The Dog Federation of New York, a statewide coalition of dog owners and dog-related organizations committed to responsible ownership, issued a statement today expressing a high level of concern over the hastily conceived plan by Syracuse Common Councilmembers Patrick Hogan and Ryan McMahon to call for the repeal of New York’s statewide of prohibition on breed specific dangerous dog laws.
Albany, NY (PRWEB) August 26, 2006 -- The Dog Federation of New York, a statewide coalition of dog owners and dog-related organizations committed to responsible ownership, issued a statement today expressing a high level of concern over the hastily conceived plan by Syracuse Common Councilmembers Patrick Hogan and Ryan McMahon to call for the repeal of New York’s statewide of prohibition on breed specific dangerous dog laws.
New York State law prohibits breed discrimination, the negative profiling of dogs and their owners, and bars municipalities from enacting such laws.
“The City of Syracuse should abide by state law to properly protect the public health and safety of the citizens of Syracuse”, said Mahlon Goer, DFNY spokesperson. “Enforcement of state law is the key issue here, as New York State law includes some of the most comprehensive dog laws in the United States.
Breed bans and other breed-specific measures are ineffective against the prevention of dog bites or attacks, and are strongly opposed by all major animal welfare and veterinary medical organizations, including the New York State Veterinary Medicine Association, the American Dog Owners Association and the Center For Disease Control (“CDC”). Breed specific laws also provide a false sense of security.
A recent dog bite incident in Syracuse was the result of irresponsible and negligent ownership, coupled with lack of proper enforcement of the law.
The Dog Federation of New York is calling for the Syracuse City Council to act quickly to communicate the message of responsible ownership to its citizens and ensure that law enforcement and animal control are effectively enforcing leash laws.
The Dog Federation of New York encourages the City of Syracuse to fairly, consistently and strictly enforce reasonable animal control measures and would be pleased to work with the city in this regard.
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