By Amanda Sullivan What is breed-specific legislation ? Most dog lovers probably know how pit bulls unjustly get a bad rap but many people still do not know about breed-specific legislation (BSL), which impacts countless dogs and their owners. According to the ASPCA , BSL is defined as “ the blanket term for laws that either regulate or ban certain dog breeds in an effort to decrease dog attacks on humans and other animals.” BSL largely discriminates against dogs that fall under the pit bull classification, however, there have been BSL enacted against American Bulldogs, Rottweilers, Mastiffs, Dalmatians, Chow Chows, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, any mix of these breeds, and even dogs who resemble these breeds. Today more than 700 U.S. cities have enacted breed-specific laws. Effects of BSL The problem with having legislation that bans certain breeds is that it does nothing to directly resolve the issue of dog attacks, and instead, punishes responsible and loving dog owner