Puppy Forum and Dog Forums banner

State Bill 667 TARGETS PIT BULL AND ROTTIE OWNERS (New Mexico)

967 views 15 replies 9 participants last post by  Bearjing 
#1 ·
This one is New Mexico --
REP. John Heaton from Carlsbad has introduced House Bill 667, copy attached and link below, which will require all pit bulls and rottweilers in the state to be registered as dangerous dogs under the Dangerous Dog Act, regardless of whether the dog has any history of violence.

The bill is available at http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/09 Regular/bills/house/HB0667.pdf and is attached.

New Mexico legislators are listed here: www.nmlegis.gov

Everyone is encouraged to kick up as big a fit as you deem appropriate.
 
#3 ·
This is the meat of the worst of it - Pitts and Rotties not even allowed outside their home property except for medical treatment? Owners subject to random government searches without warrent? All animals "marked for identification". This is creating a subclass within society -- random searches because you own a f* dog of a sort some government legislator a** doesn't like?

I'm begging everyone please, scream bloody murder.

C. An animal control authority shall issue a certificate of registration to the owner of a dangerous dog if the owner, in addition to the requirements of Subsection A of this section, establishes that:
(1) the owner has paid an annual fee, if applicable, established by the animal control authority to register a dangerous dog;
(2) the owner has written permission of the property owner or homeowner’s association where the dangerous dog will be kept, if applicable;
(3) the dangerous dog will be maintained exclusively on the owner’s property except for medical treatment or examination;
(4) when the dangerous dog is removed from the owner’s property, the dog shall be caged or muzzled and restrained with a lead no longer than four feet, and the dog shall be under complete control of a person eighteen years of age or older at all times;
(5) the dangerous dog will not be transported in a vehicle that might allow the dog to escape or gain access to any person or animal outside the vehicle; [and]
(6) a clearly visible warning sign with a conspicuous warning symbol indicating that there is a dangerous dog on the premises is posted where the dog is kept and is visible from a public roadway or from fifty feet, whichever is less;
(7) the owner will submit to the photographing or permanent marking of the dangerous dog for purposes of identification;
(8) the owner will submit to random inspections of the animal and its enclosure by the animal control authority without warrant and will produce, upon demand of the animal control authority, proof of compliance with the registration requirements of this subsection;
(9) the owner has obtained and will maintain liability insurance in the amount of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) and will furnish a certificate or proof of insurance upon demand of the animal control authority; and
(10) the owner will notify the animal control authority at least thirty calendar days before the cancellation or nonrenewal of the liability insurance policy.

D. An animal control authority may order the immediate impoundment or humane destruction of a dog registered as a dangerous dog or previously determined to be a dangerous dog if the owner fails to abide by the conditions for registration, confinement or handling set forth in this section.
 
#5 ·
What if the "dangerous" dog is a service dog? What about the Rotties and ABPT's that are therapy dogs?

I think how I would feel if the dog list included GSD's...

If I write as a resident of NYS, will anyone pay attention?
 
#6 · (Edited)
Elena, Please write even if you're out of state. This state makes a ton of money from tourist dollars - we export various products like chilis and salsa. We've been courting the movie industry to come film here....

You can always threaten to boycott New Mexico - the Chili, the movies, not to come vacation here....

Then after I leave (if the ban passes I probably will), we can not eat New Mexico chili together.



My little puppy looks like a bit pit like, although I have no idea that she is - she wasn't purchased as such from pound. BUT:

It is gross to profile animals based on breed instead of action. Pitty's aren't dangerous but some pit owners are.

It punishes only those who 1) obey and 2) love their dogs enough to bother with all this junk - ie., those who care if their dogs are impounded for failure to comply.

It will cause adoptable dogs to be put down because they fall under the "dangerous dog" legislation.

It forces owners to submit to gross violations of house and home.

It doesn't define what dogs really fall under the ban - whatever a given government official decides is "Pit like" can be immediately impounded for failure to register even if the owner didn't reasonably believe the animal was a pit.

It will effect numerous service and working dogs.

The lives of pits and rotties will suffer, as they are no longer permitted to do such things as go for walks of property.

Many apartment dwelling pits and rotties will probably be killed as it makes a house a requisite for ownership. (The no-off property movement part.)

It sets a president - and the list will grow over time to include other dogs deemed "dangerous" by the powers that be.

ALL DOG OWNERS ARE IN DANGER FROM THIS LEGISLATION, not just those with "pits" or rotties.

I am so beyond livid I can hardly see strait.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Harrise, I know you just went through this in CO. Would you mind telling me what you did - what you believe helped you win? I've obviously written my legislators (and pretty much everyone elses legislators too). I'll be calling also. You've recommended getting in touch with rescues and clubs & etc. I can do that. What else? Any more ideas?

