The top three regulated dog breeds: pit bulls, rottweilers and wolf-dog hybrids.
BSL Estimate 2020-2021
DogsBite.org - Since 2011, we have maintained an estimate of breed-specific laws across the United States, including breed-specific policies governing military housing. A decade ago, all three major military divisions -- U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force -- banned a group of dangerous dog breeds, chiefly pit bulls, rottweilers and wolf-dog hybrids, due to the "unreasonable risk to the health and safety of personnel in family housing areas" these dog breeds pose.
Currently, our modest estimate shows that 1,200 cities, towns and villages regulate specific dog breeds for public safety purposes and 42 counties have enacted countywide breed safety laws too. Jurisdictions in 40 different states have enacted breed-specific ordinances. Our estimate also tracks international breed-specific laws. Currently there are jurisdictions in at least 54 countries with breed-specific laws. In 43 of those countries, the regulation is a national-level law.
Including: Argentina, Austria, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and more.
Many U.S. municipalities with breed-specific laws are concentrated in the Midwest. Other states, primarily preemption states, have virtually no breed-specific laws. In the early 1980s, cities began enacting breed-specific laws in response to grisly pit bull maulings. By 1992, dogfighting and dog breeder interests had pushed through preemption laws in ten states, including three of the most populous, California, Florida and Texas, prohibiting local jurisdictions from adopting pit bull laws.
There have been many horrific fatal maulings carried out by pit bulls and rottweilers in these three states ever since (See: Deaths After State Preemption). The most recent state to pass legislation in this area is Washington, which enacted a mandatory exemption law. The law requires cities with existing or new breed-specific laws to provide an exemption for the owners of regulated breeds if their dog passes the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test or its equivalent.
2020 Legislative News
2020 got underway with a lightening speed attempt to repeal the longstanding pit bull ban in Denver. That attempt was halted when Mayor Michael Hancock vetoed the legislation on Valentines Day. Meanwhile, the adjacent city of Aurora discussed repealing their pit bull ban as well. On election day, November 5, the citizens of Denver repealed the pit bull ban and replaced it with a provisional breed-restricted license that did not even mandate the sterilization of pit bulls.
On January 11, 2021, Aurora city council members repealed their pit bull ban and did not replace the repeal with any breed-specific measure.1
During 2020, we analyzed three years of bite statistics and injury severity data from Denver in anticipation of this repeal. We also analyzed three years of bite statistics, intake and euthanasia data from Aurora. Despite pit bulls having a lower population in both cities due to their enduring bans, pit bulls were still among the top-biting breeds. We estimate that bites and attacks inflicted by pit bulls in both cites will increase by a four-fold within five years of lifting their pit bull bans.
State Preemption Bills
In 2020, three states faced preemption bills that would bar local governments from enacting breed-specific laws, down from six states in 2018, nine states in 2016 and seven states in 2015. The bills in all three states -- Kentucky, Michigan and Missouri -- failed. These same three states face another round of preemption bills in 2021. Every year, a new round of preemption bills are brought in these states by Utah-based fighting dog advocates, Best Friends Animal Society.
In 2021, preemption bills in other states have been introduced by other sources as well, including Iowa and Mississippi. The House (HF 59) and Senate (SF 143) bills in Iowa are sponsored by the owners of pit bull-mixes or mixed-breeds. Both bills are also being driven by the Humane Society of the United States and their lobbying arm, HSLF, which uses a front group, "Stray Dog Policy," because the HSUS has a factory farming agenda that Midwest farming states typically reject.
