The prejudice against Pitbulls

M

Mid

Guest
Hello all!

I wanted to have a serious discussion but more importantly bring about awareness to the community. As people take the time to get to know me, they will notice that I'm an animal lover. More importantly, I'm a dog lover. I own three dogs; a Bichon, a Cockapoo and...

Bully_zpsb71cc4bf.jpg


What does she look like?

A pitbull?

Well, she's not. Bully (yes, that's her name) is a Dogo Argentino but is always confused for a "Pitbull." Did you know that technically "Pitbull" isn't a form a breed? It's more of a group of traits used to describe what a dog looks like, regardless of breeding from the size of their muzzle, to coloring, to the way they stand. It's a form of dog discrimination, technically.

When it comes to dog attacks in the USA, you will more then often hear about a "pitbull" attack then another type of breed attack but did you know that the dogs with the highest dog bite rates are Golden Retrievers, Labradors and Germen Shepherds? Pitbulls rank in the lowest.

People often associate Pitbulls with people who sell drugs, use them as fighters or any form of crim. Rarely if ever do you hear about these dogs being well...a dog. You would be surprised to see a worker of Wall St. walking their Pit down the streets of New York or a family of four playing in the park with these dangerous dogs. They are loving, compassionate and incredibly loyal yet have spent years upon years being abused and tossed into the darkness.

You know, when we first got Bully my mom was absolutely terrified of her because she has been bitten by other dogs (Yes, other dogs. A Germen shepherd and a Rottweiler) throughout life yet after taking the time to get to know her (with a bit of uncomfortable moments), she's gotten to know our dog. She loves her and often time plays with her, something she would have never done months ago.

It's all about perception and personal experience that plays a major role in these dogs lives. Yes, their lives.

Did you know in Denver, if they think your dog is a Pitbull they will take it from you and kill him or her? Of course they give you a chance for a hearing and may even allow you to rehome your dog…outside of Denver, but if you can't then they take your dog and kill it. It may not even be what is considered a Pit, but if they think it is then it's a dead dog walking.

They are banned in various counties throughout America due to attacks that happened on what some would say unsupervised children or irresponsible adults. Most people blame a dog's behavior on how they were bought up in life, excluding those exceptions of those who just have an attitude.

Here's a quote on "Advocate for Saving Dogs," a group you can find on Facebook (It's somewhat detailed, you've been warned) in regards to how they KILL dogs in shelters:
The shelter manager's letter:

"I am posting this (and it is long) because I think our society needs a huge wake-up call."

As a shelter manager, I am going to share a little insight with you all - a view from the inside, if you will.
Maybe if you saw the life drain from a few sad, lost, confused eyes, you would change your mind about breeding and selling to people you don't even know - that puppy you just sold will most likely end up in my shelter when it's not a cute little puppy anymore.

How would you feel if you knew that there's about a 90% chance that dog will never walk out of the shelter it is going to be dumped at - purebred or not! About 50% of all of the dogs that are "owner surrenders" or "strays" that come into my shelter are purebred dogs.
No shortage of excuses
The most common excuses I hear are:
We are moving and we can't take our dog (or cat).
Really? Where are you moving to that doesn't allow pets?
The dog got bigger than we thought it would.
How big did you think a German Shepherd would get?
We don't have time for her.
Really? I work a 10-12 hour day and still have time for my 6 dogs!
She's tearing up our yard.
How about bringing her inside, making her a part of your family?

They always tell me: We just don't want to have to stress about finding a place for her. We know she'll get adopted - she's a good dog. Odds are your pet won't get adopted, and how stressful do you think being in a shelter is?
Well, let me tell you. Dead pet walking!
Your pet has 72 hours to find a new family from the moment you drop it off, sometimes a little longer if the shelter isn't full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy.
If it sniffles, it dies.

Your pet will be confined to a small run / kennel in a room with about 25 other barking or crying animals. It will have to relieve itself where it eats and sleeps. It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that abandoned it.
If your pet is lucky, I will have enough volunteers that day to take him / her for a walk. If I don't, your pet won't get any attention besides having a bowl of food slid under the kennel door and the waste sprayed out of its pen with a high-powered hose.
If your dog is big, black or any of the "bully" breeds (pit bull, rottweiler, mastiff, etc) it was pretty much dead when you walked it through the front door. Those dogs just don't get adopted.
If your dog doesn't get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be destroyed.

