Bice Rentals (http://www.bicerental.com/), a property management and development company operating in our area as well as Wisconsin and North Dakota, insists on clinging to archaic and misinformed breed specific restrictions in regards to “Pit Bull type” dogs in their homes. They have made it clear this is not an issue of insurance, as some rental and property management companies will claim, but just a company policy. These types of policies do nothing to ensure the safety of residents or prevent property damage, as size restrictions are typically intended to do. Any dog if raised improperly has the potential to be aggressive, but bully breeds actually test much lower than many other breeds in temperament tests (www.ATTS.org). While it is true that bully breeds can be aggressive towards other dogs, this is true of all breeds and a sweeping generalization cannot be made and should not be grounds for keeping them out of potentially loving homes.

    Restrictive housing laws are one of many reasons pitbulls make up the majority of dogs in shelters in and around our area. When you force a family to choose between a home for their children and giving up their dog, you are only accomplishing one of two negatives: losing a prospective good tenant or breaking up a family. A dog is not an object; they are not a couch that won't fit up the stairs to your new home to be thrown away. They are a part of your family.

    We cannot continue to punish animals for the roles we place them into. These animals are willed into existence to be our loyal companions and want nothing more than to give unconditional love if treated right. But we neglect and mistreat them and then blame the breed. In this modern, civilized society, why is this type of guilt reversal and racism across species lines still acceptable? A dog is not born to fight, the same way a man isn't born to kill. Public opinion is changing. In this age of increasingly available information, ignorance is no longer an excuse. We are finally seeing positive portrayals of pit bull types in the media, with Pitbulls and Parolees as well as frequently being featured on local news channel 13 WREX's Pet of the Week. Tune in if you want to see some vicious, killer dogs that you wouldn't want in your home.

    Bice is by no means the only culprit here, this is a fight to be taken to the whole world, but this is a lasting change that we can affect in our community and elsewhere by raising awareness. I ask that they reconsider their restrictive policy towards bully breed dogs and consider animals on a case by case basis, a much safer and effective method. To learn more, visit this website: http://www.pbrc.net/