New Mexico Draft BSL Bill Does Not Proceed

How We Won

Jan 31, 2012

From animal advocacy group Hand4Paws:

When one of our team members, who lives in NM and owns a pit bull cross, heard that a breed-specific legislation bill was a possibility for this session, we immediately wrote our petition and circulated it. We mailed a hard copy of the petition to the office of the Governor requesting this bill not be heard. Our petition ended in victory: This bill did not make the call list for this session.

New Mexico Senator Sue Beffort has created a draft bill that would declare pit bulls as dangerous dogs. She is working to have the bill Introduced during the January 17, 2012 session. This bill has not yet been placed on the “call list” and has not been filed. However, Breed Discrimination Laws (BSL) has no place in any state including New Mexico and is purely canine discrimination. A similar BSL bill was introduced in 2009 and failed. This petition is to express opposition of this draft BSL bill to the Governor of New Mexico Susana Martinez so this bill does not make the “call list”.

Beffort’s bill describes “pit bull dogs as American Staffordshire terriers or a Staffordshire Bull terrier or a dog displaying the majority of physical traits of any one or more of those breeds or exhibiting extinguishing characteristics”. Comments provided on the Stop BSL website notes that “In a strange twist, purebred dogs of these breeds are not considered “pit bulls” as long as they are registered with the AKC or UKC. In other words, the “pit bulls” primarily targeted by this bill are non-pedigreed: such as mixed-breed dogs and shelter dogs”. Owners’ of pit bull dogs would be required to follow several special stringent restrictions. If the owner does not comply with theses restrictions, animal control can seize and kill the dog. Pit bull mixes make wonderful family pets and some have also become certified therapy dogs.

The draft bill: https://acrobat.com/app.html#d=CNU*f3nCXT9VpTIG2T9cUQ

A similar BSL bill was introduced in 2009 and failed.

http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=3734

Please visit NO BSL New Mexico

http://nobslnm.blogspot.com/

and

Stop BSL
http://stopbsl.com/2011/12/13/new-mexico-senator-pushing-for-statewide-bsl-2/

Facts about BSL courtesy of Stop BSL:

▪   BSL does not improve public safety or prevent dog bites.

▪   BSL ignores the plight of victims and potential victims of non targeted breeds.

▪   BSL is costly.

▪   BSL requires each and every dog to be identified as a breed—something that has proven impossible to do accurately and objectively.

▪   BSL makes targeted breeds more desirable to irresponsible and criminal owners.

▪   BSL  does nothing to make irresponsible dog owners accountable.

▪   BSL  punishes responsible dog owners.

▪   Not as single canine organization supports BSL.

Facts about dog attacks :
• More than 70 percent of all dog bite cases involve unneutered male dogs.
• An unneutered male dog is 2.6 times more likely to bite than is a neutered dog.
• A chained or tethered dog is 2.8 times more likely to bite than a dog who is not chained or tethered.
• 97 percent of dogs involved in fatal dog attacks in 2006 were not spayed/neutered:
• 78 percent were maintained not as pets, but rather for guarding, image enhancement, fighting or breeding.
• 84 percent were maintained by reckless owners—these dogs were abused or neglected, not humanely controlled or contained, or allowed to interact with children unsupervised.

Facts courtesy of “Anti-BSL” http://antibsl.com/

This bill has not yet been filed. However, this petition will be closed, printed and presented to Governor Martinez prior to the January deadline. Thank you for your support of this effort and for all the animals that are victims of Breed Discrimination Laws. BSL is purely and unfounded canine discrimination. “Stop BSL”.

For more information: Stop BSL
http://stopbsl.com/2011/12/13/new-mexico-senator-pushing-for-statewide-bsl-2/

The American Kennel Club does not support BSL:   http://www.akc.org/pdfs/public_education/Deed_Not_Breed.pdf

Please also contact the Governor Martinez and politely express your opposition to Senator Beffert’s bill:
http://www.governor.state.nm.us/Contact_the_Governor.aspx

This petition will be updated as more information becomes available but the intent will remain the same.

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