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There is no legal definition of breed. For all the sentimental
talk about preserving breeds, there are many people producing
crossbreeds who will continue to do so while it is profitable.
When the crossbreeding involves a mixture of 'dangerous' and
other categories, then a controversy can arise over which
breed a particular dog belongs to. Such situations are a delight
to advocates in court, and sometimes result in smug press
reports when a dog is found not to be 'dangerous' after all.
But the fact remains that certain identifiable breeds are
responsible for the worst instances of dog attacks. Depriving
someone of the right to own property, albeit one that is a
hazard to others, has been cited as an infringement of human
rights —not unlike the case of the US gun laws. Surely
that cannot be a valid argument, when the maiming of children
is distinctly possible.
Dog registration
A registration scheme won't solve everything, but it could
at least ensure that the breed of a dog is defined at the
start of ownership, with updates should its characteristics
alter. This would save everyone's time.
Punish the deed?
Over the years since the CCC began its campaign for better
control of dogs in public places, thousands of dog owners
have been prosecuted for manifest cruelty, tens of thousands
of dogs have been maltreated and abandoned, and tens of thousands
of people have been bitten by dogs. None of this is attributable
to the CCC. The CCC does not seek to punish the deed or the
breed; only to avert tragedy and suffering.
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