Tag: Denver

Let’s Spread Pittie Positivity on National Pit Bull Awareness Day

If, like me, you’ve ever had the pleasure of having one in your life, you’re already well aware of the awesomeness of Pit Bulls. Now we just need to get the good word out to the world.

That’s why, for the past 14 years, National Pit Bull Awareness Day (NPBAD) is celebrated at the end of October, which also happens to be National Pit Bull Awareness Month.

NPBAD was started in 2007 by Jodi Preis of Bless the Bullys, a small, non-profit rescue organization in Tennessee. It was conceived as a way to bring much-needed positive media attention to this often maligned — and, sadly, often banned — breed.

Many people who’ve never had a Pit Bull may be unaware that these dogs (along with Doberman Pinschers and Rottweilers) are frequently the victims of breed-specific legislation (BSL), laws that single out a particular breed instead of placing responsibility on dog owners.

Because these bans are so unfair — not to mention ineffective in increasing public safety — BSL is opposed by virtually all major animal welfare organizations, including the ASPCA, AVMA, HSUS, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Most major U.S. insurance companies also practice their own form of BSL by refusing to provide home or rental insurance for the owners of Pit Bulls and certain other “dangerous” breeds.

“When Bless the Bullys introduced the idea of a nationwide Pit Bull Awareness Day, the response was overwhelming!” says the official NPBAD website. “It was immediately recognized as an opportunity to educate, change minds and bring about positive media attention to Pit Bulls across the country, all on one day.”

Buh-Bye Pit Bull Bans!

For 31 long years, Denver’s Pit Bull ban was one of the most notorious in the world. Pit Bulls, mixes and dogs that happen to look like Pit Bulls were banned from living in the city. Thousands of responsible Denver residents had to make the terrible choice of finding a new home for themselves or their beloved dogs, or surrendering their pets to the city to be euthanized.

Fortunately, just one week after last year’s Pit Bull Awareness Day, Denver voters woke up and overwhelmingly ended the unfair ban. Hooray! And two months later, the city council of Aurora, Colorado’s third-largest city, also voted to end the city’s 15-year-long Pit Bull ban.

Last month, Overland Park, Kansas, joined this positive trend when its city council voted unanimously to end its Pit Bull ban. Hopefully, by the time Pit Bull Awareness Day 2022 rolls around, these ridiculous bans everywhere will be gone for good.

Pit Bull Fun Facts

Here are a few facts you may not know about Pit Bulls. Please share them with anyone you know who doesn’t like these dogs!

    • In tests by the American Temperament Test Society, Pit Bulls score higher (i.e., they’re less aggressive and friendlier) than Beagles, Border Collies and Yorkies — breeds that are hardly ever considered “dangerous.”
    • The most decorated U.S. military dog in history was a Pit Bull mix named Sgt. Stubby. Sadly, Stubby would be banned from U.S. military bases today because of his breed.

As the NPBAD website says, knowledge is power — “and with education and advocacy, the truth will save lives in terms of negating the fear and bias generated by the media, circumvent knee-jerk reactions such as breed bans, and the truth will result in fewer Pit Bulls ending up in animal shelters.”

Photo credit: Laura Goldman. Those are my late, great snugglebug pitties Larry (1995-2007) and Sophie (1997-2009) in the top photo, and Larry as a puppy in the other photo (those ears!!). Larry, an American Staffordshire Terrier, was my first “Pit Bull” and totally changed my mind about these dogs. Yep, I used to be afraid of them, thanks to all the negative stories in the media.

Success! Aurora, Colorado Ends 15-Year Pit Bull Ban


In November the good people of Denver did the right thing and overwhelmingly voted to end the city’s 31-year ban on Pit Bulls, mixes and dogs that happen to look like Pit Bulls. Perhaps inspired by this, the city council of Aurora, Colorado’s third-largest city which is about 9 miles east of Denver, voted 7-3 on Jan. 11 to end its 15-year ban on these dogs.

Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman initially proposed a ballot measure to lift the ban, but residents wouldn’t be able to vote on it until next November, the Denver Post reports. Fortunately, instead of having to wait that long, city council members decided to vote on repealing the ban.

Starting next month, Aurora residents can own Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. Before the ban was ended, dogs that were more than 51 percent of these breeds were not allowed in the city. (I wonder how that percentage was determined…?)

