One of the overlooked problems when discussing breed bans is the effect that fighting dogs have upon the rest of the dog population. Without a doubt, the pit bull was created for the purpose of killing other dogs. Although no formal study has been done, at least in the United States, it appears clear that pit bulls have engaged in a disproportionately high number of serious or fatal attacks upon dogs. This is the conclusion of Attorney Phillips, based upon thousands of the e-mail messages received through the web site Dog Bite Law.
From the Netherlands, canine expert Alexandra Semyonova writes:
“One thing all the experts ignore is dog casualties. I understand that lawyers and legislators are concerned with human victims, but those of us who love dogs have remained concerned about the many dog maimings and deaths at the hands of PBs and their ilk. When the pit bull was banned and the American Staffordshire, et al., were put on probation, dog maimings and deaths in parks dropped dramatically. In the two months since the ban [on ownership of pitbulls] was retracted, we are now getting reports of a sudden and alarming rise of dog killings by pitbulls and American Staffordshires. Some of these were on the public streets. Now that they will only get a fine for violating the leash laws, the owners of pitbulls and American Staffordshires are taking them out in public unleashed again. Several of the dog parks in my city are now unusable because they have become so dangerous for ordinary dogs. This occurred in the space of two months. Our research shows that — just as with humans — 64% of the deadly attacks on dogs are committed by pitbulls and pitbull-like dogs. Rotweilers and German shepherds together account for another 15%.”