Obama Disapproves of Discriminating Dog Laws

In response to a 30,000-signature petition that requested Federal statutes targeting specific dog breeds be made illegal, President Obama issued a public statement, agreeing that “Breed-specific legislation is a bad idea.” Many animal advocates see this as progress toward altering public opinion and policy. “I think [this] will give pause to any communities that are thinking about putting something like this in place,” says Lisa LaFontaine, president of the Washington Humane Society, “and certainly will fuel the work that’s already being done … to overturn legislation that already exists.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted that discriminating dog laws are ineffective and suggests a “community-based approach to prevent dog bites.”