I'm not sure that there IS an alternative to fear mongering. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. The media/politicians/public view a certain breed as mean. Irresponsible people looking for a "mean" dog buy that breed. The dog is mistreated and mishandled and bites someone. The media screams "another attack" from the roof top.
On a grassroots level, we can band together and show what our individual dogs are. We can push for enforcement of existing leash laws and animal cruelty laws. But I don't know if that is enough to overcome hysteria. Politicians generally don't care if BSL and similar measures actually work. They want to be seen as doing SOMETHING, even if the outcome is the opposite of what they want to accomplish. By the time people realize that, the politician will already be re-elected and moved on to the newest "hot button" issue.
So, I guess local one-on-one education, being an active voice in your local council, pushing for enforcement of existing laws, etc
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