protect themselves. I don't doubt that there are some particularly unfriendly dogs in Athens County - I've encountered a number myself. And you are absolutely right in the assertion that your pet does depend on YOU as its master to keep it safe. Part of keeping it safe is properly training it. I do disagree on one point, however. Jack Russells, for example, are prone to a condition called "gameness", which means that they will, under certain circumstances, hunt down something ruthlessly and lock their jaws to the point of not letting go until the threat has, in their mind, been neutralized. I've worked with plenty of dogs who have been deemed "unfit to live" because of fear, aggression, hostility, or, yes, "viciousness". I have never met one dog, regardless of breed, size, gender, or age that could not be rehabilitated through enough time, patience and training. Overall, I do agree that training and socialization of ANY dog is key to it's well being and your safety. There are plenty of programs available to help owners work with their pets to ensure a well balanced, healthy, sound dog. I also believe that those who are considering adoption should fully research the breed or breed mix that they are receiving, and seek help in training accordingly. To not do so is irresponsible, bordering on inhumane. But I also believe the statistics and reputation that pit bulls alone have garnered is unwarranted. Consider this. If there's a hypothetical area with 100 pit bulls, 3 huskies, and 24 labrador retrievers, it is only natural that the majority of incidents concerning ill behavior from dogs will come from pits because, by ratio, they make up the larger population of animals in that area.

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Support bill removing 'vicious' designation from pit bulls

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