Question

Read the following paragraph from an essay against banning dog breeds:

For one thing, there is no such breed as a pit bull. The American Kennel Club does not recognize or register pit bulls. The ASPCA (2011) says a dozen or more different breeds are often lumped under the label, and each has its own disposition and characteristics. Because there isn’t a true pit bull breed, the statistics that ban advocates use cannot be trusted. While government records do list pit bulls as the biggest single cause of fatal dog attacks, the same study calls its own figures unreliable because people tend to call any large dog with a big head and short coat a pit bull (Sacks, Sinclair, and Gilchrist, 2015).

This paragraph provides evidentiary support for which of the arguments below?


There is no clear proof that pit bulls are inherently dangerous.


Organizations familiar with dogs and dog behavior oppose bans on specific breeds.


Banning pit bulls will not reduce dog attacks on humans.


Statistics are unreliable.

Answer 1

The paragraph supports the argument that there is no clear proof that pit bulls are inherently dangerous, due to the lack of a consistent definition of 'pit bull' and the unreliability of attack statistics attributed to them.

Step-by-step explanation:

The paragraph provided from the essay against banning dog breeds primarily supports the argument that there is no clear proof that pit bulls are inherently dangerous. This is evidenced by the assertion that 'pit bull' is not an officially recognized breed, but a label applied inconsistently to a group of breeds with varying dispositions. The unreliability of statistics used to advocate for breed-specific bans is emphasized by mentioning the lack of consistency in identifying what exactly constitutes a pit bull, thus calling into question the validity of data on dog attacks attributed to this group.

Moreover, the implication is that breed-specific legislation may not be effective due to this ambiguity, making it difficult to enforce any bans accurately. This is not to say that all statistics are unreliable, but in this particular case, the collection of accurate data is compromised by the inconsistencies in breed identification.

Organizations familiar with dogs and dog behavior such as the American Kennel Club and the ASPCA are cited to further call into question the classification and assumptions made about certain dog breeds, suggesting they oppose breed-specific bans.