We all want safe and humane communities for people and pets and want to prevent dog bites and attacks. "Breed-specific" legislation (BSL) is the blanket term for laws that either regulate or ban certain breeds completely in the hopes of reducing dog attacks. States in green signify that there is not BSL currently being enforced. BSL is a law that is enacted by legislators, with hopes of reducing dog bites, unwanted criminal behavior, and achieving public safety. Breed-specific laws are also costly and difficult to enforce. This is further compounded by the fact that many pit bull bites result in severe injury.” There are two types of BSL laws, those that “ban” and those that “regulate.” Dogs suspected of being a banned type are typically seized by the police and can spend significant time in kennels away from their owners during which they are assessed to determine whether or not the dog is a banned type. Often, BSL is implemented as a reaction to one or two recent and highly publicized serious attacks in the area. The CDC has noted that many other factors beyond breed may affect a dog’s tendency toward aggression—things such as heredity, sex, early experience, reproductive status, socialization and training. KEY COMPONENT: The key component is a law requiring neutering and spaying of both male and female pit bulls, so further breeding is impossible. Currently, more than 900,000 pit bull types dogs are euthanized every year in the United States – more than 6 times the number of other types of dogs – due to excessive breeding. Breed Specific Legislation are actually laws governing ownership, insurance needs, and housing or maybe rental restrictions placed on particular animals based upon breed look. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_bull, “Communities that enact breed-specific laws usually do because a single class of dogs — pit bulls — constitutes a small percent of the registered dog population but commits a large number of bites. Breed-specific legislation violates the federal Americans with Disabilities Act; Lawsuits can cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars and place a heavy burden on both the court system and animal control departments. In some areas, regulated breeds also include a variety of other dogs like American Bulldogs, Rottweilers, Mastiffs, Dalmatians, Chow Chows, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers or any mix of these breeds—and dogs who simply resemble these breeds. Conversely “outlaws” may be attracted to the “outlaw” status of certain breeds. Breed-Specific Legislation is something that should be on your radar any time you are thinking of moving to a new city/state, or even if you are planning a road trip with your pup! Breed-specific laws have a tendency to compromise rather than enhance public safety. Experts agree that breed-specific legislation (BSL) and similar policies that restrict dogs based on appearance do not reduce dog bites in communities or enhance public safety. For canine regulation, it is important to understand the differences between the two major forms of regulation - breed-specific legislation (BSL) and breed-neutral legislation (BNL). Some say, "do nothing at all." Underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company. http://www.dogsbite.org/legislating-dangerous-dogs-bsl-faq.php, Attacks by pit bulls rescued from shelters, Where are pit bulls banned internationally, http://www.dogsbite.org/legislating-dangerous-dogs-bsl-faq.php, http://www.care4paws.org/programsspayneuter.html, http://www.examiner.com/article/pit-bulls-and-euthanasia-rates, http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/S-F-sterilization-law-successful-in-reducing-pit-2507585.php, requiring pit bull type dogs to be muzzled and on short leashes while in public, requiring additional liability insurance for both home owners and renters, requiring landlord agreements for rentals to pit bull owners, requiring warning signs on properties where pit bulls are housed, requiring special housing and fencing requirements, requiring special training certificates for pit bull owners, making it illegal for pit bull type dogs to use designated dog parks, making it illegal to rescue or import pit bull type dogs from other areas, mandatory spay and neutering to reduce euthanization rates, regulations about the transport of pit bull type dogs from one location to another, outright bans on the ownership of pit bull type dogs. Breed specific legislation (BSL) targets specific dog breeds, such as pit bulls and pit-bull-type dogs because they are deemed inherently dangerous and therefore deserving of prejudicial rules and regulations. Breed-specific legislation is … Breed specific legislation specifies that dogs of a certain type or appearance be subjected to particular