Help us End Breed Specific Legislation
At Wounded Paw Project, our mission is to help animals in need while also raising awareness of the mistreatment of animals within the United States and around the world. One of the issues our team is working hard to fight is breed-specific legislation or BSL.
Breed-specific legislation is when a law or regulation dictates that certain breeds of dogs are not allowed in an area, and if they are found, the owner can be fined or even go to jail.
In the United States, there are currently 36 states that have some sort of breed legislation in place. Even Washington D.C. has legislation in place that ban certain dog breeds!
Breed-specific legislation does nothing but take away dogs, who are family members, from their loving owners. While also creating a false sense of safety among the public by unfairly targeting certain breeds. Aggression is not something that is bred. Aggression is something that is taught.
Examples of Breed Specific Legislation
- Breed bans like we see with Pit Bulls or other similar breeds where those dogs are completely banned from an area because of the stigma that surrounds them.
- Breed restrictions which might mean certain breeds cannot stay in a home within city limits if they are not spayed/neutered, cannot be adopted out from a shelter, or can only have one litter of puppies before being put to sleep
- Breed registration which means that an owner has to pay a fee and register their dog with the city as a certain breed even if this is untrue for their dog. This usually goes hand in hand with breed restrictions, if the dog isn't spayed or neutered, or breed bans
- Breed inspections which means that at any time an animal control officer can come to your house and demand to see inside of it so they can make sure there are no dogs who fit into breed specific legislation criteria. If you refuse, you will be fined
- Breed permits which means that an owner has to pay a fee for each dog they own who is on breed specific legislation and the animal control officers can come inside your home at any time if you have breed specific legislation dogs
How to Get Involved
In order to put an end to this legislation, we need your help. And there are a few ways you can get involved in your community. The first and most important way you can help is by writing to your local representatives and other government officials about putting an end to this legislation.
Our team at Wounded Paw Project has spent countless hours writing to government officials to bring awareness to this mistreatment. Here is the letter our founder and Purple Heart Recipient, Ernesto Hernandez, wrote to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
We implore you to read this letter and use it as a guide to write to the government officials in your community.
Other Ways to Get Involved…
- If you have time, volunteer at a shelter to help raise awareness about breed-specific legislation and the effects it has on people who own dogs that fall under Breed Specific Legislation as well as those looking for homes
- Join online petitions against Breed Specific Legislation
- Go to Breed Specific Legislation events in your area and show people how destructive Breed Specific Legislation is
- Show support for pit bull breeds by adopting one if you are able or supporting a rescue organization that has them in their care like Best Friends Animal Society
In order to put an end to Breed Specific Legislation, we need your help. Contact us today to get in touch with our team to learn more about the fight. Please help us provide a voice for those that are voiceless.
