Hate the Deed, Not the Breed. Lifting bans on pit bulls and recreating the image.
So many dog breeds are misjudged. They are defined by the actions of a few, and sentenced for a crime they did not commit. Pit Bulls might just be the most misjudged breed out there. There is a small amount of people who fight strongly for the breed, but overall, they are feared and hated. Pit Bulls make up the majority of animal shelter inhabitants. Most dogs in shelters are either pure Pit Bull or have enough Pit Bull blood to be recognized as a killer. These dogs often reside in shelters for far longer than other dog breeds. Families quickly shuffle past the cells of the blood-thirsty killers, not wanting their children to linger too long for fear that they may be attacked.
Pit Bulls have been so unfairly judged by the media and internet and have been made to appear as heartless killers. Images and news reports have captured a few select incidents and enlarged them to be on such a large scale that even googling “Pit Bull” presents you with hundreds of pictures of dogs attacking along with the results. News reports and images have created, in people’s minds, the idea that Pit Bulls are only evil dogs with no room for kindness.
When counties ban Pit Bulls, it only fills up animal shelters with unadoptable dogs, forcing said shelters to euthanize innocent, sweet dogs. The bans placed on Pit Bulls force the individuals living in those areas to surrender their dog(s) against their will. Individuals found harboring Pit Bulls in these areas face serious consequences. Banning Pit Bulls means that those dogs have to go somewhere; often times, shelters do not want to have to put forth the effort to transport the dogs to another county and simply resort to euthanasia as the easy way out.
The majority of dogs in shelters are purebred or mixes containing Pit Bull blood. These dogs have a lower chance of being adopted with the media continuing to slander their name. When people hear that the dog they are interested is half Pit Bull, most will immediately reconsider adoption. Most people will tend to steer away from the bully breeds, making them hard to be adopted out.
Most people, when they think of a Pit Bull, imagine a stocky, muscle-clad, steroid pumped beast with cropped ears and a thirst for blood. However, most of the time, the image that pops into peoples’ minds is actually not a Pit Bull at all, but a completely separate breed called the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The internet is falsely showing Staffordshires under the search term “Pit Bull,” telling people that Pit Bulls are these vicious looking dogs. Much of the blame and horror is misplaced. But even the Staffordshire is not to blame. Dogs act how they've been trained to act. They do what they are trained to do. A creature trained to be aggressive will be aggressive, but a creature trained to love will love. People cannot condemn an entire breed for the training that a few have received and acted on.
With correct training, Pit Bulls can be perfect, family-friendly dogs. Any dog has the potential to be a bad dog or a good one. Starting training as soon as possible and being consistent can create the perfect family dog out of any breed. Many people believe that Pit Bulls cannot live together because they may fight each other. One dog owner on Instagram proves this wrong as she documents the daily lives of her multiple rescue dogs, most of which are at least part Pit Bull. Her dogs live together peacefully. She also fosters dogs. She offers these dogs a second chance when most would turn away.
Pit Bulls can be incredibly friendly dogs, bonding with other dogs and their two-legged companions. Pit Bulls are breathtaking athletes which can excel in a variety of activities. Well-trained Pit Bulls can live in harmony with other dogs quite easily and in fact, enjoy the company of a furry companion in addition to their two-legged one. Pit Bulls are just like any other dog breed. They can be gentle and sweet, or they can be unpredictable and aggressive. It all depends on training. Any dog has the potential to be bad, and every dog has the potential to be good.