Policy Archives - National Canine Research Council

Red herrings and just plain lies: Insurance companies vs. dog loving families

Janis Bradley April 29, 2021December 17, 2021News Leave a comment

There has been much discussion lately explaining how denial of insurance coverage based on the breed of one’s family dog is a practice that discriminates against and unduly penalizes both less affluent customers and people of color.

Welcome to the Dog Park: No Dogs Allowed

Florida dog park opens, but dogs that act like dogs are prohibited

When Doctors Stray Outside of Expertise

National Canine Research Council November 6, 2017May 31, 2022News, Research & PublicationsNational Canine Research Council, National Canine Research Council Publications, National Canine Research Council Resources Leave a comment

Study finds that the literature on dog bites written by human health care professionals is rife with distortions and errors, and laden with rhetorical devices that mischaracterize dog behavior and grossly overstate the actual risk of dog bite injuries.

Breed-Specific Legislation is myth-based and ineffective according to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB)

National Canine Research Council August 4, 2014May 31, 2022News Leave a comment

AVSAB released a position statement expressing their opposition to breed-specific legislation.

Breed-specific legislation on the decline

National Canine Research Council June 25, 2014March 18, 2021News, Research & PublicationsNational Canine Research Council, National Canine Research Council Resources Leave a comment

Breed-Specific Legislation on the Decline : 5 more states no longer allow BSL & more than 7x as many U.S. Municipalities repealed or rejected proposed BSL, than enacted it between: January 2012 – May 2014. The national trend is moving steadily away from breed-specific legislation (BSL) and toward breed neutral laws that hold all owners equally accountable for the humane care, custody and control of their dogs. The list of states that are considering and passing legislation to preempt municipalities from … Continue reading “Breed-specific legislation on the decline”

Maryland General Assembly Says No to Dog Owner Discrimination, Passes Effective Breed Neutral Liability

National Canine Research Council April 4, 2014March 18, 2021News Leave a comment

On April 3, 2014, the Maryland House of Delegates gave final approval to breed neutral dog bite liability legislation that would abrogate the 2012 Court of Appeals ruling in Tracey v. Solesky, which imposed “breed”-specific liability on dog owners, custodians, and landlords. From the beginning, Maryland residents and lawmakers have been in agreement that the Tracey v. Solesky ruling was not acceptable, but the House and the Senate disagreed on the appropriate standard for dog owner liability. This legislation, SB 247 … Continue reading “Maryland General Assembly Says No to Dog Owner Discrimination, Passes Effective Breed Neutral Liability”

Obama Administration opposes breed specific legislation (BSL)

National Canine Research Council August 20, 2013March 18, 2021News Leave a comment

In an unprecedented initiative, the White House released a statement announcing that the Obama Administration does not support breed-specific legislation (BSL). The statement was a response to an anti-BSL petition created in December 2012, which quickly garnered more than 30,000 pet-loving signatures. Referring to the position taken more than a decade ago by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services, the White House reminded readers that “research shows that bans on certain types of … Continue reading “Obama Administration opposes breed specific legislation (BSL)”

HSUS “Pets for Life” toolkit: empowering pet owners in under-served areas and yielding significant results for animals in the creation of humane communities

National Canine Research Council October 15, 2012February 23, 2023News, Uncategorized Leave a comment

All of us who love dogs – whether we live with them, raise them, provide professional services for them, or use them for a purpose – recognize the value they hold in our society. Yet the human-canine bond may be weakened by a disparate amount of resources and support available to human beings in under-served communities throughout the United States. A new “Pets for Life” (PFL) community outreach toolkit from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), made possible … Continue reading “HSUS “Pets for Life” toolkit: empowering pet owners in under-served areas and yielding significant results for animals in the creation of humane communities”

Winnipeg, Manitoba far behind Calgary in community safety

National Canine Research Council July 9, 2012May 31, 2022News, UncategorizedNational Canine Research Council Resources Leave a comment

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 majority of Manitobans, including citizens of Winnipeg, had not resulted in improved community safety; and that the safety record of Manitoba lags far behind that … Continue reading “Winnipeg, Manitoba far behind Calgary in community safety”

Maryland Court of Appeals’ Decision Unfairly Burdens Dog Owners, Landlords, and Shelters

National Canine Research Council May 3, 2012March 18, 2021News Leave a comment

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 mix” or “cross‐bred pit bull mix” dogs, when a dog so labeled injures a person. Evidence Analysis The rationale and sources relied upon by the Maryland … Continue reading “Maryland Court of Appeals’ Decision Unfairly Burdens Dog Owners, Landlords, and Shelters”

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