Are you familiar with laws that target particular breeds of canines? Perhaps you’ve seen media coverage about the various types of dogs that have been labeled as dangerous and the resulting legislation attempting to curtail ownership of these breeds. Breed-specific legislation typically puts constraints on individuals who have these dogs or even makes owning these breeds illegal. Let’s explore why these laws are put in place and what’s involved for pet parents and the general public.
What are the basics of breed-specific legislation?
These types of laws were said to begin with one incident that received a lot of media attention. There was an individual in 1980 who was believed to use his pit bull-type dog to intimidate others, and this led to the thinking among legislators that this breed was dangerous and largely responsible for dog bite attacks.
One after another, local and state governments implemented regulations designed to constrain pit bulls and other kinds that were thought to be dangerous, and they placed new limits on their owners. In some cases, there are outright bans on people having certain breeds. In cases where individuals are permitted to adopt the breed, the rules can still cover a lot of ground.
For example, canines may have to be confined or always leashed, muzzled, spayed or neutered, microchipped or tattooed, or wear a government-issued identifying item like a vest or florescent collar. Furthermore, the law may require that the owner carry liability insurance, post signage on their property, or not allow a person under a certain age to walk a pet. Finally, owning these dogs may come with special licensing and other fees and mandatory training. In addition, they may restrict you and your dog from parks and other public places, or compel you to submit a photo of the dog and/or yourself to the local authorities.
What is this legislation designed to do?
Breed-specific legislation identifies particular kinds of dogs that are presumed to be a threat to people and other animals. The thinking is that these animals, if not subject to strict controls, are inclined to bite. Essentially, these laws aim to reduce the number of dog bites in a given community or prevent such attacks altogether.
What are the implications for dog owners?
Commonly, the regulations target pit bulls and other breeds, such as German shepherds who are viewed as potentially dangerous. That said, depending on the municipality, other canine breeds might be implicated. The range of breeds that come under these laws is quite diverse. From Akitas and American bulldogs to Chihuahuas, dalmatians, mastiffs and miniature bull terriers, there are over 50 different breeds named in various regulations.
Certainly, owners of these kinds of dogs should be aware that there may be local regulations on the books—or even in the works—that place restrictions on them and their pets. Once pet owners are educated about the specific rules for the breed they own, they need to prepare to abide by them. For individuals interested in adopting a pet, this could mean that they may decide to avoid a breed that’s covered by these policies.
A complex issue
The challenge with breed-specific legislation is that it attempts to resolve a complex public safety issue with an often-ineffective approach. It has been shown that any dog might bite someone. The likelihood of a bite can be due to a combination of factors, including the canine’s behavior, socialization history, and size. Other factors such as how vulnerable the victim is and how many dogs are involved can also impact whether a bite injury occurs. Simply banning or restricting the movement of a dog based on how it looks will not solve the problem.
Another drawback of such regulations is the cost of to enforce them and to house pets that are picked up when in violation. Animal shelters that struggle financially to care for and provide space to homeless dogs must stretch scarce resources to take in these canines, too. Additionally, rescue organizations can become overburdened with pit bull-type dogs or German shepherds that have become unadoptable due to the local laws in effect.
The other issue with this kind of legislation is that roughly half of the 80 million canines in America are mixed breeds. This makes it quite difficult to determine a dog’s genealogy, and those enforcing the law might unfairly rely on the animal’s appearance to determine the breed.
Fortunately, breed-specific legislation has been on the decline in recent years. For instance, 21 states have passed laws that prohibit these types of laws at the local level.