Please copy and RETYPE. Be sure to REMOVE all ( ) s and insert the needed
information. ALWAYS give your name, address and phone number.
Breed Specific Legislation
(date)
(TO:..insert name here)
(address)
(city, state,zip)
(FROM:..Your name)
(Your address)
(your city, state, zip)
(your area code and phone number)
Dear (insert name here):
My problem with breed specific legislation is that we are punishing certain
breeds or classifications of dogs and their owners for behavior that we ignore
in others. While it is true that a few of the game dog breeds have done an
astonishing amount of damage when they do bite, statistically very few have
ever bitten a person. Punishing the Pit Bull or Staffordshire Bull Terrier or
American Staffordshire Terrier and their owners for doing more damage than a
Poodle is like banning all sledgehammers for one bent tack. The sledgehammer
did more damage than a tack hammer, but it was in the hands of an idiot who
didn't use it for its intended purpose.
We find it horrifying when a person is maimed or killed by a dog, especially
when the person is a child. However we rationalize our reaction to the
incident, we must remain rational enough to place the responsibility for the
tragedy directly on the people involved, not on the animal itself.
To legislate or ban all items or creatures having the potential for mauling or
killing people would include everything from automobiles, guns, and planes to
lions, tigers, and bears. Oh my, there go my Martinis and Marlboros as well!
The cirumstances that make a dog bite a person vary with the situation,
training, and/or environment which the dog encounters or lives in. This stark
fact remains: all breeds and varieties of dogs can, will, and do bite. Some
breeds are more prone to bite people than others, and some are more likely to
do serious damage when a bite occurs.
Breed specific legislation addresses only dogs that fall into the latter
category and fails to address the vast majority of dog bite cases.
Statistically, people are bitten more frequently by small dogs than by large
ones, but incidents never reach the media because of the small amount of
damage. No legislature is drafting laws to ban the ownership of Chihuahuas.
The problem lies with the people breeding, owning, or training dogs for
purposes for which were not intended. Pit Bulls and their kin were designed
and bred to fight each other, not people. Due to the tenacity and physicality
of the Bull and Terrier breeds, people have decided to make them one of the
primary representations of a bad dog. People use the dog to compensate for
their own insecurity and to promote a macho image. These people and their dogs
should be avoided. Unfortunately, many "backyard breeders" are
willing to breed "mean dog A" to "bad dog B" and promote
the dogs in the local paper. We have all seen the ads for these dogs, Pit
Bull, Stafford, or AmStaffs:
Great litter from Champion blood lines, Bred for Pet, Show, Protection. Great
Guard Dogs $xxx.xx Call xxxxxxxx
The wise buyer avoids these dogs at all costs. Those who want protection
should get a breed specializing in the purpose. Most of the working breeds are
more readily trained for protection work than the pit breeds. While some may
consider the large head and broad jaws of the Stafford intimidating, the
Belgian Malanois or German Shepherd with their sleek heads and high bellies
are much more likely to attack the boogie man that you fear than a game-bred
Bull and Terrier. The normal response from a game Bull and Terrier, unless its
people are threatened, would be to bring out all the toys for a good game of
kill the tennis ball, not bite the burglar. If, however, the burglar brings
his big tough scary Rottweiler with him, his dog will more than likely go home
looking like he played with the wrong end of a running chainsaw.
Any Bull and Terrier breed that threatens, attacks, bites, or even shows
aggression toward a person other than in defense of its own people should be
neutered at the very least or, preferably, should be destroyed. The danger in
owning or being in contact with such animal cannot be over emphasized. If,
however, a Teacup Poodle exhibits the same behavior it should receive the same
treatment. Although it may not do as much damage, it and its owner are just as
liable.
Sincerely,
(signature)