GOOD NEWS DOESN'T SELL
When it comes to dog attacks, the media has never had a good track record of accuracy, particularly when it comes to identification of the breed of dog involved. Many journalists, whether in their haste to meet deadlines or because they simply don’t care, do not make the effort to correctly and carefully identify the breed of the dog involved in the attack.
Of course, one has to ask—how does anyone really know what breed the dog is in the first place?
Did the journalist ask the victim? We have seen here how difficult it is to identify a dog by breed. Victims are certainly not dog breed experts. And in some cases, it is that very ignorance about dogs that makes the person a victim in the first place.
Did the journalist ask the dog owner? Dog owners often have no better idea what their dog’s breed is. Unless they purchased a purebred dog, complete with authentic pedigree and kennel club registration, a dog owner’s statement of his/her dog’s breed is probably going to be based on the identification made by the person or place where they got the dog. This may be a backyard breeder, a flea market, a neighbor, a friend, or an animal shelter. Do any of these providers really know what breed the dog is?
Did the journalist ask animal control? As mentioned above, animal control officers and animal shelter workers are not breed identification experts, nor are they required to be. ACOs are going to give their best guess, or they will go with whatever the dog owner says the dog’s breed is.
Does it really matter what breed the dog is? Actually, no. Dog attacks follow a fairly predictable pattern involving a handful of factors such as reproductive status of the dog, function of the dog, containment method used, and so on. Reporting the dog’s breed (or supposed breed) serves no real purpose except for description (and the connotations and stereotypes that follow). It does not educate readers how to avoid a similar event.
But misidentification has serious ramifications. Dog attacks that make headlines can stir up public animosity toward a particular breed or type of dog. This animosity can lead—where else?—to calls for BSL against certain types of dogs.
Of course, one has to ask—how does anyone really know what breed the dog is in the first place?
Did the journalist ask the victim? We have seen here how difficult it is to identify a dog by breed. Victims are certainly not dog breed experts. And in some cases, it is that very ignorance about dogs that makes the person a victim in the first place.
Did the journalist ask the dog owner? Dog owners often have no better idea what their dog’s breed is. Unless they purchased a purebred dog, complete with authentic pedigree and kennel club registration, a dog owner’s statement of his/her dog’s breed is probably going to be based on the identification made by the person or place where they got the dog. This may be a backyard breeder, a flea market, a neighbor, a friend, or an animal shelter. Do any of these providers really know what breed the dog is?
Did the journalist ask animal control? As mentioned above, animal control officers and animal shelter workers are not breed identification experts, nor are they required to be. ACOs are going to give their best guess, or they will go with whatever the dog owner says the dog’s breed is.
Does it really matter what breed the dog is? Actually, no. Dog attacks follow a fairly predictable pattern involving a handful of factors such as reproductive status of the dog, function of the dog, containment method used, and so on. Reporting the dog’s breed (or supposed breed) serves no real purpose except for description (and the connotations and stereotypes that follow). It does not educate readers how to avoid a similar event.
But misidentification has serious ramifications. Dog attacks that make headlines can stir up public animosity toward a particular breed or type of dog. This animosity can lead—where else?—to calls for BSL against certain types of dogs.
