“She’s very timid to new people, but once she gets to know you, she’s good. Until then, she’s a little scared,” says Amy Raddar about her two-year old pit bull, Candy.
But if a new bill goes through, dogs like Candy could be banned.
Right now, it’s against Florida law for communities to outlaw any breed of dog. But State Representative Perry Thurston has proposed legislation that would change that.
“The bill has to deal with giving control back to the local municipalities,” says State Rep. Thurston, (D) Plantation, FL. “And what it does is allow each community to formulate its own policy and how they deal with dangerous dogs.”
While House Bill 543 doesn’t call for an outright ban on certain breeds, some fear that’s where it could lead.
“The problem with that is individual communities do a gut reaction. When there’s a dog bite or a dog attack, they say let’s ban pit bulls,” says Laura Bevan, of the Humane Society of the U.S. “And all these innocent dogs that had nothing to do with that activity are now banned in a community and essentially have to be moved out or killed.”
But not everyone agrees.
“I think the community should have their own option. They should be able to do what they want to do,” says Heather Mahan, a Tallahassee dog owner.
“It’s not a matter of what breed it is. It’s how it’s treated. Is it kept on a leash or is it trained to be mean or is it trained to be nice? And i think that’s what makes all the difference,” says Heather Servais, a Tallahassee resident.