In the headlines, we hear reports about someone being attacked by a vicious dog, whether it is a child or an adult. Most of the times, the breed of these dogs is either a Pit Bull or a Rottweiler. These breed of dogs have a very terrible reputation. This is a for a very good reason–everyone knows why!
Just in case most individuals do not know is that in some jurisdictions, there is a law that bans certain do breed types from dog ownership to encourage the reduction of dog bite incidents. It is called breed-specific legislation, or BSL. Breed-specific legislation refers to laws that crack down or ban very distinctive breeds from jurisdictions for the prevention of dog attacks and reported incidents. In contrast, the dilemma with these potentially vicious dogs will not be changed by these very narrow-minded laws. This is called discrimination–in this case, specified breeds are the main focus.
There is some good news: some states do not discriminate against the dog breeds. They focus on the real issues as in regulating these vicious dogs on an individual basis. These states basically forbid the breed-specific legislation law. Texas, Illinois and New York are few of the states that says no to this law.
In many jurisdictions, the breed-specific legislation law is not limited to breeds such as the Rottweiler, American Pit Bull Terrier and English Bull Terriers, just to name a few. There are breeds of dogs on the list that almost no one would think of as being a threat in terms of attacking anyone (think Dalmations–they are the fire department symbol and the Disney cartoon 101 Dalmations–very kid-friendly!)
This law can have a huge impact on pet ownership, in many cases in a negative manner. Often, the good dog and owners have to pay the price for the bad owners’ actions. Many of these dogs are well-trained as well as supervised and socialized; unfortunately, they fall victim to the regulated stereotypical breed. Ultimately, the good dog owners must obey the law concerning the breed-specific legislation or else he/she will be faced with many legal challenges, which may result in going to court or possibly jail time.
The law proves to be such a bad idea because it allows irresponsible owners to go under the radar with these potentially dangerous pets. It is attractive to any pet owner that are breaking the law that concerns animal welfare. Some of these lawbreakers even brag about their illegal “adventure.” The ownership of the Pitbull with many people is the perfect example. Many pit bulls are trained to fight for profit. There are many reports of Pitbull fights (as seen on Animal Cops Detroit on Animal Planet.
According to CDC, aggression in dogs go beyond the breed specifications. Factors as in heredity, early life experiences, method of training and socialization may play a vital role.
The bottom line is the breed-specific legislation law is very discriminatory. Why should certain breed of dogs suffer from negative circumstances their irresponsible owners have caused? They should not suffer. Suggestion: instead of discrimination, law enforcement should hold these owners responsible for their actions–either give them a very stiff fine or serve some prison time.
Source:
http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/dog-fighting/breed-specific-legislation.aspx