Logical action on pit bulls

Pit bulls are, hands down, the most abused dogs: They are targeted by dogfighters and criminals who neglect, starve and beat them; force them to fight; keep them chained 24/7; and breed them for aggression. Shelters are overflowing with pit bulls, many of whom must be euthanized. And as your editorial points out, when these dogs attack, the results can be deadly.

All of these issues can be addressed logically and humanely with legislation that regulates ownership of these dogs. Such ordinances have proved effective:

• In San Francisco, the number of pit bulls euthanized at the city’s animal control facility dropped by 24 percent just 18 months after the city passed an ordinance requiring that pit bulls be sterilized.

• Just one year after San Bernardino County, Calif., passed a breed-specific law, it experienced a nearly 10 percent decrease in dog bites.

• In Aurora, Colo., officials reported that nine years after banning pit bulls, bites involving the breed were down 73 percent and euthanasia of pit bulls was down 93 percent.

Breed-specific protections and regulations are vital if we hope to prevent pit bulls from being abused and attacking.

— Teresa Chagrin, Animal Care and Control Issues Manager,

PETA, Norfolk, Va.