HR1026 LRB094 19844 LJB 56943 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Dog control problems are created by people and are
3 not limited to a breed or mix; singling out breeds of dogs as
4 vicious or banning them only shifts the responsibility from the
5 dog owner, where it belongs, to the breed of dog and does not
6 solve community dog problems; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Banning a breed or declaring it inherently vicious
8 punishes responsible dog owners and drives conscientious
9 citizens out of communities; irresponsible owners, who often
10 raise dogs to be vicious, are often not law abiding citizens
11 and will only turn to another breed to continue their criminal
12 activities; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Banning a breed or particular mix of breeds
14 punishes those dogs that serve important community functions,
15 including therapy dogs, assistance dogs for handicapped
16 owners, search and rescue dogs, drug-sniffing dogs, and police
17 dogs and drives them out of the community; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Breed bans that target "pit bulls" cannot be
19 enforced because "pit bull" is a generic term that refers to
20 many different breeds and mixes; the American Veterinary
21 Medical Association and several state veterinary medical
22 associations are on record as opposing breed-specific
23 legislation because breeds and mixes are hard to identify; and
 
24     WHEREAS, Breeds that have been recently labeled by the
25 media as vicious have a long and commendable history of serving
26 man; to label all as vicious for the actions of a few is wrong;
27 therefore, be it
 
28     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
29 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
30 the State of Illinois should encourage municipalities not to

 

 

HR1026 - 2 - LRB094 19844 LJB 56943 r

1 enact breed-specific bans; instead, municipalities are
2 encouraged to establish programs that educate residents and
3 pass laws targeting irresponsible dog owners rather than their
4 dogs; and be it further
 
5     RESOLVED, That municipalities should be encouraged to
6 address animal attacks by enforcing laws that encourage
7 responsible and humane treatment of dogs and all other animals;
8 teaching communities about responsible dog ownership, creating
9 awareness, and punishing illegal dog fighting are effective
10 strategies for keeping communities safe.