As an experienced dog breeder, trainer and handler, as well as the Tennessee Director of Responsible Dog Owners of the Western States, proposed breed specific laws are of great concern to me. While those who propose breed bans mean well, they are often misguided. Such bans do absolutely nothing to resolve the fundamental problem of bad dog owners. Instead, they punish those that do care for their animals in a responsible way. Any dog can present a danger if mismanaged. It is an impossible task to try and keep up with what exactly constitutes a vicious breed. It is a much easier task to determine what constitutes a bad owner.
Legislation that mandates how dog owners keep their charges, such as mandatory spay/neuter and prohibiting tethering is also problematic. Such laws usually are found to be part of an underlying radical animal rights agenda and use the worst possible case scenarios to generate support. The same people who push such agendas are increasingly attacking hunting and the use of dogs within this sport. Hunting is an important part of Tennessee culture and it would be a shame to see animal rights radicals infringe upon this.
As the director of Responsible Dog Owners Group of Tennessee I plan to work with owners of both pets and livestock, and local government to preserve our rights.
