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Breed-specific legislation (BSL) is any law, ordinance or policy which pertains to a specifically named breed or breeds, but does not affect any others.
Proponents of BSL usually cite the need to protect the public from dog breeds believed to have inherent tendencies to aggressive behaviour. Others believe that BSL will help eliminate irresponsible dog breeding, and thereby reduce the number of unwanted dogs, particularly mongrels.
Some examples of BSL:
- Proposed legislation in some Australian states that would prohibit the breeding of any breed of dog not recognized by the Australian National Kennel Council, or restrict or prohibit the propagation of some breeds.
- Bans on the transporting of some breeds by some airline carriers during the 1990s
- A ban on the importing of the German Shepherd Dog into Australia for a large part of the 20th Century
- The requirement that Greyhounds wear muzzles in public in some Australian states
Opponents of such legislation believe that instances of bad dog behaviour are an issue of irresponsible human ownership rather than inherent dog nature. They point out that some of these policies have been randomly or illogically thought out, and are often implemented and enforced capriciously or inconsistently. In their view, an alternative to Breed Specific Legislation might be the consistent enforcement of existing dog laws, or the creation of new breed-wide regulations or requirements where needed.
The owners of breeds not affiliated with all-breed clubs, and the owners of breeds in development are concerned about BSL that affects breeding.
See also: Dangerous Dogs Act
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