Scotlund's Blog
Pit Bull Prejudice Part One: The Problem
A healthy relationship with animals demands that we are informed with reliable information so we can make valid decisions that are beneficial to both humans and other animals. Highly charged, hot-button topics abound, especially those that affect animal governing laws. Breed-specific legislation (BSL) is one such issue.
The Little Rascals with Petey
BSL seeks to ban specific dog breeds that are assumed to be dangerous to society. Currently, the dog most often subject to bans is known as the pit bull. Technically, “pit bull” is not a breed but rather a generic term categorizing a strong and athletic class of terriers that most popularly includes the American Staffordshire Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier.
These breeds are subjected to bans because there is widespread prejudice based on the common misunderstanding of the temperament of these dogs. Pit bulls are used for fighting and other nefarious activity because of their determined and courageous nature; yet, the very same tenacity can make pit bulls outstanding members of family, community, police and military groups. The typically resourceful pit bull cheerfully assumes the duties that life requires of him. Human guardians are responsible for positively directing the focus of the dog’s spirit and not taking advantage of it for unethical purposes. It is the negative manipulation of the pit bull nature that has given birth to the unfair reputation of the breeds.
Several years ago in Washington D.C., I participated in a heart-wrenching episode that highlights pit bull prejudice and eventually revealed the purity of a child’s wisdom. The saga began at dusk when a man in his house heard a noise behind his car parked in the street. He glimpsed movement and demanded that the person come forward, threatening to send his pit bull to attack if they failed to surrender. The hidden figure stayed frozen to the spot, so the man incited his dog to leave his property to attack. The man heard the screams of a child and followed his dog only to discover him mauling a 10-year-old girl. He called off the dog, but the little girl was bleeding profusely and critically injured.
I was called to the scene to take control of the dog while the girl was being rushed away in an ambulance and the man was being arrested. The dog, who was impounded and restricted from human contact for more than a year, was named Face. As his caregiver, I came to know him well prior to the hearing that would decide his fate. Face was the coolest and sweetest dog you’d ever hope to meet but his eagerness to please was manipulated and taken advantage of. He had been obeying his guardian’s urgent command to protect him by attacking the perceived danger. I was so saddened for the little girl who had been injured and for the dog who would be killed for doing what the person he trusted most asked of him; both victims of a human who had abused his power.
I visited the child in the hospital, trying to ease her emotional upheaval. I told her honestly that the courts were going to make a decision about whether Face would be deemed a “dangerous dog” and lose his life. This insightful child, who required plastic surgery because of her injuries, told me to ask the court not to punish Face and said, “It isn’t the dog’s fault. It’s the man’s fault for teaching his dog bad things and using him that way.”
She got it exactly right. It is the nature of the pit bull to persevere and endure. This drive is not related to innate aggression but rather related to learned behaviors born of their loyalty and the drive to successfully complete assigned tasks despite adversity. Conversely, single-minded aggression is a sign of incomplete development in a dog who lacks confidence.
Historically pit bull breeds enjoyed a positive public image. They were trusted as beloved family companions – nursemaids to children and friends to adults. They worked beside farmers at home and soldiers abroad. Their sentimental place in society inspired the character Petey in The Little Rascals, Tige in the Buster Brown comic strip and more. Helen Keller and Theodore Roosevelt enjoyed the company of a pit bull companion and a pit bull named Sergeant Stubby still bears the honor as the most decorated service dog in U.S. military history.
Unfortunately, pit bulls have also historically been abused. The term “pit bull” comes from their ancestral use in pits for bull-baiting or fights with other dogs in “pits”. Despite the long history of mistreatment, the good-natured dog managed to retain the image of a loyal and amiable companion. The media began to propel pit bull negative perceptions to the forefront with articles like the extensive July 1987 Sports Illustrated story entitled “The Pit Bull Friend And Killer”, complete with a sensationalist cover photo depicting a snarling pit bull captioned “BEWARE OF THIS DOG”.
Recently, a Labrador mix dog attacked an elderly gentleman, requiring him to seek emergency treatment. The incident was reported in one article in the local paper. Soon thereafter, a mixed-breed dog bit a child, sending him to the hospital. Again, one article was printed in the local newspaper. A few days later, two pit bulls attacked a woman and her dog. The dog was uninjured but the woman was hospitalized. This incident was reported in 230 news articles as well as on multiple cable news networks.
