Does New York State Ban Certain Dangerous And Vicious Dogs?

Does New York State have a ban on certain dogs that are considered vicious and possibly deadly? Recently, there have been deadly and devastating dog attacks around the United States. In California, an 80-year-old woman was attacked and killed by two Dogos Argentinos. In Rocky Mount, North Carolina, an 82-year-old man, and his 78-year-old wife were attacked and a police officer was bitten by a pit bull. Another North Carolina woman was recently left hospitalized for her injuries after she was attacked by two pit bulls. In that incident, the dogs wouldn't stop attacking, so the police shot them both. The list of dog attacks, especially involving pit bulls goes on and on.

While New York State does not ban these dog breeds outright, there are certain types of dogs that are labeled as dangerous and can legally be excluded from insurance coverage. New York City's Housing Authority does ban certain dogs outright, including,

Full- or mixed-breed Doberman Pincher, Pit Bull, and Rottweiler dogs of any weight are no longer allowed unless they were registered before January 31, 2010. If they were not registered before January 31, 2010, they must be removed from NYCHA property.

Even though they are considered "man's best friend," dogs (and wolves) are listed as the third deadliest animals on earth, according to AZ Animals,

Dog attacks have led to 30-50 deaths in the United States alone each year. Many of these mauls resulted from one lone dog, often a family dog or one belonging to a neighbor. Others killings were from feral packs of dogs.

The New York State Insurance Department says that the following dogs can be excluded by an insurance company from coverage,

Coverage for any injuries to others or property of others caused by certain animals owned by or in the care of the insured will be excluded. This dog liability exclusion is added to exclude the following types of pure bred dogs:

1. Pit Bulls (American Staffordshire Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, or Staffordshire Bull Terriers)

2. Doberman Pinschers

3. Rottweilers

4. Chows

5. Presa Canarios

6. Wolves

7. Attack Dogs (Any Breed)

Or any dog trained to attack or fight,

Dogs that have been trained to attack persons, property or other animals;

dogs that have been trained guard persons or property;

any dog used in any manner, as a fighting dog or bred specifically for fighting;

any dog with a prior history of biting or attacking persons, property or other animals as established through insurance claims records, or through the records of local public safety, law enforcement or other similar regulatory agency.

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