Essay About 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

“If somebody is too stupid to understand the fundamental immorality of dog fighting, you’re never going to be able to explain it to him” (Kevin Hench). Most people think that pit bulls have locking jaws. This is false however; no dog breed in the whole world has locking jaws. Dogs are not always aggressive how they are raised and trained determines the behavior of a dog. Dogs have tendencies to be aggressive only if not trained properly. The discrimination against pit bulls is wrong and uncalled for. Pit bulls are not the only culprits of attacks and death to humans. Dog fighting and stray pits are the fault of the people who own them. It is man kind’s job to take care of and be responsible for their dogs. Why should the dogs be punished

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

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

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

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.

Dogs are what their owners make of them, they are shere products of their environments and feed off of how their owners treat them. For example, in America pit bulls, over the years have been portrayed as harmful or aggressive. These views have lead to manying uncompassionate acts towards this lost breed. Such as, selling the dogs for drugs to people who could care less about them to forcing pitbulls in harmful dog fights. In America’s society today some often view pitbulls as just a way of breeding dogs. This means that they essentially are not taking part in what it actually means to have a pet. People are suppose to provide, feed, care, and love their dogs and in some cases that’s not their important objective. The underlying issue that

An intense debate follows when the word Pitbull is mentioned. Pit Bulls do not have naturally, dangerous characteristics, yet they are still negatively perceived by people believing they are all aggressive dogs and dangerous to the public. The banning of Pit Bulls has caused the establishments of anti-Pit Bull banning organizations. Moreover, laws that ban this precious breed of dog creates illusions, but not the reality of public safety, which is why Pit Bulls should not be banned anywhere and must be allowed to live in any residential area with their owners.

ii. According to the Pit Bull Rescue Central web site, pit bulls have never been bred for human aggression. In fact, Pit Bulls were bred to be loyal, tolerant, and loving toward people, especially children.(Pit Bull Rescue Central website, accessed April 4, 2012)

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

Breed-specific legislation is not as functional or as useful as it was intended to be. According to Fred Kray of StopBSL.com, “Breed specific legislation (BSL) is a law that bans OR restricts certain types of dogs based on their appearance, usually because they are perceived as ‘dangerous’ breeds or types of dogs”. These restrictions include total exclusion of certain breeds from individual cities, muzzle requirements for dogs in public, the requirement of purchasing liability insurance for dog bites or even the requirement of placing a “vicious dog” tag on the dog’s collar just to name a few. BSL causes the bully breeds (breeds considered dangerous and most importantly, have a Pitbull terrier appearance) to become more dangerous, leads to the discrimination of individual breeds, and causes Pitbulls to be put down when surrendered to shelters instead of being adopted into loving homes.

Best Friends opposes breed-discriminatory legislation (also called breed-specific legislation, BSL), which arbitrarily targets particular breeds. Breed-discriminatory laws are not only ineffective at improving community safety, they are extremely expensive to enforce and deplete needed resources from animal control. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (click above for direct link) A CDC study on fatal dog bites lists the breeds involved in fatal attacks over 20 years (Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998). It does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic. Each year, 4.7

Over 700 U.S. cities have breed specific laws, regulations, and ordnances already in place. These laws ruin lives. These laws kill innocent dogs. Thirty cities in my home state of Arkansas some have implemented laws that stress discriminate of bully breeds, bully types and bully looking dogs. These laws are strictly on pit bulls.(1)