U. S. Citizens Protesting the Seizure and Execution of Innocent Family Pets

[lixx]

Quote: U. S. Citizens Protesting the Seizure and Execution of Innocent Family Pets within the City of Denver, Colorado BACKGROUND: On Monday, May 9, 2005, the Denver Division of Animal Control began enforcing a city-wide ban on owning pit bull terriers, and initiated an aggressive campaign of seizing beloved family pets, and killing them against their owner’s will. This ordinance is an indiscriminant ban that demands the eradication and disposal of ALL dogs that are classified as pit bulls or pit bull mixes, even if the dog has never done anything wrong, and consistently remains confined to the owner’s property. Dog owners who refuse to surrender their pets face up to a year in jail and a $999 fine. This ordinance also bans shelters and humane societies from “harboring” pit bulls, and even goes so far as to forbid any US resident from transporting a pit bull through Denver without a permit. The ordinance does allow for pits to be kept if residents meet certain requirements; such as increased annual registration fees, maintaining a $100,000 liability insurance policy, and keeping the dog muzzled and leashed at all times when it is off the owner’s property—but only if the resident registered the dog prior to January 1, 1990. Dogs born or transferred to Denver after that date do not qualify for the exemption. In the first few years there were several legal battles regarding the ban. However, in November of 1991, the Colorado Supreme Court upheld the ban when it declared that the Denver ordinance did not violate the state constitution.

petition

If you are a US citizen and over 18 years of age, please join in the protest!

[Purplebunny]

Thats awful! Most of those dogs could be great family pets, and for this to happen is dreadful for the owners and of course the dogs.. I cant sign the petition but keep us informed..

[furryscaly]

Tis signed by me. If we're going to kill off pits, why not kill off drunk drivers too. After all, they're far more dangerous. Its just as logical as this crap.

[Chrisanne]

signed, without hesitation.

[Ilovesmepets]

I signed. It makes me so just angry and disgusted. I don't understand it. If someone tried to take my dog just because he looked like a certain breed or was a certain breed, then I would probably end up going to jail for resisting.

[Mygala]

I think it's a little ironic that a thread that starts off "U.S. Citizens Protesting.." would be posted by someone from Canada.

I've never seen an internet petition accomplish anything. They aren't worth the paper they are written on, ...and they aren't on paper.

If you want to get something done, write to the Denver Mayor's office and explain how you'll give Denver a miss on your next trip out west. Have your company, or any organizations you belong to let Denver know that the City of Denver is no longer under consideration for their convention...

If this costs Denver money, THAT might make them reconsider the ban. What do they care about an internet petition signed by people who have no impact on Denver or it's environs.

You need to show them that the ban is going to have a negative effect on Denver, not a positive one. That is what will change a politician's mind.

I'm not in favor of breed bans, but in this particular instance, the owners in Denver bear at least part of the blame for what has happened.

This ban was first passed in 1989. They've had that long to deal with it. They could have worked politcally to get the ban lifted/modified, or find a home for their animals.

In 2004 (five years after the ban was passed!), they got a short reprieve from the state legislature that outlawed breed bans. The city of Denver sued to overturn it, and December 2004 the ban was upheld.

In May, letters went out to hundreds of owners warning them that the ban was going to be enforced. This was also in the news locally.

So, this wasn't a huge surprise to anyone who'd been paying attention. If I lived in Denver, and I had a pit, I'd sure as heck been watching the progress of this ban.

They had over five years of warning, and now, it's like... "We never knew..."

I would hate it if they banned parrots, or one of my dog's breed. But with five years of lead time, at the very minimum... I think I'd have either moved the dog to safety, or moved me to another locale.

JMO

Bob

[furryscaly]

I also posted this on 8 other forums I belong to, plus posted a bulletin on myspace, and posted at least 7 more bulletins on various dog-lover groups at myspace. Hope nobody minds.

[lixx]

Quote: Originally Posted by furryscaly Hope nobody minds.

Nope, not at all. Go right ahead. The more exposure the better

[Chinchilla_Girl]

I agree with Bob, but signed anyway. I honestly believe that banning specific domesticated dog breeds is totally unconstitutional. Where does it end? How is it any different from banning specific races of people? Is that going to be next? Are we going back in history?