BSL Fails To Reduce Bites
Numerous scientific studies have found that breed-specific legislation (BSL) fails to decrease dog bites or enhance public safety. For example, despite being in place since 2005, Toronto's BSL—which targets dogs labeled as 'pitbulls,' including American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and many mixed breeds resembling these—has failed in reducing serious dog bite incidents. Toronto experienced an alarming 39% increase in dog bite incidents in 2022 alone and a significant 57% rise over a previous 10-year period with BSL in effect. Speaking about the failure of BSL in Toronto, a member of Ontario's Provincial Parliament stated, "The current law isn't working, and thankfully, we're getting the stats to back that up. Anybody who's been on this issue for a long time knows that it's a predictable failure." By contrast, Calgary, which implemented comprehensive breed-neutral regulations in 1985, witnessed a 68% reduction in dog bite-related incidents, demonstrating the effectiveness of an approach that does not single out specific breeds.
TALE OF TWO CITIES 📊
Enacted BSL in 2005 and dog bite-related incidents increased 57% over a 10 year period (from 486 in 2005 to 767 in 2014).
+57%
Dog bite-related incidents increased an alarming 39% in 2022 alone (from 946 in 2021 to 1,316 in 2022).
+39%
Toronto
In Toronto, the implementation of breed-specific legislation (BSL) has led to a significant rise in serious dog bite-related incidents. By contrast, Calgary's adoption of comprehensive breed-neutral regulations has markedly decreased the number of dog bite incidents. The contrast between the two approaches highlights the clear impact on public safety: BSL does not achieve the intended reduction in dog bites, whereas modern breed-neutral regulations are effective in doing so.
Calgary
Enacted modern breed-neutral regulations in 1985 and dog bite-related incidents decreased 68% over a 30 year period (from 2,000 in 1985 to 641 in 2014). Moreover, the number and severity of dog bites continue to be well controlled when accounting for population growth.
-68%
Scientific Studies 📑
Conclusions from Scientific Studies
- BSL is ineffective and fails to reduce the rate and severity of dog bites in municipalities where it is enacted.
- Municipalities enforcing comprehensive breed-neutral regulations have achieved a reduction in dog bite incidents and an improvement in public safety.
- Dog bite incidents result from a complex set of factors, including dog ownership, circumstantial, behavioral, and other factors.
- The results of breed risk calculations do not match the breeds typically targeted by BSL.
- A dog's breed does not determine aggression, bite strength, or its propensity to bite.
SOURCE:
Numerous studies on the effectiveness of bans targeting dogs based on their appearance or assumed breed, also known as breed-specific legislation (BSL), have determined that these bans are ineffective and do not reduce dog bites or improve public safety. A recent comprehensive study on the effectiveness of BSL was conducted to determine its impact on public safety in Odense, Denmark—the third largest city in Denmark—which enacted BSL in 2010. The legislation banned 13 breeds, including the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Tosa Inu, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, American Bulldog, Boerboel, Kangal, and others. After analyzing an extensive dataset of serious dog bite-related injuries from hospital emergency room records, the study concluded that BSL has "no effect" on dog bite-related injuries and aligns with "previous studies that have also shown a lack of evidence for BSL." Furthermore, the study recommends that "future legislation should prioritize non-breed-specific approaches to reduce the number and risk of dog bites." A summary of conclusions from numerous studies on the effectiveness of BSL is provided below.
Breed-Neutral for Public Safety 🐶
Scientific research and practical evidence consistently demonstrate that breed-specific legislation (BSL) is ineffective at reducing dog bites or improving public safety because a dog's breed does not determine aggression, bite strength, or propensity to bite. Such policies divert resources from addressing the actual causes of dog bites, such as irresponsible ownership and aggressive behavior, regardless of the dog's appearance or breed. The comparison between cities like Toronto, which has an ineffective breed-specific ban, and Calgary, where breed-neutral policies have significantly decreased dog bite incidents, underscores BSL's inefficacy and discriminatory nature. Consequently, it is no surprise that BSL is a trend in decline, as over 100 cities in the U.S. have repealed BSL since 2018 — which is not only great news for responsible owners and many wonderful dogs, but also for public safety.
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PitbullHero is a nonprofit research group dedicated to promoting effective and equitable breed-neutral policies for public safety and providing dog bite-related information based on scientific studies and other reliable sources. Our mission is to end discrimination against dogs labeled as 'pitbulls' and to promote the responsible ownership of all dogs, regardless of appearance or breed, which ultimately benefits all people, all dogs, and all communities.
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