Out of the shadows and into the sun
Dogs deemed “pit bulls” are welcome again in a Colorado community
Aurora, CO, residents have voted to repeal the ban on “pit bulls.”
Question 3A on the ballot asked,
Shall the people of Aurora, Colorado agree that the restricted breed ban in the City of Aurora Code be repealed thereby allowing Aurora citizens to own American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier dogs within the city limits of Aurora, Colorado with the owners being subject to the requirements of the City Code, including Section 14-7 concerning keeping aggressive, potentially dangerous, or dangerous animals, that applies to all dogs?
The ban was previously repealed by the city council, but a Colorado court ruled that doing so was illegal.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“proposed ordinance adopted or rejected by electoral vote under either the initiative or referendum cannot be revived, repealed, amended or passed except by electoral vote.”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.
In response to the ruling, the Aurora City Council put the issue before voters. And they did the right thing.
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.
Thanks to voters, dogs who have done nothing wrong will not be killed again simply because of the way they look.