In a letter to the editor of a MD newspaper, the Maryland State Director for HSUS writes about the recent court ruling declaring Pitbulls as inherently dangerous animals:
We encourage Marylanders to call their state legislators to urge them to pass legislation to overturn this ruling.
At first glance, I’m in agreement but the devil is in the details. For example:
A dog’s propensity to bite is a product of several factors including early socialization, living conditions and the owner’s behavior, not breed alone. For example, chained and non-neutered dogs are much more likely to bite.
Oh hogwash! Way to promote myths and misinformation HSUS. “Not breed alone” implies that breed is in fact one of the factors that determine a dog’s propensity to bite. This is wrong, as is the notion that intact dogs are “much more likely” to bite. The National Canine Research Council sets the record straight in this excellent piece:
There is no individual factor, or combination of factors, that reliably explain which dogs bite. A dog bite is the culmination of dozens of circumstances and variables, both past and present.
Thank you.
HSUS then ramps up the hysteria:
There are already reports of pit bulls being abandoned since this ruling.
Rather than protect public safety, the ruling may force pit bulls who could live safely as beloved family pets to roam Maryland neighborhoods in packs, and force shelters to euthanize them — turning back decades of progress by animal shelters and rescue groups.
You know what turns back progress made by shelters and rescues – of which HSUS is neither? This kind of crap. Sweet Pitbulls are already being turned loose in the streets where they will terrorize MD neighborhoods in marauding packs! Gah! Oh and of course HSUS can’t miss an opportunity to absolve those who kill pets from responsibility by mentioning how shelters will be forced to kill these dogs. Cause you know – they’re roving in packs right in our own neighborhoods! Think of the children!
In closing, HSUS posts a link – not to where Maryland residents can find and contact their legislators (you can do that here) – but to the Facebook page for HSUS Maryland adding that you can “show your support” by submitting photos to that page. Of course you’d have to “like” the page first which is just another way for HSUS to expand its marketing and fundraising pool. Eh, what did I expect?