Unfair judgment is one of the most common problems that many people face. Since each person perceives a situation differently, each person has their own opinion. Everything from religion to politics has become a heated debated. Simple things such as choosing a breed of dog has become something taken out of proportion due to many breeds bad reputation, not because of its breed but because of its upbringing. Pit bulls are a breed that are in a never-ending debate on their place in society. At the turn of the 20th century pits were considered “America’s Dog” , but in the past few decades they have started to be considered as a fierce and vicious breed (How Americas Dog).
Pit bulls are not one specific breed, but are a combination of many that
…show more content…
were popular in the 1800’s. Old English Bulldogs have a major contributing factor in the breeding of the new age pit bull. English Bulldogs were originally popular for blood sports, such as bull baiting. When blood sport was outlawed in 1835 in the UK, so rat-baiting and dog fighting became a popular sport (How Americas Dog). Bulldogs were crossed with terriers and then released into a “pit” to chase and kill rats or fight each other, thus beginning the “ Pit Bull” breed of dog. Something that was not told is the conditions they kept the new breed to make them agitated enough to become vicious enough to fight. Starvation, beatings, and placed in small damp cages that could be uncomfortable for any dog of larger size. The conditions caused them to become aggravated, which made it easier to instigate a fight (How Americas Dog). When immigrants began the travel to America, many brought their most treasured Pit Bull dog as a part of their family. Though the breed was originally used for fighting sports, Pits were also incredibly intelligent and friendly dogs. They had many more uses besides fighting. Farming, watching children, protecting the family, and providing companionship were a few of the deeds that this breed was willing and able to perform to help immigrants in their new life. The helpful and intelligent characteristics the pit began to show allowed many people’s opinions to change about the new American Pit Bull (How Americas Dog). In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the Pit were known for their ability to watch children while their family would work in the field or where otherwise not present, allowing them to be know as the “Nanny Dogs” (How Americas Dog). Hellen Keller quoted herself in her autobiography The Story of My Life : “whenever it is possible, my dog accompanies me on a walk or ride or sail. I have had many dog friends-huge mastiffs, soft-eyed spaniels, wood-wise setters and honest, homely bull terriers….My dog friends seem to understand my limitations, and always keep close beside me when I am alone. I love their affectionate ways and eloquent wag of their tails” (How Americas Dog). Throughout the 20th century Pit Bulls became famous as loyal, and loving dogs. There was no legislation to set laws and rules on owning a Pit in the United States until 1983 when an incident between a robber and a pit took place. After the incident many people began to believe that pits were considered dangerous animals. After that first incident many cities and counties started to install Pit bans into their legislation. More than 900 cities in the United States now have Breed-Specific Legislation to restrict what breed of dogs can be in a city ordinance (Where Are Pitbulls). Since then one hundred percent of cities have at least one Breed-Specific Legislation. There is an estimated eighteen million Pitbull type breeds in the United States, which only counts for twenty percent of the dog population. There are twenty other breeds with similar physical characteristics, including boxers, yet they do not fall in the legislation even though they are very similar. There is a prejudice against pit bulls and because of the prejudice. When there are zero studies that conclude that “Pitbull-type” dogs are more dangerous than any other breed (Pitbulls). If they are not more dangerous than why are they banned from majority of cities? Ten thousand pits a year are euthanized since there are bans.
When a ban is in place any pit that resided in the area can be taken to a shelter. Not all shelters try to save them. Many find it easier to euthanize a dog instead of finding a new home. The United States has had many cities ban pit bulls, but there hasn’t been a ban over the whole country yet. However many countries such as France, Brazil, and Denmark have banned Pit Bulls due to increased dog bite incidents, when the statistics show that only 0.00005% of the incidents were from a Pit-bull type breed of dog. Therefore, on average every year 99. 99995% of pit bulls are not guilty of any misconduct that they are so commonly accused of. The majority of the bites were from house hold dogs such as poodles and Chihuahuas …show more content…
(Pitbulls). In 2013 an independent study was conducted by the Department of Environmental and Population health that analyzed 10-years of dog bite related incidents and crossed referenced the information with the breed based data that was concluded from a previous study. The Data include the dog breed related risk information, as well as factoring in the irresponsible ownerships of many individuals. The study concluded that the cause for the misconduct was not from the breed, but factored from irresponsible ownership which was the primary cause of dog bite related fatalities that were related to pits. Many irresponsible owners would illegally fight pits and keep them in harsh conditions, such as they have done in the 1800’s for entertainment. The study proved that Pitbull-type dogs are not inherently more dangerous than any other breed (Pitbulls). Many people want to argue that not only are Pit Bulls more dangerous but because of their strength they can cause more damage.
