I used to be a regular viewer of the Animal Precinct show but I had to quit watching it. I found myself thinking the words "DEATH PENALTY!" every time an animal abuser case came on. And I'm actually against the death penalty.
Now they have more shows along similar lines on the same network. I tuned in last night to catch part of an episode in Miami. It was wonderful to see an emaciated dog rescued, and to have a Veterinarian volunteer to perform the needed leg amputation surgery. After recovery, the dog was adopted by a couple whose other pet is a 3 legged cat. Thumbs up! But then my joy was greatly diminished when I saw an animal control officer dragging a pitbull in a noose away from his sobbing owner. The officer said he felt terrible having to do it, but the law in Miami-Dade County prohibits having as a pet "any dog which substantially conforms to a pit bull breed dog".
I didn't see the whole show so maybe there was more to the story. Maybe the owner was terribly irresponsible and let her dog roam loose and kill livestock, or some other such crimes. But from what I saw, it just looked like a woman's pet being dragged away by the neck because of his genetically determined appearance. Thumbs down! I can not imagine being that woman. "Death Penalty!" would likely be the sweetest thing coming out of my mouth. Breed Specific Legislation sucks. Are there pitbulls who are dangerous dogs? Yes. Are there a number of other breeds and mixed breeds who are dangerous? Of course. Punish the deed, not the breed.
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