Fabian's Law in AZ: Vicious Dog Attack Law Needs Support
In 2010, in Maricopa County AZ, alone, there were 900 dog-on-dog attacks reported. Fabian’s Law (aka “Vicious Dog Owner Responsibility Act”) is not breed specific and would provide civil remedies for owners who often watch their pet die in a brutal, unprovoked attack and are left with veterinary and other bills and a broken heart.
Fabian, a beloved miniature poodle owned by Sally and Richard Andrade, was killed by a neighbor’s pit bull in Glendale, AZ, while on his owner’s leash and in his own driveway.
“We had a total of $5,300 in bills,” Richard states, “Sally and I decided that, although we would never be reimbursed for our expenses, we would work for a law to address dog-on-dog attacks in AZ and then in other states that do not have this protection. Many owners are left with huge veterinary bills, an injured or dead pet, and grief that will haunt them for years.” http://www.opposingviews.com/i/az-fabian%E2%80%99s-law-justice-for-poodle-killed-by-pit-bull
Fabian’s Law needs immediate public support in the AZ legislature. Can we let it die?
“On March 10, 2011, S.B 1534 (Fabian's Law) passed unanimously (30-0) in the AZ Senate. It is now headed back to the House Committee for final revisions. SB 1534 has been assigned to the Government and Judiciary Committees in the House, but it is not on the agendas for this week.
“It is CRITICAL that it receives a hearing in those committees if it is going to get through the process this Session.
“Please contact Representative Judy Burges at 602-926-5861, Chair of the GOV Committee (jburges@azleg.gov) , AND Representative Eddie Farnsworth at 602-926-5735 (efarnsworth@azleg.gov), Chair of the JUD Committee. Ask them to PLEASE put SB 1534 on their agendas. This week, (ending March 25, 2011) is the last week for hearing Senate Bills in the House.” (www.FabiansLaw.com:
The text of SB 1534 (Aggressive dogs; vicious animal assault) can be read at: http://e-lobbyist.com/gaits/text/206277
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i just send mine to the reps. and so did my friend. come on time is running out. please e mailyour reps now. be kind to all the animals
i am real sorry for the loss of fabian.i am glad they are finely getting a law that makes people who their dogs atttack or kill onther pet even if its a cat.people should have to pay the vet bills and what ever the cost of the pet was. this has been going on to long now. i am glad for tthis law it applys to all dog that attack onther dogs this is not focused on pit bulls either.any dog that attacks onther dog and hurts or kills it should be pts.
i believe it is a good law and i will do what i can to help pass it. be kind to all animals. REST IN PEACE FABIAN
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Thank you so much, yankee girl, for your really caring and wise words.
This is about the animals. It is to make the owners of more aggressive dogs take better care of them and not put them in the position where they will bite another animal. It also is about the pets--often small breed or cats--that become victims.
Please, everyone who has taken the time to read this--take just a moment to send at least two quick e-mails to Reps. Burges and Farnsworth and ask them to give this law a chance to be heard in thier committees. We only have two more days!!
thank you cynthia. I feel this is about the owners to. it was allways about the breed of the dog. BUt now it will be what it is meant to be for the fabians law. dog and owner will be responsible for what they do.i am glad but it took a tradegy to get them to do something . this makes me sad. so lets all vote for this law call your Reps now. be kind to animals
In Maricopa County alone in 2010, dog related bites to Humans; 5,825. Dog-on-Dog attacks; 900. These numbers speak for themselves. Take a look at SB 1534 and see what it really says.
SB 1534, 2. CONTROL THE DOG IN A MANNER THAT PREVENTS THE DOG FROM BITING OR ATTACKING A PERSON OR DOMESTIC ANIMAL AT ALL TIMES WHILE THE DOG IS OFF THE OWNER'S OR RESPONSIBLE PERSON'S PROPERTY.
Responsible dog owner's of all breeds support Fabian's Law, and have stated, we need a law like this before Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) gets introduced.
If you still do not think we need this law, ask the boy from Arizona City who was attacked while protecting his younger brother when they got off the school bus on the way home, make sure you talk in his good ear, because the other ear was bitten off by an aggressive dog.
Please support Fabian's Law which does not only protect our furry family members, but our Parents, Brothers, Sisters and most of all, our Children.
Richard and Sally Andrade
As former dog owners of Chow Chows, we had 5 over a 20 year span. Zero incidents with our 5 Chows. When we decided to go to a miniature poodle, Fabian, because we were tired of seeing our Chows die at young ages, Fabian was killed by an IRRESPONSIBLE DOG OWNER. Fabian and Sleepy, our last Chow lived together for 2 years, and not one incident. What Fabian's Law is about is RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERSHIP.
To start, I am sorry for you loss I understand how heartbreaking it is to lose a pet that is essentially like a family member.
I have heard about fabians law yesterday while watching the news and it had said that they may be charging pet owners with misdeamenor for their pets getting out and attacking another dog. What irritates me (and I am basing this off of what I have heard from the news) is that you are calling the man an "irresponsible dog owner" because his DOG got out of the yard and attacked your dogs. Your making it seem as if the MAN purposely went out and had his dog attack your dogs.
So if I adopted a dog and set a date to take it to a pet training class; but a day, week or month prior to taking it to training class he gets out of the yard while im sleeping, watching tv (or whatever else humans do while thinking there pets are secured in the yard) a conflict occurs (not knowing how it started) my dog attacks the dog and im charged with a misdeamenor!!! And HOW exactly is this going to help anything? well let me tell you how it will help: 1) a person may no longer want to adopt a dog 2) a person may no longer adopt a certain breed of dog 3) Housing communities will set restrictions on what kind of dogs people can have 4) situations 1-3 will increase the amount of animals in the animal shelter to be humanely euthanized without getting a chance at a loving home.
