So my wife got an e-mail today from our vet, about Tennessee Senate Bill 2738 (pdf), Sponsored by Sen. Tommy Kilby, (D – Wartburg), that proposes to ban all pit bulls and mix-breeds with 50% or more pit bull bloodlines, and make owning one a Class A misdemeanor, and the dog will be confiscated and destroyed. I sent a letter to my State Senator, Bill Ketron, that read:
Senator Ketron,
My name is ************, and I live on the outskirts of Smyrna. I wanted to contact you regarding the new Bill referenced in the subject line. As a responsible dog owner and citizen, I would request that you attempt to block this bill from reaching the floor for a general vote, or if it does reach the floor, I urge you to vote against it and request that you urge other Senators to vote against it. There is no ‘bad’ breed of dog. There are only bad owners. I would fully support legislation raising the penalties for owners that violate leash / containment laws, and for holding owners responsible if their dogs attack someone unprovoked. However, once the State has decided that it can ban possession of this breed of dog based on the actions of a relatively few bad owners, what breeds are next? Please, vote against this bill.
This is a dangerous bill, in that it punishes normal, law abiding pet owners for the actions of a few idiots who encourage their dogs to be dangerous. If this passes, whats next? Do I have to get rid of my lab / rott cross, because someone somewhere is scared of Rottweilers? Does my friend have to get rid of her Jack Russell since they attack and put more people in the hospital than any other breed of dog? I call BS. I’ll keep you updated with any response Sen. Ketron has. Also, if you either are a dog person or believe that the gov’t shouldn’t have the power to assume that you are guilty before you have done anything, please find and contact your State Senator here. More Later!
Respectfully,
Pol
Emerald Gryphon 