Breed Specific Legislation

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.

When you mention the words Pit Bull, many times people immediately begin talking about the statistics of them attacking other people as well as other dogs. A survey was conducted in 2009 of attack percentages of Pit Bulls compared to other breeds such as Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and Chows. Among this survey, the Pit Bull breed scored the lowest with a 0.00125 and the highest being the Rottweiler with a score of 0.00433 (https://defendpitbulls.com/pit-bull-attack-statistics/). On the website Dogsbite.org, it states that Pit-Bulls are the leading culprit in dog attacks, this is just a broad statistic which does not adequately explain whether these attacks were of

In over 700 cities across the U.S. the pit bull has been outlawed, such as the city of Denver, where the Pit Bull has been vilified since 1989. Many other major cities across the United States have also fallen into the banning of breed specific dogs such as Miami, Fl, New York City, and Seattle. Every military installation across the country also prohibits Pit Bulls and strictly enforces these laws. In cities where the Pit Bull isn’t outlawed there are usually still strict regulations to owning a pit bull such as liability insurance, sterilizations, and extreme measures of containment to keep these dogs from escaping their homes. Per the American Temperance Testing Society (ATTS) “Among all of the breeds ATTS tested – over 30,000 dogs through May 2011, 83 percent passed the test. How did Pit Bulls do? They showed an above average temperament, with 86 percent making the grade.” In conjunction with the ATTS, the American Veterinary Medicine Association also states that “controlled studies have not identified this breed group as disproportionately dangerous.” Much like many other natural laws such as Darwin’s Law of Evolution and Murphy’s Law ,the debate of Nature vs. Nurture should also be brought into account when talking about dog breeds and their “innate ability of aggression” because while it is true that every dog have certain characteristics and personality traits, it’s a strong accusation to say that Rex the Pit Bull is more prone to biting or injuring someone more so than Trixie the Toy Poodle. Either one of those dogs can be raised by their respective owners to have very different personalities and Trixie is just as capable of biting someone as Rex. A common place for misconception is that breeds like the Pit Bull are a popular choice for criminals and criminal activity such as

The main reason pit bulls attack is because they are mentally unstable, a mixed breed and show overbearing traits, or because they are mistreated by their owners. The public must understand that the three “pit bull breeds were bred for dog fighting and bear and bull-baiting” (PBRC). On the other hand, they were also kept as “nanny dogs” and used for herding cattle. “Pit bulls are ideal for therapy work because of their pleasant nature” (PBRC). These are three of the most stable breeds known to man. They have a very high temperament test score, 86% as of 2010, a lot higher than most breeds. “The American Pit Bull Terrier is one of the top 5 most stable breeds in the country” (PBRC). Anyone can see that this is an excellent breed of dog. There are a few things that people should know though. “Pit bulls have a lower Tolerance to dogs, but with any breed, a dog’s tolerance changes as they mature” (PBRC). “Maturity can come late with pit bull breeds” (Villalobos Rescue Center). The reason for this low tolerance is because of their history of dog fighting. It has been bred into them to have the will to fight. Pit bulls usually do not start a fight most of the time, but they will not back down or give up. Due to this, owners must be cautious and attentive.

BSL fails at make communities safer from dog bites and attacks. There has been no conclusive data that even suggest that BSL has prevented dog bites or attacks. An Australian study conducted in 2006 entitled, Breed-specific Legislation and the Pit Bull Terrier: Are the laws justified?, concluded that the data collected in the United States to support the theory that pit bulls posed a unique danger to the public is flawed by methodological shortcomings (Breed). What this means is that the statistics of dog bites in the U.S. are inaccurate and flawed. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has reported that it is impossible to

206). Further research shows that Pit Bulls aren’t the most dangerous breed of dog. They are ranked higher for their tolerance than they are for their aggression (Baldwin, S. 2016). No matter what real facts and statistics say, Pit Bulls are still being discriminated against and banned all around the world. As the years, have gone on, it has been harder and harder to own a Pit Bull. Many neighborhood or apartment complexes won’t allow you to live in their facilities if you own a Pit Bull or anything that remotely looks like a Pit Bull. If that isn’t enough, most insurance agencies won’t cover you, your family or your home if you own a Pit Bull (ReidHead, J, L 2017). Because of all these regulations and limitation when owning a Pt Bull, owners and Pit Bull advocates are working harder to push their point that it’s the owner that makes the dog. With proper training and responsible owners Pit Bulls are not a threat or a danger to society. Pit Bulls are no more dangerous than any dog breed with they are trained and raised responsibly. In this paper, I be explaining how irresponsible Pit Bull owners are the cause of Pit Bulls aggression towards people and other animals by explaining the history of the breed, Pit Bulls involvement in dog fighting, gang violence and true statistics surrounding the breed. To solve this problem, I recommend that all future and

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

Another reason why i think this is because pit bulls injure people in major ways. According to the article

Pit bulls are one of the most popular breeds of canines. A descendant of the original English bull-baiting dog, which was bred to bite and hold bulls and other large animals around the face and head, pit bulls were regarded as guardians of both property and livestock(ASPCA). Pit bulls are powerful and strong physically, but they are the best guard dogs. These pit bulls are like a ball of energy but sweet and loyal dogs, which is why they are the perfect family dogs to have in the right homes. A dog’s temperament,

After the 1900s, people started treating pit bulls progressively worse. The media started over exaggerating pit bull “attacks”, not stating in the reports that almost always the dog was being abused and finally attacked to defend themselves. In reality, any dog can cause damage to a human if they’re upset enough. Although pit bulls are more likely to bite and hold, other than bite and release then attack several other times, they do not have special “locking jaws”. If a pit bull bites you, you can still remove the dog if needed. All dogs bite, and all dogs will protect themselves. Does this make all dogs vicious? No.What you should be worried about is protecting these animals from the cruel treatment they’re still receiving.

Specific Purpose Statement: To invite my audience to explore the advantages, disadvantages, and the alternatives associated with breed specific legislation.

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.

Imagine you are a proud dog owner, having adopted a puppy from a local rescue not knowing what breed your new “bundle of joy” is. As your puppy turns into an adult, it becomes obvious that your dog is a mix or full-bred American Pit Bull Terrier. You run into trouble moving into certain communities, ranging from neighborhoods with homeowners associations to apartment complexes. Even your insurance company is placing regulations and additional fees on you based solely on the breed of your dog. If you are living in a town that places a law forbidding your dog’s breed following a high profile dog bite case, you face the problem of having to move or the possibility for your dog to be seized and possibly euthanized.

These changes in legislation are growing due to increased amounts of incidents; however, the author does not state if he is appeased by these laws being put into place, or that he is just stating the facts that such legislation does exist due to known problems caused by this breed. One piece of evidence that the author brings up the fact that some cities are attempting to ban these dogs only because they cause a decrease in tourists due to their “vicious appearance” (Valish). People tend to get nervous around scary looking dogs, but a city so reliant on tourist money should not stoop so low as to banning them so families can enjoy the town. There are already so many different laws put into place when it comes to dealing with Pit Bulls. Both Breed-Specific Legislation and Holland's articles discussed how ineffective this is is, it is more costly than it is effective. “Breed on its own is not an effective indicator or predictor of aggression in dogs” (Australian Sheep