At a Glance
- Jurisdiction
- United States (municipal and state level)
- Date
- 2022-03-10
- Status
- Pending
Across the United States, localities are dismantling breed-specific legislation (BSL) that targeted pit bulls, even as critics contend that the rollbacks expose communities to greater legal risk, both criminal and civil, when attacks occur. The New York Times reported in March 2022 that the repeal of pit bull bans is accelerating nationwide, and that opponents of those repeals point to a documented rise in attacks and subsequent charges against owners as evidence that stronger regulations remain necessary [1]. Pit bull advocates count at least 73 U.S. towns and cities that rescinded pit bull bans between 2018 and 2022 [2], a pace that has unsettled public safety advocates and plaintiff attorneys who track dog bite litigation.
Denver, Colorado, provides one of the most closely watched examples of the trend. Ballot Measure 2J, which drew more than 65 percent of the vote, repealed a ban that had been on the books since 1989, after a number of people had been attacked [3]. After repealing its decades-long pit bull ban in 2020, Denver implemented a Breed-Restricted Permit system, allowing pit bull ownership under strict conditions including microchipping, vaccinations, and a probationary period [4]. The shift in Denver was part of a broader wave: anti-BSL laws have been passed in 21 of the 50 state-level governments, prohibiting or restricting the ability of jurisdictions within those states to enact or enforce breed-specific legislation [5]. Groups including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) have supported those repeals. Breed-specific legislation, or BSL, is the blanket term for laws that either restrict or ban certain dog breeds, and many organizations argue there is no evidence that such laws make communities safer [6]. In 2012, the American Bar Association passed a resolution urging the repeal of breed-specific legislation, stating that it is "ineffective at improving public safety" [5].
Critics disagree, and they point to criminal dockets to make their case. According to The New York Times, prosecutors and civil plaintiffs have increasingly pursued legal action against owners whose pit bulls injure or kill people, treating the absence of a local ban as no shield against liability [1]. In Jefferson County, Colorado, Jefferson County District Attorney Alexis King filed multiple charges of unlawful ownership of a dangerous dog against Kayla Mooney and Victor Bentley in district court, after their two pit bulls fatally attacked an 88-year-old woman in Golden [7]. If convicted of a felony, Mooney could face a maximum of 6 years in prison, and Bentley could face a maximum of 3 years [7]. Civil suits have followed fatal attacks as well. In Hawaii County, Hawaii, the family of Dolores Oskins, who died after a neighbor's pit bulls attacked her, filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Under a bill subsequently passed by the Hawaii County Council, an owner of a dog that causes serious bodily injury can be fined up to $25,000 or face 10 years of imprisonment [8].
The legal exposure for owners extends beyond criminal statutes. Once a dog is labeled dangerous, regulations typically require owners to register the dog with local authorities, maintain liability insurance or post warning signs on the property, and use secure enclosures or muzzles when in public [9]. Failure to satisfy those conditions, courts have found, can support both negligence and strict liability claims. In areas where pit bulls and other breeds of dogs are banned, when a banned breed bites a person, that person may be able to use the violation of the ban as evidence of negligence [10], a dynamic that cuts directly against repeal proponents who argue breed-neutral rules are sufficient deterrents.
The debate is unlikely to resolve quickly. Repeal advocates argue that responsible ownership and behavioral standards, rather than breed classifications, are the proper tools for reducing attacks. Opponents counter that the criminal and civil caseload tells a different story, and that local governments stripping existing bans may find themselves liable when breed-neutral frameworks fail to prevent the next fatality. As that argument plays out in city councils and courtrooms, litigators on both sides are watching for the test cases that will define the contours of owner liability in a post-BSL legal landscape.
References
[1] The New York Times. (2022, March 10). Pit Bull Bans Are Fading. Critics Say It's a Mistake. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/10/us/pit-bull-legislation-ban-owner-charged.html
[2] World Population Review. (2026). Countries that Ban Pit Bulls 2026. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-that-ban-pit-bulls
[3] NBC News. (2020, November 5). Denver overturns pit bull ban after more than 30 years. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/animal-news/denver-overturns-pit-bull-ban-after-more-30-years-n1246709
[4] Boesen Law. (2025, January 29). Are Pit Bulls Illegal in Colorado? https://boesenlaw.com/blog/are-pit-bulls-illegal-in-colorado/
[5] Wikipedia. Breed-specific legislation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breed-specific_legislation
[6] ASPCA. Overland Park, Kansas, Overturns 30-Year Pit Bull Ban. https://www.aspca.org/news/overland-park-kansas-overturns-30-year-pit-bull-ban
[7] Colorado Public Radio. (2022, October 25). Charges filed against owners of pit bulls that attacked and killed Golden resident. https://www.cpr.org/2022/10/25/charges-filed-against-owners-of-pit-bulls-that-attacked-and-killed-golden-resident/
[8] Honolulu Civil Beat. (2022, November 5). Husband Sues Pit Bull Owners For Wrongful Death After Wife Dies From Dog Attack. https://www.civilbeat.org/2022/11/husband-sues-pit-bull-owners-for-wrongful-death-after-wife-dies-from-dog-attack-2/
[9] Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys. Owner of Pit Bulls Faces Criminal Charges in Dog Attack. https://www.bestattorney.com/blog/pit-bull-owner-faces-dog-attack-charges/
[10] The Wilhite Law Firm. Are Pit Bulls Allowed in Colorado? https://www.wilhitelawfirm.com/blog/pit-bulls-allowed-colorado/