2016 Legislative Highlights: Local Control Dominates Again; Six States Reject Preemption Bills Prohibiting Pit Bull Laws

Rejection Rate Grows to 90% Since January 2014 DogsBite.org - During the first 5-months of the 2016 legislative season, state preemption bills barring local governments from enacting breed-specific legislation were introduced in eight states. As of May 13, six states have rejected these bills and two remain pending. So far in 2016, this is a 100% success rate for municipalities retaining local control. These states are: Missouri, Kentucky, Washington, Georgia, West V… [Read full blog post]

National Pit Bull Victim Awareness Day Arrives

Pictured: Mia DeRouen, 4-years old, was killed by her family's pit bull in 2014. Ways to Take Action North America - Ten days ago, we wrote about a new information website launched by a coalition of over 50 support groups in the United States and Canada declaring October 24, 2015 the first ever National Pit Bull Victim Awareness Day. The new website explains the multi-part pit bull crisis: innocent people and animal victims suffering serious and fatal injuries inflicted by pi… [Read full blog post]

2015 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bulls Kill Man, Injure Woman in North Shore, California

Emilio Rios Sr. was fatally attacked by two pit bulls in North Shore, California. Attack Reignites Alarm UPDATE 9/10/15: On Tuesday, Emilio Rios, 65, was savagely killed by two pit bulls in North Shore, an unincorporated community in Riverside County. The dogs also attacked a woman who came to his aid. John Welsh, a spokesman for county animal services, said, "Remember the old days when the pioneers came and had to worry about wolves? We are not in those days anymore. A person s… [Read full blog post]

Announcement: DogsBite.org Releases New FAQ about Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL)

An analysis of 860 cities with breed-specific laws showed that pit bulls were named in 100% of these ordinances, followed in distant second by rottweilers, named in just 7%. Breed-Specific Legislation FAQ DogsBite.org - Today we release our Breed-Specific Legislation FAQ that will empower advocates and city officials who support breed-specific laws. The FAQ drills down into the effectiveness of these ordinances, which breeds are involved and the three most common typ… [Read full blog post]