Letter to Protest Breed Discrimination

It can be hard for breed advocates to figure out what exactly to do to encourage change -- be it within public perceptions, local or state laws, or owner behaviors. There are many avenues for advocacy. I thought I'd focus today on letter writing. Some may roll their eyes and think, "gee, what's a silly letter going to to?" But a well-written appeal carries weight; I've had a lot of positive feedback from lawmakers I've taken the time to write.


It's important to write letters that are relatively brief, dispassionate, and well-researched. You want to come off as a credible professional, not some nutcase on the loose. I've included below a copy of a letter I drafted for council members in a Washington city. I hope you find it useful. Please feel free to use this format as a template for your own letters.


Cheers!

Letter in Opposition to Chapter 6.18 of the Yakima Municipal Code

My name is Gemma Zanowski; I am an attorney in here in Washington and have been actively involved in canine rescue efforts and advocacy since 2004. I am writing to request that the Yakima Council repeal Chapter 6.18, the Pit Bull ban. The American Pit Bull Terrier, and related breeds (“pit bull type dogs”) are fully capable of living long lives as beloved family companions. Unfortunately, many are not given this opportunity because of misguided legislation that generalizes their characteristics based on unfounded stereotypes and fears. Chapter 6.18 of the Yakima Municipal Code is an example of such legislation.

There exists one principal study used to support the notion that pit bulls are dangerous: Breeds of Dogs Involved in Fatal Human Attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. The oft-debated element of the study is the percentage of total fatalities attributable to pit bull type dogs. However, as the researchers involved with the study have emphasized, it is impossible to extrapolate overall breed viciousness without knowing the base population of the breed, which the study did not know. The Center for Disease Control, the researchers themselves, and other researchers have since concluded that this study should not be used as a basis for breed discriminatory legislation (BDL). A second body of information has been used to misattribute aggressive incidents to pit bull type dogs. This study was conducted by Merritt Cliffton and is an incomplete, inaccurate, and shamefully biased compilation of media reports from a twenty-year period. Thorough investigation has revealed it to be garbage veiled in postulations of science. It must be disregarded.

Conversely, no reputable animal welfare agency or rescue supports BDL or the notion that pit bull type dogs are more likely to attack humans. In fact, pit bull type dogs routinely outperform many “family-friendly” dog breeds on temperament tests and credible research echoes this performance record. Further, no credible study on BDL has found discriminatory measures to be effective; in fact, bite incidence remains consistent with breed population.

I wholeheartedly support stringent dog that focus on owner culpability; t dangerous humans who indulge high-risk environments. If dogs are deemed dangerous this status should be considered based on individual behaviors, and not merely on their physical characteristics or reputation. The City of Yakima already has a dangerous dog law in place that describes particular behaviors that make an individual dog dangerous. An additional focus on pit bulls is extraneous and overbroad as it targets a class of animals of which most will never pose a public safety threat.

With the dire economic situation currently in Washington, non-essential spending should be clipped wherever possible. Best Friends Society fiscal impact estimator indicates that Yakima is spending around $100,000 a year to enforce Chapter 6.18 – money that would more prudently be spent to battle the chief causes of dog aggression: intact animals, chaining, and abuse.

Currently Washington is considering SB 5151, which would establish a state-wide low-cost spay and neuter program in order to curb dog bite incidences and pet overpopulation. If the bill does not pass, there is no reason the City of Yakima cannot consider a similar provision. Further, the City of Yakima does not have an anti-chaining ordinance; as 25 percent of dog bite fatalities involve chained dogs, it would be prudent for the Council to consider an ordinance that regulates chaining as well.

As dogs are considered property, accountability for their actions should fall squarely on the shoulders of dog owners. BDL provisions ultimately and strangely hold dogs accountable for their lineage, as the animal is impounded and in many cases euthanized merely for being of a particular breed. US ideologies increasingly reflect individual autonomy, and firmly established constitutional principles favor a presumption of innocence; Chapter 6.18 and similar discriminatory provisions in other localities contradict these tenets.

