Collier, S. (2006). Breed-specific legislation and the pit bull terrier: are the laws justified?

Journal of Veterinary Behavior 1, 17-22. Retrieved from

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787806000128

Australia has a major breed-specific legislation problem, stemming from the lack of
research done prior to implementation. The legislation was enacted because of a few highprofile, violent dog attacks against children, and the belief that certain breeds had high bite
frequencies and were innately dangerous. However, breed reports following dog bite attacks are
often inaccurate, and do not take into consideration that more common dogs are more likely to
bite. In fact, Australian legislation targets American Pit Bull Terriers, which only accounting for
4% of reported attacks, behind five other breeds. The authors note that the Australian legislation
is based in the reputation of pit bull-type dogs, rather than their actual actions. They then go on
to say that BSL is acceptance if it works to reduce significantly the number of dog attacks but
that it has never done so in any locality. This article is helpful because it rejects the idea of
punishing a whole breed of animals for the faults of a small percentage of them. The study is
another example of the ineffectiveness of animal policy based in emotion, not science.