In law , breed-specific legislation BSL is a type of law that prohibits or restricts particular breeds or types of dog. Some jurisdictions have enacted breed-specific legislation in response to a number of fatalities or maulings involving pit bull—type dogs or other dog breeds commonly used in dog fighting , and some government organizations such as the United States Army [ 2 ] [ 3 ] and Marine Corps [ 4 ] have taken administrative action as well. Due to opposition to such laws in the United States, anti-BSL laws have been passed in 21 of the 50 state-level governments, prohibiting or restricting the ability of jurisdictions within those states to enact or enforce breed-specific legislation.
It is generally settled in case law that jurisdictions in the United States and Canada have the right to enact breed-specific legislation; however, the appropriateness and effectiveness of breed-specific legislation in preventing dog bite fatalities and injuries is disputed.
A third point of view is that breed-specific legislation should not ban breeds entirely, but should strictly regulate the conditions under which specific breeds could be owned, e. Approximately jurisdictions in the United States have enacted breed-specific legislation in response to a number of well-publicized incidents involving pit bull—type dogs, and some government organizations such as the U.
Army [ 14 ] and Marine Corps [ 15 ] have taken administrative action as well. These actions range from outright bans on the possession of pit bull—type dogs, to restrictions and conditions on pit bull ownership. They often establish a legal presumption that a pit bull—type dog is prima facie a legally "dangerous" or "vicious" dog.
A study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC in concluded that fatal attacks on humans appeared to be a breed-specific problem pit bull—type dogs and Rottweilers accounted for half of all fatal dog attacks on humans between and However, they also concluded that fatal attacks represent a small proportion of dog bite injuries to humans and suggested that there may be better alternatives for prevention of dog bites than breed-specific ordinances.
