Home » News » The High Costs of Breed Discriminatory Legislation...

News

The High Costs of Breed Discriminatory Legislation

May 29, 2009, 3:58PM MT

By Cheri Moon

Study shows breed bans not only unfair, but expensive to enforce

Study shows breed bans not only unfair, but expensive to enforce

By Sandy Miller, Best Friends staff writer

It’s happening in cities across the country, and it usually begins with a dog attacking someone. If the dog is, say, a Labrador retriever or a springer spaniel, chances are people will hear little, if anything about it. If the dog is suspected to be a “pit bull”— even if it’s not—the media can’t get enough of the story. “If it bleeds, it leads” is a common mantra among most mainstream media organizations. They know their newspaper readers and television news viewers will eat it right up.

Studies Show Breed Bans Don’t Work
City leaders, anxious to pacify voters in their communities and quell fears, often enact laws banning pit bulls, and other breeds of dogs, from their communities. The problem is breed bans don’t do anything to keep their communities safer.

“We’ve had studies that show these laws don’t work,” says Ledy VanKavage, Esq., senior legislative analyst for Best Friends Animal Society. “The problem is the reckless owners, not the dogs.”

Julie Castle, Best Friends director of Community Programs and Services, agrees.
“What these laws create is a false sense of security,” Castle says. “People think they’re going to be safe from vicious dogs. What they need to do is focus on irresponsible owners.”

Taxpayers Pay for Breed Bans
But there’s another element to add to the mix—the costs to taxpayers to enforce these laws. And now, thanks to a groundbreaking study commissioned by Best Friends and funded by the National Canine Research Council, local lawmakers can find out just what those costs would be in their own cities, counties and states with a simple click of a mouse.

The study, “The Fiscal Impact of Breed Discriminatory Legislation in the United States,” conducted by the New York City-based John Dunham and Associates, shows it would cost governmental entities more than $450 million to enforce a nationwide ban on pit bulls. That number includes the costs of enforcement, kenneling, veterinary care, euthanasia and disposal, litigation and DNA testing.

There are an estimated 72.1 million dogs in the U.S. of which approximately 5 million—or 6.9 percent—are pit bulls or pit bull mixes. Pit bull is a generic name for American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers and their mixes.

Tool Calculates Cost of Breed Ban in Your Community
The online calculator allows anyone to estimate by city, county or state the costs for implementing and enforcing a breed-specific law.

“It’s great we now have a tool that calculates these costs,” VanKavage says. “These laws are knee-jerk reactions that don’t work and are fiscally irresponsible. They cost taxpayers an arm and a leg, especially in a recession with unemployment soaring.”

The website page also contains information about how the study was conducted, facts about breed bans and their ineffectiveness, and talking points to help guide people while speaking with local lawmakers.

“It puts activism in the hands of the public and gives them the tools necessary to fight breed bans in their own communities,” Castle says.

[/b]Costs Vary Depending Upon Population[/b]
The costs of breed bans vary depending on the population of a community. For instance, take New York City, a city of more than eight million people. According to the study, there are an estimated 1,532,100 dogs in the city, of which 106,460 are pit bull-type dogs. A pit bull ban would cost New York City taxpayers a total of $12,895,950 annually, which includes $7,063,560 for enforcement, $2,446,590 for kenneling and veterinary care, $2,245,570 for euthanizing and disposal, $191,590 for litigation costs and $948,640 for DNA testing.

Compare those costs to those of Abbeville, Alabama, a small southern city with about 3,000 residents. According to the study, there are an estimated 840 dogs in the city, of which 60 are pit bull-type dogs. A breed ban would cost the town’s taxpayers $4,360 each year. That might not sound like a lot, but it is for small towns like Abbeville.

“The costs are significant,” says Dunham, who conducted the study. “Small towns don’t have the infrastructure to handle it.”

Dunham, whose firm has done economic analyses on all kinds of things, says what surprised him most while doing this study is how little data there is out there on pets.

“It shocked me that the facts are so scarce,” Dunham says. “Usually, I have too much data. In this case, I had very little to work with.”

Yet, Dunham says, cities are enacting everything from pooper scooper laws to breed bans and “basing it on nothing because they have no information.”

Better Way to Manage Dangerous Dogs
VanKavage hopes the study will convince government officials that there are much better ways to keep their communities safe than enacting breed bans, such as ordinances that focus on responsible pet ownership and work to prevent dog bites before they happen.

