LANCASTER CO., S.C. -- A tough new law in Lancaster County will put a tight leash on certain dog breeds.

The Lancaster County Council is cracking down on three breeds of dogs: pit bulls, American bulldogs and canary dogs.

The proposal comes just days after two 10-year-old cousins were sent to the hospital after a family pit bull attacked them. Lancaster County administrator Steve Willis said the proposed ordinance was in the works long before that attack, but was prompted by past dog attacks.

"We had to do something," Willis said.

He said those three breeds were singled out as dangerous because they are more likely to bite.

"A lot of what we're going on is just the propensity of the breed to be problematic," Willis said.

County officials acknowledge that they have not based the new ordinance on any statistics that show those three breeds are more dangerous.

Under the proposed law, owners of the three dangerous breeds would have to keep their dogs in a pen with an 8-foot fence, or a secure top. The dogs would wear a bright yellow or orange collar that identifies them as dangerous. Owners must register them yearly at animal control and notify officials if they move or sell the dog. They must also show proof of liability insurance.

Billy Holden breeds and raises pit bulls in Lancaster County, and has for 28 years. He said by targeting his breed, the law is just unfair.

“The man next door has a rottweiler or a German shepherd and he doesn't have to do the same thing I do. That's not right. It doesn't seem fair," he said.

Holden also said getting liability insurance for a pit bull is nearly impossible.

County leaders said they want to be reasonable, and are willing to work to dog owners to find a balance. But they're concerned about recent and past attacks, and preventing them.

“If you're going to have a vicious animal, you're going to have to have certain regulations you have to live to," Willis said.

But Holden said pit bulls aren't vicious at all if raised properly. He said media hype and misinformation has given them a bad name.

"They're great dogs. My grandchildren help me feed them," he said.

The proposed ordinance is patterned after a law in Akron, Ohio, that Lancaster officials say has stood up to legal challenges there.

DISCUSSION: Do You Think There Should Be Special Rules For People Who Own Certain Breeds Of Dogs?

LINK: S.C. Statutes

LINK: Dog Bit Law