The dog bite epidemic does not have a simple cure. Twenty-five years of dog bite cases (I do nothing else as an attorney) taught me that the owners of biting dogs are always to blame, because they chose the wrong dog for their circumstances, maintained it incorrectly, or allowed it to come into contact with people at unreasonable times or places. I also believe there are defective dogs, by which I mean dogs that are too dangerous by reason of their breeding, and yes I am referring primarily to pit bulls and other fighting breeds.
When asked for a program that would reduce not just the frequency but also the severity of dog attacks, the first three general changes that come to mind are the following:
- Stop breeding pit bulls and eventually make their presence illegal.
- Fully fund animal control departments and make governmental entities legally liable for failing to confiscate and euthanize individual dogs of any breed that behave viciously.
- Prevent recidivist human violators from possessing any dogs at all.
For a more detailed plan, see Preventing Dog Bites on dogbitelaw.com.
