POSITION STATEMENT ON DANGEROUS DOG LEGISLATION
Laws must give people the right to due process of law. There is nothing in the Constitution of the United States Of America that would support criminalizing animals, and holding them accountable for their actions.
Laws must be reasonable. It is not reasonable to write animal behaviors, legal punishments, and criminal labels for animals into statutes that are enacted to structure human society. Animals must not be criminalized under laws that are intended to protect human rights, and to control human behaviors. It is unreasonable to write animal behavior into laws that no animal has the capacity to understand, answer to, or to function under. It is unreasonable to mete out criminal labels to animals, i.e. dangerous, or potentially dangerous. It is unreasonable to proscribe punishments to animals under our laws. It is unreasonable to remove the human owner from blame, or culpability for the actions of his/her animal(s). It is unreasonable to assume that every dog of a given breed, or physical appearance will behave in exactly the same manner. It is unreasonable to assume that every owner of every dog of a given breed, or physical appearance is irresponsible, negligent, or careless with their animal(s). Human error, carelessness, or negligence is the underlying factor behind every dog attack. Given the actual figures of severe dog attacks, or fatalities related to dog attacks per capita in the United States of America, dogs are not the threat to human life that the sensationalistic media, and urban myth would portray.
No dog is capable of understanding, or answering to any law that has ever been written. Dangerous dog laws that hold a dog to a set of written regulations that it will never be cognizant of, or respond to is a perfect set up to promote animal rights. Laws are not in the realm of the understanding of even the most intelligent dog. To set forth behavioral acceptability, and punishments for animals is to elevate them to a human criminal status under law. When we accept dangerous dog laws, we are removing the intent, and purpose of law. Our laws must only be written to proscribe, and control human behavior. We must see dangerous dog laws that hold animals to accountability under the law for what they are, an erosion of juris prudence. As the law elevates animals, it devalues human beings. Embracing dangerous dog laws undermines our own civil rights.
We must not give over our civil rights, and our property, i.e., animals, or our property rights. Dogs are valuable property. We humans have tens, of thousands of years of tradition in owning dogs. Dogs serve us in most every capacity the list is endless, and endlessly varied. Dogs still perform those ancient duties for which they were first domesticated.
Responsible Dog Owners of the Western States understands that there must be laws to reel in the negligent, careless, or irresponsible dog owner. We have developed a set of Model Dog Owner Regulations that are available upon request to any individual, or government entity. They are firm, but fair, and offer equal treatment to all dog owners, while providing equal protection from all dogs.