CBS THV channel 11 in Little Rock reports that,

The city council is considering banning pit bulls after the Animal Control Commission presented a report showing pit bulls were responsible for 57 percent of the city’s 28 dog bites last year.

Around half of the reported dog bites happened at the homes where the dogs lived under the supervision of the owner…

First of all, is the Animal Control Commission recommending a “pit bull” ban?   Because the National Animal Control Association notes that, “One breed is not more likely to bite than another breed” so perhaps the Animal Control Commission should heed the National Animal Control Association.

Second, since there is no breed “pit bull” the Animal Control Commission’s statistics are fatally flawed and therefore indicative of nothing. Indeed, countless breeds of dog, their mixes, and lookalikes have been fingered as so-called “pit bull.”   So, does no one understand that if you mix several actual breeds, their mixes, and lookalikes together and label them as if they were one breed that statistics on that “breed” might be massively skewed?   This is the kind of flawed logic espoused by the likes of the simpletons at Dogsbite.org.   These are not proper statistics, this is not proper scientific method, and it’s certainly not evidence credible enough to promote policy.  

As the CDC notes:

Breed-specific legislation does not address the fact that a dog of any breed can become dangerous…   From a scientific point of view, we are unaware of any formal evaluation of the effectiveness of breed-specific legislation in preventing fatal or nonfatal dog bites.   An alternative to breed-specific legislation is to regulate individual dogs and owners on the basis of their behavior.

Please write the West Memphis City Council here and politely tell them that “pit bull” is not a breed and that breed bans are ineffectual, unenforceable, and unconstitutional.