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Breed specific legislation for and against
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The term “breed-specific legislation” is not one that comes up often in day-to-day discussion for most people. Breed-specific legislation refers to all laws that seek to restrict or eliminate ownership of certain animal breeds, most often dog breeds. It was first conceived as a method of controlling and reducing animal cruelty, as well as mitigating the occurrence of dog-related human injuries and the illegal activities of dog-fighting and related crimes. Breed-specific legislation is distinct from animal control laws that restrict ownership of wild or demonstrably dangerous (those with a past history of unacceptable, aggressive behavior) animals, because breed-specific legislation makes a blanket restriction on all animals of a certain breed regardless of individual history. This means that breed-specific legislation is often promulgated on the basis of breed reputation. In recent years it is the pit bull which has come under the scrutiny of legislative bodies, as their reputation becomes more and more sullied by street crime. To say “pit bull,” however, is a vague reference to several pit bull types, which are considered separate breeds by registries like the American Kennel Club (AKC). Each type has a slightly different breeding history; many began with the breeding of bulldogs with terriers to produce a loyal, compact and tenacious breed (“American Pit Bull Terrier”). The standard three pit bull types most often mentioned by name in breed-specific legislation include the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. That is not the extent of the legislation, however, which also includes dogs that “substantially conform to the breed standards established by the American Ken... ... middle of paper ... ...e 2010. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. Cohen, Judy, and John Richardson. “Pit Bull Panic.” Journal of Popular Culture 36.2 (2002): 297. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. “Dog Bite: Fact Sheet.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC, 1 Apr. 2008. Web. 13 Nov. 2010. “Dogfighting Fact Sheet.” The Humane Society of the United States. 2 Nov. 2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2010. Melvindale, Mich., Municipal Code art. II, § 4-137 (1990). Perry, April M. “Guilt by Saturation: Media Liability for Third-party Violence and the Availability Heuristic.” Northwestern University Law Review 97.2 (2003): 1045. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Nov. 2010. “The Truth About Pit Bulls.” ASPCA. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. “U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities January 2006 to December 2008.” DogsBite. 20 Apr. 2009. Web. 22 Nov. 2010.
A menace to society, lurking in the streets, just waiting for its next victim? This couldn’t be further from the truth for most pit bulls. These fantasised versions plague the breed, outlawing them in many cities, states, and even some countries entirely. These bans are called Breed Specific Legislation (BSL), and in over 700 American cities these laws are in effect. They are in place to decrease the number of attacks by dogs.
Just the sight of a pit bull instills apprehension and even fear in some people, who believe the dog may attack them for no reason and not let go. Many communities have placed this ostracized breed under severe restrictions; some municipalities have implemented bans outlawing ownership of the breed. Today’s society regards the pit bull as the most vicious and unpredictable of all dog breeds, whereas admirers of the pit bull believe this misconception stems from irresponsible owners and the inflammatory and negative publicity concerning this breed.
Bastian, Jon. “How Did Pit Bulls Get Such a Bad Rap?” Cesar’s Way. Cesar’s Way Inc. 2015. Web. 12 May 2016.
What words come to mind when one hears the words “pit bull?” How about aggressive, violent, or dangerous? In many cases, this isn’t actually true. Because of the negative media attention for attacks on humans and other dogs that pit bull breeds receive, many Americans place a stigma on pit bulls, tagging them as dangerous and vicious. This stigma typically applies to all pit bulls, not just the ones that are actually dangerous. To remedy the issue of dangerous dogs attacking other beings, the legislative act known as breed-specific legislation is being debated throughout the United States. Gary J. Patronek, a veterinary doctor, defines breed-specific legislation as a law than “bans, restricts, or imposes conditions on ownership of specific breeds or dogs presumed to pose greater risk of biting people” (788). Breed-specific legislation is commonly debated in communities that have recently experienced a dog-bite related injury or fatality (Patronek, Slater, and Marder 788). However, this law would ban all dogs of the pit bull breed or any related dog based solely on their breed, rather than disposition. Therefore, breed-specific legislation should not be enacted throughout the United States because is biased against pit bulls and is ineffective in reducing dog-bite attacks by ignoring other aggressive dog breeds.
