People against Breed Specific Legislation in the Cayman Islands

To the Members of the Legislative Assembly and Department of Agriculture, we are the citizens and residents of the Cayman Islands, we are the dog owners and lovers and people of the world who respectfully petition you for a change in the Dangerous Dogs Law.

While we recognize the general concern regarding dangerous dogs and the safety of the public, we strongly feel as if the current legislation is both unenforceable and discriminatory. Readily available data indicates that any dog of ANY breed can bite; there is NO reliable data identifying biting dogs by breed.

The Dangerous Dogs Law in the Cayman Islands is a law which makes a dog illegal based on its named breed, type or physical characteristics and NOT its actions. This law sentences innocent animals to death for NO REASON other than what they looks like! We would like to petition the Government of these islands to put the Dangerous Dogs Law up for public review and to further amend the law and remove all breed specific wording.

We agree that there SHOULD be restrictions on ownership of certain breeds but people should be allowed to legally own them if they fulfil certain requirements which show their responsibility as owners and which address the public safety.

The majority of the owners of the targeted breeds are responsible, law-abiding citizens. This legislation unfairly brands these people as unreliable and irresponsible, solely because they own a targeted breed. It is the consensus of knowledgeable dog experts that targeting the owners and the specific dangerous dog, not breeds of dogs, is the key to addressing the dog bite and "dangerous dog" problems.

ALL dog owners should be held accountable by law for their dogs' actions not their names or physical attributes. Punish the DEED NOT BREED! We, the public, urge you the Cayman Islands Government and law makers, to recognize that dogs are not the problem, PEOPLE are, and the law as it stands needs to change.