Splashed across the news feed on bing.com is a sensational story about a mother who bit the ear off a pit bull that was savagely attacking her 2-year old daughter. Story headline: “Mother acted on pure instinct when she punched the dog in the mouth and bit off its ear when it attacked her little girl…both mom and daughter are recovering—and the brutal beast has been put down” (nydailynews.com). This “vicious beast” is the criminal and the mother is no-doubt a hero. There’s no mother out there that would have done the same thing however, the way this article explains the story is sensationalized, the author clearly meant to demonize this dog. Stories like this have cast a shadow over the lowly pit bull breed and caused entire communities to take up pitchforks and push for legislation to ban the pit bull from existence. Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) is a quick solution to the public frenzy created after a media-reported dog attack. However, BSL is rapidly proving to be ineffective. Counties are finding that BSL is too costly, it provides the public with a false sense of security, and it does not address animal abuse, even inadvertent abuse by loving owners. Breed Specific Legislation and Dangerous Dog laws are two ways states and counties deal with dog-bite related attacks. Dangerous Dog Laws regulate or prohibit ownership of a dog that has already shown signs of aggression or violence. According Hussain (2006) “dangerous-dog laws tend to be more effective, efficient, and addresses the problem of the ‘dog-bite epidemic’ by objectively examining a dog’s prior conduct rather than making subjective evaluations of viciousness based solely on breed” (pg.2). Breed-Specific Laws severely regulate or prohibit ownership of a d... ... middle of paper ... ...4, 2014, from http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/stop-animal-abuse/fact-sheets/breed-specific-legislation.html Dog Bite-Related Fatalities. (n.d.). National Canine Research Council. Retrieved April 26, 2014, from http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/dogbites/dog-bite-related-fatalities/ Fact Sheet: Prince George's County Breed Ban. (n.d.). marylanddogfederation.com. Retrieved April 26, 2014, from http://www.marylanddogfederation.com/uploads/1/6/6/0/16605940/pg_fact_sheet_cost.pdf Huemer, A. (2000). Scapegoats & Underdogs: The Pit Bull Dilema. The Animals Agenda, 20(4), 31-38. Hussain, S. G. (2006). Attacking the Dog-Bite Epidemic: Why Breed-Specific Legislation Won't Solve the Dangerous-Dog Dilema. Fordham Law Review, 74(5), 2847-2888. Medlin, J. (2007). Pit Bull Bans and the Human Factors Affecting Canine Behavior. Depaul Law Review, 56(4), 1285-1320.
She explains that breed-specific sterilization would help the Pit Bull population all over the country and it would also help reduce the euthanasia usage in all shelters. 63% of Pit Bulls are put down in shelters because of the lager number of population. Others argue against it because it hard to determine which dogs are actually Pit Bulls and it is also unfair to certain dogs. Charlotte again quotes Sara saying that when you discriminate against a certain breed, you are also discriminating against the well behaved
Nationwide, approximately 50 percent of all children will be bitten by a dog before they reach the age of twelve (DeIorio, “Have a Dog-Bite-Free Summer”). In Marion County, Florida, aggressive and dangerous breads of dogs are a “serious issue” for the community according to Marion County Commissioner Jim Payton (Thompson, “County drops '1 free kill'”). Responsible dog owners seem to be unaware of the problem but area residents who have been victims of these attacks have turned to the Marion County Board of Commissioners for help. The local County Commissioners have been wrestling with this issue since October of 2009 when a widow from Ocklawaha, Patricia McBee, had three of her dogs euthanized after they allegedly killed her neighbor’s cat (Thompson, “County drops ‘1 free kill’”). The need for change moved even faster after a 3-year-old little girl was attacked and killed by a dog that was chained to a tree outside her house in Citra (Lee, “Girl, 3, mauled”).
Media over exposes anything that has a negative effect on the pit bull breeds. It is their goal to adversely affect said breeds. These atrocious opinions of reporters distort the views of the public, making them think that one breed is a monstrous threat to society and needs to be banned. Breed specific legislation is unlawful and should be prohibited.
One of the biggest issues with BSL is breed identification. A law that bans a “vicious” being is too broad and can encompass many individuals as it is a personality trait rather than a breed. These laws would then be dependent on what the legislators would define “vicious” to mean. Likewise, there is confusion on what breeds are dangerous. Dogsbite.org claims that breeds such as wolf-dog hybrids, dogo argentinos, presa breeds, cane corsos, and especially pit bulls are indeed dangerous animals and should be banned. However, there are discrepancies involved in even that statement. Of the listed breeds perhaps the most commonly targeted is the pit bull. But what exactly does anyone mean by pit bull? Merriam Webster defines “pit bull” as follows, “a dog (as an American Staffordshire Terrier) of any of several breeds or a real or apparent hybrid with one or more of these breeds that was developed for and is now often trained for fighting and is noted for strength and stamina”. On the contrary, the United Kennel Club has recognized the American Pit Bull Terrier, also called APBT, as a standalone breed since 1898 when UKC founder C.Z. Bennett registered her APBT Bennet’s Ring (Uk...
Pit bulls are targeted in this ineffective solution to dog attacks. Perhaps the reason why pit bulls are feared by society because we are afraid of what they are associated with. Pit bulls are often thought of as a gangster’s pet; a role in violent and illegal activities. People stereotype this breed because of the unfortunate acts of few. In contrast, society needs to understand that they are being racist towards a breed of dog. Denver’s systematic killing of pit bulls could be compared to the actions of the Nazis during the holocaust. Although BLS is not even close to being on the same scale as the Holocaust, it is targeting and killing a specific group of living beings. Breed Specific Legislation is genocide of this breed. Denver alone has killed at least 3,500 pit bulls. It’s heart wrenching to think about how many families lost their steadfast companions because of the ignorance of others. A common phrase among pit bull supporters is, “Judge the deed: not the breed”. This rings true; if we are to bring justice to the breed, then we need to abolish BSL. True pit bulls are a far from the monsters they are made to
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. Breed specific laws cause numerous loving dogs to be put down each year (BSL, n.d.). Some laws and rules that are enforced are logical under circumstances, but others are questionable.