Breed-specific legislation (BSL) — unfair laws, including breed bans, that single out dogs only because of how they look — has proven to be ineffective in increasing public safety and expensive to enforce wherever it’s been enacted. Thank you, Aurora City Council, for realizing this and ending your city’s ban.

Up next in Colorado to consider ending its Pit Bull ban is Commerce City. A decision is expected there later this month, according to the Denver Post. (Update: On Jan. 15 the Commerce City Council voted to end the ban!)

Last week in Denver, a handsome 3-year-old Pit Bull named Gumdrop, who’d been picked up as a stray, became the first of his breed to be adopted out by the Denver Animal Shelter since 1989. A Colorado Springs family saw his photo and drove an hour to the shelter to adopt him, Denver Department of Public Health & Environment spokesperson Kyle Wagner told PEOPLE. Gumdrop’s name has been changed to Odin.

Here’s wishing Odin and his new forever family many years of happiness together. And a huge thank you to the Aurora City Council members whose votes will help save the lives of many more adoptable dogs.

We are so excited to celebrate the first Pit Bull adoption since the new breed ordinance! ???❤️ ⁠
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Gumdrop was so happy…

Posted by Denver Animal Shelter on Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Photo: Those were my first two Pitties, Sophie and Larry, enjoying a mind meld.

Thank you, Denver! Voters End 31-Year Pit Bull Ban

Dog lovers everywhere, rejoice! The good people of Denver have overwhelmingly voted to end the city’s 31-year ban on Pit Bulls, mixes and dogs that happen to look like Pit Bulls.

Denver’s Pit Bull ban was one of the most notorious in the world. It was enacted back in 1989 after a 3-year-old boy wandered into his neighbor’s yard and was fatally attacked by an unspayed Pit Bull who was chained to a carport, according to the Denver Post. Three years earlier, another of the owner’s dogs had bitten an 8-year-old boy. Because of that one irresponsible owner 30 years ago, thousands of Denver residents have had to make the terrible choice of finding a new home for themselves or their beloved dogs, or surrendering their pets to the city to be euthanized.

Back in February, the Denver City Council voted to end the Pit Bull ban, but Mayor Michael Hancock overruled their decision. Fortunately, City Councilman Christopher Herndon, who had proposed ending the ban, introduced November ballot Measure 2J, leaving the decision up to Denver voters. More than 64% of them voted to end the ban.

Breed-specific legislation (BSL) — unfair laws, including breed bans, that single out dogs only because of how they look — has proven to be ineffective in increasing public safety and expensive to enforce wherever it’s been enacted. Thank you, Denver voters, for realizing this and ending your city’s ban.

There will, however, still be special requirements for Denver owners of Pit Bulls and mixes. The owners will have had to register their dogs with Denver Animal Protection, obtain a breed-restricted license, and have no more than two Pit Bulls. Yes, these requirements that single out certain dog breeds are still BSL (and B.S.), but removing the ban was an extremely important first step.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Denver voters who supported Measure 2J! You’ve literally helped to save countless innocent lives.

Photo: Those were my first two Pitties, Sophie and Larry, enjoying a mind meld.

Denver Voters Can End the City’s 31-Year Pit Bull Ban

Even though the Denver City Council voted 7-4 in February to end the city’s 31-year Pit Bull ban, Mayor Michael Hancock overruled their decision.

Even though breed-specific legislation (BSL) — unfair laws, including breed bans, that single out dogs only because of how they look — has proven to be ineffective in increasing public safety and expensive to enforce wherever it’s been enacted, Hancock still decided it was a good thing.

Denver’s Pit Bull ban is one of the most notorious in the world. It was enacted in 1989 after a 3-year-old boy wandered into his neighbor’s yard and was fatally attacked by an unspayed Pit Bull who was chained to a carport, according to the Denver Post. Three years earlier, another of the owner’s dogs had bitten an 8-year-old boy. Because of that one irresponsible owner 30 years ago, thousands of Denver residents have had to make the terrible choice of finding a new home for themselves or their beloved dogs, or surrendering their pets to the city to be euthanized.

“Breed bans usually come on the heels of a fatal dog attack, a knee-jerk reaction by city and county officials that might pacify a community for a while, but doesn’t do a thing to keep communities safer,” notes the Best Friends Animal Society. “It’s much easier to institute breed bans than to look at what caused those attacks.”

It’s telling that just about every major animal welfare organization, including the ASPCA, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), oppose BSL because it punishes the breed instead of the deed.

