As a pitbull owner and advocate, it breaks my heart knowing that this breed makes up the largest percentage of dogs in shelters across the United States. Some people hear or see a pit bull and automatically think “vicious dog.” Once you fall in love with one of these beautiful beasts, you fall in love with them all. I can’t count how many times I’ve met a pit, and they’re all the same – they just want to lick your face and be your best friend. Each year, 1.2 million dogs are being euthanized and approximately 40% of whom are pit bulls. This means that nearly half a million pit bull type dogs are killed in shelters annually. In a 2012 study conducted by VetStreet, the American Pit Bull Terrier ranked among the top 3 pets in 28 states, and was number one in Rhode Island. …show more content…
As for solutions to this amazing breed being euthanized in shelters, there is no quick fix. However, we can and should strive to fix it and in the process, improve things to our best ability. Some of what needs to be done comes down to education. We also need programs that help pit bull owners and the dogs in need. For example, if you adopt a pit bull from the AC&C of NYC, spays/neuters are free. If you fall on hard times and are having trouble keeping your dog, the Six Legs Foundation can help. The Mr. Mo Project saves senior dogs (and primarily older bullies) from certain shelter death. The New York Bully Crew does an incredible job of rescuing pit bull mix types just about every day of the year. And the list goes on. Support these programs and nonprofits, so they can go on supporting the breed we love so much. It’s not enough to just love pit bulls and talk about loving them, we also have to fight for them. Because, let’s be honest, we’re the reason they need fighting for in the first
They have twisted the dogs mind into thinking that they have to fight to protect something all the time. Pit bulls are classified as vicious and harmful animals. This is discrimination and is because of media skewing stories, ignorant people that refuse to listen to hard facts, and public attitudes and opinions. These laws against breeds are unconstitutional; there is no legislative basis for these laws. Pit bulls, like any other dog, grow in their temperament.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), there is a “great deal of confusion associated with the label ‘Pit Bull,’” as it does not refer to a single breed of dog, but rather to a group of breeds with similar characteristics1. These characteristics include short hair, a wide skull and shoulders, muscle definition, stocky build and a deep jawline, the combination of which create a dog that manages to strike fear into a perfect stranger. The term ‘Pit Bull’ is derived from the bulldog, which was originally bred as a hunting dog for large game, but has since developed into a “loyal companion rather than a working dog.”1 Their history as “gripping dogs” for hunters follows them into modern society, as many of these dogs have been inhumanely pitted against one another as well as other animals for sport and for human entertainment1. It is because of these illegal fighting rings that ‘Pit Bull’ type breeds have become the subje...
Many people associate a negative connotation with the dog breed “pit bull.” These dogs are thought to be dangerous and problematic. However, much of this can be attributed to the mass amounts of negative media attention that pit bull breeds receive as opposed to other breeds of dogs that can be just as dangerous. For example, The National Canine Research Council did a four-day study on dog-bite repo...
Americans have been debating the morality of euthanizing animals for decades, including an impassioned argument about the quickness to kill the Pit Bull breed. Advocates that support euthanization of pit bulls use their aggression and danger to justify the killings. The perception of danger is not based in reality, but rather comes from media exposure. Most pit bulls do not exhibit aggressive behavior and those that do are trained to do so by irresponsible owners. Euthanization is disproportionately higher for pit bulls, and similar breeds, despite a lack of evidence that they are more aggressive than other dogs. Euthanization of pit bulls is not justified because pit bulls are not naturally aggressive, have an inaccurate reputation from media coverage, and do not present any greater danger than other dog breeds that are euthanized at lower rates.
According to Source 4, the ASPCA claims that "News outlets constantly tell animal control officers that they will not cover a dog attack unless the situation involves a Pitbull". With the media not reporting all dog-related injuries, regardless of the breed, the public thinks that pit bulls aren't the only dogs that cause injury. All this is doing is making pit bulls seem like horribly vicious dogs, but in reality, other dogs are the same way, while the media may be trying to help "good dogs'' keep their good reputation. But all they are doing is worsening one breeds reputation and that’s not alright. In conclusion, not all pit bulls are vicious.
A menace to society, lurking in the streets, just waiting for its next victim? This couldn’t be further from the truth for most pit bulls. These fantasised versions plague the breed, outlawing them in many cities, states, and even some countries entirely. These bans are called Breed Specific Legislation (BSL), and in over 700 American cities these laws are in effect. They are in place to decrease the number of attacks by dogs.
