Miami-Dade county has a well-known pit bull ban. One lawmaker in Broward County is now seeking to ban pit bulls as well. According to the New Times…
“Barbara Sharief, Vice Mayor of the Broward County Commission, will introduce a motion today to make it illegal to “own and keep” American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers — or any dog that may “conform” to a pit bull breed.”
Sharief also states that though she knows there will be a backlash, she claims there is more support than opposition, so it is extremely important to make your voices heard.
The whole article can be found here.
It is important to note that Florida has a law prohibiting breed specific legislation. However, this motion appears to seek to overturn the state law.
“A. MOTION TO APPROVE addition to the state legislative program making it illegal to own and keep American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers or any other dog that substantially conforms to any of these “pit bull” breed characteristics; support addition to the state legislative program imposing a state fine for acquiring or keeping these specific animals.”
Broward Residents: Act now to oppose this baseless action. This topic should be presented in the February 26th meeting. Meetings begin at 10 AM in room 422 of the Broward County Governmental Center. Schedules and agendas can be found here.
Contact information for the commission:
The commissions websites and districts can be found here.
Vice Mayor Barbara Sharief
Broward County Governmental Center
115 S. Andrews Ave., Room 410
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Phone: 954-357-7008
Martin David Kiar
email: mkiar@broward.org
Phone: 954-357-7001
Mayor Kristin Jacobs, Phone: 954- 357-7002
Email: kjacobs@broward.org
Stacy Ritter
sritter@broward.org
Phone: 954-357-7003
Chip LaMarca
email: clamarca@broward.org
Phone: 954-357-7004
Lois Wexler
lwexler@broward.org
Phone: 954-357-7005
Sue Gunzburger
sgunzburger@broward.org
Telephone: 954-357-7006
Tim Ryan
email: tryan@broward.org
Phone: 954-357-7007
Dale Holness
dholness@broward.org
Phone: 954-357-7009
Fred M. Kray
krisdiaz9
Stop BSL 
Your banning and punishing the wrong end of the leash…..
Please pass stiffer laws against the users and abusers…
I agree with Diane Wise 100% the breed doesn’t choose to fight, they are made to love.. But in the hands of the wrong owner any breed could become vicious. Please don’t put this in place, ban the wrong people from getting a hold of these poor innocent babies.
Please don’t punish the breed.Your punishing the wrong end of the leash like diane said.Bad dog owners.
BSL ALERT for BROWARD COUNTY: Be at the Broward County Commissioners meeting on Feb 26th at 10am at 115 S Andrews Ave, FTL Rm 422, 4th floor. Commissioner Barbara Sharief is proposing a breed ban in Broward County. Write to the Commissioners and show up at the meeting on Tuesday. All email info is in this link https://stopbsl.org/2013/02/21/broward-county-florida-legislator-seeking-a-pit-bull-ban/
So, instead of creating harsher sentencing for and actually attempting to find and prosecute the ones who fight them, you’re just going to ban the breed altogether? So now, when the ignorant people who fight them in the first place still fight them, but just have to go more underground, they still have no harsher punishment when caught. Awesome. Congratulations on not only trying to solve the problem in completely wrong way, but for accomplishing nothing more than sending innocent dogs to a shelter where they’re sure to be killed and letting the real threat (the people who fight the dogs) go free to hurt more animals. This makes me sick.
Where is your humanity? I have been a dog owner of many breeds and sizes of dogs. I have loved them all, but my Ares is one of the most loveable dogs I have ever known. When he ws just a few months old he was attacked while on a leash walking with my daughter. When another Pit ran from inside an apartment and attacked them both. Ares was hurt badly from protecting my daughter and himself. We came to find out that the dog that attacked was trained to do that. Point I am trying to make is….it did not change how we feel about the breed…they are awesome dogs. Please do not ban them in Broward.
This attitude is born of ignorance of *Bully* breeds & dogs in general. Perhaps she could be enlightened.
I agree with everyone here. I own a pit bull and he is the sweetest dog. It’s not fair to punish all pit bulls instead they should implement a way to find those that are fighting them and punish them. They are not born as fighters they are trained that way. There is a jack russell in my neighborhood that is more agressive then my pit bull. If you ban pit bulls in Broward County the people who are traning them to fight will just find another breed to fight. This absolutly makes me sick that these people are trying to ban a breed that just has a bad name. Maybe if they actually had one they would know how we feel.
“…Sharief also states that though she knows there will be a backlash, she claims there is more support than opposition, ”
Wrong!
Mrs Sharief may be hearing from a few people in support of this steaming pile of BS of an idea but that does not mean there is more support than opposition.
Punish the people who are doing wrong, not the dogs. They dogs aren’t the ones causing the problems.
