Why XL Bully dogs should be banned everywhere
为什么 XL 恶霸犬应该在各地被禁止

FOr millennia people have selected dogs with useful or appealing traits and bred them. That is why pointers point, retrievers retrieve and most pet dogs are friendly. Though their jaws may be mighty enough to crush bones, they are far more likely to give you a slobbery kiss than a bite. However, some dogs have been bred for aggression, and it shows.
几千年来，人们选择并饲养具有有用或有吸引力特征的狗。这就是为什么指针会指向，寻回犬会寻回，而且大多数宠物狗都很友好。尽管它们的下巴可能强大到足以咬碎骨头，但它们更有可能给你一个流口水的吻，而不是咬你。然而，有些狗是为了攻击性而饲养的，这一点也表明了这一点。

In America in 2022 two children were killed and their mother was mauled while trying to save them from the family’s pair of Extra Large (or “XL”) Pit Bull Terriers. Last September in England two XL American Bully dogs (which are closely related) killed 52-year-old Ian Price in his mother’s garden, after leaping from a nearby house’s window to get to him. In January an XL Bully in Germany fatally mauled its owner and had to be shot as it rushed at police trying to help the man.
2022 年，在美国，两名儿童被杀，他们的母亲在试图从家里的一对超大型（或“XL”）斗牛梗手中救出他们时被殴打。去年 9 月，在英国，两只 XL 美国恶霸犬（它们是近亲）从附近房子的窗户跳下来接近 52 岁的伊恩·普莱斯 (Ian Price)，在他母亲的花园里杀死了他。一月份，德国的一只XL恶霸犬将其主人打死，并在冲向试图帮助该男子的警察时被开枪射杀。

In Britain the number of fatal attacks by dogs has quadrupled since the XL Bully was introduced to the country, from four in 2014 to 16 in the first nine months of 2023. Overall, XL Bullies were responsible for 44% of dog attacks in 2023, according to Bully Watch UK, a pressure group. They killed other dogs, chewed children’s faces and caused injuries so bad that arms needed amputating. In America Pit Bull attacks are growing more common and were responsible for nearly 70% of dog-attack deaths in 2019, according to DogsBite.org, a watchdog.
在英国，自 XL Bully 引入英国以来，狗造成的致命袭击数量增加了四倍，从 2014 年的 4 起增加到 2023 年前 9 个月的 16 起。总体而言，2023 年 XL Bully 造成了 44% 的狗袭击事件。据压力组织 Bully Watch UK 称。他们杀死其他狗，咬孩子的脸，造成严重的伤害，以致手臂需要截肢。根据监管机构 DogsBite.org 的数据，在美国，斗牛犬袭击事件变得越来越普遍，2019 年，斗牛犬袭击死亡事件中近 70% 是由斗牛犬袭击造成的。

Pit Bulls were bred to excel at dog-fighting, a sport that is banned in many countries but thrives in the shadows. The rules are simple and harsh. Two dogs are placed in a pit. Only one comes out. Over generations of breeding from the dogs that survive, the animals have developed a tendency to go for the throat, attack without warning, and ignore pain. XL Bullies were bred from Pit Bull stock, for greater size. Thus, they are huge (45-70kg), aggressive and hard to stop once they have started to attack. In “White Fang” Jack London called similar dogs “the clinging death”.
斗牛犬是为了擅长斗狗而培育的，这项运动在许多国家都被禁止，但在暗处却蓬勃发展。规则简单而严厉。两只狗被放在一个坑里。只有一个出来。经过几代幸存的狗的繁殖，这些动物已经养成了一种攻击喉咙、毫无预警地发起攻击、忽视疼痛的倾向。 XL 恶霸犬是从比特斗牛犬中培育出来的，体型更大。因此，它们体型巨大（45-70公斤），具有攻击性，一旦开始攻击就很难阻止。在《白牙》中，杰克·伦敦将类似的狗称为“执着的死亡”。

Pit Bulls were banned in Britain in 1991. Similar bans or restrictions exist in Denmark, Germany, more than 1,000 American cities and some Canadian provinces. However, in Britain importers of XL Bullies argued that the ban did not cover the new breed, though it is essentially a bigger Pit Bull. That loophole was closed in England in December. Other countries should follow suit and outlaw the breed.
英国于 1991 年禁止斗牛犬。丹麦、德国、1000 多个美国城市和加拿大一些省份也有类似的禁令或限制。然而，在英国，XL Bullies 的进口商辩称，该禁令并未涵盖该新品种，尽管它本质上是一种更大的比特斗牛犬。 12 月，英国堵住了这个漏洞。其他国家也应该效仿并取缔该品种。

There will be resistance, as there has been in Britain. A group of animal charities and associations known as the Dog Control Coalition argues that the law should focus on “deed, not breed”. Any kind of dog can be trained to be aggressive, they point out. They cite data from Britain’s National Health Service showing that the number of dog bites has increased since the original Pit Bull ban. They call for laws that hold individual dogs and their irresponsible owners to account for bad behaviour.
将会遇到阻力，就像英国的情况一样。一群被称为狗控制联盟的动物慈善机构和协会认为，法律应该关注“行为，而不是繁殖”。他们指出，任何种类的狗都可以被训练得具有攻击性。他们引用了英国国家卫生服务中心的数据，显示自最初的斗牛犬禁令以来，狗咬伤的数量有所增加。他们呼吁制定法律，让个别狗及其不负责任的主人对不良行为承担责任。

This is wrong-headed. It is true that any dog can be trained to fight. But those whose ancestors have been selectively bred to be good at it are much likelier to be deadly. Aggregate data on dog bites are misleading, since they give equal weight to a nip from a chihuahua and a mauling from an XL Bully. This breed is so dangerous that it sometimes kills professional dog handlers.
这是错误的想法。确实，任何狗都可以接受战斗训练。但那些祖先经过选择性培育而擅长此道的人更有可能致命。关于狗咬伤的汇总数据具有误导性，因为它们对吉娃娃咬伤和 XL Bully 咬伤的重视程度相同。这个品种非常危险，有时会杀死专业的训犬师。

Sharing a home with a dog is one of life’s greatest pleasures. But dog lovers have no right to endanger other people’s lives by owning the most dangerous breeds. There are plenty of others to choose from. ■
与狗同住一个家是人生最大的乐趣之一。但爱狗人士无权通过拥有最危险的品种来危及他人的生命。还有很多其他可供选择。 ■

England’s banning of the XL Bully was the subject of our weekend podcast: Give a dog his ban
英格兰对 XL Bully 的禁令是我们周末播客的主题：给狗禁令