We ask that the City of Dodgeville repeal their Breed-Specific Legislation(BSL) regarding pit-bulls and other "vicious" dogs, or, to at least make all dog owners follow the exact same requirements. BSL is discriminatory in practice.  Dogs who simply "look" the part are targeted and made out to be monsters based upon nothing more than stereotypes and ignorance.  Good dogs are made to be feared, and BSL only helps to perpetuate the stereotype and to cause others to have unfounded fears of their neighbor's pets. The problem with BSL is that it does not take into account that ANY dog can be raised to be violent and vicious, just as any dog can be raised to be loving.  A dog's owners are what makes a dog what it is.  I have met (and owned 2) extremely sweet pit bulls who would never (and DIDN'T EVER) harm a soul.  I have met other dogs, considered to be "friendly" breeds (labs, cocker spaniels, etc), who have been aggressive and tried to bite unprovoked. I propose that the City of Dodgeville drop the specific clauses requiring pit bull owners to classify their pets as "vicious" and to follow additional rules that are not applicable to other dog owners.  It is unfair, and can even impose excess burden on the pit bull owners since it is difficult to find places to live/rent, and to acquire homeowners insurance.  Dodgeville's policy has also required some owners to purchase additional, separate homeowners insurance policies to cover the City's requirements for insurance. Posting a "BEWARE OF DOG" sign at my home would signal others to be afraid of my dog when they have no reason to be.  I do not want to teach others to be afraid of her.  She is innocent.  If people are given the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, why are we not following the same with dogs?  She has never shown any aggression, has had no previous incidents, and has passed temperament tests with trained professionals.  Certain parts of the BSL in Dodgeville, I believe, should be law across the board for ANY responsible dog owner.  All dogs should be leashed when outside and under the supervision of their owners.  This should not be something specific to pit bulls.  The White House has previously issued a statement against BSL, saying "We don't support breed-specific legislation-- research shows that bans on certain types of dogs are largely ineffective and often a waste of public resources.  In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at twenty years of data about dog bites and human fatalities in the United States.  They found that fatal attacks represent a very small proportion of dog bite injuries to people and that it's virtually impossible to calculate bite rates for specific breeds.  The CDC also noted that they types of people who look to exploit dogs aren't deterred by breed regulations- when their communities establish a ban, these people just seek out new, unregulated breeds.  And the simple fact is that dogs of any breed can become dangerous when they're intentionally or unintentionally raised to be aggressive." https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/breed-specific-legislation-bad-idea As mentioned above- those who want to exploit dogs are going to seek out other breeds; this has been shown with the targeting of different breeds throughout our history to label them as "vicious".  First it was the German Shepherd, then the attention went to Dobermans, then Rottweiler, and now the Pit Bull.  Studies have also shown that it is difficult to correctly identify a breed by looks alone; many times what people would label a "pit bull" is incorrect. Below is some more specific information from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: What is Breed-Specific Legislation?According to the ASPCA, Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) is a "blanket term for laws that either regulate or ban certain dog breeds in an effort to decrease dog attacks on humans and other animals.  However, the problem of dangerous dogs will not be remedied by the 'quick fix' of breed-specific laws- or, as they should truly be called, breed-discriminatory laws." When you read further, the ASPCA also states that "there is no evidence that breed-specific laws make communities safer for people or companion animals.  Following a thorough study of human fatalities resulting from dog bites, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) decided to strongly oppose BSL.  The CDC cited, among other problems, the inaccuracy of dog bite data and the difficulty in identifying dog breeds." For brevity's sake, I have included links to both the brief article on BSL (quoted above), and also to their complete position statement on BSL. https://www.aspca.org/animal-cruelty/dog-fighting/breed-specific-legislation​ https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-breed-specific-legislation I have many more documents and statements from well respected organizations, including the National Canine Research Council and the American Veterinary Medical Association- but in order to keep this petition from becoming 50 pages long, I simply ask that one does their research before passing any Breed Specific Legislation or continues to promote it.  Please sign this petition to help end discrimination and the criminalization of pit bulls. (The full print petition that will be turned in to the City of Dodgeville will include many other resources and documents) Thank you!