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The Humane Society on Breed-Specific <br /> Legislation <br /> htt;:/iwww. mericanhumane.org/animal./stop-animal-abuse/fact-sheets/breed-specifc- <br /> legislation.html <br /> What Is Breed-Specific Legislation? <br /> Breed-specific legislation(BSL) is the banning or restriction of specific breeds of dogs <br /> considered "dangerous" breeds, such as pit bull breeds, Rottweilers and German shepherds. <br /> Many states, counties and municipal governments are turning to legislation that targets specific <br /> breeds as an answer to dog attacks. <br /> BSL Does Not Work <br /> While supporters of BSL argue that the only way to be safe from dog bites is to eradicate <br /> "dangerous breeds" from the community,there is little evidence that supports BSL as an <br /> effective means of reducing dog bites and dog attacks. On the contrary, studies have shown that <br /> it is not the breeds themselves that are dangerous, but unfavorable situations that are creating <br /> dangerous dogs. Often, the very research that some cite as"support" for BSL actually argues for <br /> alternative, more effective means. Examples include: <br /> • Breeds of Dogs Involved in Fataq L3«L ,�tt� kits. , Between 1979 r1s?li 996. <br /> • Fatal Do J Attacks. l`989,_1() <br /> • .Do$2-Bite-Related Fatalities - United States_I.995-1'996. <br /> Enforcement of BSL <br /> Breed Identification <br /> According to the American Pet Products Association, out of 73 million pet dogs, 31 million are <br /> classified by their owners as"mutts".' While almost all BSL refers to"pit bulls," many breeds of <br /> dogs have the facial and body characteristics of a"pit bull," but are actually not pit bulls at all, <br /> including Labrador retrievers, bulldogs, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, mastiffs and many others. <br /> Cost <br /> Enforcing breed-specific legislation can be burdensome and costly. BSL is enforced by animal <br /> control agencies on tight budgets, expanding their duties without necessarily expanding their <br /> budget. Additionally, many rural areas do not have funding to establish and effectively run an <br /> animal control division. Costs can include additional animal control staff to enforce the law, the <br /> kenneling of dogs awaiting breed determination and/or appeal, court time and costs, expert <br /> testimony and veterinary care. As an example, one county in Maryland spent more than$560,000 <br /> maintaining pit bulls (not including payroll, cross-agency costs and utilities), while fees <br />