Should Pit Bulls Be Banned?

I am not a proponent of “responsibility legislation” we should all be personally responsible for the things we own, the actions we take, the children we bear and the animals we possess.  When considering the recent pit bull attacks in both Aurora and now New Mexico we need to think...  What are these dogs bred to do?  The answer is…they were bred to fight.  A border collie, or a Australian cattle dog will “heel” even if they never see a sheep or cow.  A Labrador Retriever will retriever even if he never sees a duck.  A pointer will point.  These dogs are our own creation.  The are specifically bred to do certain things.  We have played “God” in this regard.  Anyone who thinks a “dog is a dog” doesn’t know a thing about dogs. They are breed specific.

While I have known a lot of great and sweet pit bulls, (and an American Staffordshire Terrier is the same thing – one is recognized by the AKC and the other the UKC) they are still powerful machines.  In the wrong hands they are deadly.  Just as a muzzleloading rifle is far less dangerous that a fully automatic weapon – all dogs are not the same.  I truly feel for the responsible pit bull owners.  Sadly, the bad apples have ruined the bunch – and I am talking about the people not the dogs.  But when we see attacks by these dogs we can’t ignore them.  They are potentially lethal. It is common knowledge that the pit bull breed was developed for blood sports: Bull baiting, bear baiting, and later, dog fighting. I don’t think pit bulls should be banned altogether though.  I do think that penalties for ANY attack or aggression should be swift and severe – for both dog and owner.  All dogs are not equal nor is the damage they can do equal.  If you choose to own a pit bull you should be under heavier scrutiny and face more severe action if your dog gets out of line.  Because again, all dogs are not equal – therefore ownership of them isn’t either.  An owner of a toy poodle doesn’t face the same potential as a pit bull owner – not equal but a fact of life. If a crime is committed with a deadly weapon the punishment is more severe than if the weapon is a verbal threat or a water pistol.  If a pit bull gets out of line the same should be true.  If the punishment is severe then only responsible pit bull owners will have pit bulls.  Most never have any problems – but the ones that do have problems should lose their dogs and their freedom as though they used a deadly weapon – even if “accidentally”. People need to under stand the specifics of the breed and not own them unless they do.

If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns – the last thing we need is a bunch of outlaws with pit bulls!  Penalties?  Yes.  Serious ones. Maybe even licensing and background checks.  But an all together ban will only make the law-abiding people lose their dogs. The outlaws, meth lab junkies and others like them will still have their deadly guardians.