Why Pit Bulls Should Be Banned

Over 700 US cities have created breed specific legislation to restrict pet owner from owning certain breeds of dogs. Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Terriers, and Rottweilers are the top three restricted breeds across the country. Pit Bulls are the number one restricted breed due to their high dog-bite related deaths. Most people believe them to be the most dangerous dogs and advocate for them to be completely banned from the US. Rottweilers are the second most restricted because of their dog bite-related fatalities. Combined with the Pit Bull, these two dogs are the cause of 60% of all dog-related deaths. Breed restrictions do not allow pet owners to own certain breeds of dogs. There are 20 states that have anti-breed specific law restrictions.

“ There is no credible evidence that breed determines or predicts dangerousness. Dangerous dog laws should be narrowly drawn to define dangerous dogs as those who have either attacked a person or another animal without justification..” ("Position Statement). Dogs have the potential to be whatever their owner wants them to be. Depending what they are exposed to throughout their life determines what the dog will become. Will it be vicious? Or will it be a potential therapy dog? This all depends on the owner and the type of training the dog receives. With the proper training, every dog can be a good dog. They need socialization with other animals, adults, and children. Without it, they will become intolerant of all others except their owner. Training is a crucial part of owning a dog. If all owners took preventative steps, such as training, there would be no problem with vicious dogs. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen and some dogs become vicious. In this scenario, the owner of the dog should be punished instead of the animal, who was only doing what felt natural to

In the article “Arguments for and Against Breed Specific Laws”, Kenneth Phillips states, “ It is undisputed that Pit Bulls in particular are the most abused dog in the USA; created for the specific purpose of violence, the dogs are treated cruelly to make them as dangerous as possible, and are routinely abandoned when they are not vicious enough for their evil masters.” This points out how many Pit Bulls become stray dogs and end up in shelters. Bad ownership is the leading cause to vicious Pit Bulls. When they are trained to fight other dogs for their lives, it becomes hardwired in them and they become a hazard to society. These dogs are often released in the streets when they become too injured or are not strong enough to fight anymore. Although it cannot be proven that these dogs are naturally more aggressive, there are countless cases per year of these dogs acting