If the shelter isn't full and your dog is good enough, and of a desirable enough breed, it may get a stay of execution, though not for long. Most pets get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed for showing aggression. Even the sweetest dogs will turn in this environment.
If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles, chances are it will get kennel cough or an upper respiratory infection and will be destroyed because shelters just don't have the funds to pay for even a $100 treatment.

The grim reaper
Here's a little euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being "put-down".
First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always look like they think they are going for a walk - happy, wagging their tails. That is, until they get to "The Room".

Every one of them freaks out and puts on the breaks when we get to the door. It must smell like death, or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there. It's strange, but it happens with every one of them. Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 vet techs (depending on their size and how freaked out they are). A euthanasia tech or a vet will start the process. They find a vein in the front leg and inject a lethal dose of the "pink stuff". Hopefully your pet doesn't panic from being restrained and jerk it's leg. I've seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the resulting blood, and been deafened by the yelps and screams.

They all don't just "go to sleep" - sometimes they spasm for a while, gasp for air and defecate on themselves.
When it all ends, your pet's corpse will be stacked like firewood in a large freezer in the back, with all of the other animals that were killed, waiting to be picked up like garbage.

What happens next? Cremated? Taken to the dump? Rendered into pet food? You'll never know, and it probably won't even cross your mind. It was just an animal, and you can always buy another one, right?

Liberty, freedom and justice for all
I hope that those of you that have read this are bawling your eyes out and can't get the pictures out of your head. I do everyday on the way home from work. I hate my job, I hate that it exists and I hate that it will always be there unless people make some changes and realize that the lives you are affecting go much farther than the pets you dump at a shelter.

Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in shelters and only you can stop it. I do my best to save every life I can but rescues are always full, and there are more animals coming in everyday than there are homes.
My point to all of this is DON'T BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER PETS DIE!

Hate me if you want to - the truth hurts and reality is what it is.
I just hope I maybe changed one person's mind about breeding their dog, taking their loving pet to a shelter, or buying a dog. I hope that someone will walk into my shelter and say "I saw this thing on craigslist and it made me want to adopt".
That would make it all worth it."

Author unknown
Click to expand...

Why did I bring this up?

Because I want people to care just as much as I care. I have every intention of of owning Pitbulls on death row later on in life. I have every intention of donating whatever amount of money I can and volunteering or fostering if it be allowed. I want other people to care just as much as I do, to be aware that that scary dog barking and growling at you may just be as afraid of you as you are of it. That the family dog may just be…the family dog. And there's no reason to kill a dog off just because "it may" do something or another because if we all followed life by that standard, then would the kids of future generations be here too? Keep that in mind.



http://defendpitbulls.com/
 
I love pitbulls and yes, I also found out during a class project that they aren't a breed at all. I've had pitbulls all my life and I hate that they're discriminated against. People are always blaming the wrong side of the leash as a poster once put it so eloquently.

I am a strong supporter of adopting rather than buying canine (or feline, lapine, etc) companions. The humane society is where I found my baby, Roxy. So many wonderful dogs (and other animals) wind up abandoned and killed because of stupidity and other "things."
 
In my experience, pit bulls are some of THE sweetest dogs on the planet. I have never seen another dog as playful or lovable as a pitty.

Additionally, (without clicking on any other links), did you know that pit bulls used to be considered the Nanny dog? They get along so well with children, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these dogs were used to rear and shepard people's childrens!
 
I always think its so wrong and short sighted by people who blame the breed when things go wrong, I have seen lovely pitbulls and demonic chihuahuas so in my eyes its the owner that is responsible for a dogs psyche and that every breed can just as likely be aggressive as it can be a sweet family dog. I've grown up with dogs my whole life, New foundlands, and ours have always been sweet and lovable but I've seen owners cause their dogs to become scared and nervous resulting in aggression and its always sad for the dogs who often gets put down when they could could have been rehabilitated if someone had the time and interest. It's the same problem when people cross breed every race possible mixing temperaments that shouldn't be mixed causing even more owners that can't handle their dog and so they get sent to shelters and likely death so while I support adopting animals it would be better to stop crossing breeds or at least stop mixing breeds that aren't compatible.

