The Making Of A Dangerous Dog - responsibilities of owners and breeders

Animals, Fall, 2001 by Pamela H. Sacks

The list of don'ts is easily as long.

A drive along any city street or country lane leaves no doubt that nowadays many people assume a dog is content to spend hour after hour tethered to a backyard chain. But the dog is a social animal whose proper place is generally with the family. Reisner warns that if a pet is left isolated and lacks stimulation, it will become a "natural defender" and start barking as a means of self-expression. Yet too much freedom can bring problems, warns Dodman. While many bites occur when an animal is unleashed and away from home, the most common scenario for an attack features a dog running loose on its own property. The precautions? Build a fence, make the pet part of your life, and keep the dog on a leash when there's a stranger to be greeted.

Both Luke and Golab emphasize that the responsibility to build an environment that promotes healthy interaction extends from the individual pet owner to the community at large. It is not unusual for governmental leaders to push animal-control issues to the bottom of the agenda until a high-profile attack occurs. As officials seek a quick fix, they sometimes call for a ban on the kind of dog involved. The pit bull is an example, having been the frequent target of such measures over the last 15 years. According to Scott C. Giacoppo, an MSPCA law enforcement officer, the breed is favored by gang members and drug dealers, who often abuse their dogs to develop muscle-bound engines of intimidation. Thus pit bull laws have been perceived to offer a dual benefit, tempering outlaw elements while promoting safety. But breed-specific legislation, Giacoppo and others caution, represents a flawed methodology. For one thing, anyone desiring an aggressive dog can simply select a genetic cousin with similar traits. "The pit bull is the breed of choice today," Giacoppo remarks. "Tomorrow it could be another breed."

In Luke's view, a far more effective approach is to enact ordinances that hold owners accountable for their dogs and establish serious penalties for violators. The City of Boston, for instance, strengthened its law after two dog attacks within a week during the summer of 2000. The rules state that once a dog is declared dangerous, the owner must keep it in a special enclosure at home; when it is off the property, the animal must be muzzled and on a short leash. Local officials can require spaying or neutering, along with training. Failure to comply can bring heavy fines.

As towns and cities adopt varying regulations, animal-welfare officials continue to seek common ground. Four years ago the AVMA appointed a 14-member task force composed mainly of physicians, veterinarians, animal behaviorists, and lawyers to devise a general approach to dog bite prevention. The committee's report calls for input from numerous individuals and agencies in the community, the formation of an advisory council to craft ordinances, better reporting and tracking of dog bites, and a public-education program on canine behavior. Golab, who is assistant director of the AVMA's Division of Education and Research, is heartened by the early response to the report, which has been published in the association's journal, distributed to federal and state public-health agencies, humane societies, and shelters, and posted on the AVMA's Web site. Within the first week, 500 requests for copies poured in.