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Tell The Daily Beast to Retract Inaccurate Dangerous Dogs Article
  1. Signatures
    1,457 out of 1,500
    Petitioning
    1. Editor (The Daily Beast)
  2. Created By
    Stephanie Feldstein
    Ypsilanti, MI
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

On November 1, 2010, The Daily Beast posted the "39 Most Dangerous Dog Breeds."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated: "There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill." The American Veterinary Medical Association also rejects the claim that any one breed is more dangerous than another.

But The Daily Beast based their list on the notoriously inaccurate "Clifton Report," which studied media accounts of dog bites to draw the conclusion that some breeds are more dangerous than others.

To make matters worse, the ranking of so-called dangerous breeds was based on "the American Kennel Club's most recent precise data on dog registration statistics."

Not only does the AKC reject breed discrimination, but this scoring system is fatally flawed for two major reasons: 1) "pit bull" isn't a breed, it's a type of dog most commonly referring to the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and any mixes of those breeds; and 2) the American Kennel Club doesn't recognize the American Pit Bull Terrier, which means they have no "precise data" — or any data — on those dogs.

Every time misinformation is spread about "pit bulls" and other breeds being more dangerous than others, it fuels breed-specific policies that target responsible dog owners and cost innocent dogs their lives.

It's not just pit bulls on the list, but mastiffs, greyhounds, huskies, border collies, and dozens more. This is a good example of why every dog owner needs to pay attention to breed specific legislation — your breed just might be on the list, too.

Tell The Daily Beast to stop perpetuating misinformation and retract their article falsely maligning specific breeds of dog.

Photo credit: Marshall S. Boprey

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Inaccurate Dangerous Dogs Article

Dear Editor,

I recently learned about your "39 Most Dangerous Dog Breeds" article and slideshow from November 1, 2010. The article is not only inaccurate and based on false statistics, but it will serve to fuel breed-specific policies that target innocent dogs and the people who care for them.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states: "There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill." The American Veterinary Medical Association also rejects the claim that any one breed is more dangerous than another.

The Clifton Report, which you used for your assessment, has been widely debunked, as it relies on notoriously unreliable media reports. For more information on dog bite reporting and the media bias, I suggest you check out the National Canine Research Council: http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/dog-bites/

In addition, your scoring, which determined that "one breed, in terms of danger, stands out from the rest," is based on non-existent statistics. "Pit bull" isn't a breed, it's a type of dog most commonly referring to the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and any mixes of those breeds. Further, the American Kennel Club doesn't recognize the American Pit Bull Terrier, which means they have no "precise data" — or any data — on those dogs.

As a result, your conclusion about dangerous dog breeds is completely inaccurate. Publishing these types of articles and slideshows is not only irresponsible reporting, but it's damaging to dogs who are already unfairly maligned by the media. You are also doing a disservice to public safety, as targeting dogs by breed has been proven to be ineffective in preventing dog bites.

I am joining the Change.org community in calling on you to retract the article and slideshow ranking dangerous dogs by breed.

Every major dog-related organization in the country advocates against targeting breeds and in favor of addressing the real problem of irresponsible dog owners. If The Daily Beast truly believes that "civilization would be poorer without our canine friends," then please stop targeting innocent dogs and start promoting responsible pet ownership.

Thank you.

[Your name]

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