October 16, 2009Comments are closed.dogs
One of the keys to successfully implementing a breed specific law (BSL) such as a ban on pit bulls, is to convince the public that these dogs are (and I quote an aussie politician) “killing machines on legs”.
To do that, you need the help of the media. Of the thousands of dog bites in Australia (a relatively small number given the millions of dogs), you’ll need the media to report only a few dozen a year. And only those where your target breed of choice is involved.
But like everyone whose strategy is based around the traditional media format of;
hype it > get politicians interested > media follow the pollies > social panic > politicians think up a knee jerk law
BSL advocate campaigns are being damaged by the power of social media. With people tuning out from major news outlets in droves and instead turning to their friends for recommendations of what is relevant and important, the public are less vulnerable to the FUD delivered on behalf of these groups.
What’s more, this new ’empowered individual’ media platform is allowing the pit bull owning families caught up in this legislation the chance speak about about how their pet was while it was alive and what it meant to them. Possibly the worst outcome for BSL campaigns which are based on generating hysteria and confusion about how ‘scary’ these dogs really are.
This one went up a couple of days ago (he’s prolly more staffy than pibble, but often ‘same same but different’):
One of the most famous cases of an internet campaign in response to council upholding BSL was that of ‘Bruce’ in Northern Ireland. Bruce was deemed to be a pit bull by his local council, but with the decision being challenged in court by his owners, this internet video got the attention of the UK RSPCA, the Kennel Club and the international media.
Watch this – I like to call it “What’s wrong with BSL? Everything“
How’s your tissue count?
Along with the human cost involved in this legislation when loved family pets are snatched from their homes, the other toll to the community lay in the undeserved denigration of some of our most vulnerable pet owners. Hyping the idea that ‘evil urban street youth’ are overbreeding and most likely fighting dogs feeds a most basal type of stereotyping and discrimination. Given a new ‘voice’ this bigotry and hate push these pet owners and their pets to the fringes and sees them labeled ‘thugs’ and criminals all because of their breed of choice.
If the owner treats the dog nice, it will be a nice dog. If you treat it aggressive, the dogs going to turn out aggressive.
It’s like a person, if you treat a person good, the person is going to be good back to you. If you treat a person bad, they’re going to be on edge, they’re going to be bad back to you.
Big ups to Bad Rap for the link:
Most report these key causes for the breed’s suffering: POVERTY. Lack of accessible resources – vet care, housing, training. And the heart wrenching consequences of breed bias and discrimination.
Breed specific legislation has no place in our future. There is no longer a ‘secret back room’ – if you kill a dog because of its breed, the devastated owner can now put together a montage letting people know what you’ve done that can be seen by thousands in a matter of days. With hundreds of thousands of Australian’s sharing their homes with pit bulls and bull breeds, and owners who extend from the most privileged to the most disadvantaged, all dog owners need support and education, not condemnation for supposedly choosing the ‘wrong’ kind of dog.
The warning is thus; at some point in the near future our community is going to ask;
There is no doubt who the Murderer’s are. Gordon Brown is guilty. What all dog-owner’s need is to learn how to vote. Vote these Murderous Scumbags out of power. The only thing politicos are interested in is Power, Greed and not getting caught with their hands in the cookie jars.
Like Hitler and his Nazi party was defeated, so will BSL be defeated unfortunately many family-pets will be Murdered by these Unscrupulous Bastards until us the the decent humans get off our butts and remove these Scumbags from positions of power.
“The World is a Dangerous Place not because those that do Evil but because those that look on and do nothing”-Ghandhi