Do Dangerous Dog Laws Work?
It depends on how the law is written and enforced. If the law in your area defines dangerous dogs according to their breed, then the answer would be "no." If breed specific legislation is enacted in your state, it is purely poitical and has been proven not to work. Animals cannot be deemed dangerous simply because they are born into a specific breed. I have seen hundreds of well-behaved and polite pit bulls, and I have seen just as many out of control and dangerous Chihuaha’s and Dachsunds. The problem with Breed Specific Legislation is that enforcement focuses entirely on dogs according to their breed and not according to their threat to society. In other words, the polite pit bulls who are no threat to anyone will be confiscated and euthanized while the out-of-control dachsund who is a known biter is free to terrorize the neighborhood.
If the law defines dangerous dogs according to their actions and does not discriminate against specific breeds, then enforcement is much better and society is better protected. Focusing on dogs that are truly dangerous places restrictions on dog owners of dangerous dogs, requires liability insurance, fences, and sometimes muzzles when in public. If the dog laws in your area define "dangerous dogs" as ones that have previously bitten, and not by their specific breed, then the dangerous dog law will probably be effective.
Jan 8, 2010 | Colleen Pelar | Healthy, Wealthy and Wise Every year, nearly 4.6 million Americans are bitten by a dog. Children receive about 60% of these bites. There is something primal and frightening about being attacked by an animal. In fact, most people are far more afraid of dog bites than car accidents, yet your chances of being injured or killed in a car are far, far greater than your risk from dogs. Nonetheless, 4.6 million bites are too many. I truly believe that most dog bites are preventable with proper community education. And yet, the measures we are taking as a society are focusing on the wrong aspects of the problem. Whenever a well-publicized bite occurs, there’s an outcry from the community asking what can be done to prevent such incidents in the future. At this point, the legislature steps in to enact or strengthen dangerous dog laws. These laws are great for politicians. Who could be in favor of dangerous dogs? These laws provide more extensive penalties for the own
