President Obama Announced His Stance Against Breed Specific Legislation, Giving Hope To Pit Bulls In The US

President Barack Obama, with the family dog Bo, playing football on the South Lawn of the White House May 12, 2009. White House Photo by Pete Souza. This official White House photograph is being made available for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated or used in materials, advertisements, products, or promotions that in any way suggest approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

Thanks, Obama

President Obama released a statement in 2013 about Breed Specific Legislation (BSL), and it’s not what the general public would expect.

After introducing the new family dog, Sunny, President Barack Obama gave an inspiring and eye opening speech about the negative effects of BSL and Breed Bans, sharing with the public The Whitehouse’s Official Statement.

“We don’t support breed-specific legislation — research shows that bans on certain types of dogs are largely ineffective and often a waste of public resources,” Obama said.

Obama Against BSL

He then carried on to share research data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at twenty years of data about dog bites and human fatalities in the United States. They found that fatal attacks represent a very small proportion of dog bite injuries to people and that it’s virtually impossible to calculate bite rates for specific breeds.

The CDC also noted that the types of people who look to exploit dogs aren’t deterred by breed regulations — when their communities establish a ban, these people just seek out new, unregulated breeds. And the simple fact is that dogs of any breed can become dangerous when they’re intentionally or unintentionally raised to be aggressive.

For all those reasons, the CDC officially recommends against breed-specific legislation — which they call inappropriate. You can read more from them here.”

Obama Against BSL

The White House’s Statement not only focussed on the issues with BSL, but shared their opinion on where efforts should be focussed to keep communities safe from dangerous dogs.

“As an alternative to breed-specific policies, the CDC recommends a community-based approach to prevent dog bites. And ultimately, we think that’s a much more promising way to build stronger communities of pets and pet owners.”

Obama Against BSL

Though this statement was released nearly three years ago, The White House’s, and President Obama’s, opinion remains the same.

We must find an alternative, effective way of combatting dog attacks, without targeting any specific breed of dog. Holding owners responsible for their dogs, and dogs responsible for their actions will work wonders in keeping our communities safe.

You can read more about non breed specific bylaws that actually work here.

1. Feature Photo 2. Huffington Post

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