Ban PitBulls

On the 26th of March 2025, US federal authorities announced the arrest of former US National Football League (NFL) player LeShon Johnson, following what the US Department of Justice described as the ‘largest federal dogfighting bust in history’. The operation, which took place last October, saw 190 pit bull–type dogs seized from Johnson’s property in Oklahoma, marking the highest number of dogs ever confiscated from a single individual in a federal dogfighting case.

Results A total of 16 urban and rural jurisdictions with pit-bull bans were identified. At the provincial level, there was a significant reduction in DBIH rates from the pre-BSL to post-BSL period (3.47 (95% CI 3.17 to 3.77) per 100 000 person-years to 2.84 (95% CI 2.53 to 3.15); p=0.005). In regression restricted to two urban jurisdictions, DBIH rate in Winnipeg relative to Brandon (a city without BSL) was significantly (p<0.001) lower after BSL (rate ratio (RR)=1.10 in people of all ages and 0.92 in those aged <20 years) than before (RR=1.29 and 1.28, respectively).

Conclusions BSL may have resulted in a reduction of DBIH in Winnipeg, and appeared more effective in protecting those aged <20 years.

Norway prohibiting the breed is another reason why pitbull bans are smart.