Should Pit Bulls Be Banned In New York State? Here’s What A Major Study Says

Pit bulls most certainly get a bad rep, but is it actually deserved? Should they be banned in New York State? Most people who are pit bull pet parents seem to think their dogs are living angels - the sweetest, most loving dogs on earth. I get it, it's similar to the kid who terrorizes their teacher and classmate, but the parents refuse to believe their child is capable of being bad.

A-Z Animals took an in-depth look at which dog breeds are the most dangerous,

Dangerous dog breeds are not necessarily the most aggressive breeds. We have focused on curating a list of dogs that have both the potential for aggressive behavior based on the purpose for which they were bred as well as the physical size to be harmful. In other words, the willingness to get violent and the ability to harm people or other dogs are the things that make these the most dangerous dog breeds.

According to A-Z Animals, pit bulls are the most dangerous dog breed. They have the highest numbers of fatal maulings. Over the course of 13 years, pit bulls were responsible for 284 deaths, which accounts for two-thirds of all fatal dog attacks in the United States.

Are Pit Bulls Really A Dangerous Dog Breed?

Statistically speaking, the case for banning pit bulls might make sense. But a recent study says that a dog's breed really doesn't influence its behavior. The study was published by UMass Chan Medical School in 'Science'. It covered 2,000 purebred and mixed-breed dogs. Senior author Elinor Karlsson, PhD, associate professor of molecular medicine at UMass Chan and director of the Vertebrate Genomics Group at the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University told Dog Time,

Although ‘friendliness’ is the trait we commonly associate with golden retrievers, what we found is that the defining criteria of a golden retriever are its physical characteristics – the shape of its ears, the color and quality of its fur, its size – not whether it is friendly. While genetics plays a role … specific dog breed is not a good predictor of those traits.

It's not an easy decision, with data supporting both sides, to advocate for banning pit bulls or not in New York State. Would you support a ban on pit bulls?

Get our free mobile app