The mayor of Albuquerque is a pit bull owner - a rescue dog from the pound. I thought maybe contacting him also would be of use.


Here is a link to the bill's progress / status. At this point it has only been introduced. Killing it in committee would be great - I have no idea the possibilities of making it happen.

http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/_session.aspx?Chamber=H&LegType=B&LegNo=667&year=09
 
#10 ·
Thank you Zim - everyone... I am taking your advice, or trying to get the wheels rolling anyway.

I just saw on stop BSL that "they" are working to remove the breed specific parts from the bill. Please don't stop communicating your dismay though - the larger the outpooring of condemnation the better. And, the text of the bill has not yet been changed.

Here is the stopBSL posting:

New Mexico: Possible that BSL will be dropped from HB 667
Posted on February 12, 2009 by Dozer

The official text of the filed bill has not changed; it still contains the breed-specific language defining “pit bulls” and Rottweilers as “dangerous” dogs.

I recommend continued polite, but patient, opposition to the bill until it is officially revised to remove the breed-specific language.

http://kob.com/article/stories/S784260.shtml?cat=504

 
#11 ·
First I contacted my state congressional and senate representatives by phone and email, then I moved on to the majority and minority leaders in the state congress along with committee members pertaining to the bill. Next on my list was the sponsor/co-sponsor names attached to it. All of these people each received three calls and three emails for the week preceding the vote. During this time I was searching every conceivable group of dog owner's I could think of and mostly left messages on voicemail. CGC evaluators, trainers, agility groups, rescues, and even my vet all got calls from me to at least skim the proposal. Then I tried my circle of influence, getting friends and family to do at least part of what I did. Some were more dedicated than others but every little bit helps. You have a slightly easier task, in my opinion, because the text is much more direct than what we had. It was tough explaining how something called a "puppy mill bill" could be a bad thing. Just remember to keep your guard up, the proponents of the bill are changing the rhetoric and tactics as we speak. The emotionality of the topic can be exploited to great success by those who want these bills to become law.
 
#12 ·
Thats bs, I'm not in NM but that pisses me off all the same. The whole rottie and pit's are "dangerous" dogs thing pisses me off. It's not their fault people abuse and exploit their desire to please, if you raise a child wrong they can grow up to be a serial killer but we dont lable toddlers as possible killers. There is a rottie boarding where I work long term while his owners move, he's the nicest dog ever...I'd actually take him home but that might get me fired and what not lol. We also frequently get pits and they're just as sweet.

Any dog can become "dangerous" if raised the wrong way.
 
#14 ·
Sent to John Heaton (sponsor of the bill, whose email address is jheaton@caverns.com), Ben Lujan, Speaker of the House and Ken Martinez, Majority Floor leader (all email addresses available at http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/houseleader.aspx)

Dear ,

My wife and I have crossed New Mexico off our list of states to consider for retirement since our dogs, present and future, would be considered “dangerous dogs” under State Bill 667.

Any state legislature that would pass such a counter-productive law isn’t the kind of state that I want to invest my future in.

(8) the owner will submit to random inspections of the animal and its enclosure by the animal control authority without warrant and will produce, upon demand of the animal control authority, proof of compliance with the registration requirements of this subsection;

Sorry, but I expect my retirement years to be “golden”, not ones in which I have to waive my Constitutional rights just to keep a family member who has never harmed anyone.

Perhaps you should consider re-writing to law to apply to families with teenagers. They’ve done more destruction and harm than any dog.

Best regards,

Bob Dorman
 
#15 ·
I'm not a PB owner but I love the breed . Big problem is that breed reputation has just been ruined by terrible owners. Anytime up my way there a PB or Rottie attack it's front page material . Give it another year or two and they wont be able to go in public anywhere. Its sad and unfair to all the good dogs out there but people just freak out now as soon as they catch wind of it and write to city hall and write to provincial governments . There has been children mauled to death here by escaped PB's . It wont be long here till they arent allowed anywhere.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Thank you all, I'm taking your advice, making calls and raising what storm I can. The groups seem to be well informed and are already mostly on top of it all, but I've left many a message.

Dog Tracks, I *love* your letter, and thank you.

This bill as authored would prohibit any pit or rottie from being in public - Even from being walked off the owners property. Disgusting! But, this is very specifically part of the bill. I'm hearing that they are in the process to changing the text of the bill to define dangerous as "any dog with one attack". I'm not sure what 1 attack really means - dog fight? Human bite? If the rumors are true, we'll presumably know when the revised bill text is released.

Harrise - Yeah, I expect if this one goes down, a more clever version will be coming along. They found a sponsor for this one - which is downright frightening. I can only imagine how easy it'll be for one more carefully crafted.

Spicy - I just noticed your phrasing here:

"Ridiculous. I never understand how they create laws that make illegal searches no longer unlawful. "

Love it - my sentiments exactly.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top