“Breed-discriminatory laws break the human-animal bond,” VanKavage says. “It’s un-American to go into someone’s house and take their pets away. And you can’t get to No More Homeless Pets by killing them.”

For More Information
• Visit Pit Bulls: Saving America’s Dog, one of four Best Friends campaigns aimed at reaching the goal of No More Homeless Pets.

• Read more about breed discriminatory legislation and other issues facing pit bulls around the country on the Best Friends Network.

• Read about Italy recently revoking its breed ban stating the ban had no scientific justification.

• Discover how Calgary, Canada has lowest dog bite rates in 25 years, without enacting breed discriminatory legislation.

Photos by Molly Wald, Best Friends staff photographer
Posted by Cheri Moon, Best Friends Network editor

Comments

Posted June 03, 2009, 11:36AM by mshoem

"PETA" (who claims to be "for" the rights of animals) AND HSUS go hand in hand! These two organizations, I have lost all respect for. I thought if any organization would "help" APBT it would be PETA- what a joke! (their spokes person stated on a CNN show that all the Victory dogs should have been "put down" and the money used to rehabilitate them should have gone to HSUS!) Thanks to Best Friends- they have educated America to what the Pit Bull breed is all about. They have rehabilitated dogs that people thought to be a loss cause. Dogs learn, like children learn, and there are some people who should not be parents let alone own a dog!

Posted June 15, 2009, 7:28PM by aptdweller

In general, I agree that bsl's are not helpful, unwarranted, and cruel. But I don't see what would be so wrong with a bsl that requires that all owners of pit bulls be prepared to provide documentation that the animals are spayed and neutered.

Lets face it, pit bulls are the most euthanized breed. There are too many of them. I large part, I believe this is true because the dog fighting community is always trying to breed game dogs and casting off the ones who don't measure up. (My brother owns one such cast-off who was set out of a car in the middle of a busy intersection).

A spayed or neutered dog is likely to be less aggressive in the ring. More importantly, they can't bring their owners big money for puppies with fighting bloodlines if they can't produce offspring. I know enforcement would be expensive. But a bsl that requires all pit bulls to be spayed or neutered might give police and other authorities a workable tool for catching dog fighters and making it more difficult for them to conduct business. It might also turn out to be the narrow end of the wedge for establishing more stringent s&n laws for all breeds.

Thoughts?

mc in ny

Posted June 12, 2009, 5:55PM by Crazy4Bunnies

msp511 - I too have a very fearful Pit that doesn't 'train' well. She was badly beaten up when we got her and we had no idea how she would respond to people. She has been with me for over 2 years now and is a love. She ignores my cats and rabbits and is happiest sitting at my feet while I work or watch TV. She could no more pass a class than she could type this response.
I agree with lenj that Caesar Millan could help you, but the first thing he will tell you is not to treat your dog as a victim or a baby; treat her like a dog. Giving her too much attention or letting her get away with behavior you wouldn't accept in other dogs, makes her think that she is the Pack Leader. Dogs that are confused as to their role in your family are most likely to bite.

Posted June 12, 2009, 3:31AM by LorrieFM

I hope it continues to cost cities large amounts of money to ban breeds. Maybe they will discover that proper training saves lives and cost much less. My rescued pitbull mix is a wonderful loving animal and would never harm anyone. She loves me and I am so grateful she rescued me.

Posted June 02, 2009, 12:21AM by nicol

The HSUS kills pit bulls and supports BSL.

Please sign and circulate:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Demand-Wayne-Pacelle-of-HSUS-Resign

Posted May 30, 2009, 4:21PM by marys

How cool would it be for every person reading this to copy and post it locally or turn it in to the local newspapers! Let's all help spread the word.

Posted June 02, 2009, 8:38AM by Rita2828

HSUS NO LONGER KILLS PIT BULLS
THANKS TO BEST FRIENDS !!!!!
EACH DOG GETS ASSESSED INDIVIDUALLY

Rita from Brooklyn

Posted June 01, 2009, 10:52AM by cheressemm

There are so many issues facing pit bulls and some other poweful breeds, and it seems like we need to get down to lobbying the right people to make change ... namely, politicians and insurance companies.
You look at the breed bans on military bases and posts and apartment complexes and rentals, and you can trace that back to insurance companies. What can we do as a network to lobby the insurance companies as well? That seems the logical place to start as their decisions affect so many living areas that don't allow these dogs, which in turn directly influences why so many die in shelters as well.
Can a group of us--led by Best Friends--come up with a lobbying campaign to educate both politicians and insurance companies?

