I'm sure there are many nice Rottweilers. I've read "Good Dog, Carl." But I would like to see potentially dangerous breeds better controlled. Legislation by state Sen. Jackie Speier (D- Hillsborough) to restrict breeding of specific breeds is a good first step. SB 861, which the governor signed into law in October, gives local governments authority to require the spaying and neutering of specific breeds. (San Francisco almost immediately passed a measure that requires the spaying and neutering of pit bulls.) Ordinances are not allowed, however, to deem any specific dog breed potentially dangerous or vicious. This is a silly PC nicety.

The CDC says pit bulls and Rottweilers kill more humans than any other breed. In the United States, pit bulls make up 3% of the overall dog population but are responsible for more than 50% of serious attacks. Rottweilers have become the nation's deadliest dog breed, surpassing pit bulls, according to a 2000 study by the American Veterinary Medical Assn.

How do other countries handle these dogs? Laws in France and Britain make it illegal to import, breed or sell pit bulls. They also must be kept muzzled and on a lead in public and, in order to ensure that the breed dies out, they must be neutered. France also requires Rottweilers to be muzzled in public. Germany has banned the importation of pit bulls. The county of Quaregnon in Belgium has effectively banned the Rottweiler -- they must be muzzled and are not permitted in public places. Australia has long had laws restricting the ownership of pit bulls. In our country, cities in Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Washington have banned Rottweilers and pit bulls.