Critics Slam Mississippi Bill That Equates Pit Bulls And ‘Dangerous Dogs’

Mississippi state lawmakers have introduced a first-of-its-kind bill that would, in part, allow police officers, without a warrant, to enter any home where they believe a pit bull or other “dangerous dog” might be present.

The measure, also known as the Mississippi Regulation of Dangerous Dogs Act, is meant to “create civil and criminal penalties for failing to keep dangerous dogs securely confined and under restraint, and for failing to meet certain requirements designed to protect the public.”

If the bill — introduced Jan. 19 and sponsored by four Republican lawmakers — becomes law, Mississippi would be alone in having this kind of state-wide discriminatory legislation specifically calling out pit bulls.

“This bill would make Mississippi the only state in the nation with a statewide policy discriminating against a specific dog breed, and the impact on local communities, animal shelters, and law enforcement would be disastrous,” says Chloe Waterman, senior manager of state legislative strategy for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “Dogs permitted by their owners to run loose, and dogs who attack people or other animals, pose a serious problem to public safety. But breed-specific dangerous dog laws are ineffective, inhumane and costly.”

“I, personally,” she says, “don’t believe this bill could possibly pass.”

You can read the whole bill here. Follow Kris Diaz’s work for dogs on the Stop BSL blog. Find out more about Shaw Pit Bull Rescue’s adoptable pups on the group’s Facebook page. Listen to Pit Bull Legal News Radio here.

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