About

About Stop BSL

Stop BSL seeks to halt discriminatory, ineffective, unsafe legislation; to educate the public about safe and humane treatment of dogs; to encourage responsible dog ownership; to make communities safer through education and non-breed-specific measures; and to enhance public communication and knowledge by providing a single point for access to news about breed-specific legislation and similar activities.

  • Stop BSL does not support breed-specific legislation.
  • Stop BSL does not support dog fighting in any way, shape, or form, and the author personally wishes all dog fighters would drop dead.
  • Stop BSL does not support dog breeders.
  • Stop BSL does not support irresponsible dog owners.
  • Stop BSL does not support laws that are discriminatory or ineffective.
  • Stop BSL supports non-breed-specific legislation that places responsibility on dog owners.
  • Stop BSL supports responsible dog ownership.
  • Stop BSL supports rescue and advocacy efforts for all dogs, no matter what they look like.
  • Stop BSL supports treating each and every dog as a unique individual.

Stop BSL is not a group. It is not a lobbyist organization. It is not a nonprofit, nor is it a corporation. Stop BSL is a website with a single owner who devotes several hours per day writing and compiling updates and disseminating information because it is the right thing to do.

Stop BSL does not make any money through advertising or merchandise sales. The site author donates her own time, money, and energy to the maintenance of this website. If you find this site useful and you would like to help with its upkeep, please consider donating a little bit via PayPal (credit cards accepted) to stopbsl.com@gmail.com.

About This Site

Contact the author at stopbsl.com@gmail.com.

StopBSL.com has been offering information about breed-specific legislation and its flaws since 2005. Except as noted, the information on this site is copyrighted by the author, J. Thomas. Pages may be printed or reproduced without permission for any non-commercial purposes.

In 2008, the author of StopBSL.com made the decision to move to a blog format. This change does not affect the accuracy or reliability of the content of this site; in fact, the updated content contains more citations and information than ever before. The author made the move to a blog format for the following reasons:

  1. The author is a writer, not a site designer. She would like to offer information and education, and let someone else worry about making it “look pretty.” Yes, I do know CSS. No, I do not like to use it.
  2. The blog content management system allows for consistency, flexibility, and expandability. Users will find the search and navigation functions extremely useful for getting around the site.
  3. Breed-specific legislation is a current event, and fighting BSL requires communication and up-to-date information. The blog format allows for easy, constant, yet organized updates.
  4. The blog format allows for community input.

About the Author

J. Thomas has been researching pit bulls and dog behavior since 2000.

  • She was the volunteer Director of Legislative Affairs for Love-A-Bull, a nonprofit advocacy organization, from 2008 to 2010.
  • She took a course from the National Animal Control Association and was a member through 2008. 
  • She has volunteered at two local animal shelters, including advanced dog handling at one.
  • She was a member of Travis Agility Group before her agility-certified pit bull passed away.
  • She has assisted with training classes taught by a APDT-certified trainer.

Published articles and other things:

(I think if I was really interested in getting things published, this list would be longer. Thanks to those people who approached me and asked me for material.)

  • Author. “Counterpoint: BSL in Ohio.” NACA News, Sept/Oct 2006 Issue
  • Author. “Pigeons: A Human Ally.” Iowa Source, Dec.2005/Jan 2006
  • Author. “Pity the Pit Bull.” Iowa Source, August 2005

Education:

  • Master’s degree in Technical Communication from Texas State University, December 2007
  • BA in Plan II (Honors Liberal Arts) from the University of Texas, 2001