To: Calling our TD's , community leaders, Ministers and the Taoiseach
Protect our communities and pets , Say NO to lazy legislation.
Don't put our communities and pets at risk by increasing dog attacks !
We are demending that the Minister Heather Humphreys, reverse the ban and enforce the current restrictions, with an emphasis on stopping backyard breeding and sales .
Do your jobs ! Instead of culling dogs.
We are demending that the Minister Heather Humphreys, reverse the ban and enforce the current restrictions, with an emphasis on stopping backyard breeding and sales .
Do your jobs ! Instead of culling dogs.
Why is this important?
The Correlation Between Dog Breed Bans and Increased Bite Rates: A Global Perspective
In recent years, several countries have enacted bans on specific dog breeds, often in an effort to curb dog attacks and enhance public safety.
However, studies suggest that these breed-specific legislation (BSL) preemptively creates an alarming correlation between such bans and increased incidents of dog bites, ultimately putting communities at greater risk.
Research conducted by the *Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association* found that, after such bans were implemented, reports of bites from other breeds witness an upward trend. For instance, following the ban on Pit Bull Terriers in the United Kingdom in 1991, there was not only a significant uptick in the rate of reported dog bites—over 400% increase noted in subsequent years—but also the rise in bites from other breeds, previously deemed safe. This alarming statistic highlights a critical phenomenon: When one breed is banned, it often leads to heightened perceptions of danger from other breeds, resulting in increased aggressiveness and, consequently, more bites.
This chain reaction was also observed in Ontario, Canada, where the banning of Pit Bull types in 2005 prompted local authorities to reevaluate other breeds, leading to the banning of Rottweilers and Doberman Pinschers shortly thereafter.
Texas followed suit years later, facing pressures to regulate additional breeds due to heightened bite incidents attributed in media narratives to “dangerous dogs”. The ripple effects of these laws demonstrate not just societal fears of specific breeds, but an embodiment of the “slippery slope” mentality regarding canine safety.
In addition to the immediate increase in bite rates, breed bans elevate risks to communities. For instance, the unintended consequences of practical pet ownership dynamics—excessive disciplinary responses to aggressive behavior or mislabeling of temperamental issues as breed-related—aggravate housing instability, increased shelters spaces taking in banned breeds, and public divides amongst dog owners, which stoke further fear and misunderstanding.
The spread of negative perceptions can easily pave the way for the targeting of additional breeds, solidifying an environment of hysteria rather than dialogue.
Ultimately, dog breed bans generate a precarious feedback loop of crime, aggression, and prejudice. The communities that eschew such strategies can reflect on comprehensive inclusion policies that focus on responsible dog ownership and behavioral assessment over snap-action legislation. By nurturing a better understanding of canine behavior along with community outreach, societies can cultivate a safer environment for humans and dogs alike, thereby preventing an escalation in both bite incidents and breed bans in the future.
In recent years, several countries have enacted bans on specific dog breeds, often in an effort to curb dog attacks and enhance public safety.
However, studies suggest that these breed-specific legislation (BSL) preemptively creates an alarming correlation between such bans and increased incidents of dog bites, ultimately putting communities at greater risk.
Research conducted by the *Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association* found that, after such bans were implemented, reports of bites from other breeds witness an upward trend. For instance, following the ban on Pit Bull Terriers in the United Kingdom in 1991, there was not only a significant uptick in the rate of reported dog bites—over 400% increase noted in subsequent years—but also the rise in bites from other breeds, previously deemed safe. This alarming statistic highlights a critical phenomenon: When one breed is banned, it often leads to heightened perceptions of danger from other breeds, resulting in increased aggressiveness and, consequently, more bites.
This chain reaction was also observed in Ontario, Canada, where the banning of Pit Bull types in 2005 prompted local authorities to reevaluate other breeds, leading to the banning of Rottweilers and Doberman Pinschers shortly thereafter.
Texas followed suit years later, facing pressures to regulate additional breeds due to heightened bite incidents attributed in media narratives to “dangerous dogs”. The ripple effects of these laws demonstrate not just societal fears of specific breeds, but an embodiment of the “slippery slope” mentality regarding canine safety.
In addition to the immediate increase in bite rates, breed bans elevate risks to communities. For instance, the unintended consequences of practical pet ownership dynamics—excessive disciplinary responses to aggressive behavior or mislabeling of temperamental issues as breed-related—aggravate housing instability, increased shelters spaces taking in banned breeds, and public divides amongst dog owners, which stoke further fear and misunderstanding.
The spread of negative perceptions can easily pave the way for the targeting of additional breeds, solidifying an environment of hysteria rather than dialogue.
Ultimately, dog breed bans generate a precarious feedback loop of crime, aggression, and prejudice. The communities that eschew such strategies can reflect on comprehensive inclusion policies that focus on responsible dog ownership and behavioral assessment over snap-action legislation. By nurturing a better understanding of canine behavior along with community outreach, societies can cultivate a safer environment for humans and dogs alike, thereby preventing an escalation in both bite incidents and breed bans in the future.
