Have you been in Rittenhouse Square on a nice Saturday afternoon lately? If so, you've probably seen volunteers from the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) out with some of their adoptable pets. If you've seen the PAWS folks out and about, or if you've checked our recent profiles of PAWS dogs, you may have noticed that many of these shelter dogs are Pit Bull mixes, and that they're complete sweethearts.

Unfortunately, Pit Bulls get a bad rap. But it's really through no fault of the dogs' own. The negative feelings a lot of people harbor towards Pit Bulls (plus some other breeds, notably Rottweilers) should be pointed at the irresponsible, and occasionally outright cruel, "people" who own them. Thanks to the Michael Vick debacle, stories of dogfighting—mostly involving Pit Bulls—have been in and out of the media over the last several months. Heap that on top of the occasional dog bite stories, which also frequently involve Pit Bulls or Rottweilers, and you have a recipe for people to naively, if perhaps understandably, believe that there is something inherently aggressive, even evil, about these breeds.

But here's the thing. There's nothing wrong with Pit Bulls or Rotties. These breeds are loyal, intelligent, and highly trainable. And therein lies the twist. Under the watch of the wrong owner, these smart, eager-to-please canines can be trained to be aggressive. But they can also trained to be loving companions who won't hurt a fly. This Phillyist has encountered numerous Pit Bulls in Rittenhouse and at PAWS events over the last few months, and the only time I was ever "accosted" by one, it was because he wanted to give kisses.

So, given the sweet, loving disposition of the Pits that we've encountered, the hair on the back of our neck stands up when we hear about breed-specific legislation (BSL), which nearly always targets Pit Bulls. BSL generally comes in the form of municipal ordinances prohibiting the ownership of certain dog breeds, with the justification being that the breeds in question are somehow more dangerous or aggressive than other types of dogs. (We're resisting the urge to get into a rant about the dubious constitutionality of these laws, but suffice it to say, it doesn't strike us as particularly proper that a person can be prohibited from keeping their pet without some kind of proof that that particular animal is dangerous.)

Essentially, BSL considers every individual dog to embody the worst characteristics of its breed stereotypes. Think that's a good idea? Great, let's enact laws applicable to human beings that way and see how that goes over. Yes, we know that such laws are forbidden by the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution, but even leaving that aside, just imagine how such laws would go over in today's court of popular opinion.

Fortunately, Pennsylvania law currently prohibits municipalities from enacting BSL. However, a bill currently pending in the Pennsylvania legislature, which is before the House Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee, would lift the ban on local BSLs. The bill is opposed by the American Kennel Club, PAWS, and anyone who has ever known and loved a "suspect" breed. Here's what Tara Derby, CEO of the Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Association (the city organization for which PAWS acts as the adoption subdivision), said to Phillyist about BSL:

There is no evidence that breed specific legislation produces any positive outcome in communities across the nation that have enacted laws restricting certain breeds of dogs. Instead, what we are beginning to see in communities with breed specific legislation are its detrimental and heartbreaking effects: mandatory relinquishment of beloved pets, increased intake in already overburdened animal shelters and in turn, the unnecessary euthanasia of healthy shelter animals.

We're baffled by the fact that there are people out there who actually think BSL is a good idea. Its proponents have chosen to regulate otherwise harmless animals because they are unwilling or unable to allocate the responsibility where it properly lies: with owners who neglect or mistreat their animals. So what can you do? Encourage the Pennsylvania legislature not to pass the bill lifting the ban on BSL, House Bill 2553. Please follow the link to the American Kennel Club's statement on BSL above, which contains the contact info for the Pennsylvania committee members currently considering the bill. Also, take a moment to fill out this petition, or this one, against BSL. We wouldn't make laws about man this way; there's no reason we should do it to man's best friend.

Image via Flickr user coral11.