Pit Bull Liability Research

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

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

MAIN IDEA #2: One of the biggest preconceived notions about the pit bull is that they are the most dangerous dogs in the world that run around wild-eyed and blood thirsty. They have been improperly labeled as vicious creatures that are incapable of love 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 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.

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.

For the past several decades people have been in fear of pit bulls, because they appear to be the most dangerous dog. As a result, every breed of pit bull nation wide is getting banned. First of all, pit bulls do not have the strongest jaw, in fact compared to Rottweilers and German Shepherds the pit bull was the weakest at 235 psi (“Why Pitbulls Should Not be Banned”). Secondly, people have this thought stuck in their head that pit bulls attack more frequently than any other dog. However with proper training these seemingly fearsome dogs are all of a sudden the best family pet (Enos). Pit bulls by nature like any other dog breed are not inherently

Pit bulls are responsible for the majority of fatal dog attacks, according to DogsBite.org, 71% of fatal dog attacks are from pit bulls, 7 times more than the next closest dog breed.

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.

Owning a pit bull in today’s day and age has one of two reactions: Either the person loves them or is terrified of them. There are so many myths about Pit Bulls and they are just that. Myths. Some of the myths that surround pit bulls are that they have “lock jaw” and they have a killer instinct that does not stop at just killing other animals. Pit bull advocates, such as myself, know that Pit Bulls have always been known as the “nanny dog” throughout history because of how much they love children and their loyalty to their families. Mean or vicious dogs come from ignorant, irresponsible owners. The bottom line is that not all pit bulls are bad.

The pit bull population continues to grow and so does the human fatalities from pit bulls grow with it.The Center for Disease and Prevention did a study of fatal attacks by breed, 1991 to 1998 the pit bulls entire breed was responsible for 1% of human fatalities, 2005 to 2012 hat rate rose to 4% (Lynn, 2013). With the percentage of pit bull attacks on the rise states have decided to take action introduce new restrictions on pit bulls in attempt to lower the death rate. Springfield, Missouri implemented the ordinance in 2006, since then the pit bull attacks went from 34 cases in 2005 to 16 cases in 2016 (Landis, 2017). Missouri was setting an example for other states to implicate restrictions. Beaufort county, South Carolina acted in 2016 with a pit bull ban requires all pit bulls to be said and neutered, the 400 most recently spayed dogs were female (Montag, 2014). With these 400 females thousands of pit bull puppets have been prevented from being born, this will help lower the pit bull