Background Checks for Dog Owners
A particularly horrendous piece of Breed Specific Legislation is on the table in New Jersey:
S1718 Would Allow a Municipality To:
Require a special license for all “pit bulls” ($150-700)-including “American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Terriers and any dog determined to be a pit bull type.” Licenses may be denied to anyone who has been convicted of a criminal offense or animal cruelty, as well as anyone who lives with someone convicted of those crimes. Require anyone who owns a dog to prove that it ISN’T a pit bull (municipality will visually inspect the dog to determine whether it is a pit bull). Very few municipalities have staff with any breed identification knowledge or experience. Require confinement in a permanent enclosure (including a secure pen AND a 6-ft. fence). Require pit bulls to be muzzled when off owner’s property and leashed (3-feet long or less). Also, the leash must be approved by an animal control officer. Send an animal control officer to inspect the enclosure and the licensee’s property at least monthly. Require liability insurance for owners. Violators are subject to fine up to $1000/day. Seized dogs will be placed in no-kill shelter until properly adopted or until the dog dies of natural causes.
I’m not surprised that this is an especially bad bill because it’s New Jersey. Visually inspecting dogs is not a valid criteria for establishing breeds. Many boxers, for example, can resemble pit bull type dogs. And those animal control guys are going to be busy inspecting leashes and kennels.
June 28th, 2004 at 5:52 pm
But you’re missing the big up-side to this bill. Think of all the new people who will have to be put on the ogvernment payroll to inspect leashes, identify dogs and such. And the contractors who must be hired to present training seminars on dog identification and proper testing of leashes for approval. We could double government payrolls. And they’d ALL vote dimmocrat.
June 30th, 2004 at 10:18 am
Special License For Pit Bulls?
My buddy Say Uncle has the details about a proposed bill in N.J….