Tips for Traveling with Pit Bulls

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Planning a trip with your pittie? Racial discrimination can complicate matters. But these tips for traveling with Pit Bulls will help!

Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) has a big impact on pet travelers with intimidating breeds. But BSL affects more than the Pit Bulls. These laws, passed in jurisdictions across the country, target more than 100 races.

The breeds most often discriminated against are Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherds and Huskies, whether purebred or mixed. And the effects of these laws range from frustrating to devastating. It is therefore important to know the rules and remedies before leaving.

Traveling with Pit Bulls

I didn’t know much about breed-specific discrimination until I adopted two pitties. Cool Whip and Hercules are prime examples of the stereotypical description of “pit bull-type dogs.” Especially Hercules with his big square head, thick neck, muscular build and cropped ears!

Although both dogs get lots of compliments when we’re out and about, they also receive nervous stares. Believing the hype, people cross to the other side of the street. Parents pull their children behind them. And some places have passed laws to keep them away.

Breed specific legislation

Breed-specific laws are laws prohibiting or restricting certain breeds of dogs from a location or activity. And the punishment for breaking any of these laws ranges from a fine to confiscation and execution of the dog. For us, knowing which places to avoid is literally a matter of life and death.

But don’t be discouraged! While traveling with Pit Bulls – or any targeted breed – can be daunting, we make it work, and you can too! Herc, CW and I have traveled thousands of miles. We visited almost every state west of the Mississippi River and four Canadian provinces. If you ignore my poor sense of direction, our trips have always gone well. It just takes a little extra preparation.

Use BSL resources to plot your route

The first thing to do is to familiarize yourself with the resources that will help you stay safe. For travel in the United States, I rely on the Animal Farm Foundation’s Interactive Breed-Specific Legislation Map. For Canada, the entire province of Ontario bans Pit Bulls, but beyond that, the Justice for Bullies Bullies map is my go-to. Both of these websites clearly identify areas that have (or have had) BSL and outline the specific rules you need to look into.

To start planning a trip, grab your atlas and map out your route. Next, display the BSL websites and circle in red the places you should avoid. From there, you can adjust your route by sticking to places where your dog is welcome.

Be sure to take your atlas with you on your trip, so you can easily jog your memory of where your dog discriminates.

LEARN MORE ⇒ Traveling with Pets in Canada – Tips for Crossing the Border

Protect yourself and your dog from racial discrimination laws

When deciding to travel or stay in an area with BSL, make sure you understand the specifics of local laws. Are your dogs allowed to stop in the area for potty breaks? Can you spend the night with your dog? Does your dog need to be muzzled or meet other requirements when out in public?

Here are some steps you can take to avoid any potential conflicts when traveling with a Pit Bull:

  • If you are traveling towards or through a jurisdiction with breed-specific law, call the local animal control office for the most up-to-date information on restrictions and requirements.
  • If your dog resembles one of the affected breeds, you might consider bringing DNA results from your veterinarian proving your dog’s lineage.
  • Remember that websites may not be completely up to date as laws are constantly changing, so plan for the unexpected. If your dog is of an affected breed or could be mistaken for a breed, always be prepared to comply with muzzle, leash and proof of insurance requirements.
  • If you find that you have inadvertently broken a breed-specific law, be polite and do your best to bring yourself into compliance with your dog, even if it means leaving the jurisdiction immediately.

Once you know the rules, you can make plans to navigate safely in or around areas with BSL. As a general rule, I choose to completely bypass these places. I prefer to spend my time and money in destinations that welcome my dogs.

LEARN MORE ⇒ Ruka the Pit Bull’s road trip from Alaska to Pennsylvania

Call ahead to confirm pet policies

Keep in mind that discrimination doesn’t always stop at the state or city level. Some pet-friendly businesses impose their own breed bans. For example, some hotels, vacation rentals, and campgrounds don’t allow certain breeds of dogs. Other accommodations take a less obvious approach, using weight limits to weed out large dogs.

The same goes for boarding schools and day care centres. I was finalizing the details of a daycare booking when I happened to ask if it mattered if my dogs were pitiful. It turned out that the facility’s insurance didn’t cover Pit Bulls, so I had to find another option. Sometimes you have to dig a little deeper, but asking the most obvious questions can save you a lot of stress once you’re on the road.

At GoPetFriendly, we collect detailed pet policies for the businesses listed on our website, so you know if your dog is welcome. Remember to call before you leave home to confirm pet policies have not changed.

Places with no race restrictions

If you’re looking for places to stay where your dog will always be welcome, keep an eye out for government-owned campgrounds. Whether it’s a National Park, National Forest, Army Corp of Engineers Campground, or State Park, you’ll never encounter breed restrictions! The Kimpton hotel chain also welcomes pets of all breeds and sizes, and never charges a pet fee.

LEARN MORE ⇒ State parks with cabins, campgrounds, beaches and more

A brown dog, a woman and a white dog cross a wooden bridge in a forest in Cascade River State Park on the North Shore of Minnesota

Be an ambassador

I completely understand how frustrating and discouraging it is not to welcome your dog because of their breed or appearance. Traveling with Pit Bulls requires additional research to ensure your dog is welcomed, but you CAN go out and have fun together. And, when you do, you and your dog have the opportunity to be ambassadors for your breed. Show the world that all dogs deserve to be treated fairly!

Cool Whip and Hercules love meeting people, and I’m happy to let people pet them and find out what Pit Bulls are really like. Breeds of aggressive bullies? No. The white girl will quickly plant her buttocks on your feet hoping for scratches. And this squirrely brown guy with little ear bumps thinks he’s a 70-pound companion dog; he gets so excited to see people that he can’t stop licking things.

I hope that by having a positive interaction with my dogs, people will realize that each dog is an individual. They should be judged on their character and behavior, not on stereotypes and assumptions. Somehow, racial discrimination makes me want to take my dogs traveling even more. If my dogs can break even one negative hypothesis, the extra effort is worth it!

Blue pit bull with a huge smile in the grass with a bridge in the background

At GoPetFriendly, we strongly oppose breed specific laws.

Laws that discriminate against certain dog breeds are totally unacceptable. There is no evidence that breed-specific laws are effective in preventing dog bites, but there is evidence that they have resulted in the senseless killing of thousands of homeless animals and well-to-do pets. -loved. We believe that “aggressive dog laws” that are not biased towards a specific breed are more enforceable and less harmful. We are particularly opposed to any law resulting in the confiscation and execution of a dog that has done no harm.

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