Here in Sweden its illegal to both breed and import pitbulls but we still see pitbulls here although they are called something else to get them to be legal but at least I don't think they'll take your dog and kill it even if they think its a pitbull, but as I've said before it's not the breed its the owner, if you have a calm leadership over your dog it will be the sweetest dog, many dogs try to be leaders instead of their owners and they can't handle that and lash out in aggression and fear because of it. If you watch Ceasar Millan you see many dogs who have a second chance because of his help, a lot of them dogs I wouldn't even go near and many of them are breeds not counted as aggressive by people, and not to mention his pack of many pitbulls and other so called aggressive dogs.
 
I remember talking to you somewhat about this Cosmos, it was quite interesting to read some of the info in here though. I never knew that pit bulls were considered nanny animals back then. I had heard they were affectionate but I didn't know just how much.

I will still be buying my dog from a breeder though even after reading all of this. My reasons are quite simple too. I'm going to be getting a German Shepherd Dog, for me it is going to be the perfect dog. It has all the traits I was looking for in a dog. One that has a fair amount of energy to go running and jogging with, a trainable dog that is willing and would love to learn new things. I wouldn't be training the dog to be a guard dog at all, but they are a protective dog which would be nice in the event that I ever have a less than friendly run in. That's just to name a few of their wonderful traits. But the biggest reasons for me wanting to buy from a breeder over adopt from a shelter is the fact that the breed often suffers from hip and elbow dysplasia. Something that when working with good breeders that are breeding for the good of the animal over making money is something that can be more assuredly to not occur, most of the better ones even will offer to exchange a puppy if they end up sick. Another fact is that I would want to raise my puppy from the very start so that I can do everything and anything with it. So this is why I have chosen to buy from a breeder when getting my GSD. Trust me this been done on a whim either I have been researching dozens of different breeds over the past few years.

But my whole breeder rant is more just focused on that particular dog, one that I would be getting just for myself to be my companion. While I owned my GSD and I decided I wanted another dog, or I had a significant other that wanted to get a dog I would likely head straight to the animal shelter and look at the animals there. I had never really considered what type of breed I would look for, but I will consider a pit bull type of dog now.

Though I swear if anyone ever attempted to have my dog put down I would be so distraught and angry. It would especially irritate me if the reason they wanted to put my dog down was because their child got bit, a child that was unsupervised and went around petting unknown animals without first asking. The same goes for any adult that would do that as well. I think it would be common sense to first ask the owner if it was okay that they pet an unknown animal but I guess not.
 
In the documentary I was watching, they took this lady's dog from her home and she had managed to rehome her dog for a while however the person her dog, Coco, was with was mistreating her. So the lady took Coco back and they found out about it, took the dog again and denied her a hearing because she had declined one the first time. She said that her dog looked so depressed and was a completely different dog in the shelter that they ended up putting her down. When they returned Coco, it was her ashes.

NYC has a "No Breed discrimination" ban in effect which is something other states/counties are trying to get in place.

All three of my dogs I got from different situations. Bichon (Yes, that's his name and breed) from a pet store I worked at for a week. He was four months old and it seemed no one wanted him. He was becoming incredibly depressed being the biggest dog (considering his breed) out of all the other dogs and would often just throw himself in a corner and lay there, sad. I spoke with the owner and she convinced me to take him, honestly I had every intention too. He's well loved and often referred to as "The old man."

Biscuit, my Cockapoo we got from a stranger who had to get rid of his dog's puppies as soon as possible. We fell in love with a dog who poked her tongue out at us and since then, she's become known as our "Master Escapee." Fleeing gates, cages and even balconies but she's the most loyal dog we have and loving. My brother's a macho man but he always sneaks in my room to say hi to her and flip her over (something that she does enjoy).

With Bully, a girl owns six dogs and had to get rid of her. We got her at five months and she's been a pain in the butt ever since (it took us about two months to name her) yet every time I walk out my room, she's there waiting with a tail wag. I open my arms, say hug and she jumps up and wraps her arms around me and cuddles or just stays there laying against me (I gotta record it one day) as if she were a child. My mom's like holy crap because she's never seen a dog do that.

