A Breed Specific Law (BSL) is a type of dangerous dog law. It is defined as any ordinance or policy that pertains to a specific dog breed or breeds, but does not affect any others. BSLs were invented to regulate pit bulls and eliminate dog fighting. How "Pit Bull" is defined varies across North America, and can be confusing to dog owners. For example, Ontario, Canada defines Pit Bull as:
1. Pit Bull Terrier
2. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
3. American Staffordshire Terrier
4. American Pit Bull Terrier
5. A dog that has an appearance and physical characteristics substantially similar to any of those dogs.
If a person is found with a dog described as this, and is not "grandfathered" allowed to have it, or is participating in a specific dog show without advance permission, the dog can be confiscated and destroyed. If you have DNA proof that the dog is not a "Pit Bull," that evidence can be presented at a hearing.
I am not going to criticize or defend dangerous dog laws, animal control officers, good dog owners, bad dog owners, good dog breeders or bad dog breeders. BSLs are a controversial topic with nearly everyone having a strong opinion. I have my own, and you can ask me about it if you'd like, but here, I am going to tell you about how I'm planning to travel with my Foster who is a mix of 9 breeds whose DNA test shows he is 6% Staffordshire Bull Terrier and 5% American Staffordshire Terrier. Everyone who sees him, even if he or she doesn't want to say it, thinks he's a Pit Bull. I'm not sure what 11% makes him, but I am sure he is mine, and I will protect him by training him to be an ambassador for whatever breed anyone thinks he is. In some states, that won't be enough.
I do not minimize the life, and often appearance-changing, experiences people have
from being attacked by any dog. These sweet photos of Foster are not meant to make anyone believe all dogs are safe. I do hope these photos illustrate that a deeply loved, diligently trained, family, mix of 9 breeds, dog can be identified as a Pit Bull, confiscated and destroyed, for being in the car with me.
I am taking My Pack to Florida this year and we are driving. I've never been to Savannah, Georgia and I'd like to stop there for the night and take a walking tour of the city in the morning before heading out for another day of driving. Upon reserving a room at what appears to be an absolutely adorable Bed & Breakfast in Downtown Savannah, I told the innkeeper that I have two dogs. She never asked me the size nor the breed of either of them, but told me we would have our own gated entrance into the courtyard for the comfort of my dogs, and that I would be in nearly sight distance of the largest greenspace in Savannah if I wanted to walk my dogs. She also sent me information on dog friendly restaurants in walking distance from the Inn. So sweet.
After doing some research on walking tours in Savannah, I sent an e-mail to the company I thought I'd like to walk with asking if I could bring both of my dogs on their walking tour. The response was "You are welcome to bring your leashed, well-behaved dogs on our tour. Savannah in general, and our walking tours especially, are very dog friendly." Another sweet experience.
As we mapped out our route, I realized we would be driving through some BSL states and decided I needed to do some additional research on individual state's tourist policies. Some counties, villages, cities, etc. have different laws than others. Some apply to residents only, such as residents of the county are not allowed to own a Pit Bull, but a person can drive through the county with no issue. Some areas are less accommodating, and there are no exceptions made for tourists or state residents traveling through the county. I discovered we could encounter an issue in a few locations and started to feel a bit stressed. Though there is no reported enforcement, some states have a BSL with no exceptions: If you have a dog an officer (police, sheriff, animal control) identifies as a Pit Bull, the officer can confiscate your dog, and is authorized to have it killed. Those areas are serious about not having any kind of Pit Bull in their jurisdiction.
I haven't made it through each state's BSLs, but I have read that any issue reported has been complaint based, and individually evaluated, with a majority of people being issued a warning to not let their dogs out of the car in that jurisdiction. I pray we don't have to pee very badly in some states along the way. Mapping a route to avoid BSL states was suggested more than once. We're not planning on adjusting our trip to that extent, but we have discussed a few accommodations.
In the states with the most widespread and confiscation BSLs, we plan to not stop unless absolutely necessary. When necessary to stop, we are going to stop at Rest Areas only and go into the truck, trailer, RV area where there should be less people watching. We bring our own food whenever we travel, so we won't need to leave our dogs in the car unattended to enter a restaurant. As it gets dark outside, there should be less issues with stopping. Both of our dogs are black and less visible at night.
With preparation and awareness, I assume we're going to have a smooth trip to Florida and a smooth trip home. Foster has taught us an entirely new way to be prepared. While I'm sad to have these new lessons, I'm thankful to Foster for increasing our awareness.
After doing some research on walking tours in Savannah, I sent an e-mail to the company I thought I'd like to walk with asking if I could bring both of my dogs on their walking tour. The response was "You are welcome to bring your leashed, well-behaved dogs on our tour. Savannah in general, and our walking tours especially, are very dog friendly." Another sweet experience.
As we mapped out our route, I realized we would be driving through some BSL states and decided I needed to do some additional research on individual state's tourist policies. Some counties, villages, cities, etc. have different laws than others. Some apply to residents only, such as residents of the county are not allowed to own a Pit Bull, but a person can drive through the county with no issue. Some areas are less accommodating, and there are no exceptions made for tourists or state residents traveling through the county. I discovered we could encounter an issue in a few locations and started to feel a bit stressed. Though there is no reported enforcement, some states have a BSL with no exceptions: If you have a dog an officer (police, sheriff, animal control) identifies as a Pit Bull, the officer can confiscate your dog, and is authorized to have it killed. Those areas are serious about not having any kind of Pit Bull in their jurisdiction.
I haven't made it through each state's BSLs, but I have read that any issue reported has been complaint based, and individually evaluated, with a majority of people being issued a warning to not let their dogs out of the car in that jurisdiction. I pray we don't have to pee very badly in some states along the way. Mapping a route to avoid BSL states was suggested more than once. We're not planning on adjusting our trip to that extent, but we have discussed a few accommodations.
In the states with the most widespread and confiscation BSLs, we plan to not stop unless absolutely necessary. When necessary to stop, we are going to stop at Rest Areas only and go into the truck, trailer, RV area where there should be less people watching. We bring our own food whenever we travel, so we won't need to leave our dogs in the car unattended to enter a restaurant. As it gets dark outside, there should be less issues with stopping. Both of our dogs are black and less visible at night.
With preparation and awareness, I assume we're going to have a smooth trip to Florida and a smooth trip home. Foster has taught us an entirely new way to be prepared. While I'm sad to have these new lessons, I'm thankful to Foster for increasing our awareness.
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