Breed-specific legislation (BSL) is a type of regulation that lays out which dogs are deemed “acceptable” by a government, usually based on archaic ideas that “certain kinds of dogs” are more dangerous than others. Countless studies have shown this is just plain nonsense. Yet the U.K. government continues to impose severe restrictions on which types of dog breeds are allowed. Under British BSL, any person who’s discovered to own a “banned dog” — or one that bears any resemblance to a prohibited pup — can be fined or imprisoned. Worse yet, the dogs in question are often euthanized.
Governments all over the world have tried to use BSL to decrease dog bite incidents, and they have all failed miserably and harmed many animals in the process. Not even geneticists have been able to determine what type of pooch is “dangerous.” Yet untrained police have been empowered to simply glance at a family’s companion animal and judge whether they think it could be a danger to the public? That’s not okay. Sign the petition and demand that the British Parliament repeal their “dangerous dog” laws now!