BOSTON – Massachusetts lawmakers are set to vote Thursday on a bill that would change how the state evaluates a family’s dogs when making decisions about whether they are fit to foster or adopt children.
The legislation before the Senate would have the Department of Children and Families look at veterinary records and a pet’s behavioral history instead of judging the dog based off its breed .
“Currently, a family who is thinking of adopting cannot do so if they own breeds including Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, German Shepherds, or a dog which mixes at least two of these three breeds,” Senate President Karen Spilka’s office said in a statement.
About 3 in 10 Massachusetts households have a dog, according to 2021 Census data cited by Spilka.
Dog breeds and behavior
Supporters of the bill point to research that says a dog’s breed has little to do with how it will behave. A 2022 study out of Massachusetts found that breeds do not predict how affectionate a dog is or how quick it might be to anger.