As people have pointed out above, much of this point to the pit bull dog because they are already positioned in a negative light for dog attacks (even though they are NOT the main dogs attacking). But apparently it doesn't matter, Pit bulls are given less of a chance to be adopted out (only given a DAY to be adopted from an animal shelter), if a nursing pit bull is found by the animal shelter - the mother AND her litter are euthanized!!!, each year hundreds of thousands of Pit bulls are euthanized because they have a negative misconception hanging over there heads - leading to housing communities forbidding potential animal owners to own Pit bulls!, issued a statement alerting that the media has no interest in reporting attacks involving non-pit-bull-type dogs. it quickly becomes clear that pit bull attacks are simply publicized to sell papers!!
I didn't mean to make this long, but I think that this law could of had greater potential. It could have been a law to get owners to get their dogs trained - something that would HELP the owner to hurt them through conviction.
Earin, you obviously have not read what this Law states.
11-1014.01 AGGRESSIVE DOGS; REASONABLE CARE REQUIREMENTS; VIOLATION; CLASSIFICATION; DEFINITIONS
A. A PERSON WHO OWNS OR WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CARE OF AN AGGRESSIVE DOG SHALL TAKE REASONABLE CARE TO:
1. PROHIBIT THE DOG FROM ESCAPING TO THE OUTSIDE OF A RESIDENCE OR AN ENCLOSED AREA, YARD OR STRUCTURE.
2. CONTROL THE DOG IN A MANNER THAT PREVENTS THE DOG FROM BITING OR ATTACKING A PERSON OR DOMESTIC ANIMAL AT ALL TIMES WHILE THE DOG IS OFF THE OWNER'S OR RESPONSIBLE PERSON'S PROPERTY.
D. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION:
1. "AGGRESSIVE DOG" MEANS ANY DOG THAT HAS BITTEN A PERSON OR DOMESTIC ANIMAL WITHOUT PROVOCATION OR THAT HAS A KNOWN HISTORY OF ATTACKING PERSONS OR DOMESTIC ANIMALS WITHOUT PROVOCATION.
No where in this law did it target a specific breed. Sally and I would have NEVER supported BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION. If your dog escapes your enclosure and attacks another human being or domestic animal, it is your RESPONSIBILITY. What angers us, the number of Pit Bulls that are euthanized every year, in Maricopa County, over 100 per day. Is this because of the reputation of this breed, or once again the failure of RESPONSIBLE dog ownership by having your dog spayed or neutered.
It is also a question of supply and demand, thinking that everyone wants a pit bull?
The truth is, RESPONSIBLE dog ownership means spending a large amount of time socializing, training and working with a dog. MANY RESPONSIBLE PIT BULL OWNERS SUPPORTED THIS LAW, including our next door neighbor who is a RESPONSIBLE pit bull owner and has been bitten twice by other dogs which were not pit bulls.
Here are the numbers again, for 2010 in Maricopa County alone, dog related bites to HUMANS; 5,825, DOG-ON-DOG ATTACKS; 900.
If this Law prevents another dog or cat from being attacked and killed, it has done its job. If this Law prevents an aggressive dog from being loose in a neighborhood attacking our children, then it has done its job.
The Media is not to blame, the breed is not to blame. The true blame is upon the IRRESPONSIBLE DOG OWNER. Quit avoiding the issue who is truly responsible, this is what this Law does, it falls upon the IRRESPONSIBLE DOG OWNER.
Richard and Sally Andrade, Fabian's Law
@ Fabianslaw, I understand that Fabians Law is NOT breed specific. But I am simply saying that this bill will simply give people MORE of a reason to point fingers at the Pit Bull breed because the media already have people brainwashed in believing that ONLY the Pit Bull breed attacks. Due to this fear, there are cases of officials removing the breed from their loving homes and having them killed!
These are rhetorical questions but: If attacking dogs are NOT breed specific, why is it that ONLY pit bulls have a bad reputation? why is it that ONLY pit bulls are being pulled from their homes? why is it that ONLY pit bulls have a one day shelf life in animal shelters before being euthanized? Why is it that ONLY pit bull puppies get euthanized without being positioned to be adopted out like other dogs? Why is it that ONLY pit bulls are restricted from some housing communities? and Why is it that ONLY pit bulls are shown in the media for animal attacks?
Once again, I know that fabianslaw is NOT breed specific, and I would be more than happy to see people punished for being IRRESPONSIBLE dog owners. But all I am simply saying is that I see this bill as being the stepping stone for people to have MORE of a reason to point their fingers at the Pit Bull breed. At the end of the day: it is NOT the IRRESPONSIBLE OWNER who attacked the dog, it was the DOG - and that is what people will ALWAYS look at.
This law may seem like it's not " breed specific" but what are the chances of someone having a chihuahua or little terrier that's going to be able to kill another dog, which most of the time they will be bigger than them!!! I think that they should push a law that will make people who own pitbulls to pass the Canine Good Citizen Test. I have a pitbull who is a therapy dog at numerous hospice and rehab centers around the valley and volunteers at the local library. There should be more laws on stupid dog owners, then blaming the animals! The owners are just going to keep doing the same socializing and bad training habits for the next dog, turning into a vicious cycle. Let's get to the root of the problem here people!!! This law is "breed specific" but just beating around the bush on the matter. You know that 99.9% of the time there is a case with a bigger breed in a situation, the jury will not be biased and blame the big dog!!! Let's get the REAL facts here people!!!