"How do you prove it's a pitbull?"

[Nuclear Unicorn]

I see this line of argument quite a bit from folks defending their beloved breed from municipalities that are proposing breed bans. The argument, if I understand correctly, centers on there being no clear DNA or lineage to prove animal X is breed Y.

But then many of these same folks are speaking in defense of animals they own and love. So how do they know what they have is what they love?


BTW -- I'm thoroughly ambivalent on the pitbull issue vis-a-vis the breed, though I'm inclined to oppose blanket banning.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Similar or same dna test that is used to to determine

whether or nor a cat has a true breed parent - breed genetic contribution. Whatever contributes to "pit bulls" would come out in the test.

I am neither for nor against pit bulls - they just are and require no thought from me.

[Recursion]

2. There are. Which is why if a report of a "pit bull" mauling someone has no DNA proof, ignore it

Easy.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

4. I saw mention that Boxers were a breed sometimes mistaken for a PB

Are there other breeds mistaken for PBs? What about what owners might have said, i.e. "Yeah, that's my pit bull."

[PD Turk]

6. Here

http://www.pickthepit.com/

[Recursion]

8. ^^ That (nt)

[PD Turk]

3. You don't

Because there's no such breed as "pitbull". That is a word used to describe everything from Bull Terriers to American Bulldogs to Boxer mixes and every molosser under the sun.

In truth there are 3 closely related breeds that could properly be considered "pit bull" breeds. The AKC American Staffordshire Terrier, AKC Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the UKC American Pit Bull Terrier. But hell, I can't count the times the news her has said a "pitbull" bit somebody and then they show some damn Bandogge mutt that may or may not have any of the above breeds in them. My how they love to whip up their hysteria.

[truebluegreen]

5. +1

[patricia92243]

7. I made sure my poodle was AKC - couldn't take a chance on mixed breed because of my allergies. I

I assume using the AKC method applies to all dogs.

[baldguy]

9. BSLs seek to ban specific breeds, but neglect the necessary DNA testing to identify those breeds.

Instead, municipalities rely on visual breed identifications by "experts" - professionals who work dogs, primarily shelter staff, rescuers, and veterinarians. The problem is that a number of studies have determined that visual breed identification by these experts is accurate less than 50% of the time.

http://sheltermedicine.vetmed.ufl.edu/library/research-studies/current-studies/dog-breeds/

http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/Voith%20poster.pdf
http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/files/Transcribed-Interview-with-Dr_-Victoria-Voith.pdf

http://www.nathanwinograd.com/linked/misbreed.pdf

And it's reasonable that non-experts and the general public would have even more difficulty in identifying the breed of a particular dog. Yet, in nearly every news story about a person being bitten by a dog, the dog is identified as a Pit Bull. No actual DNA evidence is offered, whether or not the animal was neglected or abused is never brought up, and the only proof shown that the dog is a Pit Bull is the fact that it bit someone. And such incidents are used to punish innocent people who treat their dogs properly, with love & kindness, & animals who have never displayed any aggressive behavior toward anyone.

So, putting aside the fact that the very idea of BSLs is immoral, illogical and simply doesn't work - IT DOESN'T ADDRESS THE REAL SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM IT CLAIMS TO BE A SOLUTION FOR!

[Decaffeinated]

10. Who pays for it? Who has the right to extract from my personal property?

Who sets the standard for what constitutes the "bad" DNA?

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

12. And the RWTPs just keep coming.

I knew it.

[easychoice]

11. Simply put,you don't

There are about 30 breeds of dogs with "Pit" like physical attributes.So they want to kill any dog that looks like any of them? Tell me that isn't insane. My Pittie was Staffordshire,American Bull Dog annnd!! Labrador...So which part do we snuff?
Someone dumped a puppy in my yard while I was at work.I didn't even know what a Pitbull was but I took pity on her abandonment.Best 15 years of my life.She was wicked smart,I mean incredibly smart.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_bull