Breed Specific Legislation (BSL)

Pit Bulls are known worldwide for being inherently dangerous and extremely vicious, but according to the American Temperament Test Society, Inc. 86.8% of American Pit Bull Terriers have passed their temperament tests better than Collies, Golden Retrievers, and Beagles. Many people don’t know that the term “bully breed” refers to more than forty breeds that hail from the same root breed. The history of the Pit Bull goes back to about the nineteenth century, during that time they were used to protect livestock, families, and even children as nannies (the Canine Journal). Today Pit Bulls are used as therapy dogs, police dogs, and of course a simple companion. Many myths about pit bulls circulate, which scares society into believing that they are dangerous to us and our families the question of banning Pit Bulls has been hotly discussed around the world, but banning Pit Bulls will not stop illegal breeding, fighting and distribution of Pit Bulls, other dogs from biting, and the problem will grow. The question of whether or not Pit Bulls should be banned is a hot topic in recent society, but the real question is should Pit Bulls be punished for the actions of their owners, or should laws be enforced at a higher degree.

Attention grabber: Many places in the united states have enforced laws prohibiting pit-bull by the breed-discrimination legislation law.

When BSL is enacted in a community it gives the citizens a false sense of security. They believe that all the “dangerous” dogs are done away with. Breed-specific laws have a tendency to compromise rather than enhance public safety. When limited animal control resources are used to regulate or ban a certain breed of dog, without regard to behavior, the focus is shifted away from routine, effective enforcement of laws that have the best chance of making our communities safer: dog license laws, leash laws, animal fighting laws, anti-tethering laws, laws facilitating spaying and neutering and laws that require all owners to control their dogs, regardless of breed.

I grew up watching “Pit-Bulls and Parolees” on animal planet, watching and learning about dogs and the Pit Bull breed especially. After years of begging my parents to get a dog, the day finally came. We picked Jackson out from an online rescue center called “Saveabull”. My mom was interested in being an advocate for the breed, so she rescued Jackson to teach others they are not the monsters they are perceived to be on the media. My dad, on the other hand, was not too thrilled with the idea of having a Pit Bull in the house, but he warmed up to it quickly. We rescued Jackson when he was six months old with no information of his previous life and how he was rescued other than he was found on the streets. With this is mind my mom and I made sure

Pit bulls are the most misunderstood dog breeds in the world. When people hear the word pit bull they automatically think of dogs fighting and attacking. When people say "pit bull" they're usually referring to a range of breeds and, often, a mixed-breed dog. (Lawrence, C Louisville Magazine Feb 2007) People think they are a very dangerous breed of dog. Because of this, some areas do not allow pit bulls and breeds like them. Pit bulls are the leading culprit of dog bites in America, but on the other hand, they are the gentlest dogs people will ever meet. The National Canine Temperament Testing Association

Pit Bulls are among the top percentage of dog bites across the nation, but it partly due to the misrepresentation. Most handlers just see a similarity to a Pit Bull’s physical appearance and then the dog is classified as such. The media always misrepresents and wrongly accuses Pit Bulls, they are always quick to name the pit bull breed as the attacking dog. The government also does the same thing if a dog has similarities to a Pit Bull, then it is automatically classified as a Pit Bull even if it’s not correct. They don’t care about

The first reason why i think this pit bulls should not be allowed as pets is because they are dangerous and vicious. Representative Bruce Goodwin stated,” the pit bulls’ has the distinction or characteristic that, when they grab on, they do not let go.” Also the best dog choice for drug dealers and other bad people is a pit bull for a reason that they are vicious.

