Pit Bull BSL in the 2009 Texas Legislature
House Bill 925 Breed Specific Legislation on Pit Bulls in Texas
While searching the state's proposed new laws I came across HB925, a bill that seeks to make it a class C misdemeanor for a pit bull owner to allow an unsupervised minor to be unattended with a pit bull.
The bill defines "pit bull" as "any Staffordshire Bull
Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull
Terrier, or any mixed breed of dog that exhibits distinguishing
characteristics that substantially conform to the American Kennel
Club or United Kennel Club standards for those breeds."
HB925 states that a minor who is 15 years of age or younger may not handle or care for a pit bull breed of dog without adult supervision.
Should this breed specific legislation become law, pit bull owners in Texas who have children under 16 years of age will effectively be forced to get rid of their dogs or stay at home any time their children are at home.
It is yet another case of pandering to an over-hyped media blitz about this classic American dog breed.
What Houston Democrat (go figure!) state Representative Harold Dutton is proposing is just step one in the eradication of the pit bull breed in Texas.
If this bill becomes law, another one will be introduced as soon as a child is bitten by a Rottwieler or other breed. Eventually, all medium to large dog breeds will fall under a similar law.
There is no reason for Dutton to target this breed which scores in the top ten best temperament breeds nationally, other than that he is pandering for votes based on the decades of uniformed media hype.
Once he's successfully eliminated the pit bull, the media will revive the old attacks on another breed. Maybe Rotwielers, Chows, or German Shepherds; and Dutton or others will go after them.
Perhaps he should just go for all dog breeds and get it over with.
See what happens if the Texas Legislature attempts to remove the liberty and rights of all dog owners by telling them they cannot leave any minor under 16 unattended with any dog.
Sorry, Timmy, you'll have to stay in that well next time because Rep. Dutton says Lassie can't accompany you any more.
You may think it doesn't affect you, because you don't own a pit bull. The issue at stake is freedom and liberty, not just bred specific legislation.
With the federal government working harder than ever to limit our liberty, can we afford to allow our state legislature to do the same?
Published by Timothy Frazier
Tim is a freelance blogger and creative writer living in Grapevine, Texas. He enjoys riding his Triumph Rocket III, woodworking, and making his Grandson, Jade, giggle. He and his wonderful wife, Robin, ha... View profile
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11 Comments
Post a Commenttrying to understand what the gov try to do but do the gov understand what the media and people who have this fear about the breed trying to do we got make stiffer laws for the owners not the dog (killing them all ) you need to go to jail pitbulls are the most loving dogs you will ever own i had a cocaspanial that turned on me and i had it as a puppy but i let it raise it self and thought the aggresion was cute at first till it really hit home, i work with it and it got better my dog will not bite a flea off their own back please leave OUR dogs alone
WTF!? HOW DARE THEY EVEN TRY AND PASS A LAW LIKE THAT!!!!!! PITBULLS ARE SWEET AND CARING! I THINK SHORTY OFF PIT BOSS MADE THAT MORE THAN CLEAR!!!! FC*K THAT GOVERNER! HE NEEDS TO DIE!
My son owns a sweet pit. How can we fight against this law?
When government enters your home, and tells the owner what pets they can own, that is communist rule. I own a pit and she the sweetest dog and well mannered. It is the bad owners who have given pits a bad name. Pits have been around since 50 A.D. What right does government have to make them extinct. We should put them on the endangered species list!
Good job done here.
First, I'm glad my son grew up with a pit bull and I can't say I was a great parent trying to not put my son in harms way growing-up but it wasn't around the dog. I knew my son needed a safety seat and to be buckled-up where ever he sat in the car. Similarly, I take dog ownership seriously and make extra effort with them to train them to have good manners especially with children.
Now about this bill, if laws like these pass, it represents more than just a loss of personal freedom. It says we need the Texas legislature to instruct us on our responsibilities to our family and to prescribes for us those 'dangers'. Get real, we all have to make decisions each day and are liable for protecting our family from harm. Or, is this more of trying to manage our neighbors behaviors, let's tell the guy next door how to raise his kids.
Yes, we have to answer to our laws if we harm or endanger a child as a parent or as an adult. No, Tx legislature should not make a prioritized list of th
Well, they've actually already regulated how much water you're allowed to flush with. See my American Standard Champion Toilet review, I hear it's hilarious.
This is just like gun laws. I know there is the occasional exception, but it is the owner that trains or fails to train the dog. Soon someone will regulate how many pieces of toilet paper I can use. (It's probably already on the tree hugger docket. LOL - It's a joke people - relax.)
Sad to say, this will probably pass.
This is such ridiculous legislation. All the pit bulls I know are the sweetest babies.