Pit Bull Propaganda and BSL

Pit Bull Propaganda and BSL

"A DOG IS THE ONLY THING ON EARTH THAT LOVES YOU, MORE THAN HE LOVES HIMSELF"

For years, the media has aired videos and news stories about Pit Bulls attacking people or mauling a child and the public has developed a very negative and fearful view of these dogs because of it. Now while they were only reporting incidents that took place, the actual facts are not always reported correctly because let's be honest....a lesser breed doesn't always get great ratings....Pit Bull attacks get great ratings and sadly not every news story is reported correctly with other breeds often being mistaken for and labeled as "Pit Bulls". The TRUTH is that MOST of the public is NOT aware that there are a number of myths surrounding pit bulls that contribute to the negative stereotype associated with them and the media only fuels the fire.Not to mention that for every "one" isolated attack by a Pit Bull whose owner has failed him that the news media reports...there are "thousands" of well balanced, gentle, loving and loyal family pets that do heroic and amazing things every day that you don't see on the news. Below with our good friend Officer Michele Pesses who helps so many of these dogs get off the streets and in good, responsible homes is Capone (my Service Dog), Lexi who is a rehabilitated "fighting" dog and kissing Michele is Moo Moo who was rescued by Michele after being chained to an abandoned building and left to die. Two of these dogs suffered horrible abuse and neglect at the hands of humans but all three are very well balanced, sweet natured and stable dogs that love people of all ages. 

Below are some facts about these dogs that a lot of people are not aware of and some video showing another side to them that to most television stations is not "newsworthy" enough which is why the public only sees the stories of an attack. Thank you to the stations that have gone "Out of the Box" and reported the positive stories as well. Please take a few moments and educate yourselves before you pass judgment on a loyal and noble animal such as the Pit Bull. You may be surprised......  

  


My Own Service Dog... "Capone"




 Many of the negative myths are unfair and do not accurately represent pit bulls.  On this page, you will see video of Pit Bulls in the news doing positive things and photos and news clips of these amazing dogs in their true glory. With this we hope to educate the public on the true nature of this breed and help you to understand that it is humans that are to blame for the negativity surrounding these dogs. When it comes to Pit Bulls, the "BEAST" is often the human animal on the OTHER end of the leash. While I do NOT support breed bans in any way, I truly believe that for anyone to own one of these dogs, they should be required to take a class to educate themselves on the breed characteristics, training and housing requirements for them. Then they should have to pass a test and be licensed by the state to own one. The true lovers and responsible owners of these dogs would happily do this if it meant it would help stop the breed from falling into the wrong hands and that in turn would reduce the number of negative incidents and greatly improve the reputation of what was once considered a great, and loyal  family dog.

 First off, many people do not understand that pit bulls are not a breed of dog. In fact, many pit bull breeds fall under the blanket "pit bull" category. These include:

• Alano Espanol
• American Pit Bull Terrier
• American Staffordshire Terrier
• Cane Corso
• Cordoba Fighting Dog
• Dogue de Bordeaux
• Japanese Tosa
• Perro de Presa Canario 

• In some cases, pit bulls myths stem from the way in which people see pit bull owners and/or breeders treat these dogs. Because pit bulls are typically large, muscular and intimidating in appearance, pit bull puppies are regularly bought by people who want a mean, scary dog or by thug-types who want to impress their friends with an aggressive dog.
  
  Please do not support the punishment of Pit Bulls for the sins of some of the unscrupulous people who own them.
  There are many kind and responsible people who have Pit Bulls as members of their family. These dogs do not pose a threat to anyone. We should not be denied our loving Pit Bull companions because some people chose to make their dogs aggressive. Also, if Pit Bulls are banned they will still be in the hands of the criminal because they have no respect for the law. Criminals will still fight Pit Bulls and breed Pit Bulls. The only people a pit bull ban will hurt, will be the law-abiding good citizens who can provide loving homes for them. Pit Bull rescue groups like ours would not be able to operate if they were banned. We would not be able to rescue Pit Bulls from the shelter and adopt them out. Backyard breeders would be the only ones creating Pit Bulls and rescue would not have the ability to continue its good work.  
• While any dog can become aggressive and mean if it is mistreated, with the proper training, and RESPONSIBLE owners, pit bulls can be as loving and loyal as any other type of dogs. 
   

