Breed Specific Legislation (Bsl): It’s The Deed Not The Breed.
Breed Specific Legislation (BSL): It’s the deed not the breed.
A mother grows tired as her infant child lies sleeping on the sofa of their small apartment. The mother not wanting to disturb the napping child surrounds the boy with blankets and pillows so he will not fall off the sofa during his nap. Never one to miss an opportunity to rest, the mother retires to her bed in the other room to take a nap. Moments later, the mother startles awake to the screaming of her little boy. She rushes to the living room to see what could be causing this blood curtailing scream and finds her infant being mauled by the family dog (Jenkins, 2007).
After reading that description, which breed of dog comes to mind? A Doberman Pinscher; a German Shepherd Dog; or the favorite target of the media: the Pit Bull? If someone would have guessed any of those breeds they would be mistaken. This attack was perpetrated by a Dachshund. In recent years, communities have tried to pass laws banning certain breeds of dogs in attempt to manage this problem. While banning certain breeds may quell the fears of the public, enforcing effective legislation to address dangerous dogs on an individual basis would be a more prudent approach in the prevention of dog bites and attacks.
“Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) is, in simple terms, a statute or regulation that is directed toward one or more specific breeds of dogs. The majority of BSL is focused on breeds traditionally known as "dangerous," or those that have demonstrated particular propensities for aggression and violent behavior (Weiss, 2001)”. With the media sensationalizing dog attacks, especially those involving the Pit Bull, communities around the United States are moving to or have enacted BSL as a :knee jerk reaction in an effort to prevent bites and attacks.
The Centers for Disease Control completed a study that researched all fatal dog attacks between 1979 and 1998....
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