Legislation to Ban Specific Dog Breeds

An effort is about to begin in Michigan to prod lawmakers into prohibiting all communities from banning a specific breed of dog. A coalition of animal welfare organizations and others are spearheading what they call the “Make Michigan Next” campaign in an effort to “eliminate all breed discrimination laws” in the state. Some Michigan communities have banned dogs such as pit bulls in recent years, following tragic dog attacks on people, including children. Organizers say breed-specific bans are wrong because they are based solely on appearance, and don’t recognize the specific behavior of individual dogs. They also cite a national survey that says 84 percent of citizens believe a specific breed of dog should not be banned. Nineteen states so far have banned breed-specific legislation.