Education:
Educating dog owners and the general public on dog safety is a great way to cut down on dog attacks. Teaching people how to safely interact with dogs and basic rules about dogs that they don't know. Calgary, Canada has already started putting this idea into effect and have found it quite effective. Here is some of what they have found “Research shows that just 1 hour of dog safety training in grades 2 and 3 can reduce these attacks by 80%.” (Alternatives to BSL)
No where in my research on BSL laws have I seen it mentioned that they have reduced attacks by 80% or even close to that.
Also, educating parents and grandparents etc, on animal/ children safety could greatly reduce the number of attacks on children. You should never leave a young child unattended with a dog, or any animal for that matter, its just not safe. Children that have been attacked by family dogs that have been around said child its whole life, tend to be the results of the child being left alone with the dog and not properly supervised, not nasty or mean dogs. Any dog could snap and turn on somebody, esp a child who say, doesn’t realize the dog is in pain and jumps on them etc. As long as dogs and childrens interactions are supervised many dangerous situations can be avoided.
Leash Laws:
Enacting and enforcing strong leash laws is another very effective way to help reduce dog attacks and its easy to tell whether or not a dog has a leash on, unlike the difficulty of trying to determine the breed of some dogs. If a dog is on a leash the owner has control of it, even if said dog does lunge at someone. But leash laws can't just say you must have your dog on a leash. They also need to address dogs being tied out and left outside alone. Do...
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Picture Citations:
Fig 1. "Ban on Pit Bulls." Ban on Pit Bulls. 04 May 2014 .
Fig 2. "Many shelter dogs mislabeled 'pit bulls'" Toledo Blade. 04 May 2014. 04 May 2014 .
Fig 3. "Steven Morrissey (stevenmorrissey)." Pinterest. 04 May 2014 .
Fig 4. "Badass of the Week: Sergeant Stubby the War Dog." Badass of the Week: Sergeant Stubby the War Dog. 04 May 2014 .
Fig 5. "The BrikWars Forum:." • View topic. 04 May 2014 .
Pit bull terriers have a long track record of attacks against people and animals. A 1987 study of a particularly savage attack against a child was documented by four doctors in the hopes...
Moore, Benjamin. “Here’s Why You See So Many Pit Bulls In Shelters.” Barkpost. Barkpost. 2016. Web. 12 May 2016.
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.
Many people familiar with dogs cannot accurately identify the main breed of a mutt and will incorrectly identify it as a "pit bull" type.
"United Kennel Club: American Pit Bull Terrier. " Ukcdogs.com, 2013. Web. 27 Nov 2013.
Pit bulls are believed to have originated in the late 1700’s, when the terriers, typically small dogs bred to catch vermin, were crossbred with bulldogs, a stockier dog whose duty was to catch stray cattle. This produced a dog with a high prey drive with a medium-sized, stocky build and powerful jaws. Contrary to popular belief, the dogs were originally used in the sport of bull-baiting, where dogs would attack the cattle - not other dogs. Since the sport was executed in a pit, the dogs were dubbed ‘pit bulls’ and that name has stuck since. When the sport was banned in 1835, the people who relied on these dogs for an income turned the dogs against each other.
Most of the dogs on this list are common household pets, like the Labrador retriever, and are normally non-aggressive and very friendly. Many times these dogs show no sign of aggression and pose no threat to society. Perspective One Breed-specific laws were put in place with the expectation to help prevent dog bites and attacks. The State and Federal government both came to the conclusion that this is a positive way to promote safety from dog attacks. “Both state and federal courts consistently uphold the constitutionality of breed-specific pit bull laws.... ...
“Dogfighting Fact Sheet.” The Humane Society of the United States. 2 Nov. 2009. Web. 23 Nov.
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...
“If somebody is too stupid to understand the fundamental immorality of dog fighting, you’re never going to be able to explain it to him” (Kevin Hench). Most people think that pit bulls have locking jaws. This is false however; no dog breed in the whole world has locking jaws. Dogs are not always aggressive how they are raised and trained determines the behavior of a dog. Dogs have tendencies to be aggressive only if not trained properly. The discrimination against pit bulls is wrong and uncalled for. Pit bulls are not the only culprits of attacks and death to humans. Dog fighting and stray pits are the fault of the people who own them. It is man kind’s job to take care of and be responsible for their dogs. Why should the dogs be punished for the actions of their owners? Pit bulls especially take the blame more than any other breed. This is an excellent breed if trained correctly. Pit bulls make excellent family pets to own because of the facts, traits, and the standards and guidelines for breeding and training associated with these breeds.
Dogs have impacted the lives of 44% of American families and homes. People use dogs for much more than just a family friend. Dogs are used for special needs, assisting police, and hunting and tracking. Dogs should be appreciated and never taught to fight or be neglected. Dog fighting is unethical because man’s best friend shouldn’t have to fight for their lives.
The. Olsen, Kimberly R, and Julie K. Levy. Pit Bull Identification in Shelters. MaddiesFund.org -. University of Florida, 22 July 2011.
Hunting dogs, though tend to only be aggressive or violent when hunting. A hunting dog should not show aggression towards people. Though a dog can mistake a human as its prey and attack them. A hunting dog should be properly taught how to hunt certain animals and how to control their aggression.
PETA states that, since before the 1920’s there has been animal experimentation. Not until President Lyndon Johnson signed the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act (LAWA) in 1966, animals in the United States had no protection in laboratories, circuses, and zoos over breeding, transportation, housing, feeding, and veterinary care. The LAWA is now called the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). (Williams, and DeMello)
The ugly truth is that animals are dying at the hands of their owners everyday, some in very violent ways that can be avoided given the right solution. Slaughterhouses, puppy mills, dog fighting, and so on, are just a few examples of how animals are being treated badly by people. Animal cruelty is a form of violence which, unfortunately, sometimes goes hand in hand with child abuse.... ... middle of paper ... ... Also, violence towards animals needs to be included in assessments for child protective services, in order to better prevent animals being placed in dangerous hands.