BSL ALERT: OKLAHOMA
>
>
> Fellow Oklahoma Dog Owners:
>
> When the 2007 Oklahoma Legislature convenes in February, Rep. Paul
> Wesselhoft will again attempt to ban American Pit Bull Terriers.
> His plan of action this time is to remove language in the existing
state law
> that forbids cities and towns from passing Breed Specific
Legislation.
> In late December, he filed notice of intent to file the bill. He has
until
> Jan. 18 to provide language for that bill.
> Endangered Breeds Association will again do its part in killing this
bill in
> committee. However, it is time for Oklahoma owners to step up to the
plate
> and make some donations. Surely you all love your dogs and believe
they are
> worth $2, $5 or $10 each.
> Just think how much could be accomplished in Oklahoma if every owner
made a
> contribution to Endangered Breeds Association in the name of each of
their
> dogs!
> Endangered Breeds Association has fought the battle in Oklahoma since
2005
> to the tune of $15,915.17. These funds came from EBA ($11,000);
American Dog
> Breeders Association ($2,500); Green Country Pit Bull Club; 89'er Pit
Bull
> Club; Salt Lake Terrier Association; and individual donors Renee
Greenwood,
> Mike Wood, John and Laura Bowman and those who gave "spare change" to
a
> collection pot during the 2005 Nationals.
> So far this year, EBA has received earmarked funds of $500 from Tulsa
Dog
> Training Club and $35 from John and Laura Bowman. A pledge of $500
has been
> received from Mike Wood.
> It takes a lobbyist to get things accomplished at the state capitol.
We have
> a very good one working for EBA in Oklahoma who believes in our cause
and
> our dogs.
> Please make your donation to EBA, Rt. 1, Box 71, Gore, OK 74435.
> You will receive notice of receipt of your donation.
> Do it for your dogs! Help stop Rep. Paul Wesselhoft!
>
> Joan Morrison
> Endangered Breeds Association
> Joan Morrison [morrisons@mynewroads.com]
> 918-487-5798
>
> Endangered Breeds Association
> P.O. Box 879
> Walker, LA 70785
> Jean Carpenter <
ebajeanc@aol.com>; , President,
> Albany, LA
> 225-567-5120
> If you choose to remain uninvolved, do not be amazed when you no
longer any
> property rights! If they can do this to your dog, is anything you
have out
> of their reach? Your rights will be taken away while you are so
peacefully
> staying out of the “fray”. Check history, it is full of
nations/empires
> that disappeared when its citizens no longer held to their core
beliefs and
> values. One person CAN make a difference. One plus one plus one plus
one
> plus one plus one.........
>
> TELL EVERYONE ABOUT THIS BSL ALERT!!
>
> What you read about the APBT genocide in Denver Colorado, and Kansas
City
> Kansas, could be at your front door!
>
> The time to stop this legislation is now, before it passes!
>
>
> Please make the call’s and fax letters and be polite. We need to let
them
> know how strongly we oppose this ordinance.
> Please write POLITE letters asking them to reject BSL and encourage
local
> governments to encourage responsible ownership of all dogs.
> The ADBA, AKC and UKC believes that strong enforcement of leash laws,
as
> well as clear guidelines for identifying and managing dangerous dogs,
will
> promote responsible dog ownership and prevent tragedies from
occurring.
> Simply placing restrictions on certain breeds will not improve public
safety
> - it will only punish responsible dog owners.
> We strongly support sound, enforceable, non-discriminatory
legislation to
> govern dog ownership, and we appreciate legislators’ desire to keep
> communities safe for both people and dogs. However, BSL will not
address the
> root cause of dangerous dogs – irresponsible ownership!
>
>
> Points to Address:
>
> ? Breed-specific laws are not the best way to protect communities. An
owner
> intent on using his or her dogs for malicious purposes will simply be
able
> to switch to another type of dog and continue to jeopardize public
safety.
> The list of regulated breeds or types could grow every year without
ever
> addressing responsible dog ownership. Deeds, not breeds, should be
> addressed.
> ? Breed-specific laws are hard to enforce. Breed identification
requires
> expert knowledge of the individual breeds, placing great burden on
local
> officials.
> ? Breed-specific laws are unfair to responsible owners.
> ? Breed-specific laws increase costs for the community. Shelter costs
for
> the community could rise as citizens abandon targeted breeds and
adoptable
> dogs of the targeted breeds could be euthanized at the shelter.
