Bans on Pit Bulls Pit bull attacks are common. They can maul other animals and humans in seconds, but they can also be the sweetest breed. Some states in the United States have put a ban, known as Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL), on some breeds of dogs. Pit bulls owners all over the country have had a fair share of both good and bad stories. Stories of these attacks however are more publicized than if the dog had been a Beagle or Rottweiler, both of which have a lower percentage of passing their temperment tests than Pit Bulls. According to the ATTS (American Temperament Test Society, Inc.), 86.8% of the American Pit Bull Terriers have passed their temperment tests, ranking them fourth in highest passing grades of the 122 breeds tested. …show more content…
In fact, pit bulls are not the strongest breed by any means, Rottweilers actually have have the strongest bite, at a resounding 328 pounds per square inch of bite force. Pit bulls on the other hand only exert about 235 pounds per square inch, debunking the 1600 pounds per inch myth. People get bit by pit bulls just as they could get bitten or mauled by playful German Shepherds or sweet Huskies. But say the people who train dogs to fight and guard property don’t have pit bulls anymore, it's not that hard to train another breed to fight just as ferociously. Pit bulls are known as a bully breed, but most people hear that term and think “bad dog” but bully breeds include 12 different breeds of dog from Boston Terriers to Neapolitan Mastiffs. Pit bulls were originally bred from English Bulldogs and Terriers as herding dogs and to protect livestock and families. Although these dogs were tough when protecting families and were rough fighters, people used to call these dogs “nanny dogs” because of how docile they were around the family’s …show more content…
Calling for a complete ban on pit bulls would cause the euthanization of almost three million lives and tearing people’s most beloved family member away from them. Already, just by calling a dog a pit bull is enough, in some states, for animal control officers to seize the pet. For places like North Salt Lake, Utah, the enforcement for BSL calls for people who are untrained in breed identification to determine whether a dog gets to keep its life or not. Extensive studies have been done in Spain and Great Britain on the effectiveness of BSL; the results were that the ban had little effect on lessing dog attacks. But since people are so paranoid about their safety, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) proposed a list of solutions to decrease attacks and hold reckless dog owners accountable. Some of these would be the enhanced enforcement of dog licence laws, leash/dog-at-large laws, laws that would hold the owner financially accountable for any damage cause by their animal and for failure to follow animal control laws. Another big law the ASPCA recommended to be put in actions is a law that prohibits chaining or tethering, which makes dogs prone to unprovoked acts.