If Hillsborough County is successful in their request to overturn the statewide prohibition of breed-specific legislation in Florida the county will seek to ban “pitbull-type dogs,” Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherds, and any mixes of these breeds.
Hillsborough County Animal Services will be holding four meetings and will accept suggestions for BSL alternatives. Following is the meeting information:
Hillsborough County Animal Services will be hosting a series of meetings to consider recommendations that will reduce the number and risk of dog bites to children and adults in Hillsborough County. We would value your participation. All of the meetings will be held at Animal Services.
These meetings have been scheduled for:
Friday, March 16th at 2:00 p.m.
Monday, March 19th at 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 22nd at 2:00 p.m.
Monday, March 26th at 2:00 p.m.
Meeting schedules are subject to change dependant upon the progress made.
Animal Services is located at 440 Falkenburg Road, Tampa, FL 33619 and the phone number is (813) 744-5660. A telephone conference has been set up for anyone that would like to participate but cannot physically make it to the shelter. A separate conference call is available for each of the four meetings above. The attached document details how to get connected into the call system: (813)232-3290. You will be prompted to enter the conference number shown below to gain access. No PIN numbers are required for any of these public meetings.
March 16th use 03160702
March 19th use 03190701
March 22nd use 03220701
March 26th use 03260701
Contacts about the proposal:
James Zambrosky (reporter for ABC Action New) 813-354-2828
Commissioner White (Hillsborough County) 813-272-5660
Bill Armstrong (head of Hillsborough County Animal Services) 813-744-5350
9 responses to “Hillsborough County, Florida to Petition the State to Overturn Statewide BSL Prohibition”
This is ridiculous. I’m in the next county over and I own a good natured german shepherd. This needs to be stopped.
How about we ban the owners and not the dog. As most of us know, it’s the owners’ negligence and/or abuse that make these “pitbull-type” dogs aggressive. I own a pitbull and I am a responsible owner. She is socialzed and being obedience trained as we speak. I have taken her to the dog park where she has been attacked by poodles, yet no one seems to be writing articles in the paper about attack poodles or trying to ban the little ankle biters.
Unfortunately for us caring and responible owners who love our dogs and treat them as part of our family, like myself and many others, we are paying for the price for the people in this county and across the country who turn these gentle, sweet and loving dogs into mean and aggressive fighters for their own amusement.
Obviously, it is the nature of those kinds of owners to be violent and cruel. I say we ban them from owning ANY animals so they can’t torture them. Thanks to them, the thought of giving up my doll baby breaks my heart.
Punish the act, not the breed.
Let your voices be heard. Contact the Hillsborough County Commissioners at
http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/bocc/about/contactus.cfm
You can email all of them by selecting the box next to the Commissioners name. Be sure to email Commissioner White, who is spearheading the call to pass breed restrictions or weight restrictions as he proposed in this morning’s meeting which would have the same affect.
If we don’t stand up, we’ll be walked on!
This madness has to be stopped ! Blaming an entire breed or breeds for things that a select few have done is insane ! Should we as a country ban all Muslims for what a select few did to our country on 911 ? NO ! That would be unfair and down right unheard of ! This proposed ban is no different ! The breeds you want to ban are not even the ones that top the lists for dog bites each year ! This is still AMERICA isn’t it ?
I TOOK A GREAT POST AND ADDED A LITTLE STORY OF MY OWN…. “BAN THE OWNER NOT THE BREED”
How about we ban the owners and not the dog. As most of us know, its the owners negligence and/or abuse that make these pitbull-type dogs aggressive.
I own a Shar Pei/Blue Nose Pit Mix and I am a responsible owner. My Shar Pei/Mix was a rescue which the owners abused and tried to train her to be agressive!
She came to me at 8 months old with bite marks on her ankle and terrified to sit down as well as other trust issues! I have had her now for 3 months she is socialzed and being trained as we speak. Extremly gentle, obedient & eager to please…. I was told she was agressive, does not like people, chases cats & does not like to be around other dogs while eating, etc, etc, etc! Well did I mention I have 4 cats and a 4 year old White Shepard!!! She has never been caged she has lived in my home with my cats from day 1. 2nd day I gave her a bath, brushed her teeth, clipped toe nails cleaned ears & took her to the dog park. While at the dog park she is so polite and submissive, if she is drinking and someone else wants to drink, she allows the other dog to drink and then she will drink when they are done. She loves all the tiny dogs and is the peace keeper when the big dogs get rowdy… loves people, children, cats and is a joyous welcome to my family and a great companion to my Shepard. I could go on for ever…. but you see where this is going!
“ANIMALS ARE A REFLECTION OF THE LOVE AND CARE AN OWNER BESTOWS UPON THEM”
Unfortunately for us caring and responible owners who love our dogs and treat them as part of our family, like myself and many others, we are paying for the price for the people in this county and across the country who turn these gentle, sweet and loving dogs into mean and aggressive fighters for their own amusement.
Obviously, it is the nature of those kinds of owners to be violent and cruel. I say we ban them from owning ANY animals so they cant torture them. Thanks to them, the thought of giving up my doll baby breaks my heart.
Punish the act, not the breed.
As Well We Must Educate the IGNORANT!
SPREAD THE WORD DONT JUDGE A BREED FOR ONE MAN’S ACTIONS!
Humans harm and kill far more humans than any breed of dog. Let’s ban the people in Hillsborough County and leave the pitbulls alone. Will all dogs be banned next? Then maybe pets in general? I’ve owned 1 and known 7 pitbulls in my life and none of them were remotely aggressive. If anything, they were loyal and kind. I’ve seen more aggressive little dogs than big dogs. Let’s ban the crazy little Chiuauas that people think are ok to take into any public building. This topic opens a huge can of worms and teaches us to discriminate based on breed. The county bringing back segragation anytime soon too? Blame the deed, not the breed!
i am a pitbull owner.u hear all these bad things about the breed ,but you can ask almost anyone that has a false statement “have you own one”99 out of a 100 is no!i dont think the breed should be ban it should be the criminals!if theres violance in the house hold most likly that animal is going to act out in violance.its really sad,but if u destroy this breed imagine the next breed.i have a 2 yr old baby and i could never imgine taking her doggy away.
Animal Services knows exactly why dogs bite. To be honest, with budget issues, they lack the funding and man-power needed to investigate and resolve issues with neglectful owners. These are the people who get a pit type and leave it chained in the yard and do not neuter or spay the dog. I, too, own a gentle pit mix who loves people and other dogs, and who gets bullied by my cats. BSL is not a resonable solution. People need to be held accountable for their actions, and this is just one other way of placing blame elsewhere.
I would like to see the authorities just try to take my pit bull away from me 🙂 this dog would die for me and i will do the same. I have freedom of speech, so these people trying to pass this Bull Shit Legislation better be ready.