Breed Specific Legislation - How it effects American Pit Bull Terrier owners
Breed specific legislation or BSL for short, is on the rise around the world. BSL targets specific breeds of canine and either (A) restricts them severely or (B) completely bans them from areas.
Countries like Germany, Australia, England, and France have bans on the American Pit Bull Terrier and the ones that were already living in the country are restricted.
Usually the law states the dogs must be muzzled and on a very short 12 inch leash when out in public.
BSL is very much alive in the United States and the APBT is the number one target for such laws. Ohio has banned them from many of their cities and muzzling along with a short leash are required in many restricted areas of the state.
Expensive insurance is also required in many of the cities were BSL as been accepted. Sometimes it can be as high as $200,000 per dog. Hundreds of cities, towns, and states are implementing BSL.
As time goes by supporter's for this ridiculous band-aid approach are getting the laws passed with ease.
The number one restricted breed in the world is the American Pit Bull Terrier or any cross thereof. Meaning, even if your dog is suspected of having APBT in it's blood it can fall under the power of these laws.
BSL is nothing more than breed profiling and as of yet it has not worked to curb the amount of serious dog attacks it was put in place to stop.
Matter of fact, the only thing it has done is make life hell for ordinary law abiding dog lover's.
Why breed specific legislation will never work
BSL is a flawed concept from the moment it is conceived. In most cases the dogs are targeted leaving the owner, which is the responsible, rational thinking party, out of it.
Some impose fines along with their laws but are often not enforced to the maximum so the owner gets away with a slap on the wrist.
Dogs are not the problem and BSL does not recognize this. People are the problem and until we find a way to punish people for their neglectful actions which allow dogs to bite and terrorize the public we will never stop the problem.
First problem is, take one breed away, these people will find another breed to replace it.
Since the APBT bans the Rottweiler is now on the rise as the most popular breed.
Now these dogs are taking heat from the general public and the BSL supporters. Again they are restricting the dogs and not the people.
BSL can be compared to gender profiling or racial profiling. Simply because a dog appears to be a dog on the restricted list it is treated as one.
What if you were driving down the road and the police took you to jail, sentenced you, and placed you on death row just for looking like a certain ethnic group? BSL does exactly that to dogs.
So why is it then that more BSL laws are implemented daily? God forbid a person have to take responsibility for their irresponsible actions and BSL supports these people by not placing very harsh punishments on them.
We have to fight!
Fighting BSL is the only way to keep all breeds safe. Soon BSL will encompass any dog that can bite (which is all of them) so where does that leave the dog lover?
Supporter's of BSL will argue that it works, but there is very little evidence of this as many laws are drawn up to encompass several breeds and their crosses.
Even experts of the American Pit Bull Terrier have a hard time identifying a mix from a purebred. Sometimes it is obvious, but in most cases it's not that easy.
Experts are needed to enforce the BSL law and testify in court that an offending dog is the breed restricted. Results can be manipulated to fit the agenda.
For example, you can poke a dog in the face until it growls or snaps at you. Now the dog is deemed vicious. Fair? Not at all.
In short BSL has nothing to offer the public but confusion and loss. BSL will not and will never be a practicable means of regulating vicious dogs and severe attacks. Until the law makers see this fact of life we will be faced with more BSL laws.
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