Pit Bulls, Pit Bulls Everywhere I Turn…
We stopped by the SPCA yesterday to drop off some donations we had picked up and, naturally, took a few minutes to cruise through the animal housing area to deliver some special toys and treats directly. The cat room was as packed as it always is, but we enjoyed some good play time with several very friendly cats, and provided some fun toys to help distract the ones who still had that “Wait … how’d I end up here?” look about them.
The dogs were all in their “outside pens” getting fresh air, so we headed out to visit with them next. My heart sunk. Of the 16 dogs there, 14 of them were pit bulls. Incessantly barking their heads
off at one another, they paced back and forth, growling and gnashing at pen neighbors who got too close for their liking.
Pit bulls are among the most abused domestic animals on the planet. And try as the rescue groups may, it seems that their fate hasn’t improved much…at least not in our area. Touted as “macho image” builders, many spend their lives outside at the end of logging chains or being torn to shreds in a dog-fighting ring. Those who are “lucky” enough to be “surrendered” to—or confiscated by, as is often the case in our area—the SPCA once their “coolness” has worn off, they’ve become too expensive to keep or too old to fight often arrive scarred, worm ridden and starved, angry and unsocialized. How, HOW can we stop this?
A year ago, “Justin’s Law” was proposed in Texas which, if it passes, would make it a third degree felony to even own a pit bull. Because it was proposed as a result of a 10-year-old being mauled to death by a pit, part of me understands where the idea comes from; it would—without question—prevent any future pit bull maulings in that area and, by default, would prevent the breed from suffering cruelties by ill-intentioned owners…because no one would be allowed to own one. But then I think of pits like Dog-Whisperer Cesar Milan’s “Daddy,” and loving families who have responsibly raised pits and, as all “pet owners do,” consider them a part of their family, and think of what a travesty it would be if this breed were to cease to exist on our planet. So where does the answer lie? Does an answer even exist?
In researching this highly-debated topic, I found a Huffington Post article that I practically could have written myself, as it makes many good points: from “punish the deed not the breed” proponents, to the ban supporters like “Animal People” editor Merritt Clifton who compares pits to pumas: “the humane community doesn’t encourage pumas for cat adoption, because it is clearly understood that accidents with a puma are frequently fatal. For the same reason, it is sheer foolishness to encourage people to regard pit bull terriers… as just dogs like any other, no matter how much they may behave like other dogs under ordinary circumstances.”
Ultimately, while I’m still left torn about what the “perfect” solution might be for pit bulls, I continue to be dead set on the fact that spaying and neutering is the best thing we can do to help all domestic animals, regardless of the breed. And in that vein, I think the best point made in the piece was in regards to a breeder ban; as activist Matt Miner puts it: “…
put a moratorium on breeding and stop this nonsense. There are too many dogs in our shelters, and we need to give our rescues time to catch up with the sheer enormity of the problem.”
Perhaps such a ban, when coupled with a nation-wide law requiring the spaying and neutering of every pit bull adopted out, followed by a strict interview process that potential adopters would have to go through, may begin to make a dent. And as bad as things seem to be for these poor animals in our area, it would at least be a good start.
I’d love to hear your ideas on solutions to this crisis, so take a moment to comment with your thoughts!
8 Comments
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Reb
March 8, 2012
I have discussed this problem in depth on many different blogs and I think the best solution is to regulate pit bulls the same way cougars and other dangerous animals are regulated. Pit bulls are different, they were bred to be extraordinarily strong, unpredictable and notoriously tenacious. Cougars only killed 14 people in the last 100 years while pit bulls killed more than that last year alone yet pit bulls run loose in neighborhoods all across this country and cougars are strictly regulated if not banned. Let’s be fair about this and put the same time of restrictions on pit bulls that we put on other dangerous animals. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Meghan
March 14, 2012
First off, “pit bull” is not a breed. I call my dog a Pit Bull because American Pit Bull Terrier is a mouthful. “Pit bull” is a label given to tons of different pure and mixed breed dogs, so “pit bull” statistics are not accurate.