The dogs listed are not identified as a type rather than a breed. The dogs listed in the Act under section 1 are the pit-bull terrier, the Japanese tosa, the Dogo Argentrino and the Fila Braziliero. Other dogs can be added to the banned breed list. Owners of controlled dogs cannot breed them, sell them or trade them for another dog or give them away. The owner of the dog has to keep it on a lead and muzzled at all times and the person who is in control of the dog should be older than 16 years old. The muzzle has to be of a standard so the dog cannot bite a person. When a person owns a controlled dog they cannot let them wander the streets or vacate them, if they do so this is an offence and criminal sanctions would be put in place. This can be a fine, prison sentence and a ban on keeping animals.
A pit bull is not a breed of dog but rather a type of dog. Pit bulls are several dogs of different breeds grouped together that exhibit similar characteristics. Some of the dogs that are most commonly referred to as a pit bull are: American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, Bull Terrier, and the Mini Bull Terrier. There are over twenty-five different bulldogs classified as pit-bull type dogs (Pitbull Advo...
...ociated Press published an article “Pit Bulls are A Danger to Society,” yet this year, the same publisher issued an article “Attitudes and Laws Against the Pit Bull Soften – The Big Story” in which the Pit bull advocates hail the changes as recognition that breed-specific laws discriminate against dogs that are not inherently aggressive or dangerous should not be discriminated against or victimized. The debate puts millions of pit bull owners up against a relatively small group of activists against the breed and challenges the notion that Pit Bulls that are well-cared for had any history of aggressive behavior in the first place, closing the argument by again stating what the Canadian Encyclopedia explained, that their actions were just a park of the cycle of favorites and least favorites that has always been and always will be in the history of ownership of dogs.
Works Cited Campbell, Dana M. "Pit Bull Bans: The State Of Breed-Specific Legislation." Gpsolo 26.5 (2009): 36-41. Academic Search Complete. Web. The Web.
Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) is a ban or restriction on certain types of dogs because they are perceived as “dangerous” breeds or types of dogs. Pit bull type dogs are the major target of such legislation but there are many other breeds targeted as well. The name pit bull is used loosely to categorize many “bully breeds” of dogs. Several breeds that are often referred to as pit bulls are the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bulldog, Bull Terrier and most commonly, the American Pit Bull Terrier. When statistics on “pit bulls” are taken, people are actually comparing a group of dogs rather than individual breeds.
Denver and Miami are among the more than 300 municipalities that ban pit bulls (Tullis 54). One reason that pit bulls are being banned is because of the false ideas that they are violent dogs by nature. Another reason is people’s associate pit bulls with dogfighting and vicious attacks. Although it is true that many people have been attacked by pit bulls, it is unfair to say that pit bulls are the only dogs that attacks people. Debora Bresch of the ASPCA says “laws against individual dog breeds unfairly punish countless dogs that have never caused any trouble”(A Fierce Dog Debate
Are Pit Bulls deserving of being banned from the United States? Are breed specific laws effective? Is there a better way to handle dangerous dogs? Pit Bulls have many people who believe that all should be put down and that they are a dangerous breed. These people do not understand that there are many other ways to handle the situation, that having these laws can make things worse or not change anything, and that each dog is an individual. I believe that breed specific laws against dogs, Pit Bulls especially, are ineffective and I will explain why exactly these laws should be removed and how alternative routes would be better.
The pit bull was not always labeled as an aggressive dog. In the 1900s pit
Pit bulls are the most dangerous dogs in the world. How many times have you heard that nonsense? In reality, Pit bulls are no more dangerous than any other breed. The topic of Pit bulls being dangerous is controversial because the media only tells us about the Pits that hurt people, not the ones that are loving and affectionate. Those who are afraid of Pit bulls have probably never met one. People have turned this wonderful breed of dog into something that people are afraid of. If people focus on the good in Pits and not the bad, then we would not have breed-specific laws. A breed specific law of legislation is a law passed by a legislative body pertaining to a specific
What do you think of when I say the word pitbull? Do you picture a cute happy dog, wagging its tail happy to see you? Or do you see a mad dog, foaming mouth lunging at small child? If you are a owner of a pitbull then you probably see the happy cute dog. But if you don't own one then chances are you see pitbulls as mean dogs who are a threat to society. The media has painted a picture in our heads that it's in a pitbulls blood to be aggressive. Due to this false accusation, certain cities have banned breeds labeled as “aggressive”. If someone is caught owning a banned breed, the dog is usually euthanized. This is known as Breed Specific Laws or otherwise known as BSL.
The American Pit Bull is considered as a genuine breed because there are various breeds of pit bull that could have been mixed with other dogs. Pit bulls were raised for baiting larger animals during the hunting seasons. With the faithfulness of t...