Breed Specific Legislation (BSL)

After a few months into my journey focusing my research specifically on dogfighting after the Michael Vick case started, I became aware a law called Breed Specific Legislation (BSL).. Up until then, I had never heard about it, which always seemed odd considering I was born (7/28/1977) and raised in northeast Ohio, which had statewide BSL restricting the ownership of “pit bull” dogs from 1987-2012. How could this be possible – I’ve asked myself countless times, that I am a huge dog-lover living in Ohio for most of my life, and I never knew this law existed?

On May 15, 2008, I visited the only “pit bull” rescue in Cleveland – For the Love of Pits, where I met this little black dog named Preston, who was formerly a victim of dogfighting, who I immediately fell head over heels in love with and made my intentions known of my plans to adopt him before leaving.

Four days later, it got even more personal, as the city I was living in (Lakewood, Ohio) proposed a ban on “pit bull” dogs, delaying my ability to officially bring Preston home. Lakewood eventually passed the ban a couple months later, forcing me to move out of the city. And, on October 4, 2008 Preston finally came home, and this issue has become a large part of my life ever since.

This page on the “Once In A Lifetime” website is dedicated to all things breed specific legislation, attempting to peel back the layers of nuances to understand the reasoning behind these laws better.

Join Our Movement

Join our movement to repeal Breed Specific Legislation worldwide. We are looking for folks who want to get active and do their part in facilitating the end of this discriminatory law that adds an additional layer which prevents the very goal it publicly states as its mission – community safety. Once you fill out and submit the short registration form, you will be contacted with the next steps.
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Blog Entries | Breed Specific Legislation