FDAFB Founder in the News
May 1, 2019
New law ends breed-wide dog bans without exemption
KIRO, by Essex Porter
Ellen Taft testified against the legislation. She and her daughter have been attacked by dogs. “In many of the municipalities where there are restrictions or outright bans on pit bulls, there are rural communities that have had trouble with dogfighting and it is easier to ban fighting breeds than it is to keep track of clandestine dogfighting.” Instead of blanket bans, cities can instead require that dogs be tested for good temperament…
December 30, 2016
Ellen Taft, Seattle’s Dogged Dog Watchdog, Calls for a Boycott to Protest Unlicensed Pets
Seattle Weekly, by Daniel Person
Ellen Taft, the dogged dog watchdog who in the past has called for a ban on pit bulls and blown the whistle on pet-friendly restaurants, is now calling for a boycott on all Seattle licenses to protest the lack of enforcement on unlicensed pets in the city. Noting widely cited figures that only about 20 percent of dogs in Seattle are licensed, Taft argues that it makes no sense for anyone…
December 15, 2016
Off-leash dog parks: Will Seattle go to the dogs?
My Northwest, by Dyer Oxley
The city council will eventually have to decide whether or not to unleash Seattle’s parks. And creating more off-leash dog parks doesn’t sit well with some in town. “In 1995, when off-leash areas were set up, there was an implicit agreement that if dog owners had off-leash areas there would no longer be dogs running free in the parks,” Ellen Taft said at a council committee meeting on parks Thursday morning. The council is considering recommendations for the future of off-leash dog parks in the city.
September 20, 2016
Backlash mounts to Seattle’s off leash dog parks plan
Komo News, by Joel Moreno
As the city looks to review its dog park facilities some residents are calling for people-only parks where pets aren’t allowed. The new proposal is giving pause to Seattle’s pet friendly reputation. It’s being pushed by Ellen Taft of the group “Citizens for the Protection of Volunteer Park.” Taft also wants the city to reduce the number of licensed dogs from three to one per household, as well as banning any unlicensed pets…
September 3, 2014
Witness tells how he ‘socked,’ threw off pit bulls attacking Seattle woman
Q13 Fox, by James Lynch
Ellen Taft founded Families and Dogs against Fighting Breeds. She’s also written legislation she believes would protect the public from pit bulls and other fighting dogs if it were enacted. She believes something has to be done to control or, at the very least, manage the breed. “I do not go anywhere near a pit bull. The breed itself is inherently dangerous because it was bred, artificially, for fighting,”…
January 16, 2014
Dog-bite victims speak out against bill to end breed discrimination
The Seattle Times, by Ashley Stewart
Ellen Taft, attacked by two dogs in the late 1980s, has a different view of the issue. While any dog can bite, she said in an interview, not every dog can break bones. She has been advocating against pit bulls since she was attacked. Taft was part of a citizen’s initiative to heavily restrict ownership of fighting breeds, which include pit bulls, bull terriers and other breeds. Appleton said breed-specific laws are…