Legislation
Current Breed Specific Legislation
"Legislation is due, laws are in order, and the situation is out of hand. Let's be sure of our focus. Laws are for humans, not for animals who have no say about the captive environment they must endure."
"There is no scientific proof that genetics cause a breed of dog to be agressive, vicious, or dangerous."
Do Pit Bull haters...
really think that after banning the breed all the criminals who use these dogs as weapons will own Basset Hounds instead? And if they did, how long do you think it would take before Basset Hounds start making the news? A breed ban will only remove Pit Bulls from good people's home and leave them in the hands of animal abusers who couldn't care less about the law... Better think twice before supporting such measures...
Banning Pit Bulls would be like banning cars because people get killed in car accidents! Who's responsible, the car or the driver/manufacturer? All cars can be deadly in the wrong hands or if built with defective parts. Same thing with dogs... Pit Bulls are no more responsible for the way they are bred, raised and trained, than cars are responsible for the way they are designed, built and driven. Simply put, the best argument against breed bans is that they are costly and ineffective. Breed bans are often a knee-jerk reaction from politicians who want to say they are "doing something"after a highly publicized dog attack (of any breed). This is a useless exercise.
Criminals habitually break laws, so having an "illegal breed" may indeed be attractive to them and might make them want to breed and sell more"illegal dogs". If their dog is confiscated and killed, they really don't care. They will just get another one because breed bans punish the dog, not the owner. On the other hand, law abiding responsible owners, whose dogs love people and have never done anything wrong, can have their homes invaded, often without a search warrant, and their beloved family members dragged away (in front of their children) to be killed. Not because the dogs are unstable or mean, but simply because of their breed. Meanwhile, the owners of truly dangerous dogs (of any breed) escape punishment because their breed is not targeted by legislation and therefore is believed "safe".
A 10 lb. Pomeranian killed a baby last year... Obviously a problem with that particular dog, not the breed. "The baby's uncle left the infant and the dog on a bed while the uncle prepared her bottle in the kitchen. Upon his return, the dog was mauling the baby, who died shortly afterwards. ("Baby Girl Killed by Family Dog," Los Angeles Times, Monday, October 9, 2000, Home Edition, Metro Section, Page B-5.)" Because of a serious lack of regulation in dog breeding, too many dogs inherit defective genes and are sold to irresponsible owners.
A breed ban will not resolve the problem. This non sense will continue with the next macho breed and will become an endless race between breed specific legislators and unscrupulous breeders. What kind of message are we telling abusive and irresponsible individuals when we make the dogs pay the price for their action? Here are some facts to consider:
"Pit bulls" are not a breed, but a "type"that encompasses several registered breeds and crossbreeds from way back to make the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Bull Terrier of today. Therefore, statistics that claim "Pit bulls" are responsible for some percentage of attacks are lumping many separate breeds together, then comparing that to other dogs that are counted as individual breeds. Breed identification is left up to victim and witness testimony,and is often wrong. Due to negative press, biting dogs of almost ANY breed have been called "Pit Bulls".
A group of laws that bans particular breeds, usually Pit Bulls (a type of dog, not a breed) and sometimes Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Akitas, Dobermans, Chow Chows, and a few others. These laws are usually passed after several attacks by a particular breed so that city councils can assure citizens they are doing something about a voter concern.
But breed bans don't work. They target all dogs of a breed -- the innocent as well as the guilty, are difficult to enforce, and do not end the use of guardian dogs by criminals. If Pit Bulls in their various incarnations are banned, drug dealers and other felons switch to another breed or mix. In the meantime, the ill - tempered terrier mix that bites the hand that feeds it and the poorly - bred purebred that attacks the neighborhood children pose a far greater danger to people than the obedience - trained American Staffordshire Terrier or American Pit Bull Terrer that is a registered therapy dog but cannot step foot inside the city.
Far better than breed - specific bans are strict laws to control aggressive dogs of any breed or mix. Known as generic vicious dog laws, they put restrictions on the ownership of dogs that pose a danger to people, restrictions such as confinement in locked, escape - proof kennels while outdoors on the owner's property, muzzles when the dog is off the property, and purchase of a liability insurance policy.
Breed Specific Ordinances are quick fixes and not a sufficient long term solution for the following reasons:
* Dog problems are generally problems with owner responsibility and are not limited to breeds. When breeds are singled out as dangerous or vicious, responsibility is removed from the dog owner which is where it belongs. Irresponsible people are also less likely to follow the law - and as a result, everyone has to suffer.
* By limiting the ability of citizens to own certain breeds, responsible law abiding citizens will shy away from those breeds. These are the types of owners that communities need to encourage, not drive away.
* Communities that have instituted such bans often find that the irresponsible owners and the criminals who use dogs for illegal purposes simply switch to another breed.
* Breeds and mixes are hard to identify and often dogs are mislabeled and destroyed based on paranoia and prejudice and also punishes those that are good canine citizens. Many breeds function as assistance dogs for handicapped owners, search and rescue, drug - sniffing, police, etc. and this drives them out of the community.
** The American Veterinary Medical Association and several state veterinary medical associations oppose breed - specific legislation for just this reason.
* The dog most restricted is the Pit Bull.
* Passage of laws that are only enforced through complaints cause two problems:
** They create disrespect for the law if authorities require compliance only upon complaint.
** They provide ammunition for neighborhood feuds.
Suggested alternatives to Breed Bans include:
* Stronger enforcement of existing dangerous dog laws. If they are not already in place, lobby for protection from untrained and unsupervised dogs of any breed or mix. This is a broad - based effort that protects all citizens as any dog can bite and be a nuisance when owned by an irresponsible owner. Those who would deliberately train a dog to act aggressively towards people or other animals, or to use dogs in the commission of a felony or misdemeanor should face additional penalties.
* Encourage local animal rescue and welfare agencies to provide responsible dog ownership seminars and canine safety education. The American Kennel Club has a free education program created for elementary school children.
* Protect the rights of all citizens with nuisance ordinances such as anti - barking, pooper scooper regulations and leash laws.
Going for a trip by car into another State or County? Plan on bringing your dog? Please take note of the following:
Some States, Counties, and Cities will actually seize your dog or puppy if the owner or guardian drives through the State, County, or City with a dog in the car that looks like anydog on the list of prohibited breeds. It can take weeks, months, or even years to get your dog back in your possession. Alive if you're lucky! If the state seizes your dog, you can be held responsible for the fines and boarding fees while your dog is kenneled against your wishes!
Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) only serves to penalize responsible owners and innocent dogs.At the same time, it does nothing to protect the public from the truly dangerous or vicious dog of any breed. It does nothing to effect the actions of irresponsible dog owners and breeders. A number of dog breeds are currently under attack throughout the United States and other parts of the world. Those under attack include, but are not limited to the following:
* Akita
* American Bulldog
* American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT)
* American Staffordshire Terrier
* Bull Terrier
* Bullmastiff
* Chow
* Doberman
* Dogo Argentino
* Fila Brasileiro
* Rottweiler
* Shar Pei
* Staffordshire Bull Terrier (SBT)
* Tosa Inu
Included can be any dog, purebred or mixed breed, that physically resemblesone of the above breeds.
