Argument

Pitt Bulls, Pet or Threat?

I cannot begin to tell you how upsetting it is to me to see how negatively people react to Pitt Bulls. Having friends with Pitt Bulls and as a former Pitt mix owner, I was subject to this type of behavior, racism even, on a daily basis. People crossed the street to avoid me and my dog Ringo. They would whisper to their children about what a “bad dog” he was and to “stay away” from him. At the dog park, he had a few friends, but as soon as we arrived, the majority of the people collected their dogs and left the area. My grandfather even told me “not to bring that dog here again” one day while visiting. All of this behavior stems from the bad publicity this breed receives. Ringo was the most loyal, best behaved, love bug I’ve ever had. People didn’t see his silly quirks, like how he would get up promptly at 10pm, from wherever he was sitting or sleeping, nudge me on the knee, sigh then head upstairs because he was ready for bed. If I wasn’t up there within ten minutes, his head was impatiently poking down from the top of the stairs, staring. Every morning I would wake up to his snoring face with his nose touching mine wondering “how did he get in my bed without me knowing?”.

Ringo was great on a leash, a fantastic running partner, friendly with everyone, incredibly smart, loved to chase bubbles and play in the snow. But, because he was white and had a big block head people feared him. Dogs are not born bad, they are made that way - it's nurture vs. nature.

It’s true that Pitt Bulls were bred for fighting, but not in the way most people think. “The Pitt Bull breed has been developed over hundreds of years to be a worker and is well suited to most any task requiring strength, agility, and intelligence” (American Pitt Bull Registry). The original "bull dog," was used for boar hunting as well as companion and guarding purposes. They were given the name bull dogs because when the sport of bull baiting became popular, they were the dog best suited for this purpose. Once bull baiting was outlawed, its promoters came up with a new way to make a profit - ratting. Ratting was a sport where a number of rats were placed in a pit for a certain amount of time with the dog. The more rats the dog killed, the more money the owner received. This is where the “Pitt” in Pitt Bull comes from. Although dog on dog fighting became popular at a later date, that is not where the term came from as the majority of people think. When these dogs were brought to the US in the early 1900’s, they were used as cattle dogs and "catch dogs" for pigs. Unfortunately, some people continued to use them as fighting dogs but the majority of Pitt Bulls were not fought. They earned their keep as hunters, herders, guardians and friends; they were even called “nanny’s” by some.

The arrest of NFL star Michael Vick brought dog fighting back in the limelight in a big way. The unwanted publicity further tarnished the reputation of the Pitt Bull and caused problems for the vast majority of well-behaved Pitts. Vick has children and young adults that look up to him, what kind of message is he sending out? Fortunately, many of the dogs Vick was fighting passed The American Temperament Test and were adopted out. A few were even trained as therapy dogs. American Pitt Bull Terriers passed the test at a rate of 86%; higher than Collies, Golden Retrievers and other dogs generally considered "family friendly". The average dog population is around 77% (American Temperament Test Society, Inc.).

People in certain demographics purchase Pitt Bulls as a status symbol. It is these very people who continue to keep the general public fearing these dogs. They deliberately purchase and breed Pitt Bulls and similar looking dogs for the wrong reasons. These “adults” have no means to give these dogs the life they deserve. They are kept in small apartments, not exercised on a daily basis, not socialized and not treated with respect. How else do you expect a dog to act in an unfamiliar situation? Dogs need to be challenged, they need to be socialized. If a Labrador was put in the same situation, that dog would react in the same manner a Pitt would.

If you look at statistics for deaths related to dog bite injuries, the five breeds that show significant numbers are: Pitt Bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes. Also included in this list are the Labrador Retriever, Great Dane and Cocker Spaniel - each listed with one or more fatalities (Humane Society of the United States). The common factor of fatal dog attacks is not the breed of dog, but the owner. There will ALWAYS be uneducated, irresponsible people, and they are the ones who should be charged and dealt with when an animal attacks, not the dog. Every dog possesses the ability to kill - size and strength have nothing to do with it. If the owner is in control, then there is nothing to worry about.

Owners of Pitt Bulls are not only outcasted by neighbors and strangers, they are also treated differently by state laws and insurance policies. Under the Massachusetts law anyone considering adopting a Pitt Bull must first fill out an application. The State Law is as follows: “BY STATE LAW all owners or keepers of dog(s) must be licensed beginning April 1st of each year. It makes no difference if the dog never leaves your property - you still must license your dog(s), (M.G.L., Chap. 140, Sect. 137). No owner or keeper registering a Pitt Bull may be less than eighteen 18 years of age.” In addition, the license fee to own a Pitt Bull is $50/year - five times that of a different breed. You could have a Lab/Pitt mix and still need to abide by these rules.

The insurance industry is also singling out dog owners. The company will not sell a policy to owners of specific breeds or, the company will exclude dog bites and other dog inflicted injuries from the homeowners policy. Currently, owners of Pitt bulls and Rottweilers have the most trouble finding insurance. Some companies such as Progressive have a list of dogs (updated 2008) that they will not insure or will charge a larger premium for: Pitt Bulls & Rottweilers are first on the list. Other dogs include: Akita - including Japanese and Akita Inu Bernese - including Mountain Dog, Chow Chow Doberman Husky - including American, Eskimo and Greenland (Siberian is OK) and the Rhodesian Ridgeback to name a few. It doesn’t matter if these dogs are full bred or a mix.

It seems to me that the majority of people think Pitt Bulls are a threat, when in reality, they are a great breed, very loyal, loving and smart. I feel as though people these days are very closed minded and very sue-happy. Any animal, if provoked will act out.

The basis of my argument is to show that Pitt Bulls are scrutinized on a daily basis by the media and the general public when in reality, any dog could be placed in the category “pet or threat”. To be a successful dog owner, you need to have your pet under control at all times. Dogs should never be left unsupervised with other dogs or children, and should never be allowed to roam off leash except in controlled dog-friendly spaces. Dogs are not born bad, they are made that way.