Posted May 30, 2009, 10:32PM by Desertponder

Great study! Thank you Best Friends!
Lets hope it drives the point home to communities considering bans that BSL is not only wrong but not worth the costs.

Posted June 02, 2009, 8:38AM by Rita2828

HSUS NO LONGER KILLS PIT BULLS
THANKS TO BEST FRIENDS !!!!!
EACH DOG GETS ASSESSED INDIVIDUALLY

Rita from Brooklyn

Posted June 02, 2009, 8:39AM by Rita2828

HSUS NO LONGER KILLS PIT BULLS
THANKS TO BEST FRIENDS !!!!!
EACH DOG GETS ASSESSED INDIVIDUALLY

Rita from Brooklyn

Posted June 02, 2009, 11:43AM by nicol

rita - HSUS has agreed that every pit from a fighting ring be assessed as an individual, as there was a huge public uproar and many cancelled their memberships. did you actually read the article? there are other dogs out there that are not ex-fighting pits and HSUS is killing them. HSUS is responsible, in many different ways, for the deaths of countless dogs and cats across the country. do your homework before making blanket statements. HSUS has killed more animals than all abusers, dog fighters, etc, put together.

Posted June 02, 2009, 7:5AM by msp511

kkrpsyd -

I take issue with your idea of requiring every so call "dangerous" dog to take a CGC course. I adopted a pitbull last year. I've already taken her thru one obedience class. I couldn't even help her to learn sit, because she is so fearful, most likely because she was abused before we got her. She literally runs away when I ask her to sit. While I would love for her to learn sit, stay and come, there are no expectations of her at my house, because it's not worth traumatizing her further just so she can learn to sit on command. She will live out the rest of her life loved and treated like a queen, but she may never sit and she will certainly never be able to pass a CGC class.

Posted June 12, 2009, 11:33AM by lenj

msp511 - I think Cesar Millan can help you with your fearful dog. He is on National Geographic channel as Dog Whisperer. Cesar is a very special person that helps dogs, and the dog he takes with him to help other dogs is a pit bull named Daddy.

Posted May 30, 2009, 11:16AM by lfrancisaz

Thank you Best Friends and Sandy Miller for this very well said article. Education is very important.

Posted June 01, 2009, 5:37PM by kenfoster

kkrpsyd--

Certainly the idea of focusing on training is a good one, but requiring it only for certain breeds won't do much to address the psychology of fear. In fact, requiring it for only certain breeds will reinforce the idea that only certain breeds can harm anyone--or, as you mistakenly claim, only certain breeds have strong jaws.

Also, how does one decide which breeds are feared in your community? Would you have a poll? Or would the list include any breed that anyone has ever feared--in which case it would be likely to include all dogs.

Our expectations for behavior should be the same for all breeds--not just a select few.

Posted June 01, 2009, 11:23AM by kkrpsyd

IMHO breed bans are as much for a community feeling safe than almost anything else. No plan will succeed unless the psychological component behind breed bans is addressed. People are afraid of pits, rotties, and other breeds who, one way or another, have been demonized by society.

To handle the psychological component I suggest a requirement that any breed, mix, etc. that the locality *perceives* to be dangerous be subject to a training requirement. Make it so any dog of the locally specified breed(s) needs to either have completed and passed a CGC course or be currently enrolled in one. And make it so the person who is administering the CGC test is an employee of the municipality. This could be someone such as an animal warden, etc. With the CGC evaluator someone who is a government employee rather than a random public citizen who has met the CGC evaluator requirements, citizens need not worry about the evaluator being in cahoots with unsavory citizens who wish to harbor *dangerous* dogs.

With this kind of legislation those breeds which are demonized will no longer be feared (as much) and their owners - who are often the ones that really need the training - will now know how to handle them properly. I just wish the CGC curriculum had "drop it" as a required command which I, personally, think is super important with dogs (like pits) who have strong jaws.

Just as we can never eliminate fights between humans, we will never eliminate dog bites. But localities can put in legislation which will not only bring a sense of psychological calm to their citizens but also help those breeds by making sure their guardians know how to appropriately work with them.