By T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter
When Kellie Dillner of Andover, Minn. scooped up Marri, the pit bull showed only tenderness cradled in her owner's arms.
Tenderness might not be the behavior expected from a breed of dog proposed to be banned from Minnesota.
Rep. John Lesch, DFL-St. Paul, wants to outlaw five dog breeds from the state ó pit bulls, Akitas, Rottweilers, chow chows, and wolf hybrids.
Lesch presented his proposal last summer in response to a rash of dog attacks in recent months.
ìYou never hear stories about roving packs of golden retrievers attacking children," said Lesch, speaking last summer.
Appearing with Lesch at that time was Kristina Eide, whose 5-year-old daughter Brianna Senn had been recently bitten by a pit bull in St. Paul.
ìMy daughter has to worry when she walks outside her house that there are other dogs that could get out and attack her," said Eide.
Lesch is ìintentî on pursuing his legislation, he recently said.
More than 100 jurisdictions across the country already have bans in affect for some dog breeds, said Lesch, an attorney.
But support for breed-ban proposal is hardly universal.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty is inclined to let local communities handle dog-related issues rather than favor a statewide approach, he recently explained.
ìWhat happens in a densely populated area of an urban center may be different than if you have a three thousand acre farm," said Pawlenty this month.
ìItís probably an issue thatís best addressed by local units of government," he added.
Animal control officers, too, see problems with a breed ban.
The Minnesota Animal Control Association rejected Leschís breed ban proposal, said Bill Forbes, an association official and an animal control officer with the Bloomington Police Department.
Dog bite statistics, Forbes argues, reflect the popularity of dog breeds.
He points to dog owners themselves as a major factor in the dog bite equation.
ìThe breeds have changed, but the people (problem owners) are still the same," Forbes said.
Troublesome dogs tend to belong to certain types of owners, Forbes argues.
These owners tend to have personal histories of violence, substance abuse, run-ins with the law, he explained.
ìItís mostly men ó itís kind of a hormonal thing," said Forbes.
Itís not a racial. Itís not a cultural.
These problem owners are found across the socioeconomic spectrum, said Forbes.
Enforcing a statewide breed ban would be expensive and dangerous, he argued.
Animal control officers could be asking for SWAT team backup to confiscate banned breeds from defiant dog owners, he speculated.
ìTheyíre family members," Forbes said of the bond between dog owners and their dogs.
Dr. Margaret M. Duxbury, a veterinary behaviorist at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center, doesnít view certain dog breeds as inherently more dangerous than any other.
ìDo I support the idea of outlawing certain dog breeds? No," she said.
ìThe issue is way too complicated to be solved that way," said Duxbury.
ìWe see dogs every week for many kinds of aggressions. And many, many, many of them are not pit bulls," she said.
Several factors influence dog behavior, explained Duxbury.
Genetic temperament is one, but it strongly depends on a particular dogís own direct relatives, she explained.
Within breeds, individuals differ, she explained.
Duxbury also points to socialization as a primary influence on dog behavior.
ìThat starts really early ó like three to twelve weeks," she said.
ìItís important what environment the puppies are in at the breeders. If theyíre isolated ó in a barn or a room and they donít hear many people ó they arenít handled very much, that puts them at a great disadvantage," she said.
ìBy the time a puppy is three months, you like to see theyíve had good experience with multiple versions of whatever theyíre going to experience as an adult," she said.
Dillner, Volunteer Education Coordinator for A Rotta Love Plus, an advocacy and pet adoption group focusing on Rottweilers, pit bulls, and other breeds, sees many problems with the proposed dog ban legislation.
In just a practical sense, how it is possible even to identify specific breeds without genetic testing ó one breed of dog often looks like anther, group members argue.
And where should thousands of displaced pit bulls, Rottweilers and other the breeds or types be sent if outlawed ó Wisconsin one group member quipped?
A Rotta Love Plus advocates stricter enforcement of existing dog laws.
They also call for additional dog enforcement funding.
Through education it possible to prevent people from being bitten, Dillner argues.
ìAbsolutely ó one hundred percent," she said
A Rotta Love Plus members have been canvassing lawmakers and believe little support exists for Leschís breed ban legislation.
ìNot as it is," said Dillner.
But Lesch believes the testimony of dog bite victims will be powerful and compelling.
ìI think theyíre (A Rotta Love Plus) going to have to take their chances with that one," Lesch of the idea of his bill lacking legs.
The Minnesota Animal Control Association is currently working on ways to give courts more ways of dealing with problem dogs.
Lesch is open to new ideas, he said.
The legislative session begins Feb. 12.
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