POSTED IN: OPINION
Following the death of a 4-year-old who was attacked by a pit bull, there is sure to be talk of laws that are specific to that breed of dog, but these laws unfairly punish all pit bull owners.
(courtesy of Wikipedia)
(courtesy of Wikipedia)
The talk of breed-specific legislation is sure to come up after a 4-year-old boy was fatally attacked by a pitbull in Detroit, Michigan.
Breed-specific legislation refers to government regulations pertaining to a specific breed — most often being American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier and Staffordshire bull terrier. The regulations typically include sterilization or banning of the animals from a particular neighborhood, according to DogsBite.org, a non-profit education website.
This legislation punishes all pit bulls for the violent outbursts made by only a few of them, which is unfair.
In a 10-year period, between 2005 to 2014, DogsBite.org reported that there have been 203 deaths caused by pit bulls. While the number may be uncomfortably high, each case must be assessed individually. In situations involving children, there was poor dog supervision; in situations involving the elderly, multiple dogs were reported without the presence of a dog owner, according to DogsBite.org.
In CNN’s report of the dog attacking the 4-year-old boy, the dogs were a pre-existing problem for the neighborhood. In a case such as this, the specific animal in question should be reported to animal control to ensure that is receives the necessary care, rather than creating laws that punish all animals of the breed.
The long-lasting issue of whether the problem lies with the owners or if the breed itself is to blame will likely never end. There are constant back and forths of “for all the pits that do attack, there are thousands that don’t” and “how many victims must there be before something is done?”
When people opt to get a pet, they are cautioned that pets—like children— are a big responsibility. What people fail to realize is yes, pets are exactly like children, and pit bulls, much like children, can be raised in hostile and dangerous environments and still be rehabilitated and live a full life, said Julie Castle, chief development, marketing and communication officer of Best Friends Animal Society, in a TED Talk.
While the intentions of the legislation are good, placing a ban on the animals would only cause the owners to illegally house them and in doing so, there would be less of a way for owners to provide a higher quality of life for the animals. Banning pit bulls will make them sheltered and unsocialized, therefore making them more hostile to other animals and unfamiliar humans, according to Pit Bull Rescue Central, an online shelter and resource center.
An unpopular answer is to compromise. It is true that an entire breed of dog cannot be blamed for the terrible acts of a few, but there should be some sort of reasonable regulation. Instead of banning the dogs, why not limit the amount an owner may have? If someone is a registered breeder, why not document what is done with the dogs that are not sold?
As some pit bull owners say, “punish the deed, not the breed.”
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