"The Humane Society of the United States is lobbying for these bills. The same organization that took no action and made no statement after a pit bull belonging to Connecticut State HSUS director, Annie Hornish, killed an elderly woman visiting her home in 2019. Hornish misled authorities about how the woman died, claiming that she “fell” instead of suffering a Level 6 bite, which resulted in her death. For over a year, Hornish has fought all efforts to humanely euthanize the dog. Today, she remains in her position with the HSUS. Another group lobbying to pass both bills is “Stray Dog Policy,” which is funded by the lobbying arm of the HSUS, the Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF). Stray Dog Policy is located at the same address as the HSLF Kansas office (HSLFKS.org). The entities are one in the same." - DogsBite.org, January 28, 2021
"One of the top officials of the Humane Society of the United States owns a killer pit bull -- is this really a surprise? The modern HSUS can be counted on no longer to promote a healthy relationship between people and dogs, as evidenced by the fact that it has staunchly refused to take a stand against the breeding of pit bulls. It refuses to recognize that this is the most abused, unwanted and dangerous type of dog, known for its savage, fatal attacks on its owners and its owners' children. This type of dog also commits 90% of the fatal attacks on other people's dogs, cats and horses. The HSUS, which normally would be expected to support the best interests of animal shelters, knows that pit bulls make up more than half the dogs in shelters, putting a huge financial strain on shelters and forcing them to push pit bulls on unsuspecting, good people who often are tricked into accepting this unsuitable, risky animal into their homes. If the HSUS cared about pets and people, it would speak out against the breeding of pit bulls. But instead, a high-level official of that organization turns out to be the owner of one of the 30 or 40 pit bulls which have killed an American this year. What a terrible reflection on a once noble organization." - Attorney Kenneth Phillips, DogBiteLaw.com, December 13, 2019
Rental & Housing Properties
A substantial source of breed-specific policies, which our estimate does not track, are the million-plus rental properties governed by breed-specific leases in all 50 states.2 Rental property and insurance companies assess risk. Insurance carriers may refuse coverage for apartments, condominiums and homes if a lease fails to prohibit dog breeds on their blacklist. Private rental properties, HOAs and insurance agencies are unaffected by municipal breed preemption laws.
When you combine the many types of breed-specific laws -- municipal ordinances, military policies, Indian reservation and public housing policies, insurance blacklists and the tens of millions of Americans living in private rental properties governed by breed-specific leases -- one gains a clearer picture of these breed safety laws. They are designed to prevent serious attacks by high-risk dog breeds that are well-documented in medical journals for inflicting severe injuries.
Our estimated summary of breed-specific laws is just one source of this prevention. When or if another state passes a preemption law peddled by an out-of-state special interest group, a source of this protection will be removed from that state, but other sources will remain, such as rental leases. Finally, the significance of breed-specific laws worldwide shows that the genetics of a dog breed remain the same, whether the dog lives in the U.S., France, South Korea or New Zealand.
Revised Website Section
In January, we released a revised section of the website, Breed Safety Laws, which emphasizes Model and Noted breed-specific ordinances. It also emphasizes Mandatory Spaying and Neutering ordinances, primarily aimed at pit bulls and other fighting breeds, from nine states. The latter being the most basic safety step a community can take when pit bulls are disproportionally biting, disproportionally occupying shelter space and disproportionately being euthanized.
Our collection of over 900 breed-specific ordinances by state now requires a login. Further, we do not anticipate updating this estimated breed-specific laws 2021 report until at least 2025 or beyond. Our mission is to track severe and fatal injuries disproportionately inflicted by a small group of dangerous dog breeds. Not to provide a "housing tool" for the owners of pit bulls or those seeking to place pit bulls, which is how our State-by-State section was primarily being used.
Estimated U.S. cities, counties, states and military housing with breed-specific laws 2021.
2We could find no estimate for the vast number of rental properties governed by breed-specific leases, but breed restrictions are common. According to the National Multifamily Housing Council, over 43 million households are renter-occupied and comprise over 100 million residents (34% of the U.S. population), all of which are subject to a lease agreement. Nearly one-third of these residents, 27 million, rent a unit within a multi-unit rental property.
Related articles:
01/02/20: Estimated U.S. Jurisdictions with Breed-Specific Laws (2019-2020)
01/01/20: Fatal Pit Bull Attacks - The Archival Record - DogsBite.org
01/01/20: Fatal Rottweiler Attacks - The Archival Record - DogsBite.org
04/23/18: Fatal Wolf-Dog Hybrid Attacks - The Archival Record - DogsBite.org
04/20/15: A Primer on State Preemption Laws and Charts for Advocates by DogsBite.org
To provide a source of protection, The U.S. Marine Corps bans the top three dangerous dog breeds. However, the individual states refuse to provide this source of protection to its civilians. Therefore, it is incumbent upon each and every responsible individual to seek and gain protection from the unreasonable risk of dangerous canines at all possibly attainable levels.
