Breed Specific Legislation
Breed Specific Legislation(BSL):
Breed specific legislation is a knee jerk reaction to a very complex problem. BSL is often proposed following a dog attack that creates a public outcry. However, if we banned every dog breed that has ever bitten in this country, we would not have any companion animals left. Fatal dog attacks are extremely rare and behind each story stands an irresponsible dog owner. Only when we learn how to deal with irresponsible owners will we solve this difficult problem.
BSL is costly to enforce, punishes responsible dog owners, and is completely ineffective. It ties up the limited funds and resources of animal control agencies and does nothing to address the issues associated with irresponsible dog owners. Breed misidentification is a very common problem. The predominant breed of mixed breed dogs is difficult to identify. Funds that could be used to promote dog safety education are instead used to defend against lawsuits. BSL is a miserable failure and has misled people into thinking only certain breeds bite.
Responsible dog owners and concerned citizens need to speak out and request legislators enact reasonable, enforceable, non-discriminatory dangerous dog laws. We need to utilize the resources of animal control agencies to put an end to irresponsible dog owners. As communities we need to enhance public dog safety education efforts. If we work together we can create communities where dog ownership is seen as a privilege and a responsibility. Only then will we see public safety increase.