laws. BSL is a misnomer in that BSL laws are anything but specific. When animal control resources are used to regulate or ban a certain breed, the focus is shifted away from effective enforcement of laws that have the best chances of making communities safer: dog license laws, leash laws, anti-animal fighting laws, anti-tethering laws, laws facilitating spaying and neutering and laws that require all owners to control their dogs, regardless of breed. Additionally, guardians of banned breeds may be deterred from seeking routine veterinary care, which can lead to outbreaks of rabies and other diseases that endanger communities.Breed-specific laws may also have the unintended consequence of encouraging irresponsible dog ownership. Q: What is breed-specific legislation? There is no such problem, they say. In places where BSL has been implemented it varies from a complete ban of certain types of dogs to regulations imposing restrictions on ownership and special requirements including, but not limited to, mandatory muzzling; leash laws; special ‘housing’ (for example, fully enclosed cages); chaining; minimal wall enclosure height; mandatory microchipping; tatt… It is legislation regulating a specific breed of dog. View an extensive body of information about Breed Specific Legislation. Breed Specific Legislation Map. Breed-specific legislation (BSL) is a law or ordinance that regulates or completely bans the keeping of dogs of or presumed to be specific breeds, dogs presumed to be specific breeds and/or dogs which are or presumed to be mixes of one or more of those breeds. Which seems unfair, to put it mildly, because as a result, dogs have lost … BSL targets specific types of dogs. This can either be due to state level legislation, or because there simply is no BSL in that state. It does not take into account the dog’s actual behavior. Breed-specific legislation is a type of dangerous dog law. They feel that dogs attack people who deserve it for one reason or another. Some feel that banning a breed is like human racial discrimination. Breed-Specific Legislation. Although the topic of Breed-specific legislation (BSL) has not dominated conversations in the same way as other divisive issues, it has, for many years, permeated the dog world Following a thorough study of human fatalities resulting from dog bites, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) decided to strongly oppose BSL.The CDC cited, among other problems, the inaccuracy of dog bite data and the difficulty in identifying dog breeds (especially true of mixed-breed dogs). As certain breeds are regulated, individuals who exploit aggression in dogs are likely to turn to other, unregulated breeds. http://www.dogsbite.org/legislating-dangerous-dogs-bsl-faq.php. The rise of pit bull ownership among gang members in the late 1980s coincided with the first round of breed-specific legislation.Â, There is no convincing data to indicate that breed-specific legislation has succeeded anywhere to date.Â. Some city/municipal governments have enacted breed-specific laws, as has the State of Ohio. All rights reserved.The ASPCA is a 501(c)(3) non-for-profit organization. Rebecca F. Wisch : Brief Summary of Breed Specific Laws: This article provides a brief summary of breed-specific legislation and the legal challenges to such laws. Breed Specific Legislation punishes innocent dogs who have done nothing wrong. What is breed-specific legislation? It does not take into account how the owner has raised, trained, or managed the dog. Breed-specific legislation seeks to protect the public by limiting or regulating the ownership of what are deemed to … Breed-Specific Legislation’s Dirty Little Secret. BSL saves not only the lives of victims but the lives of pit bulls. Breed-specific legislation generally refers to laws that target specific breeds of dogs. The new in depth FAQ explains what breed-specific legislation (BSL) encompasses, why it primarily involves pit bulls, how cities and counties enforce breed-specific laws and examples of ordinances that produced strong results. Breed-specific legislation refers to public policies or legal statutes that control, limit or prevent ownership of specific dog breeds or mixes. The CDC cited, among other problems, the inaccuracy of dog bite data and the difficulty in identifying dog breeds (especially true of mixed-breed dogs). They are punished based entirely on what breed they happen to be, or even slightly resemble. The intention of BSL for pit bulls is not to reduce simple bite counts. BSL takes many forms, some of which are very simple, inexpensive and effective. Types of ordinances Text STOP to opt-out, HELP for more info. However, more than 700 U.S. cities have enacted breed-specific laws. The FAQ also dismantles a variety of false myths about