These bans are uncalled for enough is enough already leave our dogs alone they are like family!
I am an pwner of a pit bull. She is the most loving furbaby you could find. Its about time the owners are held accountable and not the breed, I have owned numerous pits. They are not a mean a vicious breed. You can make a mutt mean. Qit blaming the nreed. BLAME THE OWNERS THAT TEACH THEM TO BE THIS WAY !!!!!!!!!
What is wrong with people? A ban on these sweet, beautiful vibrate dogs is insane. They deserve better then that. Leave them alone! They are part of the family. What is next….a ban on children or maybe old people? Are ALL dogs going to be banned because one in their breed did something they should not have? Watch out little Yorkies you may be next.
Who are you to say that several different breeds of dog are not suitable to own? This is an ignorant law you are trying to pass, its saying that a very large part of my life, my family, my babies are not suitable to live in this county…I own and love very much my A.P.B.T.’s and none of my pack has ever had one incident, accident, act of aggression to human or animal, these are our family members that youre attempting to ban…I believe you should take into consideration that youre disrupting many good dogs and good dog owners lives…bad dog owners by all means should be banned, but to ban our babies is wrong its immoral and its un American.Its my right as a citizen of this country to own my dogs, you have no place attempting to take that away from me and every other family that own them. See you on Tuesday.
I am A Owner Of 2 Pit Bull Terriers and 1 American Bulldog … I used to be Like You Vice Mayor Barbara Sharief … I was uneducated and scared therefor disliked The Breed… But they are nothing like they are made out to be… They are one of the most loyal and loving dogs I have ever owned…. I will never give them up…. I will fight BSL until it is NO MORE… Thank You… Darlene Dickerson
P/S Did You Ever Like Petey The Pit Pull Terrier On The Little Rascals? And The War Dogs Of WW1 and WW2…. I Bet Your Grand Parents Did…
punish the owners not the dogs!
So what is everyone supposed to do with their pits?!? I’ve had mine since she was 4 weeks old, she’s 5 now, I couldn’t get rid of her she’s a family member, not a pet…
Sasha, my pit/boxer mis, is a wonderful companion, a warm and loving dog that would never ever harm a person in any circumstances. We adopted her from the Broward Humane Society and we love her lots! That a law is being considered that would include Sasha among those dogs–pits or not–that have been mistreated and even taught by uncaring owners to be mean, is tragic. Reason and compassion must prevail!!!!
Its sad that in this day, with the rampant availability of information, people are so blind and ignorant. Why a pitbull? Cause their jaw lock when bitting, which they actually dont and other dogs bite worse like Rots. Because they are aggressive… Which they arent and were considered in 1800’s and still by certain sects to be the “Nanny Dog” since it was great with children and loyal to the beat. To that point it was even said they were too friendly to people.
All the other comments seem to get it right. Its not the dog, its the owner. I have known many pitbulls and I lay on the floor and pick them up and roughhouse with all of them, even the ones who are Rowdy and young. They are strong and definately could hurt me but never latched on or mauled me because they were never taught to do so. Punish those who deserve it, the owners who use them as Attack dogs and then let them roam to attack. Its their fault, punish them. While in that instance the dog will be called to blame as well, if you pull in harsher fines and punishment for the owner it will be its own deterant. Currently its a small fine and the dog get quarantined. Slap on the writst. Cause the owner pain by monetary loss or other rash measures could curb the problem.
Politics are never cut and dry to facts as they are driven by who ever cries the most and who has the politicans ear. So just scream louder with valid information and hopefully something may get through but with these sort of topics, people are just blind to the world, taught by a ignorant few who push the falsities to everyone else. Much like the Pits they are trained with bad detrimental information.
I for one love the dogs and find them loving and loyal, and would hate to see anything bad come to them.
This is unjust and unfair, to ban a whole breed! These dogs are very loyal, and loving. BSL is not the answer! you cannot tell people with good dogs, they would have to give them up. You will in fact have bigger problems, and you would lose good people in broward county, because they would move before ever giving up their dogs!
Vice-Mayor Sharief suggested a ‘committee’ be formed to find solutions other than BSL. As a speaker against BSL at the commission hearing, she invited my participation in that committee. Then her staff ‘forgot’ to invite me and others, even though I’d been in e-mail and phone contact w/them 3 times. I had to fight to obtain documents her staff distributed at that meeting and have yet to receive an invitee or attendee list nor what ‘unanimous solutions’ I’m told were discussed and agreed upon. It’s apparent they’re pretending to solicit alternatives, with every intention to push BSL through commission, with the hope that they can apply enough pressure to the state to recover the ability to impose a County-wide ban.
Currently, 3 of the commissioners are against BSL. But nobody can be complacent and think Broward County is not in the ‘cone of threat’ against our beloved dogs.