Florida law targets Pit Bulls
A bill is pending before the Florida legislature in Tallahassee which could make it more difficult for people to own pit bulls and impose tighter regulations on owners. This bill represents a response by Florida politicians to numerous citizen reports of attacks by pit bulls. Legislators are proposing a bill that would give communities the right to regulate dogs based on breed and the target is pit bulls. Cities and municipalities could require pit bull owners to purchase additional insurance or even have their dogs wear muzzles when they are out in public.
Currently the cities of Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale do not have laws on their books which are capable of regulating the ownership of pit bulls differently from other more docile breeds.
Critics of the bill, not surprisingly, are pit bull owners and conservative republicans who believe in less governmental regulation. Their argument is that essentially we should not believe our "lying eyes" -- pit bulls are just gentle, lovable creatures like golden retrievers. They argue that the reason for the apparent disproportionate number of pit bull attacks is soley because of the owners and that any aggressive behavior is not inherent to the breed. Pit bull proponents apparently believe that the numerous pit bull attacks that we read about in the paper are the result of incompetent owners or are simply exagerrated.
"Let's do more important things than that," said Kim Godin, a pit-mix owner, who dismisses the purpose of the proposed legislation. If you are familiar with the violent propensities of the breed, it is hard to imagine that protecting children and others from the serious injuries that can result from these kinds of attacks is "unimportant."
Florida law does not presently permit cities like Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood to amend their municipal codes to target dangerous breeds like pit bulls. Florida has had a ban on breed-specific laws since 1990. The inability to enact dog specific rules for owners effectively prohibits cities in Broward County and elsewhere from impodinh reasonable requirements for pit bull owners such as purchasing insurance for their dogs in the event that they attack someone.
The time for turning a blind eye to these types of attacks is running out. There are far too many pit bull complaints by Florida citizens for the legislature to continue to do nothing. The pending bill will make Florida's streets safer for families. For those individuals who insist that only a cuddly pit bull puppy (rather than some other breed of dog) can fulfill their need for "man's best friend," then it is time for you to take some responsibility in the event your dog bites some one else.
