Why breed-based laws (BDL/BSL) are the wrong choice for your community: What kind of dog is that anyhow?

Why	
  breed-­‐based	
  laws	
  (BDL/BSL)	
  
are	
  the	
  wrong	
  choice	
  for	
  your	
  
community:	
  What	
  kind	
  of	
  dog	
  is	
  
that	
  anyhow?

Lee	
  Greenwood,	
  Esq.
Legislative	
  Attorney
Best	
  Friends	
  Animal	
   Society
leeg@bestfriends.org

Gork
Legislative	
  Assistant

Breed	
  Discriminatory	
  Laws:	
  BDL=BSL

Problems
  • Policy
  • Legality
  • Enforcement

                    LG

There	
  are	
  over	
  80	
  million	
  dogs	
  in	
  the	
  U.S.

U.S.	
  fatalities	
  per	
  year
1. Swimming	
  pools:	
  3000
2. Lightning	
  strikes:	
  50
3. Dog	
  bites:	
  around	
  2	
  dozen

What	
  is	
  BDL/BSL	
   and	
  why	
  should	
  we	
  care?

Variety	
  of	
  BDL/BSL

– Ban	
  
– Automatic	
  “dangerous”	
  
  or	
  “vicious”	
  or	
  “wild	
  
  animal”
– Regulations
   • Extra	
  insurance
   • Muzzling
   • Fencing
   • Mandatory	
  
        spay/neuter
   • Obedience	
  classes

Discrimination	
  =	
  Un-­‐American

National	
  survey	
  results

84	
  percent	
  of	
  Americans

 Source:	
  2014	
  Luntz Global	
   Omnibus	
   Poll

“What	
  gets	
  us	
  into	
  trouble	
  
is	
  not	
  what	
  we	
  don’t	
  know,	
  
it’s	
  what	
  we	
  know	
  for	
  sure	
  
that	
  just	
  ain’t	
  so.”	
  

– Mark	
  Twain

   lv

Fighting	
  breed	
  discrimination

     1. Violates	
  basic	
  property	
  rights
     2. Ineffective
     3. Expensive to	
  enforce

Property	
  rights	
  violation

The	
  simple	
  truth	
  is	
  breed	
  is	
  not	
  
          a	
  factor	
  in	
  bites.

Journal	
  of	
  the	
  American	
  Veterinary	
  
                                           Medical	
  Association	
  (JAVMA)

• Multiple	
  factors	
  in	
  dog-­‐bite-­‐
  related	
  fatalities
• Most	
  are	
  under	
  the	
  control	
  of	
  
  dog	
  owners	
  
   – Isolation	
  from	
  positive	
  
      family	
  interaction	
  (i.e.,	
  
      socialization)
   – Abuse	
  or	
  neglect
   – Dog	
  left	
  alone	
  with	
  a	
  child,	
  
      etc.
    Co-­‐occurrence	
  of	
  potentially	
  
    preventable	
  factors	
  in	
  256	
  dog-­‐bite-­‐
    related	
  fatalities	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States	
  
    (2000-­‐2009).	
  JAVMA,	
  Vol.	
  243,	
  No.	
  12,	
  
    December	
  15,	
  2013.

• 87.6%:	
  involved	
  a	
  male	
  dog

• 84.4%:	
  the	
  dog	
  was	
  sexually	
  
  intact

Breed	
  could	
  only	
  be	
  reliably	
  
determined	
   in	
  17.6%	
  of	
  cases.	
  

                   JAVMA	
  12-­‐2013

Fiscal	
  Impact	
  Calculator:	
  What’s	
  the	
  cost?

             bestfriends.guerrillaeconomics.net

The	
  National	
  Trend:	
  AWAY	
  FROM	
  BDL

Delaware	
  becomes	
  #21!!!

ABA	
  House	
  of	
  Delegates	
  Resolution	
  (2012)

RESOLVED,	
  That	
  the	
  American	
  
Bar	
  Association urges	
  all	
  state,	
  
territorial,	
  and	
  local	
  legislative	
  
bodies	
  and	
  governmental	
  
agencies	
  to	
  adopt	
  
comprehensive	
  breed-­‐neutral	
  
dangerous	
  dog/reckless	
  owner	
  
laws	
  that	
  ensure	
  due	
  process	
  
protections	
  for	
  owners,	
  
encourage	
  responsible	
  pet	
  
ownership	
  and	
  focus	
  on	
  the	
  
behavior	
  of	
  both	
  dog	
  owners	
  
and	
  dogs,	
  and	
  to	
  repeal	
  any	
  
breed-­‐discriminatory	
  or	
  
breed-­‐specific	
  provisions.

