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On December 5, 2011, Cumberland County Animal Control Board in North Carolina presented a proposal that would automatically register all bully breeds under a new breed ban. Dogs like Akitas, Huskies, Mastiffs, Pitbulls, Great Danes, German Shepherds, Chow Chows, Rottweiler and Dobermans will be held at local shelters for only 72 hours. After this, they are killed….if not sooner. The dogs will never be given a chance to be adopted out, according to Compass.org.

Omaha Examiner reports that, "“If the dog is an owner turn-in, he will be killed the second he walks into the back.”

So many people became upset over this throughout the nation that Christine Salek of Ohio started a petition through Change.org, which would result in over 60,000 signatures. Once Cumberland County received the signatures, they pulled the proposal off the board and worked on a more humane solution that would allow the dogs to be adopted.

I was so surprised at the response to the petition!" Christine now says. "When I created it, it was just as a knee-jerk response to seeing the initial report on the proposal... Even though I'm out here in Iowa, I felt it was a problem that everyone needed to hear about." (unir1radio)

Some of the Change.com comments to pull the county's ban were,

• Breeds aren't dangerous, it's the owners
• I am the proud owner of 7 rescued dogs: all are shepard, chow mixes and one PB rottie. All the mixes were abondoned or found on the streets and had many medical and emotional problems...all have overcome these issues with lots of love and patience. The rottie was purchased before the rescues were found; she loves and licks everone she meets. It is rather embarrasing! Don't punish the breed! Punish the people!!
• Ban breeders and puppymill owners...this ban on certain dog breeds is bigoted and ignorant!
• It is ridiculous to ban breeds of dogs when any dog is equally likely to be "dangerous" with the wrong owner. Maybe they should pass a law prohibiting irresponsible people from having dogs! I work at a shelter that deals almost entirely with pit bulls and they can be the greatest dogs (I also adopted one). I have seen more little dogs that were safety concerns than any dog on this proposed prohibited list.

Comments like those above and actions taken on Change.org are facts that something is going on around the world. People used to sit back and ignore what was going on around them, even if they felt strongly about it. Now…on a daily basis people are taking a stand on issues. These can be local, state and national, and they are making a difference in the world.