The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) opposes breed-specific legislation (BSL) and instead supports laws targeting dangerous behavior, regardless of breed.

It's time to listen to research and professionals who work with animals daily.

BSL is problematic for several reasons:

1. Enforcement Difficulties: Determining a dog’s breed, especially for mixed breeds, is challenging and often inaccurate. BSL relies on visual identification, which is inherently unreliable and difficult to enforce.

2. Discrimination Against Responsible Owners: BSL unfairly targets dogs based on appearance, leading to the euthanasia of non-aggressive dogs and forcing responsible owners to relocate or give up their pets. It also affects dogs that contribute positively to society, such as service or police dogs.

3. Failure to Address Irresponsible Ownership: BSL does not tackle the root issue of irresponsible pet ownership. Aggressive behavior is more linked to factors such as lack of socialization, neglect, and improper containment than to a dog’s breed. Effective dog management laws, like leash and licensing requirements, are more successful than breed bans.

4. Unreliable Bite Statistics: Calculating bite rates by breed is unreliable due to inaccuracies in breed identification, incomplete data on bite incidents, and changes in breed popularity. Research shows that responsible ownership practices, not breed, are stronger indicators of a dog’s likelihood to bite.

Overall, BSL is an ineffective approach to preventing dog bites and should be replaced by legislation focusing on responsible ownership and behavior.