Organizations	
  opposed	
  to	
  BDL

–   National	
  Animal	
  Care	
  and	
  Control	
  Association	
  (NACA)
–   American	
  Veterinary	
  Medical	
  Association	
  (AVMA)
–   Centers	
  for	
  Disease	
  Control	
  and	
  Prevention	
  (CDC)
–   The	
  White	
  House
–   The	
  American	
  Kennel	
  Club
–   The	
  United	
  Kennel	
  Club
–   The	
  American	
  Dog	
  Breeders	
  Association
–   Best	
  Friends	
  Animal	
  Society
–   ASPCA
–   …	
  And	
  many,	
  many	
  more

Legal	
  Problems

Police	
  Powers
 Dog	
  Regulations	
  

State	
  Police	
  Powers

    Municipalities

The	
  Basics
Dogs	
  =	
  Property

                        Barky	
  the	
  
                        Dog

                        My	
  Ikea	
  
                        Chair

BDL/BSL	
  in	
  court

• Nelson	
  v.	
  Town	
  of	
  New	
  Llano,	
  No.	
  2:14-­‐cv-­‐803	
  (W.D.	
  La	
  
  2014)
• “Pit	
  bull”	
  ban	
  challenged	
  in	
  Federal	
  Court	
  (W.D	
  La)
• Court	
  issued	
  a	
  preliminary	
  injunction	
  for	
  the	
  Nelsons,	
  
  finding	
  there	
  was	
  a	
  “substantial	
  likelihood	
  of	
  success	
  on	
  
  the	
  merits,	
  a	
  substantial	
  threat	
  of	
  irreparable	
  harm	
  if	
  the	
  
  injunction	
  is	
  not	
  granted;	
  that	
  the	
  threat	
  of	
  injury	
  
  outweighs	
  any	
  harm	
  the	
  injunction	
  would	
  cause	
  and	
  that	
  
  the	
  injunction	
  will	
  not	
  disturb	
  public	
  interest”

New	
  Llano	
  (continued)
Constitutional	
  Challenges
  • Procedural	
  due	
  process
        1.   No	
  right	
  to	
  a	
  hearing	
  to	
  challenge	
  the	
  findings	
  
        2.   Impermissible	
  $200	
  “pay	
  to	
  play”	
  provision

  •   Vagueness
        1.    Law’s	
  definition	
  of	
  “pit	
  bull”	
  was	
  vague
             a. “predominately”	
  vs.	
  “of”
        2.    Visual	
  identification
             a. Inherently	
  flawed	
  and	
  no	
  guidance	
  on	
  identifying	
  breeds
        3.    DNA

Clay,	
  Alabama
• City	
  passes	
  “pit	
  bull”	
  ban	
  with	
  criminal	
  penalties
    – Grandfather	
  clause	
  for	
  current	
  owners,	
  with	
  
      restrictions:	
  muzzles,	
  extra	
  insurance,	
   signage
    – No	
  new	
  “pit	
  bulls”	
  permitted
    – Subsection	
   (J):	
  “ There	
   shall	
  be	
  an	
  irrebuttable	
  
      presumption that	
  any	
  dog	
   registered…is	
   in	
  fact	
  a	
   dog	
  
      subject	
  to	
  the	
  requirements	
  of	
  this	
  section.”
    – July	
  2013:	
  lawsuit	
  challenging	
  the	
  ordinance	
  in	
  
      Jefferson	
  County	
  Circuit	
  court	
  :	
  Schreiner	
  v.	
  City	
  of	
  Clay

                                           LG

Clay,	
  AL	
  (continued)

Ordinance	
  struck	
  down	
  as	
  unconstitutional
   1. Substantive	
  Due	
  Process	
  violation
      a. Law	
  not	
  Rationally	
  Related	
  to	
  the	
  stated	
  government	
  
         interest
   2. Procedural	
  Due	
  Process	
  violation
      a. Irrebuttable	
  presumption	
  violates	
  14th Amendment	
  
         guarantees
      b. Clay	
  “must	
  be	
  required	
  to	
  prove	
  each	
  element	
  of	
  the	
  
         offense	
   charged	
   beyond	
  a	
  reasonable	
   doubt	
  and	
  that	
  
         burden	
   should	
  never	
  be	
  shifted	
  to	
  the	
  accused"
                                           LG

What	
  Changed?