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.
calculation to illustrate limitations of breed-specific legislation and decreasing the risk of dog bite-related injury.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 237.7 (2010): 788-792.
...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.
Dogfighting is a “sport” that pits two well trained dogs against each other in a fights until one dog cannot fight anymore. Dogs are often killed at these events, because some dogs are ruthless because their owners have trained them to kill. The fights last, on average, one to two hours, and can leave marks forever. Spectators are able to bet on which dog will win. Currently, dogfighting is a felony offense in all 50 states, and is a federal offense as well. Not only can the instigators of the fights be charged, but all spectators can be charged as well. Dogfighting was brought to the sports world in 2007, when star quarterback Michael Vick was found guilty of having a dogfighting organization and hanging 3 dogs for “not performing well in ‘testing’ sessions”. In 2001, Vick and 3 friends, Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips, and Tony Taylor started an organization which they called, “Bad Newz Kennel”. Vick also started his NFL career that year, and played for the Atlanta Falcons. When he got convicted in 2007, Vick was sentenced to 21 months in prison and 2 months in home confinement. Dog fighting may injure the dogs forever. For example, Georgia, a pitbull involved in “Bad Newz Kennels”, had her jaw broken at one time during a fight and her tongue is still messed up. Her tail also zigzags, and she has no teeth, they were all pried out of her mouth. Animal Rights would help Georgia and dogs involved in fights all around the country, so they know that they are safe [ALDF]. There are approximately more than 100,00 people in the U.S. involved in dogfighting. That number needs to cut down if the world is going to be a better place for people and animals to grow up in. That is why Animal Rights should occur more heavily in the
After the 30th of November 1991, it is an offence to have specially controlled dogs unless it is being held as the result of seizure or destruction. However there is an exemption scheme which lets owners keep the controlled dogs as long as they inform police that the dog has been neutered or spayed and can be identified permanently and as long as there is an insurance plan in place, a fee has been paid and then a certificate of exemption will be issued. Many of the first attacks were from Rottweiler’s and then pit bulls and the Act was speedily passed, some say it being passed so fast has made the draft deprived.
In 2005, the Ontario Liberal government passed The Dog Owner’s Liability Act: a ban against pit bull terriers in the province. After the bill passed, Attorney General Michael Bryant said, “Mark my words, Ontario will be safer” (Ontario passes ban on pit bulls, 2005). The legislation prevented people from acquiring a number of breeds of dogs that would be classified as pit bulls. In addition, Ontario residents who already owned a pit bull terrier prior to the ban were required to neuter and muzzle their animals. Such policies against this breed of animal are not unprecedented. In fact, similar laws are already in place in Britain, France and Germany. In Canada, Winnipeg has had a ban against pit bull terriers in place for 20 years (Ontario passes ban on pit bulls, 2005). Ontario and other regions have imposed these sanctions because the evidence clearly indicates that pit bull terriers pose a much higher than average risk to people.
Currently, under the federal Animal Welfare Act of 1966, the USDA licenses and inspects about six thousand puppy mills nationally. Thirty percent of them are Missouri, making the mid-western state “the puppy mill capital of the country”. Most states have one kennel per 100,000 residents, but Missouri has one kennel per every 3,000 residents. As it stands now, in most states, these commercial breeding kennels can legally keep hundreds of dogs in cages their entire lives, for the sole purpose of churning out...
b. “Many people have a difficult time properly identifying a true Pit Bull, so added to the statistics are those dogs that have been misidentified. Considering these factors, the actual number of attacks attributable to American Pit Bull Terriers is considerably lower than represented,” according to the real pit bull. i. Do you think a 4 pound Pomeranian dog would hurt anybody? ii. Stated in the Dog Bite Law, “The most horrifying example of the lack of breed predictability is the October 2000 death of a 6-week-old baby, which was killed by her family 's Pomeranian dog.” a. The American Temperament Test is a test that measures a dog strong avoidance, unprovoked aggression, and panic without recovery. “American Pit Bull Terriers passed the test at a rate of 85.3%,” according to Pitbulls.org. They have the highest test scores, and they out beat the golden retriever “family dog” by 7.7%. iii. I identify the justice of my rival’s claim, but I disagree with my rival’s 100 percent about pit bulls having the highest attacks. c. Now you can see how my rival made a mistake because they didn’t evaluate and understood the facts as clearly as they
Currently, pit bulls have been reported by the media with very horrific and disturbing news of having attacked a child or being shot by a police due to aggression while some are reported to have been abused or neglected by its owners (Forderer and Unkelbach 534). And because the reports keep coming with heated discussions, more and more people have forged a frightening image of pit bulls even to the extreme of refusing to take care of such breed. Pit bull advocates claim that the dogs get a bad reputation considering that people should learn the dogs are not inherently aggressive. What the pit bull advocates would like to point is that the owners of the pit bulls should be considered guilty for mishandling of their own dogs. There are owners of pit bulls that even encourage the dog to be aggressive in order to fight and protect them in a wrong manner and wrong degree of training (Forderer and Unkelbach 536). Pit bull advocates claimed that a well socialized and well trained pit bull would be very intelligent and could be one of the gentle dogs imaginable.