Breed-specific legislation targets innocent pups
Tax dollars would be better spent on prevention. Educate people, enforce leash laws and licenses, create a fund to allow owners cheaper options to spay or neuter a pet. Dogs that are not spayed or neutered are twice as likely to be aggressive. Dogs that are kept outside all the time on chains are also twice as likely to be aggressive. Help low-income dog owners so they can take their pet to basic puppy classes, or at least give them a class or two, teaching them basic training skills. Enact dangerous dog laws and focus on all dogs in the city. Hold owners accountable for their pets’ behavior.
Focusing on one breed will cause people to hide their dogs or choose another breed, reviving illegal activities with a “legal” breed. Any breed of dog can be trained to fight or be a brutal watchdog.
Pit bulls are high on the list as far as being considered dangerous. This is the latest “bad” breed based on their current stereotype. There was a time when pit bulls were the go-to dog breed for people who had children. Our Gang is an old show that was most popular after adding sound in 1929. In 1955 the name was changed to The Little Rascals. It’s about a group of poor little kids. Petey, who was an American Pit Bull, was added in the 1920s and remained until the 1940s. He interacted with these young children without worry or fear of aggression.
The reputation of this breed has deteriorated to the point where the police shoot them and shelters euthanize them. They are considered to be fighting dogs that are abandoned, neglected and considered out of control. Some of them were aggressive, so the whole breed was punished. This also applies to other larger breeds such as the German Shepherd, Doberman and Rottweiler for example. Lately, they have focused most of their attention on the pit bull.
Dogs that even look like a pit bull are punished. They are taken from their loving homes and placed in shelters where they will eventually euthanize the animal. DNA testing is expensive and often not done to determine an animal’s breed. Stray dogs that resemble the pit bull species never get a chance to live in a loving home, they are not adopted, they are put to sleep.
Banning a particular breed will not reduce dog attacks. The reasons for aggression are different. Many people blame the owners, which may be a factor. A study at http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(13)00292-X/abstract shows that it is not breed that makes a dog dangerous.
Breed-specific legislation instills a false sense of security in society. People believe they are safe from dog attacks because a certain breed is restricted, when in fact any breed can become aggressive. Many dog attacks go unnoticed. The terrifying miniature poodle goes unreported because it’s small and people don’t feel threatened. If Fifi attacks, chances are you won’t even tear your pant.
Atts.org tests the temperament of various breeds and documents them. The American Pit Bull Terrier is rated at 86.8%. This is safer than the beagle which comes in at 80%.
I had a pit bull and moved to another state where they were previously banned. Laws keep changing because so many people struggle with this law. One day I took my Georgie to the store with me. Animal control stopped me and asked if I was aware that pit bulls were against the law. I told him I didn’t think Georgie was purebred. Then he told me the laws are changing and you can own a Pit mix and he thought my dog looked like a mixed breed. He made sure he had his license and took my name and address. I thought I was going to lose my dog and I could have if it was a few months earlier. That would be heartbreaking and unnecessary.
They were mother and son, but completely different. Tessa was Georgie’s mother and the best dog I ever had. She seemed to naturally adjust to my commands. She listened to everything I told her to do. I was completely clueless about socializing and training, so she was the perfect dog for me. Georgie, on the other hand, was deaf and had to learn hand movements. He was more of a challenge and never learned the amount of commands his mother knew. This confirms that two dogs of the same breed can be completely different.
I would like to see the pet stores and shelters come together and create a system where the population is educated on simple facts about dogs. This information should be readily available to the public. Every dog owner should understand why it is important for the dog to learn to get along with everyone.
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