- Pit Bull types are targeted in Breed Specific Legi - dayleemojo
Breed Selective Legislation (BSL) has been enacted all over the world and Pit Bull breed types are included in almost every one of them. Even though these laws have been in place for lengthy periods of time, little real research has been done to determine their effectiveness. As a result, some jurisdictions are reconsidering existing bans or not including breed restrictions in new laws. The Winnipeg Sun cites the Municipality of Springfield, Manitoba as a recent example. Extremely vocal and well represented factions of dog enthusiasts cite paucity of credible research supporting the effectiveness of BSL. However, despite the lack of hard science, there is still a powerful argument to be made in support of keeping and even strengthening breed specific rules, including sanctions against Pit Bulls, or more precisely pure-bred and cross-breed dogs bearing Pit Bull traits.
Pit Bull and Dangerous Dog Restrictions are Common Throughout the World
One of the most compelling arguments for BSL, including Pit Bulls, is that so many cities, towns and even countries worldwide have adopted such rules. Surely the reason for this must be experiential. In other words, serious local attacks by particular dog breeds have prompted a regulatory response.
Pit Bulls are not Necessarily the Most Likely to Bite
Dogs bearing Pit Bull features are not necessarily the breeds most likely to attack humans. Regional differences will occur. For example, in Northern Canada Huskies and Husky crosses are most often implicated, as in the February 14, 2011 mauling of a 4 year old in the NWT. Apparently, Chihuahuas and Daschunds are the most likely to bite.
Pit Bulls Have a Disposition Towards Gameness
Inherent breed characteristics make some dogs more capable of a sustained attack on humans, inflicting severe injury or fatality. In 1989, South Point, Ohio, upholding the BSL related to Pit Bulls, Judge Herman Weber’s, detailed the following:
"...Pit Bulls also possess the quality of gameness, which is not a totally clear concept, but which can be described as the propensity to catch and maul an attacked victim unrelentingly until death occurs...It is clear that the unquantifiable, unpredictable aggressiveness and gameness of Pit Bulls make them uniquely dangerous ...While Pit Bulls are not the only breed of dog which can be dangerous or vicious, it is reasonable to single out the breed to anticipate and avoid the dangerous aggressiveness which may be undetectable in a Pit Bull."
It it not necessarily the likelihood of biting that is the issue here, rather the potential severity of the attack.
Dog Attack Statistical Evidence is Unclear
Reliable statistics regarding Breed Specific Attacks on Humans are difficult to find because many cases of dog bites go unreported. Malathi Raghavan, Fatal dog attacks in Canada, 1990–2007, in the Canadian Veterinary Journal, discusses dog attack fatalities:
- In a US study, Pit Bull types and Rottweilers were implicated in half of 283 fatalities. There is a lack of comparative data for Canada.
- Pit Bulls did rank highest in non-fatal attacks by licensed dogs in Edmonton, in 2000 and 2001, followed by Rottweilers, Akitas, Mastiffs, Dalmations and Great Danes.
- The Canadian Veterinary Journal, August 2005, used Calgary 2003, statistics to show that fighting breeds, including Pit Bulls were involved in aggressive behavior. "0.84% of licensed German Shepherds and their crosses bit a human, compared with 1.14% of Rottweilers and their crosses, and 3.86% of pit bulls".
Though reliable statistics are scarce, the limited data does demonstrate trends showing that certain breeds of dogs are more likely to do grievous harm to humans.
Media Reports of Pit Bull Attacks
News reports are probably the most common source of public apprehension regarding Pit Bull types of dogs. Advocates for Pit Bulls have argued that the breed is unfairly targeted by media; however, in an internet search of serious dog attacks, the breed features prominently:
The Montreal Gazette, December 20, 2010: "a woman suffered bites on her knees, shoulder and armpit while defending the Jack Russell terrier when it was attacked by a neighbor's pit bull on Monday...The borough already faced the dilemma two years ago when an elderly man was attacked and severely injured by a pit bull."
WISTV, January 14, 2011, Lexington County: "... the second attack involving a pit bull in Lexington County this week. On Thursday, a 13-year-old girl was hospitalized after a pit bull attacked her near her home on Bethlehem Circle. A deputy had to shoot and kill the dog to be able to free the girl."
WRCB, Chattanooga, TN, February 6, 2011: “A mother and daughter sustained serious injuries from a Pit Bull attack Sunday afternoon... An officer at the scene noted the wounds as disfiguring.”
Kelowna News, British Columbia, Feb 10, 2011: "A long time family pet was fatally attacked Thursday morning by two pit bulls."
ABC News Channel, ONSLOW COUNTY, NC, February 4, 2011: “the seven-month-old new pit bull, a dog the family recently purchased, lunged at the toddler, locking onto his throat... surgeries for his injuries ... included neck fractures of the cervical spine."
NewsChannel 36, WAXHAW, N.C., January 13, 2011: ... screaming was coming from 67-year-old Nancy Presson, as she was trying desperately to save her granddaughter, 5-year-old Mikayla Woodard from the jaws of two pit bulls...The little girl died in the ambulance."
1011 Now, Lincoln, Nebraska, February 11, 2011: "A couple's argument ends with wounds to both, caused by their pitbull."
WCBI, Pontotoc County, Mississippi, January 26, 2011: "A local man loses his life after being attacked by his neighbor's dogs. Pontotoc County Sheriff Neal Davis says 51 year old Ronnie Waldo was in his neighbor's yard when at least three of his neighbor's pit bulls attacked him."
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, Jan. 28, 2011: "A man had to shoot the family pit bull Friday after it began attacking a 55-year-old woman in their east valley home."
Breed Specific Legislation is Necessary for Public Safety
Laws restricting ownership of Pit Bull type dogs are entirely justified because small but significant percentage of these animals attack and maim people. Due to the breed's characteristic of "gameness," these dogs are sometimes inclined to attack in a tenacious, relentless manner endangering the lives of their victims.
Certainly, there are many responsible dog owners who are able to train and manage these dogs, which are also known to be steadfast and loyal; however, there are many more people without the necessary skills to raise Pit Bulls. There are also those, who continue to nurture the dog’s potential viciousness for purposes of vanity, protection or dog fighting and gambling. PETA actively encourages BSL because: "Pit bulls are the most abused breed of dog, and it is the relentless abuse of these dogs at the hands of cruel people that motivates our efforts to stop people from bringing more pit bulls into the world to be hurt and exploited." The Media reports, scant, but telling statistics, and world-wide bans on these dogs are all indications of the continuing need for Breed Specific Legislation, not only for Pit Bulls, but other known dangerous pedigrees. Even if it is the dog owner who is primarily responsible, one preventable disfigurement or death legitimizes BSL.
References:
Vanater v. Village of South Point, Ohio, 717 F. Supp. 1236 (D. Ohio 1989), Case Details, Judge HERMAN J. WEBER, District Judge.
Ledger, Rebecca A., Orihel, Jane S., Clarke, Nancy, Murphy, Sarah, Sedlbauer, Mitja, Breed specific legislation: Considerations, Can Vet J Volume 46, August 2005.
Bering, Jesse, It Ain't Easy Being a Pit Bull Owner, Scientific American, July 9, 2009.
Raghavan, Malathi Fatal dog attacks in Canada, 1990–2007, The Canadian Veterinary Journal, June, 2008.
