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The breed to ban: the irresponsible owners By Sherry Rout
Special to Viewpoints
A dog attacks and, as it should, the community reacts. Unfortunately, the reaction is often a divisive, irresponsible and ineffective knee-jerk reaction that villainizes specific breeds of dogs, does not hold owners accountable for their dogs' actions and rarely addresses the myriad problems associated with dangerous and aggressive dogs. A number of factors contribute directly to the problems of dangerous and aggressive dogs in our community. Some of these are: the uncontrolled breeding of dogs in large numbers -- often of a popular breed such as the pit bull -- as a commercial enterprise, with little regard for temperament or breed standards; large numbers of stray, free-roaming or poorly socialized dogs; dogs that have not been spayed or neutered; the tethering or chaining of dogs; owners who encourage their dogs' aggressive behavior; and inadequate enforcement of existing laws and ordinances related to public safety and animal ownership, such as the leash and rabies laws. How do we begin to solve the problem of aggressive and dangerous dogs? First, let's recognize that any dog can bite if given sufficient provocation. Breed bans and other breed-specific mandates tend to provide the community with a false sense of security. The community needs to be protected from dangerous dogs of any breed. Many jurisdictions have repealed breed bans after finding them ineffective at reducing attacks and dealing with problems related to aggressive dogs. Such bans are costly to the taxpayer, require a great deal of manpower and are difficult if not impossible to enforce. For example, in Prince George's County in Maryland, a task force concluded that the county's pit bull ban should be repealed as it had not produced positive results and was extremely costly. During the two-year period studied by the task force, Prince George's County collected $35,000 in dog licensing fees but spent at least $560,000 to enforce this ineffective ban. Local governments would be better stewards of taxpayer dollars by focusing on aggressive spay and neuter programs and breeding regulations (such as cracking down on "roadside breeders") rather than ineffective breed bans; the reproductive status of dogs and the number of dogs in general in a community are of great importance when dealing with the issue of aggressive and dangerous dogs. Controlling the reproductive status of dogs is one of the most effective ways to deal with dog attacks and aggressive behavior in dogs. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association's Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human-Canine Interactions, intact (unneutered) male dogs represent 80 percent of the dogs presented to veterinary behaviorists for dominance aggression and are involved in 70 percent to 76 percent of reported dog attacks and bite incidents. Additionally, unspayed female dogs obviously attract unneutered male dogs, thereby attracting roaming, unfamiliar and potentially aggressive male dogs into our communities and neighborhoods. Unspayed females that are allowed to breed indiscriminately also contribute to the population of unwanted dogs that wander our streets hungry, neglected and, many times, abused. Many of the puppies born to these females will never see a vet for a rabies or other vaccination, will never be spayed or neutered, will never be properly socialized and will never be a loving household pet. Intact dogs whose owners allow them to run at large are a significant problem in communities across the country. Animal control departments would be wise to institute mandatory spay and neuter requirements for dogs that are found running at large, impounded and reclaimed by their owners. Local governments would also be wise to recognize that many problems with dangerous dogs could be prevented by prohibiting round-the-clock tethering or chaining, and by more aggressive enforcement of existing ordinances designed to protect the public. Beefing up enforcement of existing ordinances can be achieved by properly funding and staffing animal control departments, as well as instituting a no-tolerance policy for violations of public safety ordinances such as the leash and rabies laws. Many of the tragic incidents we read about in our newspapers might have been prevented if violations of existing ordinances had been identified and remedied. Last, it is important for the public to recognize that reproductive status, environmental and societal factors do much more to shape the behavior of a dog than its breed. Most if not all of the problems with dogs in our communities stem from problems related to human misconduct, negligence and irresponsible dog ownership. Ultimately, the problem is not with the dogs -- it is on the other end of the leash. Many jurisdictions have repealed bans on specific breeds of dogs after finding them ineffective at reducing attacks. Sherry Rout suggests some better ideas. Sherry Rout of Cordova is the legislative liaison for the Southeast region of the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).
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