Where we're the Boston politicians when this was passing through the state legislature. As they pass so many things that we as Boston residents have to deal with even though we take the time to get our two minutes at city council hearings that only the chair of that committee is still around to pretend to listen. The time to influence Gov. Patrick has passed it was on his desk for over a week. They should be apologizing to the city for their lack of effort to get the bill vetoed. It truly shows the lack of experience this City Council has in regards to legislation. Government is more than ribbon cutting and photo ops. Laws and decisions affect people and if our politicians are not engaged in governing than bad laws get passed. The mayor has three people around his golf cart in City Hall plaza yet doesn't employ anyone as a liaison to know what laws are being passed on Beacon Hill til it's too late. That is his fault and he should be embarrassed .

I have discussed this issue a lot with Councilor Consalvo in the past. And while I respect his opinion, I have to disagree. I believe that pit bulls are very strong dogs and when not properly trained or supervised they can, like any dog, cause problems. Unfortunately, their jaws, thus bites are much stronger (they are named after being pit against actual bulls) - hence causing more damage. But I think this is an issue of responsible pet ownership. The people who followed the Boston pit bull law are good owners, and the people who don't are the ones whose dogs are going to most likely cause problems. I also think the Boston law did not have teeth behind it. There aren't enough Boston Animal Control personnel to enforce it (we don't need more Animal Control personnel either). I don't think we should have breed specific legislation, it has not been proven to work in other places either.

Would this also mean pit bull owners no longer have to pay $50 for a dog license and would only need to pay the cost other owners pay - $6 if spayed/neutered or $17 if not?
http://www.cityofboston.gov/animalcontrol/regulations/dogapplication.asp

The fees would be $6.00 spay/neutered and $17.00 intact male/female in Boston for licensing your dog. The pit bull fees no longer apply, according to the Mayor's Press Office.

I live in the South End and have never seen a pitbull being walked with a muzzle. Why so upset about invalidation of a law that is not enforced or obeyed? Also, pitbull bite strength is less than other breeds (http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/Fear%20versus%20fact_1.pdf) so, if bite strength is the concern, then GSDs and Rotties should also be subject to the muzzle law. Or, perhaps the city could start testing the bite strength of each dog during license application and require muzzles for individuals with a bite above a certain threshold. Sounds kind of ridiculous, doesn't it?

I am glad to see the state law banning BSL go into effect.

It's not the dog... it's the owner. It's about time!

BSL is a crock and should never have been enacted anywhere. Time to look hard at the quality of those we vote into office.

Massachusetts is the 13th state to enact such legislation that outlaws Breed Specific Legislation. Boston isn't concerned about keeping people any safer, as if they were, they would have this law for all breeds. They can still implement such a law, so why not do that if they are truly concerned. I believe that if you have a dog that is prone to causing harm ,you should muzzle it anyway. That's what responsible dog owners do, but as we know, many people aren't responsible. I agree that BSL should be outlawed, and if Boston is so concerned, they should implement a muzzle law on all dogs, or do a better job about catching irresponsible people, educating their people, and severely punishing those with vicious dogs that cause harm. Instill laws like higher fees for breeders and for people that choose not to spay their pets, because 97% of all vicious attacks comes from unaltered males. Targeting a specific breed of dogs is nonsense, and has never solved the dog bite dilemma.

Walking a dog with a leash and collar - barbaric. Walking around with a bag full of dog crap - subhuman.

If you have a dog ,you should have the space for him to run free, and not be tied down, not left for hours in a 4room condo and or house.
On the other hand if you are out in public I agree that he should be leashed and yes I also believe you should pick up any mess that they make.
Why should others have to take care of messes,or be cautious if a dog is off leash!

I'm glad to see this ban is no longer going to be in effect. Just like any breed their personalities reflect their owners so any dog could be aggressive. Instead we should muzzle bad dog owners

Check this out... http://www.beyondthemythmovie.com/
Open your mind. Learn more about pit bulls.