Second, it’d only be okay to compare a group of dogs to wild animals if, you know, they were actually WILD. These are domestic dogs. APBTs and other “pit bulls” were bred with purpose – to be surprisingly strong for their appearance, quick on their feet, and loyal to their family. The bull and terrier breeds that became what we know as the APBT, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the Bull Terrier today were created to take down large game on command, then come home and play with the kiddies. They aren’t ticking timebombs or killers. They are incredibly smart and intuitive – they want to do what you do, be where you are, and make you happy.
Hey, if you want to stop dogs from running loose in your neighborhood, which is bad regardless of breed, put leash laws to good use. If your area doesn’t have one, start a petition for one. It’s not the dog, it’s irresponsible people.
Jillian Udelson
March 14, 2012
The problem with pit bulls is a HUMAN problem, not an animal one. Unfortunately, many people are attracted to pit bulls for the wrong reasons and exploit them. Pit bulls have a long history of being “America’s Dog”, from war hero Sgt. Stubby to the pup on the popular t.v. show “The Little Rascals”. This same plight has plagued other “strong” breeds such as the Doberman, Rottweiler, and German Shepherd. It is ridiculous to compare a pit bull to a cougar or puma — pit bulls are domesticated animals, and people who choose to breed them for looks and aggression are the problem. It is NOT a trait of the breed to be human aggressive. Backyard breeders are the ones who need to be targeted. Any responsible rescue should not be adopting out intact dogs. Rescue groups should also be held accountable for making sure their animals are spayed or neutered. Working to educate the public on responsible pet ownership and spay/neuter should be the focus, not banning a type of dog.
On another note, many dogs — regardless of breed — are extremely stressed in a shelter environment and will bark or become agitated with one another. These dogs were not able to make good choices for themselves that would have kept them out of animal control. There are many of us out there working hard to help these dogs and make our neighborhoods safer for all of us — dogs of all types included.
Stephanie Sorensen
March 15, 2012
To add to Jilian’s comment above, breed-specific legislation does not work. The people that have pit bulls for the wrong reasons already break the law on a regular basis, so why would they follow that one? All these breed-specific laws do is punish the responsible, law-abiding pit bull owners.
We have seen this happen in several states across the U.S. that have implemented these laws – these laws are passed and the good people are moving out or getting rid of their dogs, leaving only the bad owners with the undersocialized, mistreated, frustrated dogs they have created. This only results in either the continued persistence of the problem, or in some cases, an INCREASE in the problem, as seen in some areas where pit bull ownership has become the “illegal, badass thing to do.”
BSL has not worked to date in any location where it has been implemented, and as a result, several locations (including Ohio recently) have pulled the legislation in favor of a more general dangerous/vicious dog ordinance that holds the OWNERS accountable for the containment of their dogs.
Turkey
March 20, 2012
Ms. Sorensen is sorely mistaken. BSL does work very well in many places, according to the animal control officers who live in those communities. Here is a list that anyone can verify for themselves. http://blog.dogsbite.org/2010/06/cities-with-successful-pit-bull-laws.html
The real problem is the pro-pit people who have been misinformed and continue to repeat myths, like the were Nanny Dogs or America’s Dog, like its all how you raise them, like the media is responsible. Until the owners and advocates of these dogs know the real facts and are able to own them properly, attacks and overpopulation will continue, and BSL will also continue to be the response.
Roxana
March 20, 2012
Not true at all.
I can direct you to several locations where breed-specific legislation has been successful. Breed-specific legislation DOES work when it is enforced. It works to reduce the number of attacks on animals and people and it reduces the number of pit bulls in shelters. For instance, in san Francisco where pit bulls must be sterilized, that city has seen a reduction in pit bull attacks, a reduction in pit bulls euthanized in shelters, and a reduction in the percentage of animal shelter space that is occupied by these difficult-to-adopt dogs.
