Anti-BSL stamp

Just another anti-BSL stamp, I think it speaks for itself. Feel free to use anywhere, just don't claim it as your own

I've spammed this page with information about BSL. Don't feel the need to read it all, but please skim it if you have the time.

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Why I'm passionate about stopping BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) - BSL is a legislation that has cropped up in many countries now. What it is is a list of certain dog breeds that are classified as being 'dangerous' and have various restrictions placed on them, or are being banned from being owned all together. The list varies from shire to shire, town to town, country to country, etc, but some targeted breeds are Cane Corsos, Dogo Argentinos, Pitbulls, Amstaffs and Staffies.

The reason I'm opposed to BSL is that it punishes the wrong end of the leash - irresponsible owners need to be the ones that are punished, not their dogs. Dogs are incredibly loyal, eager-to-please creatures and they will be whatever you want them to be. If someone buys a Pitbull in the hope of creating an aggressive, dangerous dog, that's what they're going to get.

There is no such thing as a 'bad' breed. Absolutely any dog has the potential to be aggressive - any dog can become aggressive through poor training, lack of socialisation, an aggressive or violent upbringing, bad leadership or bad experiences. Irresponsible owners create aggressive dogs and the dogs are the ones being punished. Dogs don't know right from wrong, they don't have morals or ethics and to place blame on them for something they have no control over is illogical and plain wrong. BSL could be helpful if it was used to educate people and restrict certain people from owning more difficult breeds, but right now all it does is result in the death of millions of dogs. People need to become more responsible owners, or simply stop owning dogs. I firmly believe that you should be required to have a dog ownership licence to own a dog, or at least certain breeds.

Pitbulls, Staffies and Amstaffs are all wonderful breeds with loyal temperaments. They will be whatever you make them. Irresponsible owners, along with the media, have helped promote a bad image for all these dogs over the past few years and it's now becoming impossible to own some of them, or even walk down the street with one without being abused.

Culling an entire breed is not the answer to dog aggression. Some breeds should definitely labeled as being more difficult to own than others, but to suggest killing them off completely is absolute insanity.

To sum it up simply; punish the deed, not the breed.

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A few facts-

According to the American Canine Temperament Testing Association, 82.5% of the American Pit Bull Terriers that took the temperament test passed, compared to a 77% passing rate for all breeds on average. In the test, a dog is placed in a series of confrontational situations. The first sign of aggression or panic is a failure of the test. Pit Bulls have achieved the fourth highest passing rate of all 122 breeds tested.

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The following is from Glen Bui, Vice President of the American Canine Foundation (ACF),
( BS Biology Genetics / Canine Behavior / Legislative Consultant / Professional Dog Trainer ):

I have divided the numbers of fatal dog attacks vs. the population of some of the breeds listed in fatal attacks. I have been able to obtain statistics on the American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) from the American Kennel Club (AKC), American Dog Breeders Association (A.D.B.A.) and United Kennel Club (UKC) for registrations on APBT's. For the other breeds I used AKC/UKC statistics.

In Order:

Apx 800.000 - 67 Fatal Attacks German Shepherds .008375%
Apx. 960,000 - 70 Fatal Attacks Rottweiler .00729%
Apx. 128.000 - 18 Fatal Attacks Great Dane .01416%
Apx. 114,000 - 14 Fatal Attacks Doberman .012288%
Apx. 72,000 - 10 Fatal Attacks St Bernard .0139%
Apx. 240,000 - 12 Fatal Attacks Chow Chow .005%
Apx 5,000,000- 60 Fatal Attacks American Pit Bull Terrier .0012%

Please keep in mind there are more dogs of these breeds in our population, so I'm not pointing my finger at one specific breed. The Chow shows us the highest figure, but I only had AKC registrations to work with, and I'm sure there are a lot more Chows that do not become registered.

Sincerely,
Glen Bui

Taken from [link]

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Ten Facts About Pit Bulls Every One Should Know

1. Pit Bulls are commonly used as therapy dogs. Whether they are visiting a senior care facility or helping someone recover from an emotional accident, Pit Bulls are making a mark as outstanding therapy dogs.

2. Pit Bulls are used in Search and Rescue work. One example of well known SAR Pit Bulls is Kris Crawford and her dogs. Kris and her dogs have helped save the lives of many people during their efforts. [link]

3. Pit Bulls serve as narcotic and bomb sniffing dogs. One Pit Bull, Popsicle (named that because he was found in an old freezer) has the largest recorded single drug find in Texas history. Read more about Popsicle here- [link]. Including how he found over 3,000 lbs of cocaine in Hildago, Texas.

