I sent a letter to CBS about David Letterman slamming pit bulls.  Not that I hope to get past the first level of their screening machine, but who knows?

December 17, 2009

Dear CBS,

Anytime David Letterman would like facts about dog attacks and the reasons for them, please ask him to feel free to contact me.  I am a volunteer with one of the primary organizations in Canada working with governments and municipalities on this issue and I have the research and the facts that clearly he does not.

I believe it is important for people like David, who have a huge television audience, to be a little more careful when expounding on subjects about which they have very little knowledge.  His minute and a half conversation on December 11 about Kyra Sedgwick’s dog will have profound consequences on public perception, on the rescue and rehabilitation efforts of hundreds of rescue groups across North America, and on the decisions made by lawmakers and politicians.

Perception is everything and it doesn’t help to have someone as well known and well liked as David Letterman spouting off about how dangerous these dogs are.  Because he saw it on TV?  He, of anyone, should know better than that.

Why is it that Oprah can have someone like Cesar Millan on her show and Ellen can interview Tia Torres from Villalobos Rescue Center, both of whom promote highly positive views of these dogs and yet David feels it’s necessary to publicly malign the most popular dog in North America?

Steve Barker
Head of Research
Dog Legislation Council of Canada
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