Owning certain dog breeds can block Massachusetts families from adopting kids. A new bill would change that.

BOSTON – Massachusetts lawmakers are set to vote Thursday on a bill that would change how the state evaluates a family’s dogs when making decisions about whether they are fit to foster or adopt children.

The legislation before the Senate would have the Department of Children and Families look at veterinary records and a pet’s behavioral history instead of judging the dog based off its breed.

“Currently, a family who is thinking of adopting cannot do so if they own breeds including Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, German Shepherds, or a dog which mixes at least two of these three breeds,” Senate President Karen Spilka’s office said in a statement.

About 3 in 10 Massachusetts households have a dog, according to 2021 Census data cited by Spilka. 

Dog breeds and behavior

Supporters of the bill point to research that says a dog’s breed has little to do with how it will behave. A 2022 study out of Massachusetts found that breeds do not predict how affectionate a dog is or how quick it might be to anger.

The MSPCA supports the bill and says current policies “discriminate against those who properly train and socialize their dogs.”

“Dogs should be judged as the individuals they are – not based on outdated and long-ago-disproven stereotypes,” the organization said. “Families are broken or kept apart due to these types of policies.”

DCF workers ask about dog’s breed

The bill passed the House of Representatives in July. Bill sponsor Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis of Framingham said on the House floor that a DCF worker asked about the breed of his bulldog when he and his husband were thinking about adopting another child or becoming foster parents.

“If that DCF social worker, well-intended as she was, had put down pit bull mix or something else along those same terms, my family wouldn’t have been able to welcome more people into our home, and I wouldn’t have the joy of now having the number of kids that I now have,” Lewis said, according to the State House News Service.  

If approved by the Senate, the bill will go to Gov. Maura Healey’s desk for approval.

The Favicon for the website, dogsandpurses(dot)com, features an all-black background with a minimalist line drawing of a puppy's head poking out of a stylish purse. The puppy's head is drawn with a cute and friendly expression, making it the focal point of the design. The purse, which the puppy is emerging from, is depicted with clean, elegant lines. The contrast between the black background and the white line drawing creates a striking and modern look for the Favicon.
Dogs and Purses Favicon

WANT MORE?

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THE LATEST on PAWS and PURSES in PERFECT PROPORTION.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.