[ZTWsquared]

I’ve never met you but I’m sure you’re a nice guy … but I see the words on the screen and the only thing that comes to mind is “lip service” … I don’t sense any strong commitment on your part to the elimination of dog attacks … “dog bites are bad” isn’t exactly the condemnation I’d expect from someone dedicated to eliminating the risks posed by dangerous dogs – and “they shouldn’t happen” combined with “let’s breed it out of them” isn’t exactly a powerful call to action for change.

Licensing is one way to administrate who is technically allowed to do what … own a gun, go fishing, own or drive a car … but this is no substitute for acceptable and proper behaviour (talking about the dog owner) which is also compounded by the fact that dogs have their own will, whereas guns and cars don’t. Different licensing and higher licensing costs might have a play in the solution … but people who don’t obey licensing laws are typically only found out after something bad happens … it rarely acts as a deterrent to unacceptable behaviour.

And by the way … your example of the ban on smoking in public places is a good example of what I’m talking about in terms of modifying behaviour … smokers hate the idea that they are being told where and when they can smoke … but a lot of people also admit that the ban on smoking in certain places (along with the changing general attitude towards smokers) has caused them to quit.

Band aid solution … maybe … but at least people are quitting smoking when otherwise they wouldn’t have.

Maybe dog owners aren’t happy being told what breeds they can legally own … but if the ban (and the changing general attitude towards dangerous dogs) saves just one person from injury or death, then in the absence of any other action being taken, it’s worth it.

To my mind anyone opposed to the ban who doesn’t have a viable alternative way to eliminate the risk posed by dangerous dogs, is the same as the person who claims that their smoking hurts only them, and the rest of us should butt out. That’s the kind of attitude that perpetuates the problem and does nothing to solve it.