Ask Ohio to repeal "pitbull" in their BSL

From my AKC News email today.

Ask the Ohio House of Representatives to Repeal BSL!
http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=4095
[Thursday, April 15, 2010]
House Bill 79, sponsored by Representative Barbara Sears of Lucas County, removes the term "pit bull" from Ohio’s statutory definition of dangerous dogs. All Ohio residents are encouraged to contact the Speaker of the House and their legislators to ask them to support this important measure and end 20 years of discrimination against responsible dog owners in Ohio.
Ohio is currently the only state to have enacted statewide breed-specific laws. The current law states that if a dog "belongs to a breed that is commonly known as a pit bull", then it is automatically considered vicious and dangerous. Owners of these dogs must submit reports to the board of health and county dog warden whenever there is a transfer of ownership.
Breed-specific language in state law has also enabled local Ohio municipalities to enact strict ordinances regarding ownership of "pit bulls" and has led to the ban and euthanasia of numerous dogs in communities throughout the state.
The American Kennel Club strongly supports House Bill 79 and recognizes that dangerous dogs should be defined by their deeds, not their breed. The AKC urges communities to establish a fair process by which specific dogs may be identified as "dangerous" based on stated, measurable actions, impose appropriate penalties on irresponsible owners, and establish a well-defined method for dealing with dogs proven to be dangerous.
The AKC strongly opposes any legislation that determines a dog to be "dangerous" based on its breed or type, and applauds the Ohio representatives who seek to remove this discriminatory language from state law. The AKC encourages Ohioans to contact their legislators and members of the House Agriculture committee and ask them to support this measure.
Read AKC talking points on breed-specific legislation.Read AKC article "Why Breed-Specific Legislation Doesn’t Work".
How You Can Help
· Contact the Ohio Speaker of the House, and respectfully ask that he allow the House of Representatives to consider House Bill 79. His contact information is as follows:
Speaker Armond Budish77 S. High Street, 14th FloorColumbus, Ohio 43215-6111Phone: (614) 466-5441Fax: (614) 719-0008E-mail: district08@ohr.state.oh.us
Contact your state legislators and ask them to support House Bill 79 and request that leadership allow them to vote on this bill. Visit the Ohio General Assembly’s web site to find the names and contact information for your legislators.
For more information, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org.

American Kennel Club Government Relations Department
8051 Arco Corporate Drive, Suite 100
Raleigh, North Carolina 27617
Phone: (919) 816-3720
Fax: (919) 816-4275