When my partner and I first got together, I was filled with dread at the thought of his three-year-old dog. It wasn’t due to any aggressive behavior or bad habits; my fear stemmed solely from her breed: pit bull.
I’m delighted to say that those initial feelings of apprehension quickly vanished. Seven years later, I wholeheartedly believe she’s one of the sweetest dogs imaginable. Each night, she twirls around in excitement, nudging her blankets to find the “perfect” sleeping spot. She’s affectionate, gentle, and exhibits a loyalty that surpasses any other dog I’ve known. I proudly embrace my role as her “forever-mommy.”
During my pregnancy with our first set of twins (yes, we have two), we received plenty of skeptical comments about whether we would “keep the dog.” She is family to us, so of course, we wouldn’t dream of letting her go. Yet, due to her breed, some people expressed concerns about our newborns’ safety. Now, with two sets of twins, we have four small children who have grown up alongside our cherished dog. Every morning, when my partner heads off to work, our loyal companion makes her rounds to check on all the kids—without fail.
In times of sickness, she instinctively provides comforting cuddles. She adores our children as if they were her own, and we couldn’t ask for a better family companion. Just look at her standing watch when I brought our first twins home from the hospital.
That’s the face of a good girl, if I’ve ever seen one.
However, if you were to ask the Supreme Court of Kansas, they would label her a “public-health hazard.” A. Public. Health. Hazard. My sweet girl? Every pit bull? Absolutely not. This type of discriminatory legislation is known as breed-specific legislation (BSL), which both the American Veterinary Medical Association and the ASPCA openly condemn.
What we should really be addressing is our misplaced bias and fear toward this breed. A dog’s behavior is not dictated by its breed. When pet shops allow anyone to purchase an animal without proper education or preparation, it inevitably leads to a greater number of improperly trained dogs.
With their muscular build and broad features, pit bulls can indeed appear intimidating based on looks alone. Unfortunately, this has led to a long history of abuse dating back over a thousand years. While dog fighting is illegal in all 50 states, underground fights continue for gambling and entertainment, often targeting pit bulls.
Some may argue (and I’m sure there will be comments) that we “got lucky” with our pit bull. In reality, anyone could make that claim about any well-behaved dog, regardless of breed. Once again, it’s not the breed that determines a dog’s behavior; it’s the owner and the environment. The media is well aware of the stigma surrounding pit bulls and capitalizes on it, further perpetuating fear and bias.
Additionally, while enthusiasts may disagree, the term “pit bull” does not refer to a single breed. As Bronwen Dickey, author of Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon, explains, “Like ‘hound,’ ‘pit bull’ is a ‘type.’” Within this type, there are four distinct breeds: the American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, and American bully. It’s important to note that the term often refers to dogs that simply resemble these breeds, even if they lack genetic ties. Studies have shown that many dogs identified as pit bulls do not share any of those breeds’ DNA.
Despite the absence of genetic similarities, pit bulls face widespread discrimination. For example, in a single day, a 59-year-old individual was hospitalized due to severe injuries from two pit bulls, while a 16-month-old tragically lost their life due to a mixed-breed dog attack. The incident involving the pit bulls made headlines 230 times across major news outlets like CNN, MSNBC, and FOX. In contrast, the fatal mixed-breed attack received only two reports from local media.
As Karen DeLise, a researcher with the National Canine Research Council, points out, “Clearly, a fatal attack by an unremarkable breed is not nearly as newsworthy as a non-fatal attack by a pit bull.”
In 2016, according to DogsBite.org, pit bulls had the highest number of dog-bite fatalities. However, it’s crucial to understand that these fatalities cannot be solely attributed to the breed. Pit bulls are not born aggressive toward humans; in fact, studies have indicated that chihuahuas are more likely to display aggressive behavior than pit bulls.
Pit bulls are tragically misunderstood and are among the most abused, feared, and euthanized dog breeds globally. In 2016, Brad Croft, operations director for Universal K9—a group that trains police K9s—rescued a pit bull named Kiah from a Texas shelter. After eight weeks of training, Kiah became New York state’s first pit bull K9. “If we were to have some kind of contest, she would outwork [the other dogs] all days of the week,” Croft told CBS News. Since then, over 50 pit bulls have joined police forces.
Just as we teach our children not to judge a book by its cover, we must not judge a dog by its breed. Rather than outright bans, let’s focus on educating dog owners. America has made strides by classifying animal cruelty as a felony, but more can be done to prevent inhumane treatment before it occurs.
And by the way, we loved our first pit bull so much that we decided to bring another into our home.
This article was originally published on November 27, 2019. If you’re interested in more insightful content, check out our post on home insemination for a deeper dive into related topics.