• Same/similar	
  laws,	
  
  different	
  outcomes
 WHY?
   – Science/research/data
   – Societal	
  attitudes
   – Less	
  judicial	
  deference	
  
     for	
  “dirty	
  data”

                                         LG

Breed	
  Identification

Shelter	
  Medicine:	
  
A	
  Comparison	
  of	
  Visual	
  
and	
  DNA	
  Identification	
  
of	
  Breeds	
  of	
  Dogs
Victoria	
  L.	
  Voith,	
  DVM,	
  PhD,	
  DACVB,	
  College	
  of	
  Veterinary	
  
Medicine,	
  Western	
  University	
  of	
  Health	
  Sciences

In	
  87.5%	
  of	
  the	
  adopted	
  
dogs,	
  breeds	
  were	
  identified	
  
by	
  DNA	
  analyses	
  that	
  were	
  
not	
  proposed	
  by	
  the	
  
adoption	
  agencies.

                                                                                        lv

Visual	
  Identification,	
  Mixed	
  Breeds
Inherently	
  flawed	
  
      =	
  
Guessing	
  game

                           lv

1965	
  Scott	
  &	
  Fuller	
  Study

                lv

Find	
  the	
  Pit	
  Bull   Pit Bull Rescue Central
                                  www.pbrc.net

Find	
  the	
  Pit	
  Bull                                         Pit Bull Rescue Central
                                                                                                                          www.pbrc.net

Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog      Doberman              Catahoula Leopard            Viszla       Patterdale Terrier              Rottweiler
                                Pinscher                     Dog

   Dogue de Bordeaux         English Bulldog     Olde English Bulldogge       Bull Terrier      Cane Corso              Black Mouth Cur

          Boxer          American Bulldog      American Pit Bull Terrier   Bullmastiff       Fila Brasileiro              Tosa Inu

                              Greater Swiss
     Dogo Argentino           Mountain Dog             Ca De Bou             Boerboel        Thai Ridgeback      Jack Russell Terrier

No	
  genetic	
  trait	
  of	
  American	
  Staffordshire	
  terrier	
  or	
  
                    Staffordshire	
  bull	
  terrier

“Pit	
  Bull”	
  Mixes
Some	
  American	
  Staffordshire	
  terrier	
  or	
  Staffordshire	
  bull	
  terrier

One	
  Last	
  Guessing	
  Game

                     • Whippet

                     • Dalmatian

                     • Boxer

Tennessee	
  and	
  BDL/BSL

Nearly	
  3	
  dozen	
  communities

WHY???

Municipal	
  Technical	
  Advisory	
  Service	
  
                                        (MTAS)
• Established	
  1949	
  by	
  TN	
      “…	
  we	
  leverage	
  the	
  resources	
  
  legislature                            of	
  the	
  university	
  to	
  improve	
  
• Agency	
  of	
  UT	
  in	
             the	
  lives	
  of	
  the	
  people	
  of	
  
  collaboration	
  with	
  TN	
          Tennessee	
  with	
  technical	
  
  Municipal	
  League                    consulting,	
  research	
  and	
  
                                         training	
  for	
  municipal	
  
                                         governments.”

MTAS	
  Model	
  Ordinance
•   WHEREAS,	
  the	
  characteristics	
  selectively	
   bred	
  into	
  or	
  otherwise	
  commonly	
   found	
   in	
  those	
  dogs	
  include:
      – A	
  strong	
  fighting	
  instinct,	
  together	
  with	
  a	
  low	
  level	
  of	
  fighting	
  inhibitions	
  which	
  make	
  pit	
  
        bulls	
  a	
  hazard	
  to	
  humans	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  other	
  animals
      – A	
  strong	
  chase	
  instinct	
  which,	
  experts	
  believe,	
  causes	
  pit	
  bulls	
  to	
  be	
  a	
  danger	
  around	
  
