Tax dollars would be better used for prevention. Educate people, enforce leash laws and licenses, set up a fund to allow owners cheaper options to spay or neuter a pet. Dogs who are not spayed or neutered are twice more likely to be aggressive. Dogs that are kept outside all the time on chains are also twice as likely to be aggressive. Give aid to low income dog owners so they can take their pet to basic puppy classes or at least give them a class or two teaching them basic training skills. Pass dangerous dog laws and focus on all the dogs in the city. Make owners be held responsible for their pets behaviors.
Focusing on one breed will cause people to keep their dogs in hiding or choosing a different breed resuming illegal activities with a "legal" breed. Any dog breed can be trained to fight or be a brutal guard.
Pit bulls are high on the list as far as being considered dangerous. This is the latest "bad" breed based on their present stereotype. There was a time when Pit bulls were the leading dog breed for people who had children. Our Gang is an old show that was most popular after it added sound in 1929. In 1955 the name was changed to The Little Rascals. It is about a group of poor small children. Petey, who was an American Pit bull, was added in the '20's and remained until the '40's. He hung out with these small children with no worry or fear of aggression.
The reputation of this breed has deteriorated to the point where police shoot them and shelters euthanize them. They are thought of as fighting dogs who are abandoned, neglected and considered out of control. A few of them have been aggressive so the whole breed is chastised. This is true for other larger breeds like German Shepard, Dobermans and Rottweilers for instance. They have turned most of their focus to the Pit bull most recently.
Dogs who even look like a Pit bull are punished. They are taken from their loving homes and placed in shelters where they will eventually euthanize the animal. DNA testing is expensive and frequently not done to be sure of the animal's breed. Stray dogs that resemble Pit bull types never get a chance to live in a loving home they are not adopted out instead they are put to sleep.
Banning a certain breed will not reduce dog attacks. There are different reasons for aggression. Many people blame the owners which may be a factor.
Breed-specific Legislation instills a false sense of security in society. People believe they are safe from dog attacks because a certain breed is restricted when in truth any breed can become aggressive. Many dog attacks go unreported. The terrorizing miniature poodle doesn't get reported because it's small and people don't feel threatened. If Fifi attacks chances are you won't even get a tear your pant leg.
I had a Pit bull and moved to another state where they had previously been banned. The laws keep changing because so many people are fighting this law. One day I took my Georgie to the store with me. Animal control stopped me and asked me if I was aware that Pit bulls were against the law. I told him I didn't think Georgie was a purebred. This is when he told me the laws were changing and you could own a Pit mix and he thought my dog looked like a mixed breed. He made sure he had his license and took my name and address. I thought I was going to lose my dog and I could have if it had been a few months earlier. This would have been heartbreaking and unnecessary.
They were mother and son yet totally different. Tessa was Georgie's mom and the best dog I ever had. She seemed to adjust to my commands naturally. She listened to everything I told her to do. I wasn't informed at all about socializing and training so she was the perfect dog for me. Georgie, on the other hand, was deaf and had to learn hand motions. He was more of a challenge and never learned the amount of commands his mother knew. This confirms two dogs of the same breed can be totally different.
I would love to see pet stores and shelters come together and set up a system where the population would be made aware of simple dog facts. This information should be readily available to the public. Every dog owner should have some understanding of why it's important to teach a dog to fit in with everybody.
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