A whole lotta bull.

Here's a subject near and dear to my heart... Dogs. I love dogs. I own dogs. I think that mankind is better and more successful as a species because of dogs. My philosophy is: "Life ain't worth living without dogs." You get the idea.

This past Tuesday, at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York, a Colored Bull Terrier named Rufus won best in show. Rufus seems to be one of those dogs who always has a smile on his face, and when you see him, you've just got to smile yourself. The dog lovers in the crowd know what I'm talking about.

What does this have to do with price of rice in China? Well CNN just ran a story to the effect that Rufus, because of his "looks" would be put down in certain communities. Not because of anything he's done, just because he has "that look." Many communities in the country have what are commonly referred to as BSL's or "Breed Specific Laws" that restrict the breeding and ownership of certain breeds of dogs, which are often directed at "pit bulls" or "pit bull like" dogs. Never mind the fact that the AKC, which I would consider to be the undisputed expert on the subject, doesn't even recognize a breed called "Pit Bull" or "American Pit Bull".

Now, I've been around dogs all my life. I've known some wonderful, and some not so wonderful canines. And in my experience, there is no such thing as a bad breed or breed type, only bad breeders and bad owners. Have "pit bull" type dogs attacked people, including children, in the past? Absolutely. Are they a bad breed type as a whole? Absolutely not. If we look at the statistics, there are more biting incidents with Labrador Retrievers than any other breed of dogs. Yet I don't hear anyone screaming to outlaw labs. Why? Because most people think of Labradors as friendly, playful, family oriented dogs. You hear the phrase "a boy and his dog", and the image of a lab or Golden Retriever comes to many people's minds.

However, the image of "pit bull" type dogs is that of a viscous, ferocious animal bent on attacking people and fighting other dogs. In certain circles, a "pit bull" is a status symbol. Having one makes you bad, makes you a tough guy. And those who like that impression tend to encourage their dogs to fight and be aggressive. Does this make the breed type bad? No. It just shows the idiocy of these macho knuckleheads who think they have a weapon, rather than a pet. And as a result, breed types like "pit bulls", Dobermans, and Rottweilers get a bad rap.

Instead of punishing a group of innocent animals, perhaps we should start implementing and enforcing laws outlawing irresponsible pet ownership. Just a thought.