Protection Dogs and BSL

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Breed specific legislation is a form of local law that prohibits dogs of certain breeds from living in a given area. Usually it is applied at the city, or county level, less frequently to a whole state. Even the community you live in might have rules that prevent ownership of given breed. Therefore, before getting a family guard dog check into laws, and local rules, that may apply because in some places a dog can be confiscated and put to death because of its breed. The Pitbulls, and kin, are subject to the most discrimination and legal persecution, but others like Rotweilers, Bulldogs, etc. also often included as well.

To help determine if you live in an area where you are prohibited from keeping a certain type of dog look at the links below:

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/BSL/Locations/USLocations.htm

http://www.rott-n-chatter.com/rottweilers/laws/breedspecific.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breed-specific_legislation

Also, check out this book for a different take on the "dog bite epidemic".