Debunking Pit Bull Stereotypes: Unfair Breed Bans

Pit bulls and several other breeds of dogs that are thought to be overly aggressive and violent are being banned in cities and towns. Are pit bulls a dangerous breed or are they just like any other dog? Many people believe that they are in fact dangerous and aggressive by nature but this is not true. Pitt bulls are being falsely accused for being a violent breed and because of the negative aspects associated with the breed, such as dog fights and vicious attacks, they are being unfairly targeted in breed specific bans.

It’s not the dog breed that is aggressive but the owners of a dog that makes them aggressive. Many pit bulls that are aggressive are aggressive because of the way they are treated by their owners. Jane Hoffman, president

of the Mayor’s Alliance for New York City’s Animals, says “there are a few predictors that will create a problem dog: If they’re kept in the yard, don’t have interaction with people or other dogs and aren’t neutered”(Tullis 54). Pit bulls, Just like any other pet needs to be nurtured and cared for. Pit bulls are also often associated with dogfighting which is another reason the breed is thought to be aggressive. Long time journalist, Cynthia Gomez, says “Many other people own or have owned pit bulls without ever experiencing any aggression from their dogs towards other people or animals”(Gomez). This is most likely because the owners of their pit bulls nurture and care for them.
Pit bulls are being banned in several cities and towns due to their negative connotations.

Denver and Miami are among the more than 300 municipalities that ban pit bulls (Tullis 54). One reason that pit bulls are being banned is because of the false ideas that they are violent dogs by nature. Another reason is people’s associate pit bulls with dogfighting and vicious attacks. Although it is true that many people have been attacked by pit bulls, it is unfair to say that pit bulls are the only dogs that attacks people. Debora Bresch of the ASPCA says “laws against individual dog breeds unfairly punish countless dogs that have never caused any trouble”(A Fierce Dog Debate

2).
Many people cannot identify exactly what a pit bull looks like based on appearance therefore many dogs that are not pitbulls are falsely accused of being a pitbull. Research led by Victoria L. Voith, a professor at Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Veterinary Medicine, showed that dogs that are in shelters and are thought to be pit bulls often times do not even have any pit bull DNA (Gomez). Because of this confusion of what pit bulls look like, statistics that shows the number of pit bulls in animal shelters may not be true. Also, because of studies like this the Center for Disease Control said they will stop categorizing dog bites by breed (Tullius 54).
The media is another reason why pit bulls are thought to be dangerous.

The media has been accused of covering more stories of pit bull attacks and covering less of other dog breed attacks. This accusation may be true according to what John Davidson of The Denver Post said which was that pit bull attacks seemed to garner more media attention than attacks by other kinds of dogs (Gomez). Media outlets shouldn’t sensationalize pit bulls in their news reports. It gives people false ideas of pit bulls and in turn hurts the breed. According to a compilation of news reports, pits were responsible for 52 of the 88 U.S. deaths from dog attacks from 2006 to 2008. Yet in controlled studies, pits have never been identified as "disproportionately dangerous,”(Tullius 54). Because of the media’s image of pit bulls shown in the news, many people are afraid of

them.
Pit bulls are not the beast that some people think them to be, but in many cases the victim. They are the victim of abuse, neglect, dog fighting, and being falsely thought to be dangerous because of the way the media views them. Many pit bulls that have actually taken part in violent actions, more than likely, due so because of abuse, neglect or owners that do not properly take care of them. Pit bulls deserve to be treated just like any other dog breed.