Journalist On How We Came To Love The
Pit Bull
“I watched
with amazement as the pit-bull population proliferated following Hurricane
Katrina in 2005, when thousands of rescues from New Orleans came to all corners
of the US, their stories encouraging an uptick in national sympathy. That was
soon followed by the arrest of Atlanta Falcons
quarterback Michael Vick, for dogfighting and animal abuse. The case
created an explosion in pit-bull advocacy by well-resourced institutions such
as the Humane Society of the United States. Donations poured in, and the movement
became a ‘juggernaut.’
“The
blood-drenched statistics followed accordingly. Animals24-7.org, which
publishes annual reports on serious human injuries and fatalities by dogs
according to breed, says that between 2007 and 2015, ‘2,793 pit bulls and close
pit mixes have attacked 1,067 children and 1,189 adults in incidents in which
208 people were killed and 1,891 people were disfigured.’ Rates have only gone
up. Virtually all dog bite–related fatalities of domestic animals (including
horses and cows) are committed by pit bulls. I’ve stayed with the subject out
of sympathy for the victims. It strikes me as preposterous that there are
hundreds of websites that cater to pit-bull love—featuring endless photos of
dogs dressed in tutus or posed with sleeping babies—but only one serious
publication, Dogsbite.org, that is dedicated to giving a voice to the victims
of dangerous dogs.”
Thinking With Emotions - You Can’t
Reason With A Pit Bull Advocate
“I have come to realize that the pit-bull advocacy movement is
impervious to reason and evidence. Its core belief is that although other
breeds’ behavior is dictated by genetic coding, such as the greyhound’s
instinct to run fast or the bloodhound’s instinct to track, only the pit bull
will remain immune if socialized carefully. Those who insist that pit bulls are
as much prisoners of biology as all other breeds are called racist—when, truly,
race has nothing to do with it.
“Inquire about the disproportionate number of attacks on random
strangers, and the advocate will say the dog was provoked (as though the jolt
of a car door opening unexpectedly could justify assault). Inquire about attacks
on family members, and they will insist the dog was not properly socialized.
Note the rising number of pit bull–related fatalities in the news, and they
will say media is biased. Mention that the police are forced to kill a
disparate number of pit bulls, and they will say the police are biased, too, or
that animal control officers routinely misidentify breeds—a truly bizarre
accusation. In short, reasoning with pit-bull advocates is like bringing a
butter knife to a gun fight.”
Myth #1:
It's the owner not the breed
Myth #2:
It's impossible to identify a pit bull
Myth #3:
Human-aggressive pit bulls were "culled"
Myth #4:
Fatal attack statistics about pit bulls are false
Myth #5: The
media conspiracy against pit bulls
Myth #6: Pit
bulls are not unpredictable
Myth #7: Pit
bulls do not have a locking jaw
Myth #8: Pit
bulls used to be the most popular dog in America
Myth #9: Pit
bulls pass the American Temperament Test
Myth #10:
Punish the deed not the breed
History Expunged
The no-kill
movement has influenced dog adoption mills and shelters across the US and
Canada to rename aggressive dogs and rewrite their history, avoiding the
violent incidents in the dog’s past. Dog bios focus on the good aspects of the
dog’s personality and sanitize their aggression. Thousands of dogs are shipped
across state lines and their past erased. Shelter workers admit they don’t know
the dog’s history, but their personality is assessed, and that is enough. (29 minutes 25 seconds – 35 minutes 00 seconds)
Analysis
of Behavior Testing
“The academic community admits it still doesn’t know what ‘behavior tests’ really measure. They specifically exclude several crucial variables that would give their tests value as risk assessment. They refuse to use field data in developing and assessing validity of their tests. The samples used in developing tests are often biased, as is the outcome the tests aim at achieving. Test developers are not obligated to consider public safety. If the funder wants live release to be the main concern, then the tests are developed to accommodate this wish.
“Shelters play their own role in ‘behavior testing’, often designing their own tests so as to elevate live release rates. They select testers with the same goal in mind, often firing testers and staff who don’t comply. Shelters may report behavior tests in their files, but they don’t tell which test was used, what the training or qualifications of the testers are, or even require any real training or qualification beyond popularity on the work floor. ‘Animal behaviorist’ is not a protected title. Shelters allow any staff that has tested a dog to use this title, and that is legally okay.
“Shelter testing can be useful in assessing risk and matching dogs to adopters, but it is not a scientific activity. At the moment, it is being used to serve other goals than to assess real risk so as to protect public safety and the well-being of shelter dogs. Only the inclusion of all known risk factors, of field data and of longitudinal observations of any individual dog will help remedy this situation.”