> ? Some communities have had their breed-specific laws overturned on
> constitutional grounds of due process. Because proper identification
of what
> dogs would be included is difficult or impossible, the law may be
deemed
> unconstitutionally vague.
> ? Strongly enforced animal control laws (such as leash laws), generic
> guidelines on dealing with dangerous dogs and increased public
education
> efforts to promote responsible dog ownership are all better ways to
protect
> communities from dangerous animals.
> ? Breed-specific legislation is opposed by the AKC,UKC ADBA, the
American
> Veterinary Medical Association, the National Animal Control
Association, the
> ASPCA, and a host of national animal welfare organizations that have
studied
> the issue and recognize that targeting breeds simply does not work.
>
> BSL CASE LAW
>
> Toledo v. Tellings, 2006-Ohio-975
> Attached please find the link to the Decision and Judgment Entry made
by the
> Court of Appeals in Ohio. The Court has found that breed specific
laws are
> unconstitutional because they violate American Citizen’s rights under
the
> United States Constitution to due process and equal protection. The
> decision also contains evidence, which refutes every myth surrounding
the
> “pit bull”. (Note, the attachment is in .PDF form and is 28
pages...)
> Here is a link to the decision.
> <
http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/newpdf/6/2006/2006-ohio-975.pdf>;
>
http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/ /6/2006/2006-ohio-975.pdf
>
> The US Supreme Court in Nicchia v People of the State of New York 254
U.S.
> 228 (1920) gave police the power to regulate and control dangerous
dogs with
> drastic measures as long as it does not infringe on dog owners the
right to
> Liberty with Due Process.
> In 2002 The Alabama Supreme Court affirmed a trial court decision
that
> American Pit Bull Terriers are not dangerous. ( Huntsville v Four
Pit Bull
> Puppies Ala 08-30-02 No. 1010459 )
> In 2004 the Toledo Muni Court ruled American Pit Bull Terriers are
not
> dangerous and granted dog owners due process rights. Tellings v City
of
> Toledo CRB-02-15267
> In 2004 The Ohio Supreme Court in State v Cowan 103 Ohio St. 3d 144,
> 2004-Ohio-4777 struck down ORC955:11 which declared the “Pit Bull”
vicious
> because it violates our rights to be heard (Due Process)
> There exists at this time no scientific proof that a breed of dog is
> dangerous. Conclusions based on accurate fatal dog attacks combined
with dog
> bite incident reports prove a dogs breed is not a factor in
aggressive
> behavior. Breed bans do nothing to stop dog attacks, they do nothing
to
> stop illegal activity, they do nothing to protect the public from
> irresponsible dog owners and punish responsible dog owners, causing
court
> litigation, wasted tax money and impoundment of innocent dogs while
> criminalizing U.S. Citizens.
> Problems stem from inadequate budget or man power to enforce the
laws,
> inadequate training to effectively deal with the problem dogs in a
humane
> way, and low priority of animal control issues. Poor community
education of
> existing animal control laws and lack of judicial support in
upholding
> effective penalties also create serious problems. Strong laws that
penalize
> the owners, regardless of the breed are what is needed. These types
of laws
> are valid, have merit, are not vague or capricious. We ALL support
laws that
> hold owners accountable for their dog’s behavior.
> Non-breed specific laws are valid under the Constitution, and are for
the
> protection of the public welfare and safety with the degree of
precision
> that characterizes effective legislation.
> Any dog, regardless of breed, is only as dangerous as his/her owner
allows
> it to be.
>
> WE ALL NEED TO STAY ON TOP OF THIS IN ORDER TO HEAD THIS OFF!
>
> Due to the time sensitive nature of some of these alerts, if you have
an
> email address and would like us to alert you to any adverse
canine/animal
> laws that may affect you; please email us at adam@adba.cc and we will
list
> your email address in our files.
>
> John Adams warned, “The moment the idea is admitted into society that
> property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and there is not a
force of
> law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.
Property
> must be sacred or liberty cannot exist.”
>
>
>
> Thank you,
>
>
> American Dog Breeders Association Inc.
> P.O. Box 1771
> Salt Lake City, Ut. 84110
> (801)-936-7513
> bstofshw@adba.cc
> www.adba.cc <
http://www.adba.cc/>;
>
