A growing number of states (even regions/states) have liability insurance - some make it a finable offense (to a degree you can even face jail time if you keep getting fined) to even have something remotely resembling a pit bull if you don't have at least a minimum of $100,000 liability insurance. I think it's a dang good idea. Too many people end up getting attacked or their dogs attacked by a "pit bull" only to find out the owner is nothing but a jailbird with barely $50 to their name or does a runner and leaves the victims with a hefty bill to pay out of their own pocket... at least then someone is responsible even if the dog's owner is nothing but a loser not fit to own a fruit fly [yet alone a pit bull].
I agree with the BYB and better laws. But what is a BYB? Is it just someone whimsically breeding? Is it someone breeding dogs with no titles (either with no health testing or little health testing - or simply bred out faults from generations of working with a particular bloodline)? Is it someone that breeds working dogs (again, what is the principle to health testing?)? Is it someone that breeds dogs outside the standard? Is it someone that breeds a "fad" [a number of designer dogs are plagued with a BYB aspect]? Unfortunately, BYB breeders are not quite like a puppy mill which is sort of "cut & dry".
I'd force prospective puppy buyers to have to go through a pre-adoption class and be forced to take a test before they even get to sniff a dog
We don't do that with people having children and working out two methadone clinics [pharmacist] which is for narcotic / opiate addiction [and heroin amongst other drugs] I see many, many, many people that shouldn't have children. I can't say much - patient confidentially - but there's a number of children born to these people [young children] on multiple drugs already to combat the problems caused by drug abuse / alcohol abuse by mother and heavy exposure to [cig & other] smoke.
The problem is, the pit is a powerful dog and most slack jaws [thugs, criminals, losers, etc.] that own it on the street aren't fit to own a fruit fly as a pet yet alone something like a pit bull. Those fools and the BYBs that take advantage of those fools' demand for the pit bull by breeding "mangy mutts" together [as most street bred pit bulls are 90% mutt] where the criteria is they're big and nasty ... who gives a "sh*t" if the dog has the mental stability of a cracker box... are the cause for BSL.
And that's the other problem - APBT [or pedigree pit] or street pit - the "breed" has become a catch phrase for pretty much anything that looks like a bully but doesn't meet the standard of other breeds. I've had people tell me "look a pit bull" and I am looking at something that is a lab x boxer or similar.
Ask a person with little dog knowledge to point out a pit bull - they'd point to a dozen mix breeds and probably more than a few pure bloods. It's the same thing that happens with wolves & coyotes [do you know how many people say that their mix breeds (pound puppies) look like wolves & coyotes - because 90% of the time those people wouldn't know what a wolf or coyote looked like unless it was chewing on their read end].
You made a lot of good points, and some things I want to add on to, address or...not quite refute but we'll get to that.
I think the idea of insurance, while...somewhat of a good idea, would cause loads of people to not adopt Pit Bulls, or keep them. It's hard enough to get Pits adopted or keep them in their homes, and that would just make it so much worse. It's bad enough many places don't allow them, but necessary insurance would be a nightmare. Also, like you said, having insurance is assuming that the owner of the dog is responsible. Honestly I think something that's doable, and easier would be owners of Pits and Pit mixes must get their dog neutered or THEN they get a fine. I feel like this would be less threatening, and would also get many dogs out of the hands of irresponsible owners who want to breed them for money, fighting or...just because. The availability of discounted or free neutering to Pits in many cities would also make this less financially difficult than insurance.
Not only that, but you're talking about "puppy buyers" like the majority of people who have Pits and Pit mixes are actually purchasing the dogs. Plenty do, sure. But most purchased "Pits" are actually purebred Am Staffs, or street bred bully mixes. Your average Pit owner adopted them from some sort of rescue, or from the street. Is it true prospective adopters should be screened and properly educated before they get their dog? Of course! But there just is not the time or resources to do that, and many good, homeless Pit mixes need adoption ASAP. If not, the alternative is a pink shot. It's so difficult to manage the balance between protecting the public from legitimate dangerous fighting bred dogs, and innocent dogs with good natures who just need a good owner, or one that understands the dog is good and well behaved, but can't be trusted around small animals or other dogs.
I really like your point about "what IS a backyard breeder?" This is SO hard to define for any breed, and also why it's so hard to regulate. The difficult thing about this is that it's something that never would be able to be regulated that properly unless it was in a super controlled method that was nothing short of personally invasive and well...more expensive than any government would have to spend on dogs. However, with time hopefully some better laws can be put in to at least control commercial breeding and puppy mills.
It is true that most Pits are really just some sort of bully mix. Currently there's a "Pit Bull mix" in my shelter that I'm quite certain is actually a Boxer/hound mix. There's a weird looking dog that looks like a giant Chihuahua/Shepherd mix that's labeled as a Pit mix. In urban shelters anything even somewhat resembling a bully breed is immediately labeled a Pit mix, and it's rather frustrating. I consider myself an expert in dog breeds and recognition, but bully breed recognition is next to impossible unless they are all hardcore purebreds with very distinct features that have very minor differences like skull size, body girth and the difference of a few inches. But just strolling through a shelter? You'll find a little bit of everything with majority bully features like the large, hard skull and powerful jaws, strong body, long tail, but with a huge variety of heights, weights, leg length, ear styles, muzzle lengths and mouth width, patterns, colors and more. But the variety of these street dogs makes them have such variant personalities, much more than a more concentrated purebred like a Rottweiler. I'll expect a more drastic difference of personality from a group of 6 Pits in a shelter than I will from 6 Rottweilers, German Shepherds, or even Shih Tzus and Chihuahuas.
Pit Bulls are such a big issue all over. But in order to protect the dogs and the general public I do thing the best way to try and control things would be mandatory spay/neuter for these dogs. While lots of people had childish grins of excitement when we found out some of our dogs at the shelter are pregnant, I cringed. I love puppies, but the last thing we need is a dozen or two more Pit mixes. Reduce the population, educate the public on UNBIASED info, and try to only promote and adopt out the best dogs, and not spend money and resources on dogs that will always be a risk, and might continue the bad rep Pits have.
