Dear Readers,
This one’s for the books. The specific book would be George Orwell’s 1984. Remember the phrase “Big Brother Is Watching?” George Orwell wrote 1984 as a warning and in the hope that we would watch out and protect our civil liberties and that we would realize how important it is to vote and to vote wisely.
Readers, I am sorry to tell you that breed specific legislation has passed in Rockville Center. The local government is banning people from owning Pit Bulls and Rotweillers. Many people are very upset about this, myself among them. Another very upset individual is Jennifer M. DeFrank, Executive Director of City Pitties, who issued the following statement to all citizens concerned with our personal rights:
“RVC’s ban is un-American and against the law. Dogs, by law, are considered property in New York State. This is still a democratic Republic we live in, with reasonable search and seizure laws. How can this village board enact a law against the State of New York and without a vote of the constituents and taxpayers in the district? The result of this irresponsible and unlawful ban is to ultimately give carte blanche to local law enforcement to search, seize, shoot, and confiscate from your hand, homes, and vehicles anything that remotely looks like a pit bull or rottweiler, YOUR PROPERTY. Good dogs will be destroyed by lethal injection when all these pit bulls want to do is smile, wiggle, play, eat, sleep, and please a human being.
Why do ignorant people continue to demonize and criminalize the Pit Bull who throughout history has shown us their loyalty as companions, therapy, search and rescue, diagnostic, agility champ, drug and bomb detection dogs, war heroes (Sgt. Stubby!) and more?
This is where our Constitutional rights offer defense to us and our pets. Our First and Second Amendment rights, shall not be infringed by tyrannical elected officials!
I say, my pit bulls don’t vote, but I do. I am not a subject but a citizen. Thank you for standing up to the Village Idiots. I look forward to fighting this ban with you.”
Readers, do you remember Petey the lovable dog in “The Little Rascal Movies?”
Well, Petey was a Pit Bull and he was adored by the public. When The Little Rascal movies were popular, it was fashionable to own a Pit Bull and they were coveted as “ideal family dogs”. So what happened? Somehow, over the years the heinous “sport” of dog fighting became popular and because Pit Bulls were strong, loyal, and easy to train, they were exploited in this horrible way. Another reason that Pit Bulls were used to fight is that they were (and are), by nature, so extraordinarily friendly to humans that when they were seriously injured in a fight, unlike other breeds, they did not bite the human beings that would “rescue” them from the fighting area. Most dogs in that condition, filled with adrenalin, will perceive almost any action by anyone as a continuation of the assault — Not the Pit Bull! The Pit Bull would recognize the hand of a human as friendly and instantly submit — So much for the viscous personality MYTH! So now the poor Pit Bull is not only being victimized by the inhumane criminals who torture and “fight them”, they are being victimized by the local government.
The Long Island Coalition Of Dog Fanciers will address the village board at 8PM on June 29th, 1 College Place, Rockville Center. They are protesting the ban. Many other Rescue Organizations and citizens will be there to protest also. Please try to make it AND call or email the Rockville Centre Village Board.
I can remember when the town shelters were filled with German Shepherds because people thought they were vicious dogs. Later on, it was Doberman Pinschers and now it’s Pit Bulls and Rottweilers.
I really don’t think it’s right that local government assumes the power to tell us what breed of dog we can own. Do you?
Please visit a shelter and adopt. Remember, Your Best Friend Is Waiting…
