Are All Pit Bulls Created Equal?
It is believed by many that all “Pit Bull” and “Pit Bull-type” dogs are equally dangerous. Words like vicious and unpredictable are constantly used by the media when describing these dogs, while cleverly omitting key points leading up to the event at hand. Many times these missing facts are vital aspects to reporting an incident accurately, there for without them many reports become bias. This creates a false sense of fear among the public as a result of limited information often implying that “Pit Bulls” will snap and attack with out warning. Unfortunately, due to this manipulative type of reporting the breeds’ image has suffered greatly.
Sadly, in many cities worldwide “Pit Bull-type” dogs are banned from ownership regardless of temperament…which means a well-socialized family pet is treated just as harshly as an aggressive or dangerous animal. This blanket legislation sweeping over the globe like wild fire is known as breed specific legislation or BSL. For some people it seems like a good solution to control dangerous dogs in an attempt to decrease the annual number of dog bites. However we must also consider what happens to the millions of well-behaved pets living in perfect harmony with society. Should they be banned as well, just for fitting the visual profile? Most reasonable people would agree that is not a fair solution for so many responsible, law abiding citizens.
Not many people consider this dark aspect of BSL because it has become a common assumption that one “Pit Bull” is as vicious as the next; when in reality that is completely false. Realistically, unless every dog in the universe is banned, dog bites will continue to occur, which concludes that BSL ultimately solves nothing. In the end full responsibility lays in the owners hands. Any dog can bite, but not all dogs are aggressive. It is every dog owner’s JOB to train and socialize their pet no matter what breed, to ensure that it will not cause harm to other dogs and people in the community. Owning a pet is a commitment that must be respected. If you can’t handle the job, don’t apply.
-Victoria Spinella
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:55 pm
It sounds like you’re creating problems yourself by trying to solve this issue instead of looking at why their is a problem in the first place.
April 29th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Great post. I love taking time out of my workday to read some blogs about animals. Always nice to find some useful information in between all the fluff LOL (no pun intended
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April 29th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Hey Brook, thanks for checking out my blog…I would love to hear more from you. I’m not sure what you mean by that comment. What problem am I creating? They say knowledge is power…my only goal here is to get the truth out there to those who need it. This blog shines light on an issue that only a “Pit Bull” owner or rescuer experiences. The world focuses on the bad and dismisses the good…if you were victim of this uneven playing field I would expect you to fight just as hard.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Great post! I hope you update regularly because I am subscribing to your RSS now. Thanks!
July 11th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
The Humane Society of the United States used the pit bull Wednesday during their presentation to announce a 5,000 reward program for reporting illegal animal fighting in Florida. The reward program, offered in several states, will be paid out of donations that have poured in after the arrest of former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. Vick is serving 23 months in federal prison after admitting he helped run a dogfighting ring out of his Virginia home and executed dogs that performed poorly.
July 20th, 2009 at 2:32 am
Thank you for a great blog, I will be sure to bookmark your site and check later… Usually I don’t leave a comment but I wanted to let you know that I really like your site :)
August 30th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
I really like this blog good job.
September 7th, 2009 at 7:02 am
I don’t usually post but I enjoyed your blog a lot,Thanks alot for the great read :)
September 7th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
I don’t usually post but I enjoyed your blog a lot.
September 8th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
I will be sure to bookmark your site and check later.
September 22nd, 2009 at 1:47 am
Thank you for a great blog, I will be sure to bookmark your site and check back later :)
September 25th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Thank you for a great blog, I will be sure to bookmark your site and check back later :)
September 26th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Really great blog here. Thanks! :)
October 1st, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Seems like you really took your time on this. Keep up the good work! :)
November 18th, 2009 at 12:09 am
Pitbulls are not mean because they are dangerous any more than they are safe because they can be nice. The fact that they are so strong is what makes them to be potentially dangerous. Yes, all dogs can bite but only a few can maul and you give a pit bull a bad day, it is possible you won’t live to tell about it or at the very least, look a hell of a lot worse than you did before.
A lot of pit bulls do fall victim to uneducated or lazy dog owners who do not know what they require. The fact that they do require a lot more than your basic beagle should tell you something.
December 4th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Great headline. If your cookie has a bite-sized action and your reader completes the action, I think two things happen. Their self-confidence goes up (which feels good) and their trust in you increases.
January 3rd, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Very interesting!! Thankyou for the read.
January 24th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Ah, the land of the free!
You have the right to free speech as long as you speak English.
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best regards, Greg