:No, the real problem is ‘what is a pit bull’?”
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I will attempt to provide the information requested here.
First, one looks here:
. . .”Meanwhile, a 2013 study done at the Richmond SPCA in Richmond, Virginia, directed by Emily Weiss of the American SPCA, found that shelter workers can accurately identify a pit bull or close pit mix 96% of the time. And a study published in the March 27, 2014 edition of the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that 41% of shelter workers are willing to lie about pit bull breed identification to try to rehome more pit bulls.
“The dog owner of ordinary intelligence”
Both studies confirmed the opinion of the Ohio Supreme Court, rendered in Ohio v. Anderson, 1991, that “the dog owner of ordinary intelligence” not only can recognize a pit bull from physical traits,” but can also recognize “certain distinctive behavioral features which differentiate [pit bulls] from other dog breeds,” including––as found in Vanater v. Village of South Point, 1989, “grasping strength, climbing and hanging ability, weight-pulling ability, a history of frenzy, which is the trait of unusual relentless ferocity or the extreme concentration on fighting and attacking, a history of catching, fighting, and killing instinct, the ability to be extremely destructive and aggressive, highly tolerant of pain, great biting strength, undying tenacity and courage and they are highly unpredictable.” . . .
Article source here:
I think that laws should be enacted to make the risk of owning a pit bull (or any dog prone to attack) VERY high. If your pit bull attacks someone, its $100,000 and 10 years in jail. You can then decide if the dog you have is likely to get you into that kind of trouble.
As far as: Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that 41% of shelter workers are willing to lie about pit bull breed identification to try to re-home more pit bulls.
This happened to us. My wife and kids went to a shelter to adopt a dog. The brought home a nice Staffordsire Terrier puppy as defined by the shelter. I took one look and said that guy is going back. We ended up with a Newfoundland. It was a great trade. Nicest dog in the world. I miss him. As an aside we also had a German Shepherd/Chow mix. She was our guard dog. She was very smart and seemed to know what to do in any situation. And yes, she was not afraid to bite.