Keystone families call for scrapping breed bans in Iowa

What would you do if somebody confirmed up at your private home late one night and advised you that you simply had 10 days to take away your loved ones canine from city although she or he had finished nothing mistaken? In case you are like the 2 of us, you’ll first attempt the whole lot you can to maintain your loved ones pet and to be sure you had someplace protected lined as much as take your canine in the event you couldn’t cease it from occurring. And second, you’ll attempt to discover out why and repair it.

Right here in Iowa, it’s exhausting to think about that occuring. Our state has taken clear steps defending people to make their very own choices about their very own lives. Our state’s leaders have labored exhausting to guard Iowans from mandates. It’s simpler than ever to steer a free life in Iowa, and but, a small minority of Iowa communities insist on turning their residents — each new and outdated — away until their households conform.

However that’s precisely what occurred to us. Somebody gave the Benton County Sheriff’s Division an inventory of households in Keystone that “possibly had pit bulls.” A deputy confirmed up at our entrance doorways and advised us to do away with our canines.

Our metropolis of Keystone, together with Benton County, are two communities in Iowa that prohibit sure breeds of canines — in our particular occasion, the focused “breed” consists of any varieties of canines considerably generally referred to as “pit bulls.” Not less than, Keystone does. Benton County goes additional and says in case your canine even resembles a “pit bull” he’s banned from the county.

This can be a gross overreach of the federal government’s authority, an try to manage our lives, and a large infringement of our households’ proper to property — on this case, that “property” being the canine now we have determined is greatest for our households. Why on earth is our native authorities dictating what property we’re allowed to personal?

These bans are additionally, plain and easily, unhealthy public coverage. At a time when rural Iowa appears to be shrinking and companies are having a tricky time attracting staff, why would our rural communities push households away? Even in the event you suppose your canine doesn’t seem like a “pit bull,” there are different communities in Iowa that ban different canines. Rottweilers, Dobermans, Akitas, Nice Danes, Chows and Huskies. Fairfield even prohibits canines “canines weighing in extra of 100 kilos.”

Because the information of our ordeal broke, we’ve been contacted by so many households and organizations from round the US. We’ve discovered a lot — together with the truth that virtually no authorized, well being, security, animal, or veterinary group helps breed bans. That’s as a result of they don’t work. They don’t shield communities. However sturdy and breed-neutral harmful canine legal guidelines do. And that’s why you’ve seen communities across the state — even these with bans which can be 20 years outdated — drop them.

We’re writing in the present day to publicly ask our native elected officers to place a cease to this. And we’re asking our state lawmakers to do the identical. Two years in a row laws was launched to finish breed bans. And two years in a row that laws was ignored. We’re asking for motion from you on the primary day of the 2023 session. File the invoice, move it and shield our proper to personal our canines. Assist us maintain our households collectively, irrespective of the place in Iowa we name dwelling.

On Aug. 4, we requested the Keystone council to repeal the ban. The council took no motion. Our households are nonetheless ready to seek out out if we’re welcome on this group. We hope so.”

Gabby Gormley and MaKinzie Taylor Brecht stay in Keystone.