Breed specific legislation?

Question

Thank God! My area will soon have breed specific legislation and it's long overdue in my book. Some breeds just were bred to be alpha dogs and aggressive and no amount of "socialization" or training can override DNA. What do you think of the ever growning BSL? Facts are facts and even the most fierce toy breed dog cannot kill a grown man but many large dominant breeds already have, a zillion times over not to mention children and other animals.

Answer 1

It breaks my heart to think about all the families that will be torn apart because of that BSL crap, including mine. I own two wonderful Pit Bulls that are very special to our family. We love and understand the breed so much that my family will probably never be without one (hopefully). However, it will not only be the Pit Bull that will be affected by this awful law either. Its a damn shame. Punish the deed, not the breed.

Answer 2

A zillion times over? You need to do some research on this...your stats are WAY off.

BSL does not attack the problem at the root, which is why breed bans are mostly ineffective. The real problems here are irresponsible ownership and equally irresponsible breeding. I think there should be strict regulations in place for anyone planning to aquire one of the large dominant breeds...classes they must attend and waivers they must sign, ect. In addition there must be stricter leash laws. Most (almost all) unprovoked attacks are caused by dogs that are off lead. Selling puppies over the internet should be banned, there should be harsher punishments for animal cruelty and neglect, and a crack down on back yard breeders and underground dog fighting rings...as well as a spay/neuter law.

If the government would take the time to impliment these changes, it would be safer for us and our pets. Every attack can be traced back to irresponsible ownership....EVERY SINGLE ONE.

By the way, 3 children a year are killed by dogs of no specific breed.

2000 children a year die by the hands of parents or caretakers. Who should be punished?

BSL is a half-assed lazy solution to a much bigger problem. It's Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and GSDs right now....but 10 years from now (if not sooner) it will be labs and goldens..if someone wants a mean dog, they can make a mean dog...and that goes for any breed.

In 2006 temperment tests, both American Pit Bull Terriers and Rottweilers scored higher (82%) than Labradors (77%), Lhasa Apsos (71%) and chihuahuas (71%).

You should really do some research before supporting such a serious issue.

Answer 3

"Facts are facts and even the most fierce toy breed dog cannot kill a grown man"

Small breeds can kill too and have, maybe not a grown man but small children and babies are vulnerable to being bitten and severely hurt by small breed dogs. Because of your way of thinking and others that agree with your opinion, eventually all dogs, large and small, will become banned. I guess when dogs are extinct and the only place to see them is in the zoo along with all of the other wild and dangerous animals you and others like you will be happy.

I am curious to know why you would feel putting a question up about a highly debate-able subject would be a good idea. You are only looking for an argument. YA! is not the place to debate BSL.

I agree with Shanna 100% and normally I would give a great answer about BSL but I have realized that many people here do not have open minds and only want their opinion validated so I will not waste my time trying to open a closed mind.

Answer 4

1. Do you think it is an effective way to control Dog bites/fatalities? No I don't 2. Do you think it is fair to responsible dog owners? No I don't 3. What level would you approve? Basic requirements like liability insurance and restraint laws? Or complete eradication? Or something in between? None, laws should not be based on breed but on the behavior of the specific dog 4. What effect do you think it would have on Animal Control/law enforcement? BSL has been ruled unconstitutional over and over again when challenged. They are next to impossible to enforce effectively as ACO and LEO would have to make a determination based on the "look" of the dog more often than not and most people including quite a few "dog people" are unable to correctly identify a dogs breed or differentiate between a breed and a mix 5. Can you think of other ways to protect people from TRULY vicious dogs? Yes, good laws in place that deal with specific aggressive dogs regardless of breed 6. What is your opinion of "pit bulls" in general? Not a breed but a type. Like any dog there are good ones and bad ones caused primarily be breeding and ownership 7. Have you ever personally met a "pit bull"... if so, what was your impression of the dog(s) you met? Yes I have had contact with several breeds that would fall in the "pit bull" type inclding APBT, and Staffies. The dogs I met were well behaved and affectionate. 8. Have you ever been bitten by an animal? If so, what kind, and if possible, what breed? No the closest I have ever come was an American Cocker Spaniel owned by a relative. The dog suffered from rage syndrom which was a common genetic issue in poorly bred Spaniels (american cockers and springers primaraly) at the time. 9. Do you live in an area with Breed Specific Legislation? No thank goodness I live in an area that deals with specific aggressive behavior not specific breeds. (they also don't class a dog as vicious if it defending its owner, its property, itself or its puppies or attacks anyone who is involved in the commission of a crime. 10. If so, how has it affected you? n/a thank goodness