Nearly all breed-specific laws enacted to date require existing pit bulls to be “grandfathered in” and typically these laws do not force anyone to move or give up their dog. Please, research before you comment. If you don’t fact-check, someone else will come along and do it for you.
You’re welcome.
Roxana
March 20, 2012
I started researching the pit bull lobby about six years ago, and at the time I felt neutral and even a bit positive toward pit bulls. However, four years ago I started working as an animal caretaker, and that experience reinforced my understanding that certain types of dog, by design, are predisposed to dangerous behavior. I’ve spent a lot of time observing and interacting with dogs of every type. From what I’ve observed, pit bulls and American bulldogs can be quite problematic and dangerous compared to other dogs, particularly in their behavior toward other animals. I do see subtle differences in the behavior of “gripping dogs” that become obvious when these dogs are in a fight scenario. I can definitely see why they’re responsible for a disproportionate number of serious incidents. The dogs I worked with were all beloved pets (not dogs owned by “thugs”) but even a lifetime of gentle handling and socialization with other dogs didn’t change their innate tendencies to be very “intense” in their behavior toward other animals, and at times, quite aggressive and unwilling to back down from a conflict. At one point my own dog (a German shepherd cross) was attacked by a pit bull cross at my workplace and it took two people to remove the attacking dog from my dog’s head. My dog was lucky that she didn’t lose an eye. To this day she still exhibits nerve damage from the injury. More than anything, I think an ongoing and increasing presence of pit bulls presents a huge animal welfare issue to the animal victims of these attacks. There are far more pit bull attacks on other animals than there are on people, and even pit bull supporters admit that this type of dog has an innate tendency toward aggression.
I’m not particularly afraid of pit bulls and I think it is very important to admit that it is pretty unlikely that any one of us will be mauled to death by a dog, pit bull or not. At the same time, the risks specific to pit bulls and gripping dogs are absolutely undeniable, and the pit bull lobby’s defenses for these dogs have grown desperate and absurd. We need is education, rhetoric, and regulations that are appropriate for the degree and type of issues presented by different types of dog. But therein lies the problem – the pit bull lobby doesn’t want that. They want me, the laws, and insurance companies to treat every pit bull the same as a toy poodle. Nothing about that isn’t completely nonsensical. Education and frank discussions about the problems presented by pit bulls would go a long way in preventing some of those problems. But failing that (i.e., if the pit bull lobby keeps insisting that pit bulls aren’t any different) then regulations may be a necessary blunt instrument.
Marta
April 10, 2012
Roxana makes invaluable points. We need frank discussion regarding pit bulls. You can find little argument about the tendencies bred into other breeds, or breed types. If my Border Collie wants to herd the neighbor’s cat, her doggie playmates, or the kids next door no one will scream that it’s because I’m a bad owner, didn’t give her proper love, or that she’s been trained to do it. She was born with those tendencies. There is no lobby that comes railing in to defend herding dogs against accusations of having the behaviors they were bred for, no one will come rushing in and say “That black and white dog is a mix, you don’t even know if it’s a Border Collie”. We can discuss what herding dogs act like without anyone shouting anyone else down or closing down discussion.
I love dogs, I don’t want anyone’s pet taken and killed, none of that! But we need discussion about pit bulls in our society. From what I read owners of bully type breeds are far less likely to have them neutered than other dog owners. These poor animals are suffering, and to be honest, I don’t want my dog, or anyone’s dog or cat to be on the wrong side of a pit bull owner mistake. If my dog gets loose and herds your dog, or your child, no one gets hurt. Pit bull animal aggression can result in someone seeing their on-leash dog slaughtered right in front of them when there’s an owner mistake. How is that fair? Someone’s dog is killed, through no fault of their own but thank God that owner was allowed to have that intact pit bull and there wasn’t breed discrimination. Oh, well, you can just get another Chi at the shelter can’t you? Stop sniveling and move along!
If all dogs were the same, then with as many Labrador Retrievers as there are in this country, it looks like we would be reading about them killing other animals and attacking people at least twice as much as bully breeds; but it’s not happening.