American Bar Association (ABA) urges repeal of all breed-specific laws
On Monday, August 6, 2012, the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates, meeting at the 2012 ABA convention in Chicago, approved a resolution urging “all state, territorial, and local legislative bodies and governmental agencies [. . .] to repeal breed discriminatory or breed specific provisions.” This comprehensive recommendation is accompanied by an extensive report […]
Massachusetts joins the ranks of states with breed-specific legislation (BSL) preemptions
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed an historic, comprehensive overhaul of the state’s animal control regulation on Thursday, August 2, 2012.[1] Among the important reforms included in the bill are provisions that a dog may not be declared dangerous solely on the basis of breed, and that no city or town can regulate dogs in a manner that […]
Dogs’ personalities more reflective of their relationships with people than of their breed
Janis Bradley examines a recent study published in Applied Animal Behavior Science.
Winnipeg, Manitoba far behind Calgary in community safety
A paper published last week in the Journal Injury Prevention attempted to make the case that “pit bull” bans in Manitoba may have been effective in reducing dog bite injury hospitalizations (DBIH, in the language of the paper). [1] In attempting to do so, however, the authors revealed that the bans, applicable to the overwhelming […]
Ontario Veterinary Medical Association urges repeal of breed specific provisions in Dog Owners’ Liability Act (DOLA)
The Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), representing on behalf of the province’s 4,000 veterinarians, has published an open letter to all three of Ontario’s political party leaders, including Premier Dalton McGuinty, urging repeal of the breed specific provisions of the Dog Owner’s Liability Act (DOLA). Citing its science-based approach to issues of community safety, the […]
Cincinnati, Ohio eliminates breed ban from city code of ordinances
On May 16, the City Council in Cincinnati voted to repeal the city’s breed ban. Cincinnati’s repeal follows the historic repeal of a statewide breed discriminatory statute in Ohio, which occurred earlier this year in February. Two months after Ohio Governor John Kasich signed the repeal, the Cincinnati City Council convened a task force to […]
‘What kind of dog is that?’: Dog experts needed to participate in new University of Florida survey regarding visual breed identification
Assisted in part by a grant from the National Canine Research Council, the Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida’s School of Veterinary Medicine is conducting a national survey of dog experts (breeders, trainers, groomers, veterinarians, shelter staff, rescuers, and others). Based upon responses to an online survey, Program Director Dr. Julie Levy […]
Maryland Court of Appeals’ Decision Unfairly Burdens Dog Owners, Landlords, and Shelters
The recent Maryland Court of Appeals decision in Tracey v Solesky modifies the common law in Maryland regarding liability for bites attributed to dogs the Court alternately referred to as “pit bull”, “pit bull mix” or “cross‐bred pit bull mix”. The decision establishes a strict liability standard for persons who own, harbor or control “pit bull,” “pit bull […]
One-hundred years ago, companion dogs were among the victims and survivors of the Titanic.
With the passing of the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s voyage, a new focus has been put on the other passengers of the historic ship: pet dogs. While stories of dogs on the Titanic have been largely unheard until now, it is reported that at least twelve were brought on board, three of which survived […]
The quality of a dog’s relationship to humans is a crucial determinant of social behavior
Note: This blog was originally written in 2012, the below document was updated in 2016 to reflect the most recent research. For almost 2 decades, The Family Dog Project has been at the forefront of research demonstrating that dogs have a special ability that few other animals possess: to notice and respond to social […]