About us ::
DogsBite.org is a public education website about dangerous dogs -- specifically pit bull type dogs.1 The "pit bull problem" is over 20 years old. In this time, countless children, adults, elderly citizens and pets have suffered severe injury and death by them. Victims across the country are regularly placed on LifeFlight helicopters due to the acute damage this breed inflicts when it bites.
As a direct result of policy makers failing to address the pit bull problem, a massive number of new victims have been created. Avoiding the problem has not served pit bull dogs either. Due to lack of breed-specific action, the pit bull population has exploded, pit bull euthanization rates have soared and pit bulls used in criminal operations, including dogfighting, has skyrocketed.
The argument that lies before policy makers today is not the "demonization" of pit bulls; it is the issue of public safety. Second to public safety is the treatment of pit bull type dogs, which are euthanized by the hundreds of thousands. In 2007, it is estimated that 1.4 million dogs were euthanized, 750,00 of them were pit bulls and their mixes.2 This is a reality that pit bull advocates consistently choose to ignore.
DogsBite.org advocates Breed-Specific Laws (BSL) to correct the pit bull problem. Only through such measures can we effectively prevent future victims from being created and simultaneously protect pit bull type dogs. Each community must determine for themselves which type of BSL best solves the issues they face. DogsBite.org supports four key regulations.
We advocate:
- Pit bull ban
A breed ban is the most proactive policy that can be undertaken regarding the pit bull problem. A ban saves the most human lives by preventing attacks before they occur. By criminalizing pit bull breeding, a ban saves countless pit bulls from systematic euthanization and dramatically reduces the number used for dogfighting.
- Mandatory spay/neuter
Cities and animal advocates who truly seek to address the unwanted, overpopulation of pit bulls must enact a mandatory sterilization policy. San Francisco's pit bull sterilization ordinance has created encouraging results. After 18 months in effect, a significant reduction in pit bull bites and euthanizations was recorded.
- Identification and liability insurance
No form of BSL regarding pit bull type dogs is adequate without the inclusion of mandatory microchipping and liability insurance. If a dog is unidentifiable, its owner cannot be criminally prosecuted. If an owner is "judgment proof," and contains no liability insurance, the victim cannot receive recourse.
- Prohibit felons from ownership
Pit bulls were selectively bred for an activity that is now a felony is all 50 states: dogfighting. Moreover, they are the "chosen" breed for drug dealers, gang members and other violent offenders. Convicted felons do not have the right to own a gun, nor should they have a right to own a dog declared a "lethal weapon" by our courts.
About the founder
Colleen Lynn resides in Seattle, Washington. On June 17th, 2007, she was attacked for approximately 5-seconds by a leashed pit bull while jogging on her block. She was hospitalized for two days at Harborview Medical Center after undergoing surgery to repair a severe bone fracture. Four months later, she launched DogsBite.org.
About contributors
DogsBite.org is a volunteer website. Research contributions and active website participation stems from individuals that span the United States of America.
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