When I say I have a pit bull does that frighten you? For most people, it does, even though it shouldn’t. I feel the dog restrictions in Shullsburg are limiting the lifestyles for both specific dog breeds as well as their owners. Did you know that in a way pit bulls are not even a breed? There are seven different dog breeds that are classified as pits. My puppy, a terrier, lab, retriever, and pit bull mix, is both loving and affectionate, but because she is part pit bull many already have a bad image plastered in their heads without even meeting her. When uneducated people say bad things about pit bulls, it devastates me. My personal opinion to this topic may be different than yours; however, I’m just asking you to have an open-mind and take into consideration what I am saying. Maybe at the end, you will start to feel why I am so heartbroken by what people have said about this specific breed. When people stereotype a pit bull as “vicious” they are limiting the capabilities as well as opportunities for this breed. My dog has to be muzzled, on a four-foot leash and walked by someone 16 years of age or older. At the

Pit Bulls are wrongly accused and killed for false actions due to countless, untrue stereotypes created by the actions of humans. Pits have been treated as the outcast of dogs for years now and it has to stop. A numerous amount of innocent dogs are being killed for these false statements. Many states have already issued BSLs or Breed-Specific Laws against Pit Bulls, these laws often have no specification of the dog itself just if it resembles any of the physical characteristics of a Pit Bull.

Pit bulls have a lot of history. Pit bulls been bred for human companionship, and since the 1900s, they have been bred for conformation showing as well. Pit bulls have been used as farm dogs, family dogs, military mascots, and all-purpose companions. In England, the Staffie Bull is known as the “The Nanny Dog” or “The Children’s Nursemaid” because of their placid and nurturing demeanor toward children. They say “Regardless of how gentle your dog is, all dogs of any breed should never be left alone unsupervised with children”.Throughout their history in America, pit bull dogs have

Pit Bull is not actually a breed. “The legal definition of a pit bull is a class of dogs that includes the following breeds: American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, American bulldog and any other pure bred or mixed breed dog that is a combination of these dogs (DogsBite, Pit bull FAQ).” Even though these breeds may be classified

Breed generally targeted are: American Bulldog, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier, Cane Corso, Chow Chow, Doberman Pinscher, Dogo Argentina, German Shepherd Dog, Miniature Bull Terrier, "Pit bull" (please note that "pit bull" is not a breed of dog), Presa Canario, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Rottweiler, and wolf-hybrids.

“In the late 2014, Animals 24-7, a group that tracks shelter killings, estimated that of the 1.3 million shelter dogs projected for euthanasia in 2014, pit bulls accounted for 56%. This is true despite the fact that pit bulls only make up about 6% of the total U.S. dog population” (dogsbite.org). If someone were to walk into an animal shelter and see several pit bulls and walk in again a month later about half of them would be gone to lethal injection. Because people are scared of them, they are not properly cared for and eventually become to much to handle and thrown into a shelter. If a mother was to not care for her child, that child would eventually spaz out and do whatever it wants, which in most cases is what happens to pit bulls. Although there is a huge stereotype about pit bulls, they can actually be very well behaved and friendly if they are trained and cared for just like any other dog.

Maryland has laws on both rulings against just Pit Bulls and the concept of ‘dangerous dogs’. First we will focus primarily on Maryland’s law against Pit Bulls. Aaron C. Davis, a reporter for the Washington Post, states that “Maryland’s highest court ruled in March [of 2012] that pit bulls…are more dangerous than other breeds” (Davis). Even the media today is biased against Pit Bulls based on the immensely smaller number of media articles reported on non-Pit Bulls versus Pit Bulls. The ASPCA, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, shows that a “quantitative study by the National Canine Research Council of dog-bite reportage in a four-day period proves that anti-pit bull bias in the media is more than just a theory—it’s a fact” (ASPCA). Under Maryland law as well, there are specific rulings on what deems a dog as a ‘dangerous dog’. Stated in West’s Annotated Code of Maryland, “‘Dangerous dog’ means a dog that: (i) Without provocation has killed or inflicted severe injury on a person” (West). This could relay onto any breed of dog depending on the situation and environment. Because of the Maryland law on Pit Bulls, many Maryland families are facing distress.

The media treats pitbulls very unfair for example in the newspaper the media and the pitbull it states “ The media intentionally over reports incidents involving pitbulls while keeping silent on attacks commited by dogs with better reputation.” This isn't even close to fair to pitbulls. Imagine if there was a pitbull and it had a report just because the pitbull was chasing someone the media would dramatize it to make it look way worse than it actually was so people would think that pitbulls are vicious and that is why counties would ban them which isn’t fair. The part which is even worse is that they silence reports on dogs with a good reputation and that dog could have done something way worse.