Extensive misrepresentation of the nature of pit bulls is not merely unfair but also has regrettable consequences. This hype has led to their desirability among individuals seeking personal status or financial gain. The criminal use of pit bulls in professional and amateur dogfights and other illegal activity has ensured the proliferation of the negative stereotype against these dogs. The public is now conditioned to judge the breeds once considered quintessential American dogs as dangerous and pit bulls are subjected to bans.
Some municipalities and even entire countries are initiating and imposing dog breed bans while other are repealing them and forbidding future breed bans. Proposed legislation banning pit bulls in the entire state of Texas is being vehemently contested. “Justin’s Law”, written after a 10-year-old boy was tragically killed by two pit bulls, maintains that pit bulls need to be banned in order to protect children. If the legislation is passed, having a pit bull anywhere in Texas would become a third-degree felony. Pit bull protectors have organized their opposition and the bill currently has no sponsors within the Texas legislature.
Keeping people and other animals safe from danger must be addressed based on facts rather than emotion. Dog bites can cause serious injuries and even death and are costly in terms of dollars, community resources and emotional well-being. Yet, safety isn’t achieved by clumsy, blanket restrictions on broad classes of dogs. Reasoning and evidence show that non-specific restrictions affecting enormous numbers of dogs and people are ineffective and inhumane.
A child’s wisdom identified the root of the problem and allow us to ascertain the solution: “It isn’t the dog’s fault. It’s the man’s fault for teaching his dog bad things and using him that way.” The problem is irresponsible guardians. The solution must address this to be effective.
Dogs like Face are subjected to manipulative abuse, resulting in extremely distressing outcomes for dogs and humans, and then are blamed and punished for acting on behalf of their guardian. Entire breeds that need our understanding and protection most are condemned. May we honor the lesson of their suffering by returning their spent devotion with the human loyalty they deserve and taking proactive stances on how to handle the problems that abused dogs present to society and the problems society presents to them.
Breed-specific legislation is reactive and ineffective but there are proactive and effective ways to keep humans and dogs safe.
Please read next week’s blog: Pit Bull Prejudice Part Two: The Solution.
22 Responses to “Pit Bull Prejudice Part One: The Problem”
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WoW!!! Excellent article!
I feel so bad for the little girl and for Face. As you say, Scotlund, the problem is the owner whose intent is to use the dog as a weapon. Pit bull bans give all the power to the criminals at the expense of the rest of us who are responsible dog guardians.
Banning pit bulls is a reaction rooted in fear, ignorance, and weakness. We don’t ban swimming pools because people could drown. There is no shortcut beyond the need for reliable and accountable dog “ownership.”
Thank you Scotlund for clarifying the issues. Teach the rest of us to be trustworthy “lifeguards,” please.
Scotlund, This is beautifully written & so very true. I want as many people as possible to read this, because it is so educational & will enlighten many. Would you mind if I share this post on my blog with a link to your blog? I’d also like to share the link on my fb page so many people can read & share. Let me know if this is okay, & it’s as good as done.
Thanks for being so awesome, always! Love working with you!
Ashley
luckydogrescueblog.blogspot.com
Pit Bull prejudice and BSL seem similar to me to racial profiling of humans, and just as unfair. The propaganda against Pit Bulls is so widespread that I, a hardcore dog lover, was almost starting to believe it myself. Some insurance companies even charge higher rates to homeowners with a Pit Bull. I think people want a simple solution tied up in a neat little package; hence, ban Pit Bulls. Problem solved.
Pit Bulls have become the innocent victims of unscrupulous individuals who steal the best they have to offer – their love and selfless devotion – and repay it with a treacherous betrayal that often costs them their very lives. You’re right, Scotlund. We need to respond in kind to the loyalty of these selfless and faithful dogs who only want to please their human. Pit Bulls need us to speak out on their behalf, and to protect and defend them from unwarranted persecution.
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
- Edmund Burke
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
- Martin Luther King, Jr
Nice post, but one key point is missing: BSL doesn’t just punish a few breeds of dogs, it punishes a rapidly growing group of dogs who are presumed to be pit bulls soley because of their physical appearance — when in reality, most are other breeds entirely or are mixed breed dogs who may or may not not even have traces of te targeted breeds in them. The accuracy of visual breed identification is so low, yet so costly — both in terms of dogs’ lives and taxpayer dollars.
We also need to move away from making generalizations about “pit bull behaviors” and “pit bull traits.” First, dogs labeled as pit bulls are such a diverse grouping of dogs (representating a growing number of breeds and mixes of breeds) that it’s impossible and highly inaccurate to assign behvaior traits that would describe all of them. Second, although we have good intentions, if we allow ourselves to make positive behavior generalizations about dogs labeled as pit bulls (e.g., “eager to please their owners,” “highly trainable,” “nursemaids to children”), we invite others to make negative generalizations about behavior as well. Bottom line is that every dog is an individual and should be viewed as such.
