Quote Originally Posted by omnibus2 View Post
It's just like when people say a "20 foot python" which probably was more like 11 feet. Maybe the pitbull was 130 lbs, maybe it wasn't. But that's irrelevant. The fact is that it killed an innocent girl unprovoked. I agree that there are too many irresponsible pit bull owners. There need to be laws and regulations. Why is it that harmless snakes face bans all over the US, but there are so few laws for dangerous breeds of dogs?
Just today I saw an article on Facebook about a 49 foot 780 pound reticulated python caught in Floride.


In terms of irresponsible pit bull owners and the need for legislation on "dangerous breeds", I personally believe there are too many irresponsible dog owners in general. In my personal experience, many of these "pit bull" issues come from ignorance. In my experience, any dog that shows the slightest bit of aggression is automatically labeled a "pit bull". Similarly, because of the few attacks you hear about involving a Burmese or reticulated python, people automatically think 20 foot giant when they hear the word "python" or "boa", even though many species aren't that big. The general population also doesn't know how to identify dog breeds, especially when it comes to mutts. Many dogs labeled "pit bull" are in fact mutts that include boxer, bulldog, mastiff breeds, or labradors. My dad's border collie/lab mix has been called a pit bull, while one of my dogs has been called almost everything under the sun!

And there is legislation against certain breeds of dog, it just isn't nationwide. Certain states, counties, and cities have ruled that certain breeds of dog are "dangerous" and have either put in place restrictions on how those animals can be kept or brought into public, or outright banned those breeds. Other states have ruled it is "unconstitutional" to place such bans on breeds of dog (California being one such state), but have allowed other forms of discrimination (i.e. requiring that certain breeds be spayed or neutered unless someone keeps a special kennel license). Yet other states are starting to remove their breed bans because they've found such legislation doesn't work, compared to vicious dog laws which work better. Also insurance companies tend to discriminate against certain breeds of dog, refusing to insure people who have those breeds. Not all insurance companies do this (mine doesn't, instead my insurance company discriminates against dogs who actually have a history of aggression, regardless of breed). In most cases, those breeds ending up on these types of lists include "pit bulls" (APBT, AST, and bull terriers), akitas, dobermans, German shepherds, rottweilers, and mastiffs. Sometimes chows, shar peis, huskies, and a few other breeds are also included.