Bill recognizes that all good pups can be a family’s best friend, regardless of breed
(BOSTON—9/26/2024) Today the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation to ensure families can foster a child regardless of the breed of dog in the foster home.
Under the new law, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) would consider factors such as a pet’s history of dangerous behavior and their health records, instead of a pet’s 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.
“Given all that we know about animal science, this is the right time to make this needed policy change,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington). “By relying on the history of a dog’s behavior instead of the dog’s breed, this new process will prevent the automatic disqualification of foster families who can provide a loving and supportive home and, instead, ensure that we are not leaving out foster families who could make a positive impact on a child’s life.”
According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a dog’s breed is a poor predictor of behavior, and is uninformative with regard to how easily a dog is provoked by something frightening or uncomfortable.
According to 2021 census data, nearly one in every three households (30%) in Massachusetts has a dog. Boston ranked eleventh nationally among metro areas with the highest pet ownership ranks, with 38.7% of households owning a pet.
The legislation also clarifies that human service workers are able to report instances of animal abuse when acting in their professional capacity.
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