I consider all three of my dogs rescues in their own way and I couldn't dream of giving them up for anything.

Yesterday, me and Super Cat were talking and I told him about a time where my brother and I were at the store. He was outside with Bully and this little boy, about 2 or 3 years old ran charging at her in an attempt to touch her. The mother didn't realize it until she saw Bully stand up on her hind legs and started running, almost screaming to get her son. My brother told me what happened and I asked him what did he do. He said nothing, it's her fault if her son got bit because he had her on the leash and no kid should be running up to his dog to touch it (But let's be real, he's so embarrassed by Bully because instead of the "tough" dog, she makes love to everybody she sees).

Another time, I had found a dog in the hallway years ago and I walked him everywhere trying to see if his owners would spot him. My cousin was with Cujo (he was an evil evil little dog) outside the laundry shop and tells me, "Tiff...you see those little kids over there? (They were all around the ages of 7-9) They just asked me if they could poke Cujo with a stick." Which left me incredibly dumb founded.

A lack of awareness and knowledge leads to situations like this. It's just so troubling. =/
 
from what i've seen, it depends on how the dog is treated/trained by their owners. it's depressing though that "pitbulls" get a lot of negative attention in the media because it just spreads and causes people to jump to all kinds of conclusions about a dog from site. i have a similar issue; fen my dog(short for fenris) is a big boy and quite a barker, so people get really nervous around him. but he's really gentle and just gets excited when he sees new people.
 
Go to a dog park and see how the owners and dogs interact with one another. I swear to god it's like a reality show. 9 times out of 10, a dog acting aggressive is because its owners failed to train it properly. I've seen different breeds of dogs bite and snarl and you know what those owners did?

They either did nothing or just petted the dog. >.>

Unless a dog has a past history of abuse, I typically blame the aggressive behavior on the owners.
 
I don't think "pit bulls" or similar dogs are bad dogs at all. Dogs are all inherently good in my opinion. It's definitely how dogs are raised.

I've known some pit bulls and they were very sweet dogs. But it isn't -all- how they are raised. Pits were, unfortunately, originally bred as fighting dogs. They were bred for their jaw, which locks onto whatever they are attacking. If a golden retriever bites you, it's a snappy bite. They bite, then they're done. Not even that deep. Maybe you need a few stitches. If a pit bites, it locks onto what it's biting with its jaw and it can't let go. It just keeps knawing you until it turns into a deadly situation. It can't help it because it was bred that way.

Owners of pits (and all dogs in general) need to know what they're doing and take care of their dog, most importantly, they need to love it. I believe that pits are sweet , loyaldogs to own and you can own one it's whole life without it attacking anything, but they have the potential to be a quite deadly breed of dog because it's just how they are built. It's like raising a lion, it can be a loving and gentle animal but under the right circumstances it can be a deadly animal so you need to know what you're doing.

As for the shelter story, it disgusts me so much that people just throw away their pets because they "don't have the time" or can't handle the "stress." It bothers me as much as people who leave their dogs tied up in the yard 24/7. They don't seem to realize that dogs are members of the family and want to be treated as such. When you toss away your dog at a shelter, especially a kill-shelter, it's like tossing away a family member or good friend to be killed. I could never do that. And how would you like to be tied up in the yard 24/7 and neglected? Humans annoy me sometimes.
 
My personal opinion... it has nothing to do with the dog, but everything to do with the breeder/owner. Pits [or what ever 'breed' they are] are amazingly loyal, loving and caring dogs... When treated right! If you breed/train the dog to be a bastard, it will act like a bastard. Nuff said.
 
"Pits" do NOT have locking jaws.

On this topic Dr. 1. Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia wrote:
"The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of pit bulls show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no different than that of any breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of "locking mechanism" unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier."

The 'pit bull' has powerful jaws, but they are not alone in this. This is yet another myth - that 'pit bulls' are more dangerous because they have the most powerful bite. Most large breeds and cross breeds have a very strong bite, and even smaller dogs can inflict a bite powerful enough to kill.

The other big thing is that these breeds weren't bred for fighting, rather for hunting purposes. They were meant to deal with semi-feral hogs and cattle in the UK before they came over the Americas.
 
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