STATISTICS

There’s No Evidence That Banning Breeds has Any Impact on Dog Bites.

Period.

B.S.L. Wastes Money.

Enforcement costs a fortune, from staffing to litigation to the price of “unnecessarily” killing dogs in shelters. Best Friends Animal Society even offers a calculator that estimates fiscal impact. In Miami, which still enforces B.S.L., it costs $603,445 annually … with no change in the count of dog bites.

B.S.L. Kills

Pitbulls have almost no chance of survival in shelters. In many areas, they’re killed immediately upon admission, with no opportunity to find a new home. Their euthanasia rate, overall, hovers around a staggering 93%.

Dog Bite Fatalities are Extremely Rare.

Between the years of 1999 and 2006, an average of 27 Americans died each year because of a dog attack, per a Journal of the American Medical Association report. Meanwhile, estimates suggest an average of 40 to 50 Americans die each year from just lightning strikes.

All the Legit Organizations are Against B.S.L.

The Humane Society of the U.S., the ASPCA, the United Kennel Club, the American Animal Hospital Association, the American Kennel Club, Best Friends Animal Society, and the CDC (and so many more) is against B.S.L.

Even the Public is Against B.S.L.

Per a poll released by Best Friends Animal Society, 84% of those surveyed said “local, state or federal governments should not infringe on a person’s right to own whatever breed of dog they choose.”

Most Bans Affect Pitbulls, but Other Breeds Can Be Included.

Other breeds that can also be affected by B.S.L. include American Bulldogs, Mastiffs, etc. (or dogs that just look similar).

Additionally, a “pitbull” isn’t even an actual breed. Instead, it’s a term used to describe a stockier type of terrier that includes the American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and mixes of the above.

Pitbulls Rank High on Temperament Tests.

Pitbulls score extremely high on temperament tests. Per the American Temperament Testing Society, Inc., the American Pit Bull Terrier achieved a passing rate of 86.8 percent (better than collies, golden retrievers, and beagles), which means they rank fourth highest of the 122 breeds tested.

B.S.L. Tears Families Apart.

If a breed ban is in effect in a community, authorities have the right to take a dog from its family. Often, these dogs end up euthanized, even though they already had a loving home.

Researchers Have Identified That Breed Isn’t a Factor That Leads to Dog Bites

According to stats on dog bite-related fatalities published by the National Canine Research Council, factors include:

no able-bodied person being present to intervene (87.1 percent)
the victim having no familiar relationship with the dog(s) (85.2 percent)
the owner’s prior mismanagement of the dog(s) (37.5 percent)
and the owner’s abuse or neglect of dog(s) (21.1 percent).

Per their research, these and other factors were present in “80.5 percent of cases.”

Identifying a “Pitbull” is Completely Subjective.

Because the term refers to a whole host of breeds and mixes, shelter workers and city officials often wrongfully label dogs as pit bulls, which can mean a death sentence for the animal involved. Per the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 2013 paper, in cases of bite fatalities, “the breed(s) of the dog or dogs could not be reliably identified in more than 80 percent of cases.”