Scully says "There are no bad dogs!"

A dog touched my life in January of 2005. At the time, I didn’t consider myself a dog person, but a positive experience watching a friend’s dog made me want to get one of my own. I picked her out because even as a 4-month old puppy, she was calm, sweet, and affectionate. I named her Scully, and not only did she teach me to love all dogs, she taught me what it means to have a pit bull in the family. Stigma, discrimination, and ignorance all came with her, but her love eclipsed it all, and she won the heart of everyone who met her.

Yara says "Sign our petition!"

My experience with Scully left me sure that we need to end breed-specific discrimination in Tempe. Not only is it bad policy, as time and time again research shows that discriminatory policies based on dog breed aren’t effective. But in addition, breed discrimination and bans lead to many unintended consequences – including systematic abuse.

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control looked at twenty years of data around dog bites and breeds. The CDC found that fatal attacks make up an exceedingly small proportion of dog bite injuries. What is more, they found it is nearly impossible to tally bite rates among breeds. So why have we singled out a handful of breeds to deem “vicious?”

Through discrimination or outright banning, “vicious” breeds find themselves in a black market, where no one is looking out for them, but only looking to profit at the dog’s expense. Good dogs are often sold to bad people who use them for excessive breeding, or worse, fighting. The discrimination of dogs by breed directly leads to the abuse of that breed, there is no way around it.

If you believe as I do that no one should have to choose between housing and their furry family member, if you believe as I do that there are no bad dogs, just bad owners, then please sign the petition below. 

I’ve always thought that Tempe is a perfect blend of metropolis and suburb. I believe it’s important that this balance be preserved and the unique spirit of Tempe maintained. Tempe should build upon its established reputation as a friend of growth, but keep a mindful eye on the spread of multi-story buildings into our neighborhoods. Affordable and workforce housing for our residents is also a concern as the build up creeps southward.

Tempe succeeds thanks to neighbors helping neighbors, communities coalescing, strong families, hard workers, and a cradle-to-career culture. It’s that common purpose, and clear path, that makes it possible to grow up, get educated, work, start a family, and be successful without having to relocate for each step in life’s ladder.

Tempe should continue to provide quality city services and invest in our citizens’ quality of life through parks, public pools, bike lanes, accessible transportation, and reasonable crime-reduction efforts.

Homeownership, starting a family, and sending your children to school--all require a job that pays enough to meet the cost of living. Individuals and families strive toward these goals and when large groups of people meet these goals, our city thrives. I believe that every Tempean who works hard and plays by the rules ought to be able to reach their goals and pursue happiness right here in Tempe.

Our City is home to Arizona State University and its world-class research and education programs. With ASU comes an entrepreneurial spirit and culture of innovation. It’s only natural that Tempe embraces this culture for what it is, a source for more high-paying jobs and driver of our local economy. A city that nurtures its brightest minds today is a city that prospers tomorrow, and in our modern world, education, innovation, technology, and commerce are inextricably linked. Let’s continue to foster an environment where all four can thrive.

Tempe has always been a leader in developing and implementing emerging practices and policies to make the most of our desert resources. As Tempeans, we have a duty to be responsible stewards of our resources and to view the economic, environmental, and social decisions we make in the present through the lens of our children’s future.

Our city should continue to lead the Valley in developing new conservation tools and exploring ways to embrace solar, and other forms of renewable energy.

I firmly believe that Tempe and it’s neighborhoods - working with ASU researchers and students, local businesses, and nonprofits - should and can set an example of how pragmatic and neighborhood-based sustainability practices can improve our quality of life, our economy, and our planet.