Answer 5

I think it is horrible and shouldnt happen ban the deed not the breed. It is horrible to tell someone they cant have the dog of there choice just because of the way they look. Next they will say black people cant live in a certian area cause there black and black people commit all the crimes. Nether is to and it is ignorant people who believe everything they hear that want htis kind of thing. Any breed can bite, and no a toy breed cant kill a full grown man but the can kill a kid so you would rather have a dog around that could kill your kids then could kill you? BSL is just sapported by a bunch of ignorant --- holes

Answer 6

I think you have neglected to educate yourself and that you are the reason that most of us probably are going to have to hire lawyers to be able to own the dog of our choosing later in life. Saying that some breeds were bred to be a certain way and that there is no way to override that is like saying my grandfather and father were alcoholics so why bother not drinking, I'm going to be an alcoholic as well. It's a stupid and uneducated point of view. My dog would fall into what you consider a large dominant breed and yet she's been stomped on and had her ears pulled and slept on by children (who I had to correct about the appropriate way to approach a dog) and she wasn't raised around them and she's a therapy dog. It's because as an owner *I* put in the work necessary to make her what she is. Is my dog perfect, no, but she's not the monster that BSL would brand her just because of what she was born. This is the worst sort of discrimination and loss of liberty I have seen in a lot of years and I am saddened and appalled that "the land of the free" has decided that taking away my freedom of choice is the way to go with this. Quite frankly I am appalled by anyone that could support BSL, they should consider themselves racists and have the dignity to admit it instead of trying to hide behind the fact that they THINK they are saving people's lives. And no my girl isn't a pit, she's an Anatolian Shepherd/Great Pyr mix...a livestock guardian dog.

Answer 7

Some breeds may be predisosed to be aggressive, but that doesn't mean every dog of that breed will be a bad dog. Some breeds have bad reps because they have been so abused and trained into being "killers" that they have earned a negative stereotype for the entire breed. That isn't fair to the nice dogs that are also of that breed. I think they should legislate the cretins who think having a mean looking dog makes them look cool or something. We've all seen it, the aspiring crack dealer walking a pit bull on a chain with it's big balls bouncing around. Oh, look at me, I'm bad! It's not the dogs fault.

Answer 8

I can see you're a "breedist". Because you or someone you know has have one bad experience with a certain breed, you believe that all of those breeds should be banned. Shame on you. Do you know which dog has cause the most dog bite injuries? Not the pitbull, not the rottweiler, not the German Shepherd...it's not a big dog. Give up? Cocker spaniels. If you don't believe me, look it up. But do people demand that they be banned? Of course not, because cocker spaniels are "cute and cuddly". Any dog can be trained to be mean, and any dog can be trained to be perfectly docile. It's not in the breed, it's in the training.

Answer 9

Sure - it's called violation of my rights. Let's see, my dog has done absolutely nothing wrong but the government is going to come in and rip my dog away from me and put it down because of it's breed.

Good luck there buddy. Many places are overturning BLS because it violates people's constitutional rights.

Why not focus on things that REALLY f-ing kill people - like rapists - how about getting them more time in jail? Or child pornographers? Or how about longer sentences for human beings that MURDER someone instead of letting them out of jail in 3 years? How about focusing all your energy on helping battered women, women who are victims of assualt? How about you get rid of prostitution or the freakin homeless in your town? How about you put stricter gun legislation becasue guns kill a heck of a lot more people than all the breeds of dogs combined. Come to think of it, why don't you also outlaw knives, because knives kill a heck of a lot more people than dogs do to.

3 children a year are killed by dogs that are classified as "pitbulls" (which by the way, if you look up the CDC statistics, there is no such thing as a "pitbull" Pitbull is a term that is used to umbrella at least 4 different bully breeds - they don't group any other breeds together, just those.)

2000 children a year are killed by their own parents - hmmmm I wonder which is more dangerous - a dog or their parents?

80% of all attacks are the dog on its owner - so if you don't own a dog, you have a WHOLE lot less to worry about.

A pomeranian killed a baby last year - so that's one kid for the pom.

You know what this reminds me of - the World War - where we rounded up all the Japanese and threw them in little "prison" camps because they are all evil.

By your logic - all middle easterners are terrorists

All Irish are car bombers

All African Americans are criminals

All Mexicans are imperial drug cartel lords.

I sure wish stupid people couldn't breed.

Answer 10

I for one think BSL is ridiculous. There are 9 deaths a year from dog attacks, yet this is where people devote their time while 2,000 kids die each year from child abuse.
That's what I call a BAD use of one's time.
Persecute the 9 dogs, but forget about the 2,000 child killers?
Dogs are not the problem in the world. It is the people that neglect to train them properly. Properly handled dogs and their families are being wrongly punished for the few that are irresponsible. That isn't right.