Putting the bite on big dogs
When we hear about it, we like to pounce on big dog discrimination before it happens.
So let’s talk about Middletown, New York, where city officials think it would be a good idea to require all renters whose dogs tip the scales at more than 25 pounds to carry liability insurance.
This makes about as much sense as Wausau, Wisconsin’s two-dog limit, our topic Friday.
What fear-mongering, fact-ignoring, bandwagon-jumping city officials need to get through their heads, once and for all, is that it’s not the size of the dog, the breed of the dog, or even the number of dogs that cause dog problems — it’s the dog owner.
Be it “nuisance” or “danger” they are trying to protect us from, that’s who they need to be going after.
Not family’s like the Lecker’s in Wausau, who have four dogs, but bought a house not knowing the town limited households to two, and now face a choice between moving or ditching two dogs.
And not responsible dog-owning renters who, in the case of Middletown, might find themselves paying up to $300 a year to ensure any dog bigger than a breadbox.
Singling out breeds and setting arbitrary weight limits is doggie discrimination, pure and simple. (We’d argue the proposed Middletown law discriminates against renters as well.)
In Middletown, the Common Council is looking at a proposal that would require tenants to get at least $100,000 worth of liability insurance on dogs weighing over 25 pounds, according to the Times Herald-Record.
The proposed law is in response to a rising number of dog bites, city officials said. According to Mayor Joe DeStefano dog bites are covered under most homeowners’ policies, so the law would target only renters. The proposal doesn’t single out any breeds, but city officials have said they are concerned about the rising number of pit bulls in the city.
The city says there were 94 reported dog bites in Middletown over the past three years. Of them, 79 were from “large-breed” dogs, 37 of them from pit bulls or pit bull mixes. It also says two city employees have been attacked by pit bulls in recent months while on the job.
I wonder how many of those pit bulls were really pit bulls, as opposed to a convenient designation. I wonder, in the case of all those ”pit bull mixes,” why what else is in the mix isn’t mentioned. And I wonder, when it comes to those “large-breed” dogs doing the majority of the biting, if the city is referring to all dogs over 25 pounds.
But what I wonder most of all, since the requirement would do nothing to actually address the problem, is what purpose — beyond fattening up insurance companies — it would serve.
Posted by jwoestendiek March 19th, 2012 under Muttsblog.
Tags: animals, big dogs, big dow owners, city, dangerous, discrimination, dogs, insurance, landlords, laws, liability, mandatory, middletown, new york, nuisance, pets, renters, required, requirement, tenants, wausau, wisconsin
Comments
Comment from vida
Time March 19, 2012 at 5:06 pm
Really, good to know there are no problems with poverty or education or homelessness in this town. Honestly, this is so dumb, are they planning on banning adolescents soon? I mean, little kids are cute but those teenagers…*snark alert.
Comment from Anne’n'Spencer
Time March 19, 2012 at 5:10 pm
Ugh! Spencer-the-Beagle and I are finding a little of this as I begin to think about moving into senior-specific digs. While many places allow dogs, a lot of them have an arbitrary limit of 25 pounds. As a 15″ Beagle, Spencer weighs in at an even 30. I don’t understand it, and nobody is able to explain it. It is the way it is.
Comment from johnny rocket
Time July 28, 2012 at 11:44 pm
The proposed law is stupid, for the reason that you stated: it won’t address the problem. But what is your recommendation to address the problem of irresponsible dog owners? No doubt, there is a problem with dog owners in Middletown, and everywhere else for that matter.
I live in Middletown, NY. It’s not uncommon for me to be confronted by loose, aggressive dogs while riding my bicycle on public roads. In our parks, I often see dog droppings and unleashed dogs, despite local ordinances requiring that dogs be leashed and droppings removed. People just ignore these laws. It’s not like you can talk to any of these willfully irresponsible citizens, because they just become inflamed if you point out that they are being irresponsible and breaking the law. I’ve called the police on a few occasions, but no significant action was taken.
Having been bitten by a loose dog, I am fully aware of the consequences of living in a community with negligent, irresponsible dog owners. I hate having to face situations where I feel compelled to use deadly force against an animal. Especially since I know that the dog owners are the ones that should be put down. I also don’t like the prospect of having to retain a lawyer and spend time in court to seek recompense from some scumbag citizen whose dog ripped me up.
The pitbull is a popular choice of dogs for Middletown residents. Not sure exactly why. The thing is, most dog owners don’t know squat about dogs, and therefore don’t know how to properly socialize their dogs. Worse yet, some owners intentionally instill vicious behavior in their dogs. If you live next door to a dog with issues, there is an important difference between whether that dog is a lap dog or a stocky, broad-headed dog. If attacked, the difference could be whether you suffer a few, minor puncture wounds, or be ripped open like a paper bag. It’s a straightforward matter of physics and physiology: the broader a dog’s head, the more powerful the bite, and therefore, the greater potential for a serious wound if bitten. I don’t ever recall hearing about a chihuahua killing someone. But there have been various occasions where broad-headed dogs have killed and partially devoured people.
Problems with dogs and their owners have been around for decades. As the population of the U.S. continues to increase, the problem only worsens. It may be the case that I will always need to carry my pepper spray, balisong and ball-peen hammer,
Comment from robert schlosser
Time March 19, 2012 at 10:11 am
My 8 lb. chihuahua wants to attack anything that moves while my 120 lb. german shepherd mix is literally afraid of his own shadow and wants to love evryone he meets. Yup- that law makes a lot of sense. Besides don’t they have more important matters to worry about?