Breed Specific Legislation is Discrimination
The discriminatory breed specific legislation (BSL) in Prince George (PG) County is shameful and embarrassing to Maryland and all its residents should be outraged. BSL aims to stop vicious dog attacks by targeting specific dog breeds that are thought to be aggressive. This myth has led to the euthanizing of thousands of dogs every year, nation-wide. As a relatively new resident of the state and a dog owner I find the ban wasteful and ineffective.
Prince Georges County is the second-largest jurisdiction in the country that enforces BSL. In 2018 alone, 400 pit bull type dogs were euthanized for their appearance. The legislation, enacted in 1997, states that no person can own or keep a “Pitt bull Terrier.” However, upon further reading of the bill, it also includes three other breeds of pit bull and states “dogs which have an appearance of being predominantly of the breed…predominantly shall mean that the dog exhibits physical characteristics of a Pit Bull Terrier.”
The wording of the law means that dogs are having their lives cut short purely because of their appearance. According to the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine dog experts nationwide have difficulty identifying a dog’s breed based on appearance. The study found that the experts were only able to identify a mix-breed dog’s heritage 27% of the time. “These results indicate that, regardless of profession, visual identification of the breeds of dogs with unknown heritage is poor.”
While the breeds of the outlawed dogs are listed in the law, there is also a significant room for error when it comes to identifying a dog’s breed. For instance, some dog breeds exhibit the same characteristic as the pit bull breeds like Boxers, Cane Corsos, or Bull dogs. Additionally, the likelihood of a dog being solely of one breed is slim.
Prince George’s county wastes valuable taxpayer money on a scientifically flawed law. This judgment of appearance costs the tax payers of Prince George’s County $186 per dog per day which could lead up to $500,000 a year of misused funds. It is thought that shelter workers misidentified dogs’ breeds 50 to 87 percent of the time.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC), a federal entity that aims to protect the American people from health, security and safety threats, has acknowledged the futility behind BSL’s assumption that certain dog types are more violent. The CDC — long cited as a non-partisan, objective source in public health debates — monitors fatal dog bites. A 2000 report by the center, Americans Against BSL noted that “After 1998, the CDC stopped tracking which breeds of dogs are involved in fatal attacks; according to a CDC spokesperson, that information is no longer to be of discernable value.”
Research suggests that, contrary to popular belief, bully breeds actually have a better temperament than many dogs that are viewed by the general population nonthreatening. Indeed, The American Temperament Test Society (ATTS) tests various dog breeds for overall temperament. According to the organization, bully breeds tested at least 5% better than Collies, Dachshunds, and Golden Retrievers.
Prince George’s County targets pit bull breeds because it is thought that these breeds are prone to aggression. However, even when dogs are sent to the “pit” and back, they are worth rescuing. In 2007, a high-profile dog fighting operation, ran by former NFL quarterback Michael Vick, was discovered. This landmark case lead to groundbreaking revelations for it bull breeds.
Forty-seven of these dogs were saved, rehabilitated, and lived happy and successful lives. Those dogs proved and are still proving, that no matter what they were trained to do, they were still capable and deserving of love. Audie, one of the rehabilitated dogs, toured public libraries to educate the public about pit bull type dogs and dog ownership. Another, Hazel, became her owners emotional support animal by helping her with anxiety. Some people, several of them lawmakers, believed that those dogs should have been euthanized. Several of the dogs rescued from Vick’s dog fighting operation, while sharing characteristics, are clearly not the same breed. These dog ambassadors further the argument that owners should be held accountable, not the dog, when aggressive dog bits take place.
Public policy solutions exist that can crack down on dog bites but are free from BSL’s extensive drawbacks. Breed neutral measures, such as legislation holding owners financially or criminally accountable for dogs’ actions, more stringent dog licensing laws, or low-cost and easily available sterilization are all viable options according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
The ban in Prince George’s County has taken hero dogs from their families based on the way the animal looked. After a tragic December 2015 fire, a pit bull type dog stood by her owner’s side while she lay unconscious on the front lawn of her home. The dog and another living in the home were later taken from the family because of their appearance.
The American Kennel Club states that “dangerous dog guidelines should establish a fair process by which a dog is deemed “dangerous” or “vicious” based on stated, measurable actions, not merely based on breed.” BSL is wasteful, ineffective, and outdated. PG county and other municipalities nationwide should look to the experts and their research when passing legislation regarding the safety of humans and dogs alike.
