--- On Fri, 11/13/09, Suthmalone@aol.com wrote:
Nuevo Dia Newspaper
http://www.elnuevodia.com/avanzalalegalizaciondelospitbulls-637470.html
Avanza legalization of pitbulls
Welcomes the College of Veterinarians for the Legislature to repeal the ban on the breed of dogs
By Pedro Bosque Pérez
The possession of pitbulls or dogs born from crosses with that race took a step toward legalization after the Legislature passed Act 158 repealed 1998, which prohibits take, import and play back the dogs of the breed Pitbull Terrier, their hybrids and crosses in Puerto Rico.
"At last we got these dogs equal with other races which may also be potentially dangerous," said Dr. Victor Oppenheimer, past president of the College of Veterinarians of Puerto Rico.
"The ban and prosecution of a particular race is a biased and very wrong act that is far besides the laws in most states" in the U.S. and in European countries, the veterinarian said in a news release.
It is estimated that in Puerto Rico there are more than 50,000 dogs pitbulls and more than 3,000 have been killed in the past two years - in compliance with Law 158 - according to the Veterinary Medical Association, which advocates equality among all breeds of dogs .
If the measure passed the Legislature is signed into law by Gov. Luis Fortuño, several lawmakers are seeking to draft a bill that will define what is a potentially dangerous dog or dangerous, and liable to the owner of the dog in any incident.
The move to repeal Rule 158 was also supported by Pitbull Association of Puerto Rico.
The College of Veterinarians manages several projects for the welfare of animals in Puerto Rico and promote a culture of responsible pet owners, according to the press release.
