The misrepresentation of Pit Bull breeds in the media has been reflected in American culture. As these dogs were incorporated into World War I propaganda, they were perceived as symbols of courage and strength, the archetype of American dog breeds5. When, in the 1920s and 1930s, American Staffordshire Terrier “Pete the Pup” starred in the comedy Our Gang, later known as The Little Rascals, Pit Bulls were considered “nanny dogs” and family-friendly pets7. When the media focused heavily on illegal dog fighting rings and gang culture in the 1970s and 1980s, Pit Bulls were called demonic and unpredictable. Through their many roles, they have shown versatility and resilience, and lately they have suffered greatly.
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.
Pit Bulls have been looked upon as a very aggressive breed of dog since the 1980’s, but what many people don’t see is the other side of Pit Bulls. Unfortunately, Pit Bulls are judged by the actions that are seen all over on news channels, but the news channels don’t do the breed justice usually as many stories they are involved in dog attacks. The idea that Pit Bulls can be loyal and family dogs does not resonate with many people as some people can’t look past the fact that there seems to be more Pit Bull attacks than any other breed. People do not do all their research about the breed though which can lead to say otherwise about Pit Bulls.
“Mom! Mom! The dogs got Cody. The dogs got Cody” (Vancouver Sun, 2007). Just a few days after Christmas in 2004, these are the cries that awoke Sheri Fontaine. Fontaine raced from her bed into the living room to find her three-year old son, Cody Fontaine, savaged by the dogs that were staying temporarily in her house. Tragically, young Cody did not survive the attack. A young life taken, a mother’s life ruined. Sadly, this story is not as uncommon as one of violence against people, they exhibit highly stubborn characteristics that make them difficult to control, and such bans have proven to be extremely effective.
Introduction and Background
As more people bring dogs into their homes, the rate of dog attacks continue to increase. In an attempt to reduce violent dog attacks on citizens, many U.S. States are turning to a tactic known as Breed Specific Legislation. Breed-specific legislation (also known as BSL), also referred to as breed-discriminatory legislation (also known as BDL), is a law or ordinance that prohibits or restricts the ownership of specific breeds of dogs, and/or dogs presumed to be mixes of one or more of those breeds (Breed-specific legislation (BSL) FAQ, n.d.). The harshest of the BSL laws is a complete ban, which prohibits breeds of dogs to be kept within state borders. Breed specific legislation also includes less absurd limits that include mandatory spay and neutering, muzzling, property posting requirements, special insurance requirements, breed-specific limitations, and various other rules.
[Reveal topic & relate to audience] Now, you may think that situation is a bit farfetched, especially in this day & age, but it's happening to dogs around the world. What I'm talking about is breed specific legislation (or BSL) which targets certain dog breeds considered dangerous and makes ownership of these dogs illegal. As more and more people share their lives with dogs, we need to be knowledgeable about the effects dogs can have on our communities.
Breed-specific legislation is a broad term that includes laws that ban or restrict the type of dog a person can own. Bree- specific legislation, or BSL for short, is often described as something that protects people or makes the world a safer place. In reality, there are many issues with this type of legislation. The whole premise of BSL is based off of misconceptions, it punishes innocent people and animals, and it does not ultimately lower the amount of people bitten each year where it is implemented. These laws are discriminatory, unjust, and unproductive.
An increasing number of pit bull attacks have occurred over past decade. People who are attacked by pit bulls always suffer serious injuries because of the pit bulls’ sharp teeth and strong muscles. In October 19, 2009, Dr Hugh Wirth who is the RSPCA’s Victorian president renewed calls for American pit bull terriers to be bred out of Australia. The current laws require owners of pit bulls to register their pit bull. While some people are satisfied with the laws because they think that they are safe, others disagree. From my own perspective, the laws should be improved. The government should ban these fierce dogs and wipe them out instead of just registering them. In my opinion, there are three reasons why I am in favour of Dr Wirth’s proposal.
... -- research shows that bans on certain types of dogs are largely ineffective and often a waste of public resources.” Recognized on a federal level, the injustice of Breed Specific Legislation is still misunderstood by states and counties in America. Something you can do to help is be aware of your own considerations of dogs based on their breed and spread the word. We all know dogs are naturally gentle creatures and no group should have a negative stigma attached to them. The easiest way to make a change is to inform those around you- you can go to www.facebook.com and like the page “STOP Breed Specific Legislation” to become involved and aware of the policy’s status across the nation. If these discriminatory laws don’t change, we might not be able to walk our poodles and beagles down the street either. Remember that dogs cannot speak, so we must be their voice.
There are plenty controversial issues about bully breeds and whether they are acceptable or safe dogs to own. In July a woman was mauled in her yard and killed by a dog in Montreal. Due to this unfortunate incident the mayor Denis Coderre created a bill called BSL (Breed-Specific Legislation) which was approved by the legislation. This bill states that determined by their breed or pitbull features “American Pitbull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, American Bulldogs or any dog with strains of these breeds” will be unadoptable; they must wear a muzzle in public as well as a leash that’s 4 feet long and in most cases they will be euthanized due to their breed. BSL should be reversed because the real problem is irresponsible dog owners, the irresponsible owners will just switch breeds and any dog has the potential to hurt someone.