Killing dogs who have done nothing wrong

A Colorado court ruled that the repeal of a pit bull ban by the Aurora City Council was illegal. Under the law, a “proposed ordinance adopted or rejected by electoral vote under either the initiative or referendum cannot be revived, repealed, amended or passed except by electoral vote.” Since Aurora voters passed a 2014 ballot initiative to keep the ban in place, repeal by City Council vote rather than a vote of the people was deemed without authority.

While the case is on appeal, the Aurora City Council voted unanimously to put the issue before voters this November. A ballot measure will ask residents to repeal the reinstated ban.

Banning dogs based on appearance is immoral. It is also ineffective. That’s not just opinion; it’s science:

• The breed of a dog tells how they look, not how they behave;

• 50% of dogs labeled as pit bulls lack the DNA 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; and,

• Enforcement is expensive, with no measurable impact on public safety.

Bans also negatively impact surrounding communities and rescue groups, which must bear the burden of such regressive policies to save the lives of these dogs.

Unless the court’s ruling is reversed on appeal or voters repeal the ban, dogs who have done nothing wrong will be killed again in Aurora, CO, simply because of the way they look.