SAN FRANCISCO — At a time when well-tended American dogs get braces for their teeth and antidepressants for anxiety, it may come as no surprise that a powerful political constituency has developed around a species once known mainly for chasing tennis balls in the back yard.

Certainly, the National Park Service would not dispute the rise of canine power. Park police were called in to keep the peace when nearly 500 people jammed outside a packed hearing room here two months ago, banging on windows and chanting, "No leashes! No leashes!"

"We had the parents of two small children there, who wanted to testify in favor of keeping dogs on leash, and the atmosphere was so hostile that they had to be escorted out by police for their own safety," said Rich Weideman, a spokesman for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, where officials are considering ways to curb people who flout the law by letting their dogs run free in the world's largest urban national park.

More than ever, people view their dogs as family. And it is not just San Francisco where debates over dogs have taken center stage. The anthropomorphizing of four-legged creatures has come to city halls, courtrooms and state legislatures across the country.

With dog rights have come dog crime and justice similar to that of bipeds, with critics arguing that new city ordinances banning certain breeds are the equivalent of racial profiling of dogs.

But even some of the most public animal lovers are questioning whether pet sentiment has gotten out of hand.

"Somebody offered a $25,000 reward for information on kidnapping of a child, and at the same time there was a reward of nearly twice that amount to find the killer of a dog," said Ed Sayres, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in San Francisco. "As someone who advocates for humane treatment of animals, I have serious questions over what that says about our culture."

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Adrianne Lefkowitz, who is fighting a pit bull ban in Baltimore, says "breed profiling" will not make people safer.

"My dog is my family member, my dog sleeps in bed with me, my dog is my therapy," said Lefkowitz, who has an American Staffordshire terrier named Zuzu. "And when people tell me my dog is dangerous because it has a fat head and a big body, that's unfair."

Man's best friend, praised for its ability to provide companionship and protection, will also bite about 4.7 million Americans every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Clearly, dogs are assuming more importance in people's lives, in many cases taking the place of family," said Dr. Gail Golab, who works for the American Veterinary Medical Association. "The fact that people are paying more attention to them, that's a good thing. But when they equate their dogs' needs with their own needs, that's not so good."

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