A  Good  Day  For  Pitbulls  By  Jeremy  Bednarsh    Breed  Specific  Laws  (BSL)  restrict  dog  ownership  by  breed.  These  laws  target  dogs  labeled  as  “dangerous.”  Pitbulls  are  usually  the  breed  that  is  targeted.    BSL  laws  often  force  pet  owners  to  choose  between  their  homes  and  their  pets.  Luckily,  these  bad  laws  may  soon  become  a  thing  of  the  past.    Breed  Specific  Laws  are  considered  bad  laws  for  a  number  of  reasons:    

1. People  consider  dogs  as  members  of  the  family.  It’s  not  ethical  to  remove  family  members  from  homes  without  reason.  

2. The  reasoning  behind  BSL  are  obsolete.  They  are  designed  to  not  allow  violent  animals  into  households.  But  there  is  no  research  that  proves  that  pit  bulls  are  violent.  Breed  is  not  a  significant  factor  in  dog  bite  fatalities.  Contributing  factors  included:  ability  of  an  able-­‐bodied  person  to  intervene,  and  the  dog  being  abused  by  its  owner.  

3. They  are  a  waste  of  public  resources.  In  Baltimore,  there  are  151,105  dogs,  and  10,918  dogs  are  assumed  to  be  pit  bull  type  dogs.  It  costs  $992,606  per  year  to  enforce  BSL  laws.  

4. Not  many  polled  citizens  agree  with  the  laws.  A  survey  recently  conducted  by  Luntz  Global  on  behalf  of  the  rescue  group  Best  Friends  Animal  Society  revealed  that,  “84  percent  of  those  polled  believe  that  local,  state  or  federal  governments  should  not  infringe  on  a  person’s  right  to  own  whatever  breed  of  dog  they  choose.”  

 Currently,  seventeen  states  have  passed  laws  to  end  Breed  Specific  Laws.  Maryland,  Vermont,South  Dakota,  Missouri,  Utah  and  Washington  state  are  now  considering  similar  bills.    Ledy  VanKavage,  an  attorney  for  Best  Friends  Animal  Society  met  with  South  Dakota  Senate’s  Local  Government  Committee  to  discuss  the  bill.  After,  she  told  Huffington  Post,  “Today  was  a  good  day  for  dogs.”    Shortly  after  meeting  with  Ledy  VanKavage,  South  Dakota  Senate’s  Local  Government  Committee,  passed  their  bill.  It  will  now  move  on  to  the  House.  There  is  progress  in  Maryland  as  well.  Maryland  state  director  for  the  Humane  Society  of  the  United  States,  Tami  Santelli,  believes  that  her  state  will  also  be  passing  legislation  in  favor  of  pit  bulls  soon.  

 VanKavage  said,  “If  we  could  get  just  one  or  two  this  year  I’d  be  happy.”      Jeremy  Bednarsh  currently  resides  in  San  Diego,  CA,  where  he  has  worked  as  an  HVAC  technician  for  10  years.  He  works  mostly  on  commercial  buildings,  and  some  of  his  specialties  include  building  management  systems,  VFDs,  large  electrical  motors,  VAVs,  large  packing  units,  split  systems,  refrigeration,  electrical,  gas  furnaces,  boilers,  cooling  towers,  DDC,  and  water  source  heat  pumps.  Jeremy  is  also  a  proficient  in  electrical  work,  mechanical  work,  and  wood  building.  He  loves  travel,  music,  fitness,  cars,  and  pitbulls.