4. Pit Bulls are great with kids. They weren't referred to as the "nanny's dog" for nothing that's for sure.

5. Pit Bulls are not human aggressive. The American Pit Bull Terrier as a breed is not human aggressive. In fact, quite the opposite is true of the breed. They are gentle and loving dogs. Like any dog individuals can be unsound and have behavior problems.

6. The Pit Bull was so popular in the early 1900's they were our mascot not only in World War One, but World War Two as well. They were featured on recruiting and propoganda posters during this time period.

7. Sgt. Stubby. A Pit Bull war hero. Stubby was wounded in action twice, he saved his entire platoon by warning them of a poison gas attack and he single handedly captured a German spy.

8. Pete the Pup on the orginal Little Rascals was a Pit Bull.

9. Pit Bulls score an 83.4% passing rate with the American Temperament Test Society. That's better than the popular Border Collie (a breed who scores 79.6%). View the ATTS stats here.

10. They are dogs, not killing machines.

Taken from [link]

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-Is it true that Pit Bulls can lock their jaw?
The infamous locking jaw is a myth. The American Pit Bull Terrier and related breeds are physiologically no different from any other breed of dog. All dogs are from the same species and none have locking jaws. Dr. I Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia states, "To the best of our knowledge, there are no published scientific studies that would allow any meaningful comparison to be made of the biting power of various breeds of dogs. There are, moreover, compelling technical reasons why such data describing biting power in terms of ' pounds per square inch ' can never be collected in a meaningful way. All figures describing biting power in such terms can be traced to either unfounded rumor or, in some cases, to newspaper articles with no foundation in factual data." Furthermore, Dr. Brisbin states, "The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of pit bulls show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no different than that of any breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of 'locking mechanism' unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier."

-Are Pit Bulls naturally aggressive towards humans?
While many Pit Bulls do tend to be aggressive towards other DOGS (as are most terriers), the normal, well raised Pit Bull has NO human-aggressive tendencies! In fact, human-aggression was actually bred out of the breed. The majority of Pit Bulls are affectionate, intelligent, trainable dogs. In fact, the highest obedience trial record of all time is held by an American Pit Bull Terrier named Maddy!

-Can Pit Bulls "turn" on people?
In fact, no breed of dog does. Dog aggression is nearly always preceded by some kind of warning, and there is always a reason behind the attack. However, many inexperienced owners do not recognize the dog's behavior as aggression, or refuse to acknowledge it as a warning sign. The only exception I can think of is Springer Rage, a rare and controversial neurological condition that manifests itself as a spontaneous attack, followed by confusion, and then a return to normal behavior. Pit Bulls are NOT prone to this condition. There are individual dogs of any breed that may be more aggressive to others.

Taken from- [link]

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Pit Bull Behavior Myths
Along with myths surrounding the physical aspects of pit bulls, there are also a number of pit bull myths associated with the behavior of these dogs. First and foremost, many people believe that pit bulls are inherently aggressive and more likely to attack their owners and other people. This is simply not the case. Pit bulls, like any other dogs, do not exhibit aggressive behavior without reason or provocation. If a dog reacts aggressively, it is usually the result of:
disease
improper handling
lack of socialization or training
misreading the dog's behavior.

Keep in mind that most dogs will exhibit warning signs, such as a quick movement or a growl, before resorting to using teeth. Pit bulls, like all other types of dogs, do not suddenly snap without reason.

Pit Bull Facts

Here are a few facts about pit bulls, some of which may surprise you:
Despite what some people believe, pit bulls actually make great pets for families. In tests done by the American Temperament Test Society, pit bulls were generally less aggressive when faced with confrontational situations that produced negative reactions out of many other stereotypically "friendly" dog breeds, such as beagles and poodles.

Early in the 20th century, pit bulls were actually the No. 1 family dog.

Dog fighters use pit bulls breeds because they are strong, agile and have a desire to please their owners. Unfortunately, pit bulls' abuse in this circumstance contributes to the negative myths surrounding them.

While many pit bulls are trained to be "animal aggressive," this does not mean they are also "human aggressive." These behaviors are completely separate and can be adjusted through proper socialization and training.

Taken from- [link]

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Most 'pit bulls' are not really pit bulls!

Pit bulls are probably the most misunderstood dog in the United States. Often, an aggressive dog that has a big head and short hair is mistakenly identified as a pit bull and unfortunately this makes for good headline news, even if it is false. Do you think you can identify a pit bull?

Taken from [link]

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Try finding the Pitbull here- [link]

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If you'd like to know more about BSL, here are a few good links-

[link]

[link]

[link]

[link]

Just added, excellent video on Pitbulls. It is graphic in spots-

[link]

Another brilliant link-

[link]

Proof that the Pitbull ban isn't working-

[link]

Another great link-

[link]

Another video-

[link]

Anatomy of BSL-

[link]

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Submitted to