Shouls Certain Dog Breeds Be Banned From

The City Essay, Research Paper

Should certain dog breeds be

banned from the city?

In London there is controversy over whether a bylaw should be passed banning certain dog breeds. Many people support this view, yet many people oppose it. A solution must be formed to prevent young children from being mauled by vicious dogs.

Many people agree that pit bulls and Rottweilers should be banned from the city. These people believe that these dog breeds are very dangerous because they make sudden attacks on innocent children. In a lot of cases, these children are killed. But if they are not, these innocent children go through tremendous physical as well as psychological damage that could last a lifetime. The worse thing is that the owners of these dogs refuse to believe that their dogs are vicious. The statistics on this issue speak for themselves. There has been more than 4 million dog bites have been reported last year in the U.S. It was also found that 70% of bites are inflicted on children under the age of 10, and the chances of a burglar being bitten are 1 of 177. The city must act on this situation because the London Humane Society is not. It is making the situation worse by allowing dog adoption to take place. If the city does not act, millions of innocent lives will suffer the consequences. Parents are afraid for their children s lives when no one should be put in that state of mind. The people who support the banning want to see, at the least, strict bylaw enforcement so dog owners would be more responsible. This should include a mandatory $5000 fine if a dog was found loose and the owner would not get the dog back. Dogs should also be muzzled whenever they leave the house. People must also have some form of insurance to own dogs, and they should have a backyard fence at least six feet high. Dog owners must prove that their dog has had obedience training by a professionally registered trainer.

On the other hand, many Londoners oppose the ban. These people believe that all dogs, regardless of size or breed have the ability to injure. Singling out certain breeds of dogs, like pit bulls and Rottweilers, would discriminate against the responsible owners. The way these dogs were raised and cared for by their fist breeder, and then their owners, influences their behaviour. If we have enough knowledge about how to raise and care for dogs, our community would not have to undergo this crisis. Mixed-breed dogs are going to be hard to mark out. Who would qualify to decide whether a mixed-breed dog that looks like one on the list should be banned? For these reasons, many people oppose the banning of certain dog breeds.

In my opinion, although the yes side seems to have stronger arguments, certain dog breeds should not and cannot be banned for a number of reasons. One reason is that it would not be fair to ban dogs such as pit bulls and Rottweilers because, undoubtedly, all dogs have the potential to hurt and injure people. It would also not be fair to the responsible owners to lose their loyal, precious dogs who had become a part of their family. I do not think that the police would have time to underground and search for dogs that had been hidden by their owners. Finally, I do not think that a bylaw banning certain dog breeds is a good idea because it would turn a loving dog owner into a criminal just by trying to protect a part of them. I think that the only way to settle this dispute is by taking certain measures to prevent dog attacks on children, and adults for that matter. These measures should include attending training classes and having better supervision. Fees should also be enforced to handle repeat offenders and we need to have better education concerning how to raise and take care of our dogs.

In conclusion, the banning of certain dog breeds could cause more controversy in our community. But nevertheless, something must be done about this very serious social issue. Do I think that such a bylaw could be enforced? No. But we must all be responsible and must take certain measures to protect the ones we love and our community.