BSL stands for Breed Specific legislation. It is when a law is passed in a town that has to do with specific breeds of dogs, a favorite subject being rottweilers or Pit Bulls. These legislations are passed because people are afraid, but rather than punishing a person who owns one of these dogs and does not train them, it punishes the dogs, many of which are well adjusted pets. The minority of people who breed them for fighting or guarding don't care what happens to the breed. The legislation is often that anyone owning a "insert dog breed here" must have them spayed/neutered, restrained, normally with a muzzle at all times, and needs to take out a hefty insurance policy on the dog.

That is the tame version of the law. Another version demands that all dogs of the chosen breed be destroyed if in a humane society, and moved if they live in a private home, as they are no longer allowed within city limits. Both of these laws punish the dogs and good owners of the dog, while the people who bred or trained the dog are free to get a dog of one of the non restricted breeds and start over again. The reason that rottweillers and pit bulls are often targeted is that they are common and get news coverage. They are also breeds not to be taken lightly.

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