Good question, Bob. Let’s talk about it on the Discussion Tab of ARC’s FaceBook page. Thanks
We all should remember dogs do not choose their owners as children do not choose their parents. We all should look in th mirror and treat our children and canine friends the best.
I really appreciate this writing Scotlund. I have seven dogs in my care. My neighbor tried to shoot my APBT when she opened the gate with her big boxy head and let herself out. I’m sure if it had been one of the other dogs, he would not have taken a shot at them. Gracie is afraid of everything including our cats. Just by her profile she became easy prey for his trigger happy fingers. I have to keep adding to my fence to make it tall enough for her not to escape and to hide her from others. This really makes me so sad. In my town of Asheville NC, we are known for our weirdness. Everyone walks their Bullies downtown. I’m not sure with these horrible laws how much longer that will happen. A child was killed in Charlotte NC by two bull dogs not long ago. This law in Texas scares me to death. It will be a slaughter like Denver but much, much worse. Something has to change for this wonderful animal.
Seems we also train perfectly sweet men and women to attack and kill on command also, are we going to create laws banning them as well ? The problem, in this case, is with the drill sergeant and not the soldier. Pit bulls don’t enlist , they are drafted.
Another case of allowing bad apples to spoil the whole bunch, and in this case, an entire breed – and to realize that the bad apples are not the animals, but the human beings responsible for their destructive behavior. Excellent point, more ineffective reactive legislation is exactly what we don’t need. What we do need is to take proactive measures to educate individuals and to allow those responsible, caring individuals to raise these loving dogs who bring so much happiness and joy to our lives.
[...] Pit Bull Prejudice Posted on 02/05/2011 by Gina V Pit Bull Prejudice Part One: The Problem [...]
Great Blog, Gina. Glad you’re here!
So we’ve come to ethnic cleansing for dogs. Of course an unsocialized dog chained up in the back yard is going to bite people. Then street gangs decide they want that dog who bites. The vicious cycle gains momentum but ignorant people blame the poor dog. Who’s going to be next? Let’s see, most child abusers are men, so, what measures do we need to take against ALL men in order to rid society of child abusers???
I work at a local animal shelter that always has pit bulls that need placement. All the ones I have known have been sweet, lovable dogs. But I agree with Bob, many other dogs get tarred with that brush; people are very suspicious that all sturdy-looking shelter dogs are part pit bull (gee, there must be a lot of loose pits out there indiscriminately copulating!), and those dogs always take longer to get adopted. But once they are, the feedback on the shelter’s Facebook page always indicates how delighted their new families are to have them.
BSL is an emotional knee jerk reaction. Gather the information, look at the facts, take out the emotion, think it through. Thank you, Scotlund, for this informative piece.
I am glad for articles that well explain the truth about the relationship of dog to human. I volunteer at SPCA and wash and groom many types of dogs. I see and hug many a Pit who are often the most gentle (and often couch potatoes). They want to please and love – yet they are feared by many. I was on a bike ride recently and saw the most beautiful Pit – I asked first and them petted this beautiful dog. My friend just stayed back. I have a black lab and found out recently that people will go up to golden/yellow labs but hesitate with black labs. Zoe is just full of fun and loves all people. Go figure but prejudice is real. Thanks again for this article.
I’d really like to thanks for the attempts you get in some recoverable format this document. I hope the identical best system on your part into the future likewise.
Great article! One thing missing is a blurb on bite statistics – last time I researched it (several years ago), the breed with the most reported bites were Golden Retrievers, second were Labs – pits did NOT represent the highest bite stat by breed even tho they had combined all the breeds that typically fall into the category “pit bull” for the stats – combined yet STILL not the highest! Ironic how one never reads stories in the media about all the goldens and labs biting humans…
Scotlund, I have added the links to this pit bull series to the pit bull education page at our website here: http://www.nashvillepaw.com/bully
Thanks for taking a strong stand for these and all other animals.
-Heather
I really hate it that people put labels on these beautiful and loving animals. Thank you for being there for them. I have shared the story and only hope stupid people will wise up.
Amazing article!! I couldn’t agree more. I’ve had bullies all my life and couldn’t imagine life without them. Wonderful, loyal companions who want nothing more than to make us happy…shame on the sick people who prey on them. Thanks for posting this and keeping this on the forefront of everyone’s mind. NO BSL!!