Don’t make dog law specific to one breed

We think the city of York has a legitimate interest in adopting a stiffer ordinance to protect residents from dangerous dogs. But we also are sympathetic with those who oppose efforts to make the law “breed specific.”

The York City Council met Tuesday night to consider a law against dangerous dogs after a local man was attacked and mauled by two pit bull mixes last month. But more than 100 residents packed the room to oppose the law, many of them objecting to the possibility that it might target a specific breed. In addition, city leaders have received multiple emails and phone calls from residents opposing any breed-specific ordinance.

The council elected not to take any action on the proposal but left open the possibility the law might come up for discussion again.

Again, we think such a law could help ensure that owners keep their dogs under constant control so they don’t harm people or other animals, or destroy neighbors’ property. But we hope the council resists any ordinance that demonizes a particular breed.

If the law did target a specific breed, pit bulls would be the obvious choice. And a cursory glance at various dog-attack “statistics” might convince some that singling out pit bulls would be legitimate.

One study, for example, attributes 59 percent of all dog attacks to pit bulls. Rottweilers come in a distant second at 14 percent.

But dig a little deeper, and that conclusion seems less certain. For starters, the so-called data on dog attacks and fatalities are loosely gleaned from news reports. So, we can’t be certain how many attacks were not included because they were not reported.

The numbers also will be skewed by the breed’s overall population. Pit bull attacks might be more prevalent simply because there are more pit bulls than other similar breeds.

Determining whether a dog is, indeed, a pit bull also is difficult. While there is a specific breed, the American Staffordshire terrier, that is recognized officially by the American Kennel Club and which resembles what most people think of as a pit bull, there are many mixed breeds that also often are labeled as pit bulls.

If the dangerous animal law targets pit bulls, how will animal control officers decide which dogs that covers? At best, this would be an arbitrary guessing game based solely on the animal’s appearance.

It also is likely that the law would be unfairly singling out a particular breed when the ones responsible for the dog’s behavior are the owners. Many people own pit bulls that are not vicious and have never attacked a person or another animal.

By the same token, many are attracted to pit bulls precisely because of their vicious reputation. Some pit bull owners encourage aggressive behavior and relish the macho image the dog confers.

Pit bulls currently are popular among those looking for dogs that project a dangerous image. If pit bulls fall out of fancy, those looking for a threatening dog might turn to some other large breed, which then might be singled out just as pit bulls have been.

In general, the larger the dog, the more damage it can do. While pit bulls, which can be heavily muscled, can inflict a great deal of damage in an attack, so can Rottweilers, great Danes, German shepherds, chow chows, boxers, huskies, Doberman pinschers and even Labradors.

But those dogs are not born dangerous. They usually are conditioned by their owners, either purposely or by accident, to be that way.

Ultimately, little, if any, reliable evidence indicates that focusing on a particular breed helps reduce dog attacks or makes the public safer. What does make a community safer are requirements that dogs be kept under control at all times, including being fenced in or otherwise restrained when outside, and kept on a short leash when away from home.

Cracking down on illegal dog fighting also would help reduce the number of dangerous dogs. Spaying and neutering dogs is important, helping keep the population of unwanted animals in check. And all dogs should be mircochipped so their owners can be identified.

We think, after some study and deliberation, the York City Council can produce a workable ordinance. We hope, however, members resist the urge to single out pit bulls.

This story was originally published January 7, 2017 at 4:32 PM with the headline "Don’t make dog law specific to one breed."