Bite Me: Saying No to Breed Specific Legislation

           In the United States alone, over 73 million dogs reside in homes all over
the country, not including the stray and homeless. Imagine approximately
half of those dogs disappearing, would this dramatic change not come as a
nightmare? Strangely enough, this very act may occur in our near futures
thanks to various dog attacks that happen annually around the country. This
path cannot provide the adequate solution due to its radical tactics and
extreme restrictions. Another way exists, however, and it will prove more
effectual.
           Breed-Specific Legislation, or BSL, refers collectively to any legal law
that bans, restricts, or singles our specific breeds, types, appearances, or
weights of dogs to be subject to various consequences. (Wikipedia)
Apparently prejudice sinks even low enough to effect God’s most loyal
creatures. BSL bans not only entire breeds and mixes but even dogs similar
in appearance to those banned or restricted. This profound act, in one Iowa
county, even bans all dogs weighing in or at one hundred pounds, with no
definition between natural weight, health, or obesity. From a realistic
standpoint, one could infer that this lunatic ban has more to do with simple
intimidation factors than actual aggression levels.
           It could be said that BSL began as the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 that
originated in the United Kingdom. This law referred mainly to four
particular breeds of dogs: ‘Pit bulls’, which is not even a single breed,
the Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasilerio. (DeedNotBreed) All of these dogs belong to
the bull dog or mastiff family, breeds of large powerful dogs. BSL targets
types of breeds, mainly those of German descent, such as Staffordshire Bull
Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, Boxers, and Rottweilers. According to
an article by Jesse Leavenworth in the Hartford Courant, however, these dogs
scored above average on an evaluation given by the American Temperament Test
Society. They scored 85.2, 84.1, 85.6, and 82.7, respectively. (Leavenworth
par 4) The researcher believes that this proves these creatures, which serve
as police, therapy, and rescue dogs, pose no more of a threat than other
breeds in terms of natural human-aggression.
           Unbiased, government statistics provide accurate and reliable information
for researchers. According to a study concerning dog related fatalities in
the U.S. by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, huskies and husky
mixes accounted for twenty-one. Siberian Huskies are not commonly mentioned
in Breed Specific Legislation laws. ‘Pit bull type’ dogs and mixes accounted
for seventy-six deaths. While this number may seem large, one must consider
that this term refers to at least eight different breeds, which puts them
individually attacking roughly nine to ten people, a number lower than that
of the husky. You also must consider the fact that only large and powerful dogs will account for death; odds of a chihuahua killing very many people is slim, though they may frequently bite.
The Pit Bull Terrier is one of the most incorrectly identified dog breeds
due to misidentification. A particular online source notes this breed as
having sunny personalities and being sweet, curious, intelligent, and
clownish, outgoing, affectionate, and very eager-to-please. (Wikipedia)

           In addition, all animals have two types of distinct aggression. Human-aggression and animal-aggression, the latter being like a natural hunt or prey instinct. Human-aggression is not something a dog is born with, and it must be integrated into the dog through violence or mistreatment. It is a common misconception that bull terrier type dogs are human-aggressive due to their history as fighting dogs. However, these dogs were raised to be loyal and gentle towards their handlers. At any moment during a fight the dogs might have to be dragged apart by their owners, carried, or cared for. A dog that seemed to pose a threat to its handler would have been put down immediately. (Harwelik)
           The key to solving this problem realistically would obviously surface in
the act of prevention. One should account for the several factors present in
dog bite incidents. In the past, dog bites to males occurred two times as
much as those to females, male dogs appearing more frequently in the role of
attacker, and fifteen to twenty percent of the time the victim was a
stranger to the dog. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated
that a chained dog becomes almost three times as likely to attack a person
and an unfixed dog becomes three times as inclined as well. (Polsky)
Chaining a dog for long periods of time without supervision eliminates its
natural ‘fight or flight’ instincts. While tethered and feeling threatened
or nervous, the dog can only fight because it no longer possesses the option
of fleeing. In addition, socialization presents itself as a very important
asset in a dog’s tolerance and tranquility levels.
           Dogs typically communicate with non-canines through body language. Humans
usually seem out of tine with their pets in this aspect. A major mistake
most humans make when approaching a dog: eye contact. To a dog this means
dominance, or a challenge of authority and territorial rights. This poses a
definite problem for small children, who do not know better and stand at eye
level with most dogs. This would explain why a majority of attacks that
occur to children who approach unfamiliar or restrained dogs. If you become
interested in petting an unfamiliar animal always ask the owner first,
typically they know the temperament of their companion. Never pat a dog on
the head, this often would be a sign of overpowering in a dog’s eyes;
scratching under the chin or petting a dog along the spine would suffice and
not create a tension. The best way to introduce yourself would be in a
non-direct approach, seeming uninterested in the dog, and then slowly
becoming more aquatinted. (Dogscouts)
           Education becomes vital when dog attacks begin to occur frequently. Several
simple tips exist that, if taught and made aware, would keep many of these
tragic incidents nonexistent. Dog attacks are due to ignorant, apathetic, or
irresponsible owners and not the specific dog’s entire breed.

Works Cited Below

Harwelik, Mary. http://www.realpitbull.com/fight.html “Online Source for American Pit

Bull Terrier Info.”

Leavenworth, Jesse.

Sacks, Jeffrey J.Vet Med Today: Special Report. “Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998”.

Thomas, Jennifer. http://www.stopbsl.com/. “Intro”

http://www.nahee.org/. “National Association for Humane and Environmental Education.” Human Society, 2007.

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/ “Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL)”, 2005.

http://www.hsus.org “US Pet Ownership Statistics”. Humane Society, 2007