By Rebecca Simmons
Chloe is a sweet and gentle dog who loves children. Tofupup is high-strung and needs to be muzzled around other animals. Despite their differences, both dogs share a reputation for aggression and a pedigree—pit bull—that is increasingly becoming taboo in communities across the country.
Ariana Huemer's two dogs embody the best and worst traits of one of society's most misunderstood breeds. Bred for centuries to fight other animals yet extremely loyal to humans, pet pit bulls are feeling the heat as attempts to pass breed-specific legislation (BSL)—legislation banning or strictly regulating dogs based solely on breed—gain popularity in communities struggling to deal with the issue of dangerous dogs.
Animal advocates agree that pit bulls require responsible, attentive guardians like Huemer, who are capable of understanding and effectively managing their pets' behavior. And there's no doubt that dangerous dogs need to be dealt with quickly and effectively. But if a breed ban were enacted in her community Huemer, a resident of Oakland, California who has a deep affection for both of her dogs says, "I would be insanely angry. BSL is tantamount to racial profiling."
A thousand miles away, in Denver, Colorado, the prospect of a pit bull ban has become a reality—and left dismayed pit bull guardians scrambling to find homes for their exiled pets.
On April 7 of this year, a city ordinance adopted in 1989 to ban pit bulls was reinstated after a judge ruled that the city of Denver had a right to set its own policies—despite a Colorado law that prohibits cities and counties from outlawing specific dog breeds. The decision allows Denver to side-step the state law, passed in 2004, and continue to enforce a city-wide ban prohibiting owning, selling or possessing a pit bull for any reason.
To supporters of BSL, a pit bull ban is a no-nonsense solution to eradicating dangerous dogs from a community. But to pit bull guardians and animal advocates, the ban is not only canine discrimination, it's ineffective.
"Protecting residents from dangerous dogs is a noble goal and one that communities across the country are wrestling with," says Stephanie Shain, director of outreach for HSUS's Companion Animal Section. "But communities that have banned specific breeds have discovered that it has not been the easy answer they thought it would be. Dangerous dogs come in all shapes and sizes, and breed bans just don't effectively address the issue."
Breed bans also separate guardians from their beloved pets, regardless of the maturity and commitment of the guardians or the temperament and background of the dog. "BSL punishes responsible guardians simply because they own a specific breed of dog," says Shain. "These guardians may lose their pet even though they are doing everything right and their dog is safe."
Ironically, irresponsible dog guardians are rarely deterred by breed bans. "If you ban one breed, these individuals will just move on to another one," says Shain. "Banning a breed only speeds up the timetable." Over the last few decades animal care and control professionals have seen the public focus shift from Doberman pinschers to pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and other breeds. "Unfortunately, the 'problem dog' at any given time is often the most popular breed among individuals who tend to be irresponsible, if not abusive, in the control and keeping of their pets," says Shain.
Attempting to enforce breed bans can also deplete precious time and resources that could be used to deal with dogs who display aggressive tendencies, regardless of breed. "Any dog can bite a person," says Shain. "Breed is simply one factor in ascertaining a dog's potential for aggression. It's much more effective to look at each dog as an individual."
Instead of focusing on breed, many communities have found that "dog bite" legislation coupled with public education has been a successful approach. "Legislation aimed at punishing the owner of the dog rather than punishing the dog is far more effective in reducing the number of dog bites and attacks," says Shain. One of the shortcomings of BSL—that residents typically don't receive information on how to identify potentially dangerous dogs—can be corrected by educating people about dog bite prevention.
Concerned citizens can help their community adopt effective methods for curbing dangerous dogs by reading and distributing the following documents to decision makers and dog guardians in their area:
Rebecca Simmons is the Outreach Communications Coordinator for the Companion Animals section of The HSUS.