In 2017 a study was published from the Department of Dog Behavior at the Creedons College of Ireland that stated that there is no difference in the medical treatment required following a dog inflicted incident between a dog that is considered dangerous, such as the Pit Bull, and a dog that is not considered dangerous. Also take in account that dogs that are not considered dangerous are less likely to be reported for inflicting a bite or another inflicted injury. Without all incidents being reported there is no valid information to state that one breed is more dangerous then another. Without accurate information and data the Breed Specific Legislation becomes invalid, since the primary reasoning for the laws are that on breed is more dangerous than another
(Pitbulls). Eight studies have been conducted since 2008 on the effectiveness on Breed Specific Legislation throughout the world. The Netherlands concluded that there has been an increase in incidence since the ban of specific breeds. The related incidence was not from the banned breeds. Many other countries such as Ireland and Canada concluded the same result. When the ban was supposed to contribute in the decrease in dog related incidence then they are the numbers rising? There was no proven information to show that a Pit Bull is any more dangerous the any other common breed (Pit Bull Statistics).Without being proven there should be no prejudice toward a breed of dog that was once honored as part of the American family. Pit Bulls were once left along with children as a baby sitter when there were other events going on in a family’s life and now people are afraid of them. There has been no information to show that this loyal and loving animal should be punished or banned. There is an unfair judgment on an amazing breed that were once so sought after.
In 2005, the Ontario Liberal government passed The Dog Owner’s Liability Act: a ban against pit bull terriers in the province. After the bill passed, Attorney General Michael Bryant said, “Mark my words, Ontario will be safer” (Ontario passes ban on pit bulls, 2005). The legislation prevented people from acquiring a number of breeds of dogs that would be classified as pit bulls. In addition, Ontario residents who already owned a pit bull terrier prior to the ban were required to neuter and muzzle their animals. Such policies against this breed of animal are not unprecedented. In fact, similar laws are already in place in Britain, France and Germany. In Canada, Winnipeg has had a ban against pit bull terriers in place for 20 years (Ontario passes ban on pit bulls, 2005). Ontario and other regions have imposed these sanctions because the evidence clearly indicates that pit bull terriers pose a much higher than average risk to people.
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...
What words come to mind when one hears the words “pit bull?” How about aggressive, violent, or dangerous? In many cases, this isn’t actually true. Because of the negative media attention for attacks on humans and other dogs that pit bull breeds receive, many Americans place a stigma on pit bulls, tagging them as dangerous and vicious. This stigma typically applies to all pit bulls, not just the ones that are actually dangerous. To remedy the issue of dangerous dogs attacking other beings, the legislative act known as breed-specific legislation is being debated throughout the United States. Gary J. Patronek, a veterinary doctor, defines breed-specific legislation as a law than “bans, restricts, or imposes conditions on ownership of specific breeds or dogs presumed to pose greater risk of biting people” (788). Breed-specific legislation is commonly debated in communities that have recently experienced a dog-bite related injury or fatality (Patronek, Slater, and Marder 788). However, this law would ban all dogs of the pit bull breed or any related dog based solely on their breed, rather than disposition. Therefore, breed-specific legislation should not be enacted throughout the United States because is biased against pit bulls and is ineffective in reducing dog-bite attacks by ignoring other aggressive dog breeds.
National Canine Research Council. Investigative Report for Dog-Bite Related Fatalities 2009. National Canine Research Council, 2010. 6-48. Print.
If all other breeds are not judged for attacking people, then why are all pit bulls being unfairly judged? Pitbulls are being banned in different counties because they are being wrongly accused of being dangerous. Pit Bulls should not be banned because they can be helpful, the media has given them a bad reputation, and they are only mean if trained that way.
After World War I, there was an increase in bite reports by German Shepherd Dogs, a breed used by the Nazis. Pit bulls are the most recent breed of dog to be misjudged. In this paper, we reviewed the following questions about BSL: who is affected, why are they targeted, does BSL work, and is the media to blame? Pit bulls are targeted in this ineffective solution to dog attacks.