BSL. A breed-neutral approach may include the following: Increased availability to low-cost sterilization (spay/neuter) services, Dangerous dog laws that are breed-neutral and focus on the behavior of the individual guardian and dog, Graduated penalties and options for dogs deemed dangerous, Laws that hold dog guardians financially accountable for failure to adhere to animal control laws, Laws that hold dog guardians civilly and criminally liable for unjustified injuries or damage caused by their dogs, Laws that prohibit chaining, tethering and unreasonable confinement, coupled with enhanced enforcement of animal cruelty and animal fighting lawsÂ, Community-based approaches to resolving reckless guardian/dangerous dog questions that encompass all stakeholders, available dog bite data and recommended realistic and enforceable policies, Read the ASPCA’s complete position statement on Breed-Specific Legislation, By providing my mobile number, I agree to receive periodic text messages from the ASPCA. In some countries like Australia, the goal is for pit bull type dogs to die out by natural attrition. Following a thorough study of human fatalities resulting from dog bites, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) decided to strongly oppose BSL. Responsible owners of entirely friendly, properly supervised and well-socialized dogs who happen to fall within the regulated breed are required to comply with local breed bans and regulations. A: Breed-specific legislation (BSL), also referred to as breed-discriminatory legislation (BDL), is a law or ordinance that prohibits or restricts the keeping of dogs of specific breeds, dogs presumed to be specific breeds, mixes of specific breeds, and/or dogs presumed to be mixes of one or more of those breeds. In terms of Breed Bias, this refers to the bias against certain dog breeds. Breed-specific legislation applies only to dogs of a certain appearance, not to any and all dogs. They feel that the statistics compiled on dog attacks are inaccurate, and that the press has created the false impression that there is a dog bite problem in the USA. BSL (also known as Breed Discriminatory Legislation) is a law or legal ordinance that restricts or prohibits the ownership of certain breeds (or types) of dogs. Legislation may ban certain types of dog in a defined geographic area, or it may restrict particular kinds of dogs in specific ways. A few cities and communities may propose outdated breed-specific legislation (BSL), also known as breed discrimination, out of misinformation regarding the issue of dangerous dogs. Breed-specific laws are also costly and difficult to enforce. Breed Specific Legislation was introduced 26 years ago as part of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to restrict the ownership of certain types of dogs deemed to be dangerous to people. Breed-specific legislation (BSL), as defined by the ASPCA, “is the blanket term for laws that either regulate or ban certain dog breeds in an effort to … BSL takes many forms, some of … Breed-specific legislation (BSL) is a type of law that prohibits or restricts particular breeds or … The intention is to reduce the number of life changing attacks and deaths caused by this type of dog. What is Breed Specific Legislation (BSL)? Not only that, but police or animal control classifying a dog as even just suspected “type” (a banned breed) means the dog is seized and the owner will have to pay court costs to fight for the dogs life. Its called breed specific legislation and its destroying lives in a sweeping worldwide epidemic. Breed safety laws :: Over 900 U.S. cities have enacted breed-specific legislation and wolf-dog hybrid laws. There is no evidence that breed-specific laws make communities safer for people or companion animals. Breed-specific legislation is being proposed and enacted all over the world, and targets so-called 'aggressive breeds.' Conversely, studies can be referenced that point to clear, positive effects of carefully crafted breed-neutral laws. Breed specific legislation (BSL) is an attempt by legislators to reduce dog bites by targeting specific types of dogs. It is defined as any ordinance or policy that pertains to a specific dog breed or several breeds, but does not affect any others. Founded on the notion that certain breeds of dogs present an immediate danger, BSL punishes responsible owners and their beloved pets simply due to … Message and data rates may apply. Less than 25% of pit bull owners spay or neuter their dogs, compared to 75% of other breeds. It refers to laws that ban or restrict certain types of dogs based simply on their appearance, usually because they are perceived as dangerous. Learn more about fighting BSL in our advocate toolkit. 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