LETTER: Breed-specific laws not the solution
Breed-specific laws not the solution
The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is very disappointed by The Standard-Times' editorial support of New Bedford's proposed pit bull ordinance ("Doggone nuisance — It makes sense to adopt pit bull ordinance," June 22).
We all want to prevent dog bites. However, there is no evidence that demonstrates that breed-specific laws work to achieve this goal. This proposal offers nothing more than a "sound bite" provision to a complex issue that deserves a serious, lasting solution. Effective laws and consistent enforcement are needed to protect residents from all dangerous dogs. Support of animal control services by city officials and compliance with the existing laws by residents are necessary to prevent dog bites.
No dog breed is inherently vicious, and experts agree that banning breeds is not effective. Singling out breeds oversimplifies the problem and overlooks the dangerous and irresponsible behaviors of specific dog owners at the root of these problems.
In fact, your recent article ("Rampaging retriever attacks 81-year-old New Bedford woman," June 23) shows that any breed of dog can be dangerous. During the golden retriever attack, an elderly pedestrian was harmed, a grown man knocked down, and the dog required physical restraint from a trained officer before being removed from the scene. The proposed ordinance's narrow view does not provide measures that would have prevented this attack or similar incidents from occurring in the future.
A highly praised article from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, called "A Community Approach to Dog Bite Prevention," explains that "... singling out one or two breeds for control can result in a false sense of accomplishment. Doing so ignores the true scope of the problem and will not result in a responsible approach to protecting a community's citizens."
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No dog breed is inherently vicious, and experts agree that banning breeds is not effective. Singling out breeds oversimplifies the problem and overlooks the dangerous and irresponsible behaviors of specific dog owners at the root of these problems.
I think this is an excellent article and the above quote emphasizes the root of the “dog bite problem” so many people insist the country has-- IRRESPONSIBLE OWNERS.
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