Most of the dogs on this list are common household pets, like the Labrador retriever, and are normally non-aggressive and very friendly. Many times these dogs show no sign of aggression and pose no threat to society. Perspective One Breed-specific laws were put in place with the expectation to help prevent dog bites and attacks. The State and Federal government both came to the conclusion that this is a positive way to promote safety from dog attacks. “Both state and federal courts consistently uphold the constitutionality of breed-specific pit bull laws.... ...
In 18 August, 2011, the source of this event is from Herald Sun. A four-year-old lovely child named Ayen Chol was mauled and killed by a pit bull cross while she was playing in her home. The vicious pit bull escaped from a neighbour’s yard and mauled Ayen in a sudden attack. The dog rushed inside the house and set upon Ayen and some other children who were watching television. Ayen’s mom tried to beat the dog away from the children with a table, but she failed. Then the dog turned on Ayen and the vicious injuries caused Ayen’s death. Dr Cam Day, who is the RSPCA’s Queensland pit bull expert, has claimed that American pit bull terriers are ‘head, shoulder, feet and everything else above other breeds’ in terms of their capacity to injure and maim. If the government doesn’t ban pit bulls, these tragedies would continue to happen and children’s lives would be threatened all the
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.
In recent years it has been the pit bull which has come under the scrutiny of legislative bodies, as their reputation becomes more and more sullied by street crime. To say “pit bull,” however, is a vague reference to several pit bull types, which are considered separate breeds by registries like the American Kennel Club (AKC). Each type has a slightly different breeding history; many began with the breeding of bulldogs with terriers to produce a loyal, compact and tenacious breed (“American Pit Bull Terrier”). The three standard pit bull types most often mentioned by name in breed-specific legislation include the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. That is not the extent of the legislation, however, which also includes dogs that “substantially conform to the breed standards established by the American Kennel Club” (Melvindale)....
Currently, pit bulls have been reported by the media with very horrific and disturbing news of having attacked a child or being shot by a police due to aggression while some are reported to have been abused or neglected by its owners (Forderer and Unkelbach 534). And because the reports keep coming with heated discussions, more and more people have forged a frightening image of pit bulls even to the extreme of refusing to take care of such breed. Pit bull advocates claim that the dogs get a bad reputation considering that people should learn the dogs are not inherently aggressive. What the pit bull advocates would like to point is that the owners of the pit bulls should be considered guilty for mishandling of their own dogs. There are owners of pit bulls that even encourage the dog to be aggressive in order to fight and protect them in a wrong manner and wrong degree of training (Forderer and Unkelbach 536). Pit bull advocates claimed that a well socialized and well trained pit bull would be very intelligent and could be one of the gentle dogs imaginable.
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).
b. “Many people have a difficult time properly identifying a true Pit Bull, so added to the statistics are those dogs that have been misidentified. Considering these factors, the actual number of attacks attributable to American Pit Bull Terriers is considerably lower than represented,” according to the real pit bull. i. Do you think a 4 pound Pomeranian dog would hurt anybody? ii. Stated in the Dog Bite Law, “The most horrifying example of the lack of breed predictability is the October 2000 death of a 6-week-old baby, which was killed by her family 's Pomeranian dog.” a. The American Temperament Test is a test that measures a dog strong avoidance, unprovoked aggression, and panic without recovery. “American Pit Bull Terriers passed the test at a rate of 85.3%,” according to Pitbulls.org. They have the highest test scores, and they out beat the golden retriever “family dog” by 7.7%. iii. I identify the justice of my rival’s claim, but I disagree with my rival’s 100 percent about pit bulls having the highest attacks. c. Now you can see how my rival made a mistake because they didn’t evaluate and understood the facts as clearly as they
...ociated Press published an article “Pit Bulls are A Danger to Society,” yet this year, the same publisher issued an article “Attitudes and Laws Against the Pit Bull Soften – The Big Story” in which the Pit bull advocates hail the changes as recognition that breed-specific laws discriminate against dogs that are not inherently aggressive or dangerous should not be discriminated against or victimized. The debate puts millions of pit bull owners up against a relatively small group of activists against the breed and challenges the notion that Pit Bulls that are well-cared for had any history of aggressive behavior in the first place, closing the argument by again stating what the Canadian Encyclopedia explained, that their actions were just a park of the cycle of favorites and least favorites that has always been and always will be in the history of ownership of dogs.
Pit Bull-Beauty or Beast? Are pit bulls the best breed of dogs to keep around the house? Pit bulls are the majority of dog attacks that have been covered by news stations. The news coverage has made people really nervous about these animals. People are afraid to let these dogs be around their families and friends.