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Please Don’t Take My Sunshine Away…

By Hannah Powell For The Dog Files

It was a typical Saturday morning. Bacon was sizzling on the stove while the smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the kitchen. The two family dogs had just been walked and fed; they were now snoozing on the couch. The parrot whistled occasionally, which broke up the silence.

A loud knock on the door startles the entire family. The dogs immediately start barking and wagging their tails frantically with anticipation. They love it when people come to visit! They do not recognize this man at the door, but these two dogs know no strangers.

The man greets the family with a friendly “Hello”. He is holding a brown clipboard with an attached list of names and addresses. “Are you Mrs. Powell?” the friendly man asks.

The woman answers “Yes” as she sighs and rolls her eyes. She dislikes door-to-door salesmen, especially on Saturday mornings.

The man speaks again, but instead of talking about the vacuum cleaners or magazines he is selling, he takes the woman by complete surprise. “A breed ban has been implemented in Issaquah, WA, and I am here because there is a pit bull named ‘Sunshine’ registered to this address.”

After a long pause, the woman asks in shock and disbelief “What!?”.

The man calmly answers, “Well, there is no ‘Grandfather’ clause in this legislation, so you either need to move to another town, find Sunshine another home outside of Issaquah or have Sunshine humanely euthanized. If you decide not to follow one of the suggested options, then we will confiscate your pit bull, and she will be taken to animal control to be humanely euthanized. We will be checking back with you in one week from today. Thank you for your time Mrs. Powell.” The man takes a yellow highlighter from his shirt pocket and highlights the family name and address on his list. He offers a friendly “Have a good day!”, then departs.

In utter shock and disbelief the woman stands outside the open door watching the man walk away. Then *poof*, she wakes up from the recurring nightmare. Eddie and Sunshine are sleeping on the bed by her feet, and the little family is safe, for now.

What is a breed ban? What is BSL (Breed Specific Legislation)? To pit bull owners, BSL is a topic very well-known, and it is a fear that could become a reality. Breed bans target one breed of dog or several breeds of dog that are thought to endanger the public. Some breed bans contain a “Grandfather” clause. This means that the dog can be kept by the owner, but it usually comes with certain mandates. These mandates may include muzzling the dog at all times outside the house and purchasing expensive liability insurance.

Why does BSL not work? Because BSL punishes the responsible pit bull owners. It punishes those of us who have raised and trained our dogs to be good canine citizens. Our pit bulls are part of the family; BSL punishes us. BSL does not punish irresponsible dog owners, dog owners who do not leash or secure their dogs, dog owners who do not properly train and socialize their dogs or dog owners who intentionally train their dogs to be aggressive. Also, breed bans are extremely difficult to enforce.
There are many breeds and mixed breeds that fit the description of a pit bull.

What is a better alternative to BSL? Stricter laws need to be enforced regarding dogs being on-leash or secured when outside. Laws regarding dangerous dogs, regardless of breed, should be enforced.

There should also be higher fines and punishments for those who abuse animals and participate in dog fighting.

Please remember, ANY dog can be aggressive. Please do not judge an entire breed and punish them for the bad deeds of irresponsible dog owners. Don’t let them take my Sunshine away.

Hannah lives in Issaquah, WA with her husband, two dogs, and a parrot. She runs a dog walking/pet sitting business and volunteers her time to local dog rescue groups. In her spare time she enjoys skiing, hiking with her dogs, and camping. The experience of pit bull ownership has been her motivation for writing about this wonderful and misunderstood dog breed. Please check out Busybark for more about Hannah and her love of dogs.