Misguided legislation - Opposition to your proposed ban on Pit Bulls

An email that I sent to Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr. Should you feel so inclined to voice your opinion (and hopefully oppose the proposed ban), please email vallonejr@council.nyc.ny.us.

Dear Councilman Vallone:

Recently, I have read articles regarding your proposal for a city-wide
ban on Pit Bulls. At the core of this proposal lies ignorance and a severely
misguided direction. For that reason, it is one that I strongly oppose.

Dogs are domesticated animals. They did not become so by accident.
Loyal, intelligent, eager to please, "pack" oriented (aka family oriented) --
they have many of the traits that we'd ask our own family members to display. As
a result of these traits, most dogs that you will find in this city that are
lucky enough to have homes act the very way that their "owners" have asked them
to act. They act as we train them to act. They display behaviors we ask them to
display. For most, that means they are kind, gentle, if not also obedient
animals. Pit Bulls are no different, and they should not be treated differently.
As with people, the shape of their face or the color of their nose or the size
of their paws or jaw do not determine their fate. How sad would it be if I were
scared of every tall, strong, broad shouldered man or woman that I walked passed
on the streets? In fact, if I felt that way, I would be criticized by many for
my naïve generalizations. Your legislative proposal to ban all Pit Bulls
deserves such criticism.

Rather than target a loyal, affectionate animal whose goal in life is
to please its owner/parent, you should spend your time and focus your power on
those who have influence over a dogs actions: owners. If a man or woman adopts a
dog, and trains it to fight, to hurt, to scare people -- there is little doubt
the dog will try its best to do that. It's been asked to do that by the person
who provides it food, shelter, warmth. In this instance, it doesn't matter if it
is a Pit Bull, a German Shepherd, a mix from the shelter, a Rottweiler, a Great
Dane, a Mastiff, a Lab, or a standard size Poodle. The constant and the cause is
the person who is doing the training. Rather than promote legislation to kill an
entire "breed" of dogs (which, a quick round of simple research will explain to
you is really a collection of breeds and mixes), you should use the power and
resources at your fingertips to make sure that we do our best to keep animals
out of the hands of people who don't have an intention to make dogs a part of
their family and treat them with the love, respect, and kindness we expect from
the dogs themselves. You should use your power to make sure those that do treat
animals inhumanely, and who train animals to hurt others, face severe
consequences. You should help financially support the various efforts to make
sure people spay/neuter their animals.

I have no doubt that you will receive a number of emails with personal
antidotes about the kindness and good nature of Pit Bulls and other similar
breeds. Although unnecessary to my point, I would be doing a disservice to the
pit bulls and other similar mixes that I have saved or know if I did not mention
them to you. I've opened up my home to many - sometimes for a night, sometimes
for a week, sometime just for a couple hours. Some have been sad, some have been
scared. All have been loving. Their worst trait? Thinking that, despite their
size, they are lapdogs. Never have they shown any aggression to me, my husband,
any child that has been in our home, or any other animal, including our own
dogs. There was Brandy, a female pit bull rescued from the Brooklyn CACC. Her
worst trait? Not wanting you to leave her, and kissing you in an effort to
convince you to stay. There was Champ, a male pit-mix rescued from the streets
of the Bronx. His worst trait? Wanting to play with our big Akita/Saint Bernard
mix throughout the night, and trying to fit his entire body -- skinny as it was
-- into any available lap. There is Lucy, a female pit bull rescued from the
streets of Brooklyn. Her worst trait? Having unbridled enthusiasm for every
adult, baby, and animal she comes across, and wanting to kiss everyone endlessly
to express that enthusiasm. There are countless others -- too many to name --
that are no different than the Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Weimaraners,
Huskies, Rottweilers, Saint Bernards, Jack Russells, Spaniels, and Bichon
Frises, like your own, that need good homes. They want to please us, and to show
their love and loyalty. None of these ones have been trained to demonstrate the
aggression that you ignorantly associate with the breed -- an aggression that
can be trained in other breeds, an aggression that can be trained, sadly,
exactly because of the loyalty that makes dogs a man's best friend.

I would ask you to propose a legislation that is worthy of such
loyalty. Help this city create good homes for all the animals in need.

Sincerely,
Nikki A. Hart, Esq.