For 30 years, pit bulls have been banned in Denver, Colorado. That is, until last week. Lawmakers in The Centennial State voted to remove the ban, re-opening a controversy that’s gone on for decades.
In Denver, owning a pit bull still comes with a number of restrictions: no more than two per household, a specialized license is required to be maintained, they must be spayed/neutered and microchipped, their names and address must be registered with the city, and more. Plus, authorities must be notified immediately if a registered pit bull escapes, bites someone, or passes away.
While these laws are still drastically more restrictive than owning other dog breeds, many are calling these changes a positive forward step in breed-specific legislation.
In Canada, the federal government does not regulate any laws regarding pit bulls, however certain provinces and municipalities have taken breed-specific legislation into their own hands.
In August 2005, Ontario enacted a province-wide ban on pit bulls and similar breeds defined as “pit bull”. This ban includes pit bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, American pit bull terriers, or any dog that has an appearance and physical characteristics that are substantially similar.
In other provinces, pit bulls are banned or restricted in 229 cities and municipalities. In all cases of bans, legislation and by-laws state that pit bulls are dangerous, aggressive, vicious, and more. In many cities, pit bulls are flat-out banned, while in others they can be owned under certain restrictions, such as having to wear a muzzle in public places.
Statistically, pit bulls make up a substantially small part of the canine population at less than 5%. However, since 1982, they have been responsible for almost 70% of reported dog-related attacks, and over 50% of reported dog-attack deaths in North America. In fact, a 2011 report published in an issue of Annals of Surgery found that one person, on average, died every 14 days due to a pit bull attack, and two people, on average, were injured by a pit bull every single day.
With more bans being put into place across Canada and the U.S., reported pit bull-related incidents have begun to decrease.
Are pit bulls more dangerous than other dog breeds?
For generations, pit bulls have been bred for fighting purposes. This is largely how they’ve developed their intimidating features, such as overdeveloped musculature and a wide, strong jaw. Pit bulls also have the ability to lock their jaws in place, making it virtually impossible at times for bite victims to escape. Pit bulls are often stronger and more athletic than most dog breeds. These are the measurables needed to have an advantage in fighting situations.
There are no bad dogs, only bad owners.
Whether we are talking about a pit bull or a pomeranian, it is a fact that any dog raised in the wrong environment has the capacity to become a public safety risk. When it comes to the big pit bull debate, there are two opposing sides. On one side, pit bull defenders claim that pit bulls have earned a bad rap due to their mistreatment by irresponsible owners, and they are safe, gentle, and loving companions. On the other side, many believe that pit bulls are fighting dogs by nature, thus cannot be trusted as they pose a legitimate safety risk to both pets and people.
When we look at the genetic heritage of today’s domesticated dogs, many of them are the result of many generations of selective breeding to fulfill a specific purpose; certain dog breeds are meant to herd, others to pull sleds and carts, some are bred to hunt and kill rodents, and the list goes on. But what about the dogs that have been selectively bred for more aggressive purposes? There are many fighting-type dog breeds, however pit bull hysteria seems to steal most of the spotlight.
While pit bulls may receive the lion’s share of discrimination, there are many breeds that are also commonly regarded as potentially unsafe, including chow chows, rottweilers, German shepherds, Doberman pincers, European mastiff breeds, and more. Does that mean that all these dogs should be part of breed-specific legislation as well? Maybe, maybe not. However, the statistics show an overwhelming number of incidents involving pit bulls at a rate significantly higher than any other breed.
While their physique is intimidating for many, are pit bulls really as dangerous as the hype? Well the truth is, yes, pit bulls can be dangerous. But so can any other dog. All dogs, each bred for different individualised purposes, come with a unique and specific set of care requirements; some dogs are more difficult to own than others, and thus they require an experienced handler.
Ultimately, it is up to the pet owner to ensure they do not expose their dog to situations and environments unsuitable for their individual dog – regardless of the breed.
The pit bull debate will continue to go on. Many of us will base our opinions on news headlines and articles labelling pit bulls as a danger to society, while others who own and live with them everyday argue they are the perfect family pet.
One thing the majority of us can agree on is this: the problem stems from irresponsible pet owners. If you ban one type of breed, another breed will simply take its place, and the cycle continues. Irresponsible pet owners create problems, not the breed itself.
The pit bull debate is not as black and white as many think. This is a complicated matter involving many factors, and it’s unlikely we’ll see either side of the controversy coming to any form of agreement any time soon.
And so the debate continues.
Brandon Forder, known as The Pet Expert, is vice-president of Canadian Pet Connection, an industry leader in healthy pet lifestyles. Brandon holds multiple certifications in pet nutrition, and has more than twenty-five years’ experience specializing in pet health and behaviour. He has written hundreds of informative pet-related articles for newspapers, magazines, radio, and the popular Ask the Pet Expert Blog. Brandon is highly skilled in pet problem solving, and enjoys teaching others about smart and responsible pet ownership. To learn more, visit www.CanadianPetConnection.ca.
