One bite and fido's out.

• Position: TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS - Brief article

All around the nation, reports of dangerous dog attacks are mounting. Approximately 12 people are killed by dogs each year, and about 5 million are bitten, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Policymakers are responding. Over the past year, 15 states have introduced legislation that addresses the problem of dangerous dogs. At least 29 states and the District of Columbia have "dangerous" or "vicious" dog laws.

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In most municipalities and states, a hearing or trial by animal control officers declares a dog as dangerous. In all states except Ohio, no dog is dangerous solely because of its breed. Rather, it is dangerous because of its actions. Ohio prohibits pit bulls (and at the local level, many municipalities also ban the breed), Rottweilers, English Bull terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers, to name a few. At least 12 states...