Just two weeks after the repeal of a discriminatory pit bull ban in Springfield, Missouri, one more city has followed suit.

We are pleased to report that on Tuesday, August 21, the Yakima City Council in Washington State voted to repeal a decades-old ban on the ownership of pit bulls and pit bull-mixes in the city, reinstating residents’ right to adopt any breed of dog they choose. This is yet another huge win in our effort to keep pets and people together, and a victory against discriminatory breed-specific legislation (BSL).

BSL is the blanket term for laws that either regulate or ban certain dog breeds in an effort to decrease dog attacks on humans and other animals. While many municipalities have passed these laws, there is no evidence that they make communities safer for people or companion animals.

Until this vote, Yakima’s pit bull ban had been in effect for 30 years. Previous attempts to repeal the ban had been delayed or denied by the City Council, despite public support for its removal. This discriminatory policy has unjustly kept dogs from joining loving homes, with no regard for the behavior of each individual dog.

Starting on Sunday, September 23, Yakima residents will be able to legally bring pit bulls into the city. 

We applaud the Yakima Humane Society and The Washington Federation for helping to shepherd this legislation to victory. We also want to thank the Yakima City Council for taking a stand against this cruel, discriminatory law, and all our local advocates who made their voices heard for dogs and their families. 

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