Change is coming. Thirteen states have already written laws that forbid discrimination based on breed alone. Ohio, the only state with state-wide BDL, has voted to overturn the legislation in the House and awaits Senate approval. I urge the City of Yakima to become a frontrunner in this change. Repealing an out-dated ordinance such as Chapter 6.18 is the first step in establishing a comprehensive, effective dangerous dog plan. I welcome emails or phone calls to further discuss my position. 

Director Story: Gemma

Those who know me know I don't have a pit bull of my own, so it may seem strange that I founded and run a pit bull rescue. I never really intended to start rescuing pit bulls; like so many of my great fellow advocates, I fell into the breed by accident. I never had any loathing for the breed -- I just never had any convictions. I liked dobermans and rottweilers. I don't have any of those, either. My dogs tend to find me, so it's not really a surprise that pit bulls found me too.

My first breed contact came from a pit bull-American Bulldog mix puppy my sister and her boyfriend procured from a person selling puppies on the side of the road. Scrappy fell ill with parvo almost immediately, and my sister diligently nursed him back to health from the brink of death. Scrappy was a very sweet and loving dog, and he put up with a lot of my sister's kissing, squishing, and fussing, which, believe me, says a lot about a dog's tolerance level! I liked Scrappy, Scrappy was a pit bull, thus, in my mind, pit bulls were a pretty decent breed of dog.

My sister Julia and Scrappy. 

When I started looking for volunteer work in Tucson, I contacted a few dog rescues, including a local pit bull rescue. The only rescue that contacted me back was Arizona Poodle Rescue, so for years I fostered and rehabilitated poodles, eventually adopting my own Standard Poodle -- a 5-month-old male who came from a breeder neglect situation and had severe emotional hurdles to overcome. I love the breed, and I loved the people with whom I worked, but my many visits to the county shelter illuminated the real need for people willing to rescue the dogs off the nightly kill list we rescuers were sent each day.

So in 2008 I founded Revamped Rovers, with the idea of taking only dogs that were going to be put down within the next 24 hours. What I got were pit bulls. Oodles of pit bulls. These dogs were all young, friendly, and adaptable; they had just run out of time. Before I knew it, I had three pit bulls and three resident dogs living in my home (Yes, peacefully). What I discovered from these first three dogs were three distinct, wonderful personalities, with one trait in common: Rain (now Sunshine) loved to snuggle, was active and bouncy, and a very quick learner; Meg (now Maggie) also loved to snuggle, was quiet and obedient, and loved all animals -- large and small; Mya (now Brendi) was spunky, feisty, and -- oh yeah -- loved to cuddle.

Meg, my all-time favorite foster 

Now, the sight or mention of a pit bull may strike terror into the hearts of some people -- and I respect that...you are afraid of what you're afraid of, although I do encourage folks to open their minds before making decisions. But a pit bull to me is a ball of snuggles and kisses and tail wags. I've just never met an exception, and this is the original breed description. Pit bulls are a breed bred to adore people, and most of them excel at this.

Somewhere in between volunteering with poodle rescue and founding my own program, I realized that pit bulls had a horrible, undeserved reputation. I started researching and found that the claims offered against the breed were baseless, exaggerated, and sensationalized. It was the moment I realized that these dogs needed a voice that I committed myself to being that voice. For the past three years I've been a champion for the breed. In 2011 I changed the name of the rescue to Tough Love Pit Bull Rescue to better represent the causes for which I advocate. Now, I know dogs bite. I know some dogs injure human beings and other dogs. But I stand by my belief that every dog deserves the chance to be treated as an individual. Every dog deserves a real second chance.

So I will work every day. I will spend my own money. I will write letters, articles, and books on behalf of these dogs. We've all made mistakes. We've all needed to start over. We've all been judged too swiftly. I am hardly the exception. So I urge people to seek their hearts and lend the compassion they'd hope be lent to them to these dogs. I believe my life experiences with dogs led me to do what I do. It isn't easy every day, and some moments are downright gut-wrenching. But I will continue to rescue and advocate for pit bulls every single day until I'm too old and feeble to press on. And I only hope I can inspire others to carry on when I'm gone.

Ted, Jade, Dylan, and I on our way from Louisiana to Seattle.