[ihavabadboy]

I volunteer for HOPE Safehouse (Help Orphaned Pets through Education) and I received this email from Lynn Nielsen, the wonderful woman who has been running this organization for 20+ years. Please read on:

Earlier this week we were informed of a proposed ordinance regarding pit bull type dogs. We contacted a number of alderman regarding our concerns, asked other groups for assistance in obtaining information pertinent to this ordinance and networked with other communities to determine if such an ordinance was effectual. The response below was sent to a concerned citizen who is a member of a different breed specific group, not a citizen of Racine and according to the Mayor should view her own community as residing on a different planet than Racine.

Would you please email your group and tell them I do not really care what people that do not live in Racine have to say about an issue that is not impacting them.
Gary Becker
Mayor, City of Racine



If I understand his response correctly; we in Racine live in a bubble floating gently above the fine state of Wisconsin in the United States of America. Nothing we do here impacts anyone else; nothing we do here creates precedence; and every other citizen of Wisconsin should stick their heads in the sand and assume this ordinance will not have far reaching repercussions on any other dog breed who has the misfortune of being targeted as a "look-alike" pit bull.

Beware all you owners of Pug and Mastiffs. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Boxers find refuge in your closets.Lock your doors if your dog companion has a boxer type head. Arm yourselves should your mixed breed canine resemble a true example of a pure bred black lab who's head is sturdy and wider than a collie. The lynch mob is gathering forces and we should all simply sit back and observe!

As a citizen of Racine I am aghast and disturbed by the response of our Mayor. An elected official who job it is to represent the people of Racine when enacting ordinances & creating laws to protect us. In my naiveté, I was led to believe our elected officials were there to listen to our concerns. Our scope of justice is not restricted to the borders of our community as we the people are neighbors to, and part and parcel of a larger group. I live in this city which is a part of this county, which resides in this state, which is part of America, of this continent on this planet called earth. Mr. Becker I am appalled at your refusal to recognize the broader ramifications of such an inane ordinance and I'm shocked and sickened by your inability to utilize information offered to you that is not written in the "Book of Racine". Perhaps it did not occur to you that "we", the citizens of Racine, (apparently contrary to your own vast knowledge), sought assistance from people more thoroughly educated on the issue of breed specific ordinances. One would think that utilizing resources who have explored/experienced/researched this issue would be an educated path as compared to re-writing the book , as it were. Then again. . . all omnipotent and powerful Racineites; gather one and all to praise the glory of our benevolent leader; Mayor Gary Becker! Hmmm. . . is this an election year?

Lynn Nielsen