Denver voters overwhelmingly approved Measure 2J which allows dogs identified as “pit bulls” to live in the city for the first time in decades. It allows dogs to be adopted. It stops dogs from dying. And it keeps families together.
This is good news for other reasons, too:
- 50% of dogs labeled as pit bulls lack DNA breed signatures of breeds commonly classified as pit bulls.
- Dogs targeted for breed discriminatory laws are not more likely to bite, do not bite harder, and such bans do not result in fewer dog bites or bite-related hospitalization rates.
- Enforcement of the Denver ban has cost taxpayers $100,000,000 over the last 30 years, but has not resulted in a measurable impact on public safety.
It also resulted in Denver being a “bad neighbor” because surrounding communities and rescue groups have had to take on the burden for the city’s regressive and selfish policies in order to save the lives of these dogs.
It’s not a full repeal of breed discriminatory legislation, as other cities have done recently, but it is a step in that direction.
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