Otis, a victim of the Fayette Pit Bull ban, was
  featured in an article on the "Stubby Dog"
website! To learn about Otis and his rescue from Fayette, go to
http://stubbydog.org/in-hiding

MISSION:

          ARFF MO's mission is to promote public safety through education about responsible pet care as an alternative to banning breeds of dogs. The organization focuses on education, legislation, and rescue to accomplish this mission. ARFF MO is a 501c3 "not for profit" organization.

VISION:

            ARFF MO envisions a safer community with no dog bites or attacks, fewer unwanted pets, and citizens having the freedom to own all breeds of dogs in the city limits.

ARFF MO believes that all dogs have the potential to bite, and to focus on one breed of dog will not keep a community safe. Dog problems are usually problems with irresponsible owners and are not limited to the breed of the dog.  To single out a specific breed as dangerous or vicious removes the responsibility from the dog owner, which is where it belongs.  It also severely punishes those dog owners that are responsible, due to the actions of an irresponsible few.

ARFF MO focuses on anti-chaining, spaying/neutering, anti-dog fighting, and training issues to carry out it's mission and achieve it's goals. Community input into ways to solve animal problems is welcomed.

ARFF MO would like to see Fayette become a "model" dog community where a common sense approach to pet problems is applied.  Calgary, Ontario enacted a Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw in 2006, which holds owners responsible for their dog's behavior. Though their population has had steady growth, attacks by aggressive dogs are the lowest they have been in 25 years. Calgary is seen as a dog friendly community that works together to do things right. Calgary is an example of what a community can accomplish when it is diligent about safety instead of reactionary in regard to the dog ordinances it passes.

Dog bites reported to the Health Department in Fayette have TRIPLED since the Pit Bull ban was put into effect on Feb 17th, 2009.  The 2007, 2008, and 2009 data obtained from the Fayette Health Department shows that all dog bites before the ban was placed into law were from dogs other than Pit Bull type dogs. Data obtained from the Fayette Health Dept. continues with the trend that dog bites to citizens have increased after the ban was put into place.

How irresponsible is it for lawmakers to pass laws take away our freedom and kill our family pets, and then not care enough to check on the number of dog bites in the community after passage of the law? How about checking BEFORE the law is passed, too? As has been proven time and again in numerous cities and data, Pit Bull bans do not keep citizens safe from vicious dogs as all dogs have the potential to bite. As in most things in life, quick fixes to complicated problems do not work. ARFF MO believes that it is a crime that thousands of innocent dogs are killed every year based on their looks, not their actions. If you believe this too, come join our team! Ban the deed, not the breed!

ARFF MO HAS NO AFFILIATION WITH PAWS OR THE FAYETTE DOG POUND

Baby boy Oliver with one of the puppies from Fayette that was  rescued from "Death Row" due to the Pit Bull ban. This cute little "red-nosed"
puppy was named "Jan" after one of the City Council women that voted for all "Pit Bull" type dogs to die if not
"grandfathered" 
in after the ban was passed in 2009. Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) is  just another form of animal cruelty that is perpetrated on many innocent dogs by legislators. BSL kills baby dogs, too.