Dog Breed Discrimination

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.

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.

The media portrays Pit Bulls as innately aggressive and dangerous due to their past with dog fights. There are banns all around the world on people owning Pit Bulls, and restricting them on what they can and can’t do with their dog. For example, recently in Montreal Canada, Pit Bulls were banned and ordered to be surrendered, euthanized or have very strict limitations on their freedoms outside their homes (Malboeuf, M 2016). Pit Bulls in the media can go back a long time, but they didn’t become such a target for BSL until football star Michael Vick was convicted and charged with animal abuse, slaughter and illegal dog fighting (Animal Legal Defense Fund 2010). BSL is an acronym for breed specific legislation which is a law that bans or restricts certain types of breeds based on their appearance, usually because they are perceived as dangerous breeds of

Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character” (King, 1963). As members of the millennial generation, we are taught that it is unacceptable to judge people by the way one looks, dresses, or talks. So why is it excusable for you to judge my four-legged companion based on the way she looks, the way she is built, or the way her bark sounds?

Sergeant Stubby is known as the most decorated war dog to have served the military in 17 battles. He would carry messages under fire warn troops of a gas attack and even caught a German spy. Pit Bulls were loved by everyone, it was the dog everyone wanted to have. So much in fact that they were used as our mascot in many WWI advertisement posters. But now with all the negative media on the breed it’s causing a stir in the housing community. Some city’s like Colorado have Pit Bull owners register them. (Colorado newspaper, 2006) "My address is published--now people can get my dog or my children," Cindi Gilhousen told the News. "They 're treating us like we 're criminals. Nobody 's ever taken the time to meet these animals." They are not giving these animals fair representation, it doesn’t matter if the dog hasn’t done anything to anyone you must still register them with the city for everyone to know that you own a Pit Bull.

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,

Many American households own a pet, but their pets may have originated from a cruel background. Especially dogs, for many of them stem from one of the ten thousand puppy mills located across the United States. Puppy mills are large commercial breeding facilities that specializes in maximizing profit over the welfare and conditions of the animals. Animals live in unsustainable conditions which they are provided with the minimum amount of food, water, exercise, shelter, protection, and veterinary care; yet, these animals are forced to continue breeding for the sake of providing beautiful pets for our own personal expenses. The government should step in to advance regulations and inspections of large commercial breeding facilities because old rules no longer fit the current time anymore. For us to take home a new healthy family member, we should all know it comes from a safe place.

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

Today, the United States of America is hardly “United”. Divisions between race, religion and breed has left the country scrambling for answers. The answers themselves, are not always the right ones. Breed Specific Legislation are laws enacted in states and countries across the world that place bans and restrictions on certain breeds including Rottweilers, Boxers, and Pit Bulls. Several of these dogs are euthanized and ripped out of their homes if their owners do not fill out the right paperwork, with no reason other than their the dog's’ bloodline.These laws, are not only discriminatory against the breed, but built in fear of the unknown mind of the dogs themselves. Breed Specific Legislation should not be enacted because

In some cities, pit bulls are illegal to own, and this isn’t fair because Pit Bulls are a good breed of dog, as long as they are treated okay. For example, lets say you own a Husky; you won’t be told by the city that you can’t own that dog, but lets say you own a pit bull. It becomes the other way around. Depending on the city, you won’t be allowed to have your dog. Lets say someone raises a Dalmatian. If they abuse it, or make it fight, that dog will be vicious to anyone just like any other breed of dog would. If you raise the Dalmatian right, and don’t abuse it or make it fight, you will end up with a very loving and very friendly dog. It’s the same way for Pit bulls. Some people have made mistakes and in turn ruined it for pit

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to petition against Maryland’s law to identify “Pit Bulls” as a dangerous breed of dog.

Why does Denver think that discriminating against specific breeds of dogs is any better? Singling out these specific breeds of dogs does not prevent the wrong people from owning them regardless of the law. If you look at both of the shelters in Denver, the Denver Dumb Friends League and the Denver Municipal Animal Shelter, there are still “Pit Bulls” being picked up as strays running the streets, and “Pit Bulls” being removed from their homes because their owners would not comply with the statute, obviously something is not working! There are rules about gun control and who can own them and who cannot, but that does not prevent lawbreakers from having a gun, why would we believe that telling these same people they cannot own a dangerous breed of dog is really not going prevent them from owning one. When you tell someone they are not allowed to have a beloved member of their family they end up breaking the laws and hiding their dog, this causes their dog to become unsocial and yes even possibly aggressive. The government has rules in place so that responsible gun owners can register and comply with the rules placed for their protection, why are dog owners not given the same rights as other citizens of Denver? Breed Specific Legislation is unfair and unjust to all dog lovers