BSL is an important issue that can affect all bully breed owners.  Breed specific legislation is the regulation of your right to own or not own a certain dog based only on its "type", "appearance" or "breed".  Breed Specific Legislation is typically a knee jerk reaction by politicians and community leaders protect citizens from "bad dogs".  It does not recognize dog owner responsibility and does not recognize the deed itself.

BSL also affects whose who may be traveling with their pets.  Make sure you check ahead to make sure you aren't traveling or spending the night with your pit bull in an area where they are banned.  For updated listings of cities and states with bsl, click here: http://www.pbrc.net/breedspecific.html

Currently, Pit Bulls* are the most legislated against of all dog breeds*. While it may be the pit bull today, it could be your breed tomorrow, please be aware and get involved if possible.

Why doesn't BSL work?

Dog problems are problems related to owner responsibility not breeds. When a specific breed is singled out as dangerous or vicious it removes the responsibility of dog behavior from the owner. It also gives the illusion that other breeds that are not named are "safe" and that is just not so. Irresponsible people are also less likely to follow the law - and as a result, everyone has to suffer.

By limiting the ability of citizens to own certain breeds, they may re-locate or decide not to live in a certain municipality. Responsible ownership needs to be encouraged, not discouraged. Enforcement will always be an issue so those in the community that do not care about the law will continue to own this breed.

Communities that have instituted such bans often find that the irresponsible owners and the criminals who use dogs for illegal purposes simply switch to another breed or continue with the same breed but more people be attracted to its "illicit" nature and reputation as a "vicious" dog. This is not an attitude that should be encouraged.

Breeds and mixes are hard to identify and often dogs are mislabeled and destroyed based on paranoia and prejudice and also punishes those that are good canine citizens. Most BSL laws state that a pit bull can be identified by what someone thinks it looks like which is a very subjective measure and requires no proof of any kind. Many breeds function as assistance dogs for handicapped owners, search and rescue dogs, drug-sniffing dogs, police dogs, etc. and drives them out of the community. An "illegal" dog is an "illegal" dog whether that dog is an untrained mix or a therapy certified or search and rescue dog. The American Veterinary Medical Association and several state veterinary medical associations oppose breed-specific legislation for just this reason.

Passage of laws that are only enforced through complaints cause two problems: 1) they create disrespect for the law if authorities require compliance only upon complaint, and 2) they provide ammunition for neighborhood feuds.

Suggested alternatives to breed bans include:

Enforce dangerous dog laws. If they are not already in place, lobby for protection from untrained and unsupervised dogs of any breed or mix. This broad-based will protect all citizens as any dog can bite and be a nuisance when owned by an irresponsible owner. Those who would deliberately train a dog to act aggressively towards people or other animals, or to use dogs in the commission of a felony or misdemeanor should face additional penalties.

Encourage and become involved in efforts with local animal rescue and welfare agencies to provide responsible dog ownership seminars and canine safety education. The American Kennel Club has a free education program created for elementary school children that can be ordered from their website (and it features a staffy bull!).

Protect the rights of all citizens with nuisance ordinances such as anti-barking, pooper scooper regulations and leash laws. Encourage proper exercise, training and treatment of all dogs.

*Pit Bull is a generic nickname for several breeds including but not limited to the American Pit Bull Terrier (UKC, ADBA), the American Staffordshire Terrier (AKC, CKC), the Stafforshire Bull Terrier (AKC, CKC) and can include mixes of these with other breeds. Doggie identification is a big issue with BSL as almost any short haired, muscular dog with a blocky head and broad chest is labeled a "pit bull" whether the dog contains any of those breeds or not.