Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is pushing for a ban on the breed-based killing of dogs in Virginia animal shelters, in an attempt to reduce the number of pit bulls that are killed in the state.
McDonnell tacked an amendment onto an animal cruelty bill declaring that “No pound may euthanize, or prohibit the adoption of, any dog based solely on breed.” The revised legislation will be introduced before the General Assembly in a special session on Wednesday.
“If enacted into law, the amendment … will compel the few remaining public shelters that kill solely because of breed to end the euthanasia of otherwise healthy, happy and completely adoptable animals,” said Virginia Kilmer, president of the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies.
Loudoun County specifically has drawn criticism in recent years for euthanizing many of the pit bulls that enter the county shelter and for refusing to adopt out that breed of dog. In October 2007, Animal Rescue of Tidewater sued the county to change its pit bull laws, but the lawsuit was unsuccessful.
The Loudoun County animal shelter said it takes in about 100 pit bulls each year. Of those, about 50 percent of those dogs are killed; of the remaining dogs, about 40 percent are returned to their previous owners and 10 percent are transferred to other shelters.
Tom Koenig, director of the Loudoun County animal shelter, said the number of pit bulls put down by the shelter may not drop under McDonnell’s proposed amendment. This is because the shelter no longer cites breed as a reason for euthanizing pit bulls. Instead, it names “medical reasons,” “behavioral reasons,” or “owner’s request” as the factors behind its decisions.
Koenig said the shelter puts each dog through a program to test its “behavior, its aggression — whether or not it would be suitable for adoption.” If a dog does not pass, it will likely be euthanized.
“Many of the proponents that are supporting this bill don’t even operate shelters,” Koenig said. “They don’t understand what the adoption industry has to go through … we have the public safety issue at hand.”