21 More Vicious Family
Dogs
“Sherriff
Salazar advising everyone to avoid leaving small children alone with dogs, even
if that dog is a family pet …… ‘This was a family dog. Even if the dog does not
show any outward signs of aggression, sometimes they can be unpredictable. It’s
always best to be vigilant when you’re dealing with a small child and a dog
like that.’”
“Animal control officials say the owners are responsible, saying they took good care of the dog and there were no prior issues.”
“The dog would never hurt their children.”
“She says she’s never seen the pit bull act aggressively in any way. ‘Very calm, subdued dog.’”
“Never leave
any child with any large animal, especially large dogs. Even if they don’t show
any violent tendencies because a dog can turn at any moment.”
“
“His pet Sage is a sweet dog and this was only
an accident.”
“Animal control officials say the owners are responsible, saying they took good care of the dog and there were no prior issues.”
“The police
say they’ve never had any complaints about this dog before ……. Neighbors say
they’ve never had any trouble with this dog before.”
“He was a
good dog …… I think he would be an excellent dog for an older couple.”
“Diamond has
been with the child’s mother for three years and says this is the first time
she’s ever seen the dog act out.”
“The dog would never hurt their children.”
“This was a very
friendly dog. All the kids in the family played with him ……. Ted Arnds got the
dog from a shelter when it was just a puppy. The dog was around kids all the time.”
“This was a
dog that the family had known for years and had never had a problem with.”
“It’s hard
for neighbors to imagine how Midnight went from friendly to ferocious in
seconds. ‘Midnight was a good dog. I didn’t see no aggression or nothing. It
was really shocking to see the dog went from that to that because he’s been
around the child his whole life.’”
“She says she’s never seen the pit bull act aggressively in any way. ‘Very calm, subdued dog.’”
“He had no
choice ….. but to surrender Achilles, the four year old Pit Bull, who had been
a member of the Wright family since the puppy was just a few weeks old.”
‘”They
assured me this dog is not vicious.’ ‘He’s very gentle and not very
temperamental at all.’ ….. They had never known their dog to attack anyone.”
“Her
grandson insisted no one could have predicted this. ‘There have been no prior
incidences of this.’”
“Davis says
his friend has had two of the dogs for years …. ‘They’ve been around small
children numerous times. They’ve never had a problem.’”
“This dog
was in the family for almost six years. Never attacked a human. Never showed
aggression. All of a sudden went for the kill, for my son ……. The animal could
be in your life for 20 years, but something in its head can snap.”
“Neighbors
in the area said they never thought of the dogs as vicious. But they say the
dogs frequently escaped from their fence, and this time, their behavior wasn’t
the same.”
“The animal
had been with the people in the residence since it was a puppy …… ‘It is a
living, breathing animal that can display behavior at any given time that
you’ve never seen before.’”
“The owner
saying my dog has never done this before.” (5 minutes 15 seconds – 6 minutes 14
seconds)
“It doesn’t
bark much ….. It doesn’t bark at no one and shows no hostility. It’s a friendly
dog.”
Additional Resources
Truth Unleashed: Undeniable Pit Bull Facts That Owners Want Muzzled http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2018/08/truth-unleashed-undeniable-pit-bull.html
Aggressive Dog Genetics & 21 More Ferocious Family Dogs https://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2018/09/aggressive-dog-genetics-21-more.html
A Pediatrician’s Plea & 21 More Vicious Dogs https://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2018/09/a-pediatricians-plea-21-more-vicious.html
Conceit & Vanity: 21 More Examples of Safe, Cuddly Pit Bulls (and Other Dangerous Breeds) That Turned Violent https://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2018/09/conceit-vanity-21-more-examples-of-safe.html
Narcissism & Entitlement: 21 More Typical Examples of Safe, Cuddly Pit Bulls That Turned Violent https://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2018/08/narcissism-entitlement-21-more-typical.html
20 Typical Examples of Safe, Family Pit Bulls That Turned Violent http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2018/08/20-typical-examples-of-safe-family-pit.html
Bulldogs, bullying & bravado: the heart of pit bull advocacy https://www.animals24-7.org/2017/04/04/bulldogs-bullying-bravado-the-heart-of-pit-bull-advocacy/
Why Rottweilers are as deadly as pit bulls
https://www.animals24-7.org/2017/06/21/why-rottweilers-are-as-deadly-as-pit-bulls/
The science of how behavior is inherited in aggressive dogs https://www.animals24-7.org/2015/11/10/the-science-of-how-behavior-is-inherited-in-aggressive-dogs/
Photo: https://www.si.com/more-sports/2008/12/23/vick-dogs
Jerry De Luca is a Christian freelance writer who loves perusing dozens of interesting and informative publications. When he finds any useful info he summarizes it, taking the main points, and creates a (hopefully) helpful blog post.
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