Since 2001, there has been a ban in Shawnee, Kansas on any dog that falls under the city's categorization of "Pit Bull dogs".

General Municipal Law 6.04.010 constitutes a "Pit Bull dog" as any of the following:

"1. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed

2. The American Pit Bull Terrier breed

3. The American Staffordshire Terrier breed or

4. Any dog which has the appearance and characteristics of being predominantly of the breeds of Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, or a combination of any of these breeds."

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In the last 13 years, this law has created unfair discrimination through breed-specific legislation that was passed as a reactionary response to specific circumstances that ultimately ignores the true scope of the problem.

Breed-Specific Legislation Ineffectiveness

BSL is costly, ineffective, and it penalizes responsible pet owners and innocent dogs. Across the US, breed-specific legislation is rapidly being repealed as state and local governments realize that the cost far outweighs the necessity and/or the effectiveness of the law.

Here’s an excerpt from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) website regarding breed specific legislation:

“There are several reasons why banning certain breeds is not likely to be effective. First, the breeds most often involved in bite injuries and fatalities change from year to year and from one area of the country to another, depending on the popularity of different breeds. Although genetics do play a role in determining whether a dog will bite, other factors—such as whether the animal is well socialized, supervised, humanely trained and safely confined—play much greater roles. Second, correct breed identification by bystanders, pet owners, police, medical workers and animal control personnel is notoriously unreliable. It becomes virtually impossible with mixed breeds. Third, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which conducted a 20-year study that listed the breeds involved in fatal attacks, there’s currently no accurate way to identify the total number of dogs of a particular breed and, consequently, there’s no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill. In fact, the CDC says its own 20-year study is not an appropriate tool for making breed-specific policies or legislative decisions.”

(from the ASPCA website, “The Truth About Pitbulls” - http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/truth-about-pit-bulls)

Misconceptions regarding "Pit Bull breeds" and their temperament

People lacking first hand experience with trained pit bulls commonly refer to pit bull breeds as mean, aggressive or dangerous. Recent studies on the temperaments of common dog breeds has found American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers to have a better temperament than the general dog population.

In 2013, the American Temperament Test Society conducted a study of a large range of dog breeds by putting them through a standardized temparement test and recording the percentage of dogs that passed. The study largely focused on dogs that are generally regarded as dangerous and tested over 1500 "Pit Bull breeds".

Here is the description of the temperament test from the ATTS website:

“Description of the Temperament Test

The ATTS Temperament Test focuses on and measures different aspects of temperament such as stability, shyness, aggressiveness, and friendliness as well as the dog’s instinct for protectiveness towards its handler and/or self-preservation in the face of a threat.

The test simulates a casual walk through a park or neighborhood where everyday life situations are encountered. During this walk, the dog experiences visual, auditory and tactile stimuli. Neutral, friendly and threatening situations are encountered, calling into play the dog’s ability to distinguish between non-threatening situations and those calling for watchful and protective reactions.

Failure on any part of the test is recognized when a dog shows:

- Unprovoked aggression

- Panic without recovery

- Strong avoidance”

Here are the scores for some of the most common household dog breeds:

English Cocker Spaniel: 66/71 passed (93%)

Labrador Retriever: 741/805 passed (92%)

English Springer Spaniel: 135/159 passed (85%)

German Shepherd: 2710/3194 passed (85%)

Golden Retriever: 669/785 passed (85%)

Boxer: 375/449 passed (84%)

Yorkshire Terrier: 34/41 passed (83%)

Australian Shepherd: 559/680 passed (82%)

Beagle: 60/75 passed (80%)

Dachshund: 164/207 passed (79%)

Pomeranian: 26/34 passed (77%)

Here’s how the “Pit Bull breeds” stacked up against some of the common household dog breeds:

American Pit Bull Terrier: 755/870 passed (87%)

American Staffordshire Terrier: 555/657 passed (85%)

Staffordshire Bull Terrier: 117/129 passed (91%)

TOTAL “Pit Bull breeds”: 1,427/1,656 passed (86%)

(from the American Temperament Test Society, Inc. website – “ATTS Breed Statistics” - http://atts.org/breed-statistics/statistics-page1/)

If that information isn’t enough to sway you, here are some of the professionals that agree breed specific legislation needs to go:

American Animal Hospital Association

American Dog Owner's Association

American Humane Association

American Kennel Club

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

American Veterinary Medical Association

Association of Pet Dog Trainers

Best Friends Animal Society

Canadian Kennel Club

Humane Society of the United States

International Association of Canine Professionals

National Animal Control Association

National Animal Interest Alliance

National Association of Obedience Instructors

(from the National Canine Research Council website – “Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) FAQ” - http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/dog-legislation/breed-specific-legislation-bsl-faq/#1)

This has worked in a few different cities across the US. Enough signatures can apply enough pressure to eventually cause action. Please share this with your friends so we can help these amazing dogs!