Fortunately, Denver City Councilman Christopher Herndon, who proposed ending the Pit Bull ban, kept the promise he made in February to introduce a ballot measure allowing voters to end the ban in November.

“I’m disappointed the mayor is choosing to disregard the science on the issue of breed-specific legislation,” Herndon said in a February statement, according to the New York Times. “Research tells us breed-specific legislation is ineffective at keeping communities safe and experts in the field — from the local level to the national level — agree it is no longer best practice.”

In a unanimous decision last night, the Denver City Council agreed to put a proposition to end the Pit Bull ban on the Nov. 3 ballot, 9News reports.

While voters will hopefully end the ban by voting yes on Measure 2J, there still will be special requirements for the owners of Pit Bulls and mixes. The owners would have had to register their dogs with Denver Animal Protection, obtain a breed-restricted license, and have no more than two Pit Bulls. Yes, these requirements that single out certain dog breeds are still BSL (and B.S.), but removing the ban is an extremely important first step.

If you’re a registered voter in Denver, I urge you to vote yes on Measure 2J to end the Pit Bull ban. You’ll not only be saving a lot of money but also the lives of countless innocent dogs.

Photo: Those were my first two Pitties, Sophie and Larry, enjoying a mind meld.

Denver’s Unfair Pit Bull Ban Could Have Finally Ended, But the Mayor Says No

People like me who have spent years advocating for the end of breed-specific legislation (BSL) — unfair laws, including breed bans, that single out dogs only because of how they look — were overjoyed earlier this week with the news that the Denver City Council had voted 7-4 to end the city’s 30-year Pit Bull ban.

Finally! It was so encouraging that the city officials of Denver, whose ban was one of the world’s most notorious, had realized BSL does not increase public safety. It’s also a big waste of money, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars to enforce. All BSL effectively does is punish well-behaved dogs and responsible dog owners.

But cancel those party plans. In a letter to the Denver City Council yesterday, Mayor Michael Hancock decided he could not “in good conscience support this legislation.” He claimed he’d heard from “thousands of residents” about the end of the ban. (And you can bet he heard from the hate group behind DogsBite.org, a website founded by a dog bite victim who wants all Pit Bulls destroyed.

Hancock claimed he talked to experts in veterinary care. That’s interesting, because the largest veterinary care group in the United States, the American Veterinary Medical Association, opposes BSL because it’s unfair and ineffective.

Although the Pit Bull ban could have been lifted, there still would have been special requirements for the owners of Pit Bulls, mixes and dogs that happen to look like Pit Bulls. The owners would have had to register their dogs with Denver Animal Protection, obtain a breed-restricted license, and have no more than two Pit Bulls.

Yes, these regulations singling out these dogs are still BSL (and B.S.), but removing the ban would have been an important, positive step.

“At the end of the day, I must ask whether passage of this ordinance would make our homes and neighborhoods safer or pose an increased risk to public safety,” Hancock wrote in his letter. “I have concluded that it would pose an increased risk.”

It would really be helpful to know what, if any, facts led the mayor to this decision. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), for example, states that it’s unaware that BSL makes communities safer for children or adults.

Denver’s Pit Bull ban was enacted in 1989 after a 3-year-old boy wandered into his neighbor’s yard and was fatally attacked by an unspayed Pit Bull who was chained to a carport, according to the Denver Post. Three years earlier, another of the owner’s dogs had bitten an 8-year-old boy. Because of that one irresponsible owner 30 years ago, thousands of Denver residents have had to make the terrible choice of finding a new home for themselves or their beloved dogs, or relinquishing their pets to the city to be euthanized.

“Breed bans usually come on the heels of a fatal dog attack, a knee-jerk reaction by city and county officials that might pacify a community for a while, but doesn’t do a thing to keep communities safer,” notes the Best Friends Animal Society. “It’s much easier to institute breed bans than to look at what caused those attacks.”

The potential good news is that Denver Councilman Christopher Herndon, who proposed ending the Pit Bull ban, promised he will introduce a ballot measure allowing voters to end the ban next November.

“I’m disappointed the mayor is choosing to disregard the science on the issue of breed-specific legislation,” Herndon said in a statement, according to the New York Times. “Research tells us breed-specific legislation is ineffective at keeping communities safe and experts in the field — from the local level to the national level — agree it is no longer best practice.”

So, Denver voters, please do the right thing in November and end your city’s unfair Pit Bull ban. You’ll not only be saving a lot of money but also the lives of countless dogs.

Photo: JussyD

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