When most people today see a pitbull they see it as a monster who could snap at any moment. Something that they should protect themselves and their family from; but that is not necessarily true. Is any one man or woman exactly like the last? A human being’s personality along with their capacity for violence is molded by their past and how they were treated growing up; pit bulls are no different. In today’s society pitbulls are unfairly discriminated against because they are favored among street gangs and dog fighting rings, leaving a staggering number of loyal and loving dogs homeless or mistreated.
Thesis Statement: Pit bulls are like any breed of dogs that needs to be handled properly by their owners because they can be taught to be less aggressive and more loyal.
Has society unfairly ostracized the entire breed or is the vicious reputation true? Critics claim that pit bulls attack indiscriminately and often without warning. In a study taken from U.S. and Canada press reports between 1982 and 2014, Merritt Clifton, editor of Animals 24-7, found that pit bulls were the most responsible for inflicting bodily harm (as cited by DogsBite.org). However, it should be noted that attacks involving pit bulls often are catastrophic and result in responses from police and paramedics and news media reporters. According to news reports studied by DogsBite.org for “the 10-year period from 2005 to 2014, pit bulls killed 203 Americans and accounted for 62% of the total recorded deaths” (DogsBite.org). All of the pit bull breeds possess powerful jaws, and Nicholas Dodman, author of Dogs Behaving Badly, reports “when they do chomp down, it can be a bloodbath” (as quoted by Rivenburg).
There are a lot of facts and information about pit bulls that the public does not know. The media blows things way out of proportion with this breed of dog and doing simple research can shed some light. “There are three main types of ‘pit bulls,’ they are the Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, and American Staffordshire Terriers” (Pit Bull Rescue Center). The Staffordshire bull terrier is originally from England. When it was brought over to the states it was bred with other terriers and the American Staffordshire came to be. Often times people classify dogs that look a certain way as pit bulls, when in fact they are an entirely different breed or a mix of some sort.
Pit Bulls are without a doubt my favorite dog, I adore them. Pit Bulls are very well tempered, loyal, and resilient animals. Bred for big game hunting, Pit Bulls are strong, fierce animals and people who have the wrong intentions for ownership should never own them. I am a strong believer that a potential pet owner should do lots of research before getting any type of animal, without exception. Owners should do as much research before getting a dog as they do in planning for a new home or any other new family member. One of the main things to really think about and understand is your intentions for your selection of an animal with the breeding of the Pit Bull. If you choose a dog with the wrong intentions, specifically a Pit Bull, you will get a dog that behaves aggressively and is dangerous. This owner behavior is what has caused the current plight of the Pit Bull today, where laws have been passed in thirteen states and hundreds of municipalities, as well as every U. S. Military base, banning the ownership of the breed and forcing shelters to euphonize Pit Bulls within 24 hours. These laws are unjust and cruel, and victimize the breed based on the owners’ behavior. I also argue that the blame for the epidemic proportions that the laws have reached is 100% the fault of owners who purposely acquired the Pit Bull with the intention to abuse and fight the dogs, and that these owners are the ones who should be punished, not the dogs. (Davis)
Roughly about 30% of all dogs are pit bulls that are taken to shelters which depending on the area that figure can raise up to 60%. Not every pit bull rescued were a part of dog fighting but John Goodwin, of the Humane Society, says most of the dogs have scars and marks to show for their fights. The fate of these dogs remain to a judge that determines whether the fight dogs need to be euthanized. Since these dogs were trained to be aggressive and attacks other animals 9 times out of 10 they are to be put down. The dogs that haven’t been a part of dog fighting fit into a family and shows no sign of
They will play many dog games with children without hurting them. They strive for the love of “their humans.” These dogs could also be great therapy dogs to those they care about. Pit bulls can keep people company and take their minds off whatever is bothering them. This breed also has a face that allows them to smile.
Contrary to that popular belief, dangerous animal behavior is the function of inherently dangerous dog owners, not inherently dangerous dogs. One fact that supports this is that pit bulls are the dogs most often shot during drug raids (TELLINGS v. Toledo). Besides the pit bulls that are owned by drug dealers for status symbols and protection, many pit bulls are owned by people that breed them for fighting. These poor dogs have a very slim chance of living a normal and happy life. This is not the fault of the dog, but the fault of the owners that should not have the dog, or should care for them better.
Some people think that pit-bulls are just naturally born to fight, they aren't, it is their owners who put them up to it. A dog weather it's a Rottweiler, Doberman or Pit, is completely loyal to it's owner and