| I'd like to take this opportunity to ask for your help.
In another forum, someone thankfully brought up the fact that New Hampshire is bringing up breed specific legislation. Rotties, pit bulls and dobermans are the subject.
I called the guy involved, the selectman who is trying to pass the bill. He is 73, and got attacked by a doberman when going door to door as a part of his job. Understandibly, he now wants to 'protect people.'
What his bill entails is that everyone who wants to own one of the breeds will have to go to the selectmen's office and get permission to own one. Current owners will be grandfathered, new owners will of course have to get approved and pay yet another fee.
I see good and bad sides to this. One, it would be good to screen out irresponsible potential owners and breeders. The bad thing is, it puts that power in uninformed hands, hands of people who may be fear driven. He confessed to me that he didn't think it would pass because the officials won't want the additional work.
I told him my fears, told him that many people see this as the beginning of the end for all of the responsible owners and breeders. He concurred and said that he knows of hound owners who are against him fo r taht reason. I went on to tell him about responsible Rottweiler owners I have met through a rottweiler discussion group, people who are award winning schutzhund competitors and breeders who all feel that no Rottweiler should be used as a home protection device. He was surprised.
In general, he was very open, and looking to hear what I had to say. I stopped at that point, he asked me to come to the meeting when it came time, so I could offer an educated opinion. It was nice considering my opinion didn't exactly concur with his.
What I'm posting this for, is to ask you, German, Orville, Workingdogz, Angelbunny, Dale, (and others who I've forgotten) to contact me. I am seriously considering getting involved, because its too close to home. My dog is wonderful, and everyone who meets him knows it.
What I am looking for is your input on:
the possibility of asking this man to instead try for breeder screening.
the possibility of aksing this man to instead push for mandatory CGC and TT testing of all 2 year olds.
and to make sure that people can only sell puppies whose sire and dam are CGC and TT awarded.
Please bear in mind that I would never push for any of this myself, I don't know if I'm even right to suggest it.
I closed by telling him that the last thing any responsible owner or breeder wants is for his dog to be used as a walking gun or status symbol.
Please give me an email, I can give you my number so you can call me collect. I want to get involved, but I want to be sure I do it right, if I do it at all, and you all know much more about this than me.
char13amy@netscape.net
My email space is limited, so bear with it if you have trouble. Thank you so much in advance.
Amy |