        running	
  children
      – A	
  tendency	
  to	
  attack	
  even	
  those	
  who	
  exhibit	
  no	
  provocative	
  behavior
      – A	
  diminished	
  tendency	
  to	
  bark,	
  growl,	
  or	
  otherwise	
  warn	
  their	
  prey	
  of	
  an	
  intent	
  to	
  
        attack
      – A	
  tendency	
  to	
  fight	
  to	
  the	
  death	
  and	
  never	
  quit	
  a	
  fight	
  once	
  engaged,	
  which	
  results	
  in	
  
        more	
  severe	
  injuries	
  than	
  those	
  inflicted	
  by	
  other	
  breeds
      – The	
  ability	
  to	
  withstand	
  great	
  pain,	
  which	
  makes	
  it	
  difficult	
  for	
  a	
  person	
  or	
  animal	
  to	
  
        fight	
  off	
  a	
  pit	
  bull	
  attack
      – Powerful	
  jaws	
  capable	
  of	
  hanging	
  on	
  to	
  victims	
  even	
  while	
  the	
  animal	
  withstands	
  
        infliction	
  of	
  injury	
  or	
  pain
      – A	
  tendency	
  to	
  tear	
  flesh,	
  which	
  has	
  resulted	
  in	
  grotesque	
  injuries	
  to	
  human	
  victims
      – A	
  combination	
  of	
  agility,	
  stamina,	
  and	
  strength,	
  together	
  with	
  a	
  genetic	
  predisposition	
  to	
  
        aggressiveness,	
  that	
  makes	
  pit	
  bulls	
  uniquely	
  dangerous,	
  even	
  to	
  their	
  owners,	
  among	
  
        all	
  breeds	
  of	
  dogs,	
  especially	
  where	
  improperly	
  raised	
  or	
  trained

Doh!

We’re	
  here	
  to	
  help	
  you

What	
  Works?

Focus	
  on	
  the	
  BEHAVIOR	
  of	
  the	
  OWNER
   AND the	
  BEHAVIOR	
  of	
  the	
  DOG

Leash	
  Laws

üRestrain	
  and	
  Restrict	
  
  Dangerous	
  Dogs

Comprehensive	
  Breed	
  Neutral	
  
                  Dangerous	
  Dog	
  Laws
Illinois	
  Animal	
  Control	
  Act
• Behavior	
  based
• Potentially	
  dangerous	
  dog
    – (targets	
  packs	
  of	
  unsterilized	
  
      dogs	
  running	
  at	
  large)
• Dangerous	
  Dog
• Vicious	
  dog

http://www.ilga.gov

Idaho	
  Dangerous	
  and	
  At-­‐Risk	
  Dog	
  Act

• Idaho	
  Code	
  Ann.	
  § 25-­‐2809-­‐10	
  
    – Breed-­‐neutral
    – Broad	
  definition	
  of	
  “justified	
  provocation”
        • “…perform	
  any	
  act	
  or	
  omission	
  that	
  a	
  reasonable	
  person	
  with	
  
          common	
  knowledge	
  of	
  dog	
  behavior	
  would	
  conclude	
  is	
  likely	
  to	
  
          precipitate	
  a	
  bite	
  or	
  attack	
  by	
  an	
  ordinary	
  dog
    – “at-­‐risk”	
  (step	
  below	
  “dangerous”	
  designation)	
  
        • ”…any	
  dog	
  that	
  without	
  justified	
  provocation	
  bites	
  a	
  person	
  
          without	
  causing	
  a	
  serious	
  injury	
  as	
  defined	
  in	
  this	
  section.”

Reckless	
  pet	
  owners

• South	
  Bend,	
  IN
      – Habitual	
  Offender	
   Ordinance

• Skokie,	
  IL
      – Prevents	
  problem	
   owners	
  from	
  
        owning	
   pets	
  for	
  a	
  period	
   of	
  time.

• Illinois	
  &	
  Ohio	
  
      – Prevents	
  convicted	
  felons	
  from	
   	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   	
  	
  	
  	
  
        owning	
   unsterilized	
   dogs	
  for	
  a	
  
        period	
   of	
  time	
  after	
  incarceration.	
  

Contact

   Lee	
  Greenwood
leeg@bestfriends.org