ARL-Iowa
The Animal Rescue League of Iowa, Inc. (ARL) opposes legislation aimed at banning or strictly regulating dogs based solely on their breed. Breed alone cannot be used to predict whether a dog may pose a danger to his or her community. Well-enforced, non-breed specific laws offer an effective and fair solution to the problem of dangerous dogs in all communities.
Iowa Veterinary Medical Association
The Iowa Veterinary Medical Association opposes breed specific dangerous dog legislation.
A national dangerous dog bite registry that would require all dogs with dog bite history to be micro chipped and registered may be a solution. There would need to be rules/regulations established to prevent repeat offenders and eliminate the opportunity for dangerous dogs to move from one location to another.
The Iowa Veterinary Medical Association supports legislation to make it a serious misdemeanor to allow a dangerous dog to run at large.
The Iowa Veterinary Medical Association opposes legislation that would allow euthanizing a dangerous dog by anyone other than a law officer, humane organization, veterinarian or person authorized under Iowa Code Sections 351.26 and 351.27.
The Iowa Veterinary Medical Association supports removing and euthanizing a dangerous dog that has injured or killed any person or domestic animal more than once.
A dangerous dog is any dog that has, without provocation, injured or killed any person or domestic animal.
American Canine Foundation - “Breed bans are unconstitutional and based on flawed and erroneous data which
has caused lawsuits to be filed against several cities in the United States.
American Dog Owners Association - “The American Dog Owners Association opposes legislation that
discriminates against specific breeds or phenotype classes of dogs or creates restrictions that in fact make a law breed
specific.”
American Dog Breeders Association - “A.D.B.A. opposes any breed specific legislation.”
American Humane Association - “American Humane Association supports local legislation that protects
communities from dangerous animals, but does not advocate laws that target specific breeds of dogs.”
American Kennel Club - “Strongly opposes any legislation that determines a dog to be “dangerous” based on
specific breed or phenotypic classes of dogs.”
American Veterinary Medical Association Position Statement – “The AVMA supports dangerous animal
legislation by state, county, or municipal government provided that legislation does not refer to specific breeds or classes
of animals.” “Dog bite statistics are not really statistics, and they do not give an accurate picture of dogs that bite,” warns a
report from the American Veterinary Medical Association. “Invariably the numbers will show that dogs from popular, large
breeds are a problem.”
American Veterinary Medical Association Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human/Canine
Interactions - “Dog bite statistics are not really statistics, and they do not give an accurate picture of dogs that bite.”
“Concerns about “dangerous” dogs have caused many local governments to consider supplementing existing animal
control laws with ordinances directed toward control of specific breeds or types of dogs. Members of the Task Force
believe such ordinances are inappropriate and ineffective.” Their model legislation includes this statement: “A dog’s breed
shall not be considered in determining whether or not it is ‘dangerous.’” In reference to the A.V.M.A. Report from the Task
Force suggestions for a community approach to dog bite prevention, one of its authors, Dr. Gail Golab, stated: “It is
frustrating for me personally because people who want to enact Breed Specific Legislation keep using the report to try and
make a case against pit bulls. The whole point of our summary was to explain you can’t do that.”
American Working Dog Federation - “The A.W.D.F. strongly opposes breed specific legislation.” “The A.W.D.F.
believes that a dangerous dog should be defined by its actions rather than phenotype.”
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – “The A.S.P.C.A seeks effective enforcement of
breed-neutral laws that hold dog owners accountable for their animals’ actions.”
American Temperament Test Society - We have tested somewhere around a thousand pit-bull-type dogs,” says
Carl Herkstroeter, B.S. in Chemical Engineering; President/founder of and evaluator for American Temperament Test
Society, says. “I’ve tested half of them. And of the number I’ve tested I have disqualified one pit bull because of aggressive tendencies. They have done extremely well. They have a good temperament. They are very good with children.”
Association of Pet dog Trainers - The A.P.D.T. opposes any law that deems a dog as dangerous or vicious
based on appearance, breed or phenotype. Canine temperaments are widely varied, and behavior cannot be predicted by
physical features such as head shape, coat length, muscle to bone ratio, etc. The only predictor of behavior is behavior.
Carmen Battaglia, PhD (Masters and Doctorate from Florida State University), researcher, lecturer and author of
several different books on dog breeding, worldwide recognition for the program he developed for breeding better dogs -
“Most researchers agree that among all species, a lack of adequate socialization generally results in unacceptable
behavior and often times produces undesirable aggression, excessiveness, fearfulness, sexual inadequacy, and
indifference toward partners.” – In Developing High Achievers (Originally published as “Early Neurological Stimulation“)
Humane Society of the United States - “H.S.U.S. opposes breed specific regulations because they do not
address the underlying issues of owner behavior and responsibility.”
International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants ”(I.A.A.B.C.) is an organization representing
professional animal trainers and animal behavior specialists. The I.A.A.B.C. strongly opposes any legislation specifically
designed to target or discriminate against dogs based solely on their breed or appearance.
International Association of Canine Professionals - “I.A.C.P. strongly opposes legislation which discriminates
against dogs and their owners by labeling certain dogs as “dangerous” or “vicious” based on breed or phenotype.
Breed-specific legislation does not protect communities nor create a more responsible dog owner. Instead it negatively
affects many law abiding dog owners and dogs within the targeted breeds.”
National Animal Control Association (N.A.C.A) – “Dangerous and/or vicious animals should be labeled as such
as a result of their actions or behavior and not because of their breed.”
National Animal Interest Alliance (N.A.I.A.)- “Bans against specific breeds produce relinquishment and
euthanasia of well-behaved pets of the targeted breeds, while irresponsible and criminal pet owners just switch to new
breeds and continue abusing their dogs. . . . unreasonable, unenforceable animal control laws erode community support
for animal control. NAIA supports reasonable laws to protect the public from dangerous dogs and opposes breed-specific
legislation in any form. Breed-specific laws target good dogs and responsible animal owners along with the bad.”
National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors, Inc. - “N.A.D.O.I. strongly opposes breed specific
legislation which targets or discriminates against certain dogs based only on their breed or appearance. Such laws are
unfair because they assume that a dog may be dangerous simply because of breed. In fact, it is almost always the
behavior of the owners of these dogs which makes them a danger to others.”
National Canine Research Council - “Breed is never the sole determining factor in a severe or fatal dog attack.
Each attack is a unique and arises out of a combination of past and present events, inherited and learned behaviors,
socialization, the function, physical condition, size, reproductive status, individual temperament of the dog, environmental
factors, owner responsibility or lack thereof, and victim behavior, size and physical condition, and timing.”
United Kennel Club - The U.K.C. opposes breed specific legislation which targets or discriminates against certain
dogs because of their breed or appearance.
