BSL

• There will always be a breed of dog that is banned.  It used to be German Shepherds, now it is Pit Bulls.  Since Pit Bulls have been banned in Denver, the number of Rottweilers are on the rise.
• It is costly.  From 2005 – 2006, Denver seized and euthanized 1,453 pit bulls; this is the most dogs sine the ban became effective. It is estimated that 3,497 pit bulls have been euthanized under Denver’s ban.  From investigation to impound to euthanization, it costs the city roughly $256 per dog.
• Guess who has to pay for it? YOU DO!!!!

After researching the effectiveness of the ban, we have concluded that the ban is not only impractical but it is also unconstitutional. According to the law, all pit-bull terriers and dogs resembling pit-bull terriers are banned in Denver county. However, there are numerous breeds that resemble pit-bulls and who is to say which of these breeds are legal and which ones are not. Moreover, dog owners who want these banned breeds will circumnavigate the law by mixing breeds that are banned with breeds that are not illegal. In these cases, the breed-specific ban is not practical because these dogs do not fit in to any one category of breed; thus, how can you decide whether or not these hybrids should be banned. Furthermore, I know from personal experience that people who want these dogs will still get them. Owners are still breeding pit-bulls in and around the city of Denver. People are still buying and/or owning these dogs in and around the city of Denver. Just like Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights activists, people are not going to follow laws that they believe to be unjust. Does this make them criminals? In the eyes of the law, yes it does. But in the eyes of the people, they are anything but. They are crusaders raising awareness about discriminatory and unconstitutional laws. For all these reasons, breed-specific bans are not practical and almost impossible to enforce.

Shoot the puppy