Does BSL Open Pandora’s Box?
Question by HadesTheDobe: Does BSL open Pandora’s Box?
I’m not a supporter of breed specific legislation because I don’t think it accomplishes anything and I think the “problem breeds” are not really a problem at all. Take the “Pit Bull” for example. There are 5 million plus registered “Pit Bulls in the United States and another 5 million plus unregistered “Pit Bulls” in the United States bring the total number to 10 million plus “Pit Bulls” at any given time in this country. Of those 10 million, there are on average 11 “Pit Bull related deaths per year. That is hardly an epidemic. 11 out of 10 million of anything would be a huge success especially when you think of how many of those 10 million are owned by complete morons.
What my question is: Do you think by banning breeds like the “Pit Bull”, we are opening ourselves up to a situation where any dog that ever kills someone, may end up being banned until the point where all we have is a bunch of ankle bitters as pets? Before the “Pit Bull”, the Rottweiler killed people. Before the Rottweiler, the Doberman killed people. And before the Doberman, the German Shepherd killed people. Where does it all end? It’s not like bad people are just going to stop owning dogs because the “Pit Bull” doesn’t exist anymore.
ADD: I keep putting quotations around Pit Bull because Pit Bull’s are not a breed of dog. They basically encompass all Bulldogs, Terriers and Mastiffs.
That brings me to another question, if we ban all “Pit Bulls”, does that mean we ban all terriers, bulldogs and mastiffs also because all it takes to make a “Pit Bull” is for these breeds to mate?
Best answer:
Answer by ladystang
yes
a lot of places now lump the bully breeds together
it should be on a dog to dog with the owner responsible for the dog’s behavior
Answer by Santa Basset
Of course. Breeds just keep getting added to the list. Italy banned 92 different breeds in 2003 (it was revoked in 2009), they had originally started with a list of 13 breeds.
In Ontario, your dog doesn’t even have to be a “Pit Bull” – he just has to look like one *in the opinion of the authorities* – who may or may not know what a “Pit Bull” looks like. One animal control officer attempted to confiscate a purebred Labrador Retriever claiming that she was a “Pit Bull”. Fortunately, her owners had her registration papers to prove her breed.
Residents of the New York City Housing Authority are prohibited from owning the following dog breeds: Akita Inu, Alangu Mastiff, Alano Español, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Argentine Dogo, ***Bedlington Terrier***, ***Boston Terrier***, Bull and Terrier, Bull Terrier, Bully Kutta, Cane Corso, Dogue de Bordeaux, Dogo Sardesco, English Mastiff, Fila Brasileiro, Gull Dong, Gull Terr, Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Korean Jindo Dog, Lottatore Brindisino, Neapolitan Mastiff, Perro de Presa Canario, Perro de Presa Mallorquin, Shar Pei, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Tosa Inu[45]