If anyone is still donating to the Humane Society of the United States and other lobbying organizations like it, STOP. Just stop.
Donate to DBO instead. There’s a bright orange link box on ever page.
Landlords still have to deal with tenants claiming that their pitbull is an ESA or service animal Once this claim is made, the land shark is permitted by Federal Fair Housing law in the housing unit. I have no idea what the insurance company would say in these cases. I would like to see lawsuits brought against the mental health professionals that certify the need for these animals. Especially the online companies that have propagated for this purpose.
I would like to remind readers not to get State Farm insurance. This company continues to cover pit bulls as if they were any other dog. This means that part of your premium is going to cover damage by these breeds. The State Farm website “it’s not the breed it’s the dog bite.” In 2019, State Farm alone paid $146 million dollars for 3,340 dog bite and injury claims. This is a heck of a lot of money and if my math is correct comes out to $43,712 per bite. You can bet most of these are from pits to do this type of damage.
Christy, would you mind citing the source of the dog bite and injury claims payment total from 2019? I’m asking this question because I have State Farm insurance and would like to send the company a letter expressing my concern about their pit bull coverage policy.
https://www.statefarm.com/simple-insights/family/its-not-the-breed-its-the-dog-bite
And we know from dog bite down on it most of these bites are from pit bulls and their mixes.
Thank you! I’m going to start writing that letter.
I’m happy that State Farm Insurance covers liability for injuries caused by pit bull attacks. This means the victims can get some relief.
Even a collective boycott of State Farm (to pressure them to drop pit bull liability coverage) wouldn’t make a dent in their revenue stream. And if State Farm DID drop pit bull liability on residential (not commercial) policies, that wouldn’t compel people to NOT get pit bulls.
I don’t really believe that landlords exclude pit bulls based on their [commercial] insurance coverage clauses, but more on the desire not to have tenants bitten, with the resultant vacancies and turnover, having to deal with disputes with pit bull owner tenants, and the VERY REAL RISK OF HAVING TO DEFEND A LAWSUIT.
Actually you’re mistaken! Thankfully, if allowing the vicious ‘land shark” into the apartment complex would result in the insurance company canceling or increasing the premiums for the owners then they do not have to rent to the person even if they are lying and claiming their shit bull is a service dog for their 3 month old baby! I read a story about some crazy people who were claiming exactly that, the dog was a service dog for an infant and everyone was just accepting that story! I have a couple of bridges to sell them in and out of San Francisco ! That ignorance aside it would be extremely easy to just tell whomever was lying about their pit bull being a service dog that the insurance company won’t allow it because how many liars would take you to court! Even the city of San Francisco doesn’t want a pit bull on their public transportation and kick one of the liars off!
In the 1980s, my home state of NJ became one of the earliest states to accept pre-emption of local authorities’ rights to control dog breeds. Texas, Florida and Texas did the same – and are now the leaders in deadly dog attacks on humans. NJ has relatively few fatal attacks. I was wondering if Dogsbite has any insight into this.
Two things that do set NJ apart are extraordinary cost of living, and the extreme population density. NJ just does not have the rural/semi-rural poverty in which so many fatal pit bull attacks occur – all the land is too valuable for it, and most of the land is already developed – and you are never really far from a trauma center in NJ.
In Michigan, pit bulls are overrunning rental units across the state. Wherever breed restrictions are in a lease, they simply void the restriction by claiming the animal is an emotional support dog.
Will the insanity ever end, when I retire I will move to a breed restricted country with no ADA loopholes.
I moved to an apartment in Texas with Reed restrictions and sure enough when I moved in there’s a neighbor with a pitbull. So now I’m going round and round with the management. They’re clueless, the people who have the pitbull s are clearly lying and faking that it’s a service animal and the managers won’t push back because I guess they’re scared. So I have been pushing back against the managers to do something, I find it to be the most illogical weird thing that people want these dangerous animals and they don’t care if they bite and kill kids it’s sadistic.
Ugly! There are stages to a country or empire and each stage brings different challenges. It’s been written that there’s seven stages to a country and I think we are in stage 6 the decadent stage and that’s where you see weird things like this happening with these dangerous animals. Some people are a feverishly trying to force them on people. It is just crazy what they call. It is dog worship or dog cult and they seem the same thing happen at the end of room