Tennessee Senator Tommy Kilby of Wartburg has introduced Senate Bill 2738. If adopted, this bill will make it a crime to own a “pit bull dog” in the state of Tennessee. It is imperative that all Tennessee concerned dog owners voice their strong opposition to this wrongheaded legislation.
The American Kennel Club supports reasonable, enforceable, non-discriminatory laws to govern the ownership of dogs. We support laws that: establish a fair process by which specific dogs—not certain breeds—are 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 American Kennel Club strongly opposes any legislation that determines a dog to be “dangerous” based on specific breeds or phenotypic classes of dogs.
SB 2738 proposes to:
- Make it a crime for any person to knowingly own a “pit bull dog” in Tennessee.
- Define “pit bull dog” as any American pit bull terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American bulldog, or American Staffordshire Terrier, or any mixed breed dog that contains fifty percent of its lineage from those breeds.
- Force any person found guilty of owning a “pit bull dog” to surrender custody and forfeit ownership of the dog to a humane society.
For a copy of this bill, click here.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
It is imperative that Tennessee dog owners contact both their State Senator and State Representative and voice their strong opposition to SB 2738.
To find your Tennessee State Senator, go to the Tennessee General Assembly home page. On the left side of the page, click “Senate”, then click “Members”.
To find your Tennessee State Representative, go to the Tennessee General Assembly home page. On the left side of the page, click “House”, then click “Members”.
For more information, please contact AKC's Canine Legislation Department at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org.
Tennessee Senator Tommy Kilby of Wartburg has introduced Senate Bill 2738. If adopted, this bill…