For a long time, pit bulls have been thought of as the worst kind of dog breed. People believe that they are vicious, untameable, and unfit to live with humans. This, however, is a gross misconception. They are the same as any other breed, and the few vicious ones are only that way because they have been trained as such.
According to BarkPost, pit bulls make up 33% of the dogs in shelters in the United States. Only one in six hundred pit bulls is rescued and brought home; the other 599 are put down. 2,000 to 3,000 pit bulls are euthanized every single day, which means about one million pit bulls are put down every year (all of the above statistics are from BarkPost). These numbers are far higher for pit bulls than for any other breed. They clearly have gotten a bad name. However, this name is not warranted.
Pit bulls used to be extremely loved by the public, even earning the nickname “America’s dog,” according to Global Animal. Pit Bull Rescue Central states that pit bulls were placed on war posters in the 1900s due to their loyalty, were on the cover of Life several times, and were even thought of as family dogs for a long time. This began to change, however, in the 1980s when dogfighting started to become a popular sport.
The ASPCA defines dog fighting as a sport where dogs are forced to fight for entertainment of viewers. This is cruel and inhumane, not to mention a felony in all 50 states. The dogs are raised on chains and beaten to become more aggressive, and are frequently given steroids for strength. During fights, the dogs gain severe injuries, and the losers are often killed in a violent manner (all of the above information is from the ASPCA). And, naturally, the most common dog fighting breed is the pit bull. A prominent example of the mistreatment of pit bulls during dog fights is through Michael Vick, a former NFL player and one of the most famous dog fighting operation leaders. According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Vick began a dog fighting ring called Bad Newz Kennels, building a large fence around his property so that his actions would not be discovered. He hosted many fights over his career, most lasting several hours and putting both dogs in excruciating pain. Vick enjoyed this, allowing people to place bets on who the winner would be. Weak dogs or dogs that lost in fights were frequently executed by means such as drowning, hanging, electrocution, or smashing their heads into the ground until their skulls broke. One dog that was eventually rescued from Vick’s dogfighting ring had had all 48 of her teeth forcibly removed without anesthesia (all of the above information is from the Animal Legal Defense Fund). Clearly, no animal could get through such horrific trauma and abuse without becoming hardened. These animals do not start out bad; they are simply abused until they know no other way of living.
Much of the recent negative image of pit bulls has come from the media, starting with an over-exaggerated Sports Illustrated cover in 1987, according to the Pit Bull Rescue Central. The story of vicious pit bulls sell -- people like having something to blame. Sometimes, dogs that attack humans are reported as being pit bulls even when they are another breed altogether, just to help support the public image of pit bulls being the bad guys. However, Canine Journal states that you are 60 times more likely to be killed by falling coconuts than you are to be killed by a pit bull.
The fact of the matter is that pit bulls are not genetically different from any other dog. Huffington Post states that there is absolutely no evidence that pit bulls are more dangerous than any other breed. Huffington Post also shares that the myth that pit bulls have locking jaws that make their bite stronger is just that -- a myth. There is nothing physical about them that makes them different than any other breed. In fact, Canine Journal shows that 86.8% of pit bulls passed a temperament test during a case study, making them the fourth most temperate breed out of 122 breeds tested (they even placed higher than golden retrievers). Pit bulls are not a bad breed: just like any other dog, if raised in an abusive environment, they will be rough and aggressive, but if raised in a loving, nurturing home, they will be some of the sweetest creatures on earth.
Bibliography
"Here's Why You See So Many Pit Bulls In Shelters." BarkPost. N.p., 01 June 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
Pisani, Elana. "Pit Bulls: Dog Breed Discrimination And Laws." Global Animal. N.p., 10 July 2015. Web. 05 Nov. 2015.
"An All-American Dog: Breed History." Pit Bull Rescue Central. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
"Dog Fighting." ASPCA. N.p., 2015. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
"Animal Fighting Case Study: Michael Vick." Animal Legal Defense Fund. N.p., Jan. 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
Wilson, Sara Logan. "Pit Bull Facts and Why We Love This Breed." Canine Journal. Cover Story Media, 10 May 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
Greenwood, Arin. "10 Stereotypes about Pit Bulls That Are Just. Dead. Wrong." Huffington Post. N.p., 28 July 2014. Web. 4 Nov. 2015.