The word "ban" has been used in several different ways in this discussion.
To be effective, all bans would have to include the provision that no more Pit bulls be allowed to be bred or sold or owned or imported.
We can think of these possible versions, which would include the above provision:
1) A "complete" ban. That would entail every Pit bull being surrendered or seized and destroyed. AAS is not in favour of this ban.
2) A "partial" ban that would entail all currently owned Pit bulls to be microchipped, photographed and registered, and subject to muzzling and confinement laws. AAS is not in favour of a life of confinement and muzzling for any animal; that is the reasons we oppose the use as a pet, of any species of animal that has to be kept this way, including rabbits, rats and other rodents; reptiles; birds; and other caged creatures. It is cruelty. But this version of a ban would allow owners of Pit bulls to keep their dogs, but not to get another.
3) A ban on breeding, selling and owning all "man-stopper" dogs that are favoured by the criminal class and the underclass. They are here now, more are coming, and they are much more dangerous than Pit bulls, some of which are only 35 lbs. Pit bull advocates can't save even one-twentieth of Pit bulls in pounds waiting to be resold to another criminal: they are never going to be able to cope with the influx of huge man-stoppers that are going to start to show up in pounds if society doesn't stop this madness and cruelty now.
A combination of numbers 2 and 3 is what AAS supports. Again...just to be absolutely clear, AAS does not want every Pit bull killed, and is in favour of existing Pit bulls being allowed to be kept.
So that Pit bulls did not disappear entirely, we would support a law that tested the temperament of all Pit bulls and that required owners to take "responsible dog-owing" classes, and purchase bonds or insurance, but that is not ever going to happen - it would take millions of dollars in enforcement and why should the owners of one breed use up so much tax money just so that they can have the breed they want, regardless of how dangerous it was bred to be?
We have not seen one local Pit bull defender say they are going to make sure the danger is bred out of the breed they love. All they ever do is deny that the breed is dangerous, and blame toddlers who are ripped to shreds for "doing something" to the dog.
The dog-loving credibility of Pit bull lovers, who can't learn to love any of the hundreds of other breeds that are not bred to be dangerous, has to be questioned.