There are 197 licensed pit bulls in Boston, according to Boston Animal Control. Last year, there were 47 reported pit bull biting incidents. About 40% of dogs taken in by the city’s animal shelter are pit bulls. The Herald has more numbers and the reaction from Boston officials.
It would be interesting to see the number of bites reported from licensed pit bulls, and the number from those whose owners disregard the law. ONLY 197 pit bulls in a city the size of Boston? not likely.
And many dogs are labeled at pit bull when they are actually not pit bull terriers. Besides, pit bull is a TYPE not a BREED. Most people can’t visually, accurately identify a pit bull
197 LICENSED pitbulls…not includng the ones that are not licensed by the city.
Would also be interested to see if these dogs were really pit bulls. So many are charged to a pit bull just on looks, and there are about 20 breeds of dog mistakenly called pit bulls.
Would also like to see the numbers on incidents involving other breeds.
It’s not just that breed laws are unfair, they just don’t work. It has NOT reduced dog bites in Boston or anywhere else. The data the Herald gives is useless as it doesn’t show anything about the numbers of these dogs in the overall population or bites, incidences from other dogs (a fraction of the dogs are licensed, maybe 30%?). Nevermind the problems with breed identification. Clinging to this failed approached to dog bite prevention is painful to see and at worst, is preventing actual policies and programs that do work to prevent dog bites, wrongly appeasing residents into feeling safer instead of rolling up our sleeves and addressing the underlying issues of what makes a dog bite and how to prevent it.
Nancy pretty much hit the nail on the head with her statement above. It’s all in how the dogs are treated and the knowledge of the owners of the pit bull type dog and their dedication to being a responsible owner and ambassador for these dogs.
The numbers show muzzles don’t work, AFTER the ban went into effect the bite rates almost doubled. Common sense shows the current law is NOT working, they need to take action against all dangerous dogs, not just the ones that are unfairly lumped incorrectly into one category by Society and the media . The new laws targets owners of all dogs not just one particular breed, to keep everyone safe. ANY dog can bite in the wrong circumstance, its about keeping bad owners away from owning any dog, not blaming a dog based off of looks. You can not tell by looking at me what nationalities I am, how can you tell by looking at a dog. BSl is Antiquated and costly, its about time Boston continues its recent non discriminatory policy against anything, human or animal.
what does your nationality have to do with the fact that pit bulls are generally trained by their owners to be vicious. Should the city get rid of the muzzle law and then reinstate it when some ittle kid gets killed by a nasty pit bull. Sorry but argument is BS
I saw two pit bulls walking around the neighborhood, neither muzzled and one not even on a leash.
How do I know they are pit bulls, you ask…because both owners were bragging about their bloodlines and how ‘tough’ they were….
What a sin.
This is a perfect example of BAD ownership. This is not responsible ownership. No matter how good our dogs are they are never off leash unless at a dog park.. We would never brag about how tough they are because they are not. They are beloved family pets. There must be leash laws in the town where you saw them! This wold worry me too! it clearly sends the wrong message and perpetuates the fear that we work to dispel.
next time download the citizens connect app for your phone, take a picture with your cell phone and send it directly to the mayor’s hot line
Thanks for the advice, SMH, but not everyone has a ‘smartphone.’ 😉
I have done many pet events and one of the things that we do is show a poster with 50 pure bred dogs on it.. The key is to find the ONE American Pit Bull Terrier. Few have actually found the one, REAL American Pit Bull terrier. Do not lump any dog that you THINK is a pit bull into the group. You might be wrong. It could be a boxer! We have proven that muzzling and BSL does not work. This was a good decision. Bullies are not the ONLY dogs that bite. Small dogs bite more than pit bulls do, but that is never media news. The majority of pit bulls are owned by responsible people. They are not ALL trained to be vicious. They are inherently good, loving and gentle dogs. Responsible owners do not let their dogs run free to attack and bite!