In recent weeks, the debate over aggressive dog breeds has reemerged. Pit Bulls, or more appropriately Bull Terriers of all breeds, are the subject of the debate, as they were in the 1980’s, when there was the first media outcry against the breed. Since that time, the Bull Terrier in its many forms has a bad reputation, for many good reasons for sure, none more paramount than poor ownership and handling.

If you go to petfinder.com, an online pet adoption service used by shelters nationally, you can search for a dog by breed. The second most common breed available for adoption is the Pit Bull Terrier behind the Labrador. There are 7,294 of these dogs looking for homes in shelters in the US. To put that into perspective, there are a thousand more Pit Bulls available for adoption than Beagles, five thousand more than Poodles, and seven thousand one hundred more Pit Bulls available for adoption than Scottish Terriers. Keep in mind that these dogs are up for adoption – this does not include the number of dogs available from breeders, pet shops, and from the morally reprehensible puppy mills.

This is a breed explosion. Like all things material, a dog’s popularity depends upon its marketability. Dog breeds come in and out of popularity and their breeding rises and falls depending upon the need for dogs. For some breeds, this has hurt the bloodlines, creating a large number of inferior dogs with serious chronic health conditions. Imagine bringing a new puppy, a three or four pound little fuzzball, home to your family only to have that innocent little dog, completely helpless without proper care, dying within a few months from a painful genetic disorder. Stories like these are sad but they are also very real. The modern “industry” of dog breeding is bad for breeds, pups, and people.

Enter the Bull Terrier, whose popularity now is unmatched. There are reasons for this. The Bull is a tough looking dog and is a prominent feature in advertisements and rap videos. Much has been made of its popularity in gangsta culture and the hip-hop attachment to these little bruisers. It is also a popular dog for fighting and home protection. Though there seems to be a need for the bull terrier, the adoption rates indicate that a lot of owners are getting rid of their dogs as well, meaning that the Bull terrier is available for purchase, but also, frequently abandoned.

The Bull Terrier was genetically bred to be a fight and watchdog. This does not mean that the dogs are inherently mean. Most terriers were bred to kill – my own Westie was a breed designed to kill vermin around the small farms of Scotland. Though my dog would never maul a person, I would never bring home a pet guinea pig, for she would kill it the second she caught it between her powerful little jaws. The Bull Terrier was genetically mutated to bate bulls and to fight other dogs. It is an extremely tenacious and strong little ball of muscle. Irresponsible owners should not own it.

The issue then is how does a community control dogs that are owned by irresponsible owners. When a Bull Terrier mauls a child, it is almost always off leash, and in most cases, it is a dog that has been abused or raised to be hyper-aggressive. The issue is do we ban a single breed of dog? We don’t even ban firearms and exponentially more people are killed and maimed by guns than dogs. If we cannot ban a single breed, and if we shouldn’t ban a single breed (after all, not ever pit is a nasty cuss), how do we keep the dogs from becoming a problem?

First, the humane society and SPCA can seize dogs that are being mistreated or dogs that are potentially dangerous. They can actively campaign to remove aggressive dogs from negligent owners. If state laws don’t allow seizures, then write your rep and ask for a meeting over this issue. Laws can be amended.

Second, you can pass local leash laws as a municipal ordinance. All dogs when they are in public should be on a leash for their own protection, and that of the public. If an owner is to take their dog in public they need to have the means available to control it. If they can’t control their dog, the municipality should fine or seize the creature.

Third, we can eliminate the need for these dogs. If there isn’t a market for Pits, the puppy mills will stop over breeding them. This is not primarily a breeder issue. Most responsible breeders are just as selective of who they let buy their dogs as a buyer should be about whose dog they buy. The problem is with impulse buyers who go to a local pet shop and buy a puppy mill dog because they want a quick fix. This encourages the puppy mills to keep breeding inferior dogs.

Fourth, shelters should put down all dogs that have been used for fighting and all bulls that show a hyper-aggressiveness. This is sad – no one wants to see dogs killed. But a dog that has been bred to fight is a ticking bomb. These dogs are unsuitable in peaceful communities where children play and people walk their own friendly pups.

Fifth, shelters should actively screen their potential adoptive dog parents for their ability to handle and control a dog as powerful as the Pit Bull. They should recommend, if not require, adoptive dog parents to bring the dog to obedience classes. No classes – no adoption period. They should do a home visit to see where the dog will live and selective adoption screening.

Not all Bull Terriers are bad and banning one kind of dog over thousands of other breeds sets a bad precedent. We can, however, control the future of the breed and keep it out of the hands of bad people.