Owners fight back against a proposed ban on certain breeds (

Owners fight back against a proposed ban on certain breeds
The Forum
Published Sunday, March 16, 2008

Legislation that would ban five canine breeds in Minnesota is for the dogs, according to area owners of the pets.

They say dog owners themselves, not dogs, are culpable for bites.

“Regardless of the circumstances, you are responsible for the behavior of your dog,” said Sheila Aman, the F-M Kennel Club’s training director.

Aman has owned Rottweilers, a breed that Rep. John Lesch, DFL-St. Paul, wants illegalized. Others Lesch seeks to ban are pit bulls, chow chows, Akitas and wolf hybrids.
Lesch’s legislation attempts a quick fix for a complex problem, said Tom Colville, veterinary program director at North Dakota State University.

Colville said the danger is not a breed, but “dogs that have not been well-trained or well-socialized,” which stems from uneducated owners.

“The problem is not the dogs, usually,” Colville said.

“The problem is the people.”

The city of Moorhead in 2005 enacted its dangerous dog ordinance, putting more teeth into dog-bite prevention, said police Lt. Joel Scharf. Scharf said state law allows action against a dog after it has bitten, but the city’s ordinance works before a dog bite incident happens.

Of the 10 dogs that have been deemed potentially dangerous since the ordinance began, six have been pit bulls – often sought for their “macho effect,” Scharf said.

Kish Hilmert owns a 3-year-old pit bull named Halas, a “nice, intelligent, big lap dog,” she said. Hilmert said the image of pit bulls as a big, tough dog is inaccurate.

“The typical pit bull owner is me, and people don’t know that,” she said.

Hilmert, of Fargo, runs 4Luv of Dog Rescue, an organization that gives homes to dogs that need them. She said “pit bull” is not an actual breed, but a slang term denoting different breed mixes.

“Every dog can be dangerous,” Hilmert said, not just pit bulls.

“A lot of times (dogs) have been abused or neglected,” Aman said, “or have circumstances that there’s a reason why they’ve come to be the way they are.”

Colville said especially the five breeds Lesch has proposed banning – often status symbols – are mishandled by irresponsible owners.

Aman said she preaches socialization for dogs – exposing them to myriad situations, noises, people and other dogs, and making those experiences positive. She said owners might fail to see signs of ill behavior, such as a pup growling while it eats.

Aman, who on a farm was once bitten by a Rottweiler, said an entire breed cannot be condemned for the actions of a few.

“From the victim’s standpoint, I can understand what an awful, awful experience it must be,” Aman said. “A lot of times the one who’s not to blame is the animal.”

Readers can reach Forum reporterLee Morris at (701) 235-7311

http://www.in-forum.com/News/articles/195045