State & Local Dog Bite Prevention/Breed-Specific Proposals

Breeds

• Dog Bite Risk and Prevention: The Role of Breed
• Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the Unites States between 1979 and 1998  (PDF)
• 
  
• 
  The purposes of this study, printed in the September 15, 2000 issue ofJAVMA, were to summarize breeds associated with reported human dog bite-related fatalities during a 20-year period and assess policy implications.
• 
  
• 
  
•  Breed-specific approaches to dog bite prevention were found to be problematic in concept as well as in implementation, while many practical alternatives exist and hold promise for prevention of dog bites.

Community Approach

• A Community Approach to Dog Bite Prevention (PDF)
  Dog bites are a serious public health problem that inflicts considerable physical and emotional damage on victims and incurs immeasurable hidden costs to communities.
• 
  
•  This report, printed in the June 1, 2001 issue ofJAVMA, is intended to help leaders find effective ways to address their communities’ dog bite concerns.
• 
  
• Summary notes, adapted from “A community approach to dog bite prevention.”

Legislation

• Dangerous animal legislation, AVMA postion on
  The AVMA supports dangerous animal legislation by state, county, or municipal governments provided that legislation does not refer to specific breeds.

• ADVOCACY TOOL:

  Sample letter, breed-specific legislation
  Sample letter to advocate against breed-specific legislation.

• ADVOCACY TOOL:

  Sample letter, breed-specific legislation
  Another sample letter to advocate against breed-specific legislation.

• SUMMARY REPORT:

  Breed Specific Prohibited or Restricted
  This is a summary of statutory and case law provisions addressing the adoption of breed specific local ordinances.
• Why breed-specific legislation is not the answer, AVMA website article (May 2013)
• 
  
• “Stop BSL” Web site(www.stopbsl.com)
  This anti-BSL website (not affiliated with the AVMA) is devoted to the subject of breed-specific legislation and provides an overview and background information, including tips for writing or talking about the subject.

Courtesy of ….. AVMA