NOTE: Although pit bulls can exhibit a level of animal aggression ranging from nonexistent to very high or somewhere in between - That is a statement that is true for all dog breeds. To date, there is no identified “fighting gene” that determines which dogs will be animal aggressive and which dogs will not. Even pit bulls with fighting histories have proven manageable around other dogs. We do it here every day.  Knowing how your dog will behave around other dogs is an important part of being a responsible dog owner. More importantly, there is absolutely no relationship between animal aggression and human aggression. Pit bulls might exhibit an above-average tendency toward dog aggression relative to other breeds, but human aggression has never been a normal trait in these breeds. Pit bulls were not bred to fight humans or for guarding purposes. A common fallacy is the notion that pit bulls are the only dogs that have been historically bred for “fighting.” This is demonstrably false. A large number of dog breeds have been bred to chase, fight, and kill other animals, yet nobody seems to fret about human or animal aggression in Dachshunds, Greyhounds, Whippets, Irish Wolfhounds, Coonhounds, Foxhounds, Beagles, Jack Russell Terriers, and nearly every other dog in the terrier group. Cropped ears are not an indicator of a dog's background. Some dogs bred for the pit have cropped ears; some don’t. Both ABPT and AST show dogs often have cropped ears, but many others have natural ears. Being a larger and stronger dog in general means that when there is a bite or an attack, more damage can be done in a short period of time, but once again, human aggression and animal aggression are entirely unrelated behaviors.

MYTH: Pit bulls attack without warning or provocation.
FACT:  The Pit Bull Placebo states, the classification of an attack as unprovoked is usually based on the declarations of owners who are unable to understand canine behavior, or are too busy to have seen the signals dogs usually display through body language or vocalization. Dogs do this with stares; body stiffening; positioning of ears, tail and head; and growling, to name only a few. Pit bulls give these signals as much as any other breed of dog.
Additionally, dog attacks tend to be a result of several factors that are statistically more dangerous than a simple breakdown of breed culpability. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, these factors are:
• Breeding: Dogs that are bred to be aggressive will be aggressive regardless of the breed.
• Socialization: Puppies need socialization to learn how to live in human society.
• Training: Beyond socialization, puppies need training so they will at least obey basic commands.
• Health: Some dogs bite because they are uncomfortable or in pain.
• Spayed or Neutered: 97 percent of dogs involved in fatal dog attacks in 2006 were not sterilized.
• Tethering: One out of every four fatal dog attacks involves a chained dog.

MYTH: Pit Bulls have "LOCKING" jaws...
FACT: There is no factual research to support this claim. Pit bulls’ jaws are the same as any other breed of dog.
There are statements by experts that refute the locking myth, such as:
• Dr. I. Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia conducted research on the functional morphology of the jaws of various breeds and showed that:
“…there were no mechanical or morphological differences between the jaws of American Pit Bull Terriers and those of any of the other comparable breeds of dogs which we studied. In addition, we found that the American Pit Bull Terriers did not have any unique mechanism that would allow these dogs to lock their jaws.”
• Dr. Howard Evans (professor emeritus, College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., and author of the world’s definitive work on canine anatomy [Anatomy of the Dog]), in conjunction with Dr. Sandy deLahunta, one of the foremost dog neurologists in the country, along with Dr. Katherine Houpt, a leading dog behaviorist, wrote the following statement about the supposed “locking jaw” in pit bulls:
“We all agree that the power of the bite is proportional to the size of the jaws and the jaw muscles. There is no anatomical structure that could be a locking mechanism in any dog.

MYTH: Pit bulls have worse temperaments than other dogs.
FACT: In a recent study of 122 dog breeds by the American Temperament Testing Society, pit bulls had a passing rate of 83.9%. That was better than miniature poodles (76.6%), beagles (80.3%) and collies (79.4%).
 
MYTH: Pit bulls do not feel pain.
FACT: While most dogs do not respond to pain while in the frenzied state of a severe attack, pit bulls feel pain just like other breeds do.
Pit bulls have the same nervous system as any other breed, and they do feel pain. Historically, dogs that would tolerate or ignore discomfort and pain and finish the task they were required to perform were the dogs that were bred and the type of dogs breeders strove to produce. This is the trait of “gameness” that so many breed fanciers speak of, which may be defined as “The desire to continue on and/or complete a task despite pain and discomfort.”

By Amy Lester, NEWS

A family dog made a lifesaving move when the family needed him most.

A Pit Bulls Prayer

Spirit in the sky, who watches over all animals: It is my prayer and my request that you grant greater understanding, and acceptance to humans; those who love us, and those who hate us.

That they will know how loyal we are, how brave we are, and how loving we are. Help them to accept us as a breed in whole, and not let the few tragedies shine brighter than the many great traits that we have.

And those who would kill me, let them know, I forgive them, even though I dont understand their hatred. And those who would beat me, let them know I still love them, even though it is not the honorable way.

Thank you for all the strong traits that you have given to me, and my breed. Help those to know that I stand for courage, strength, loyalty, and bravery. And as my master already knows, let those who would come against my family know that I would surely die defending them.

And just one last thing that I would ask: Let my master know, that if you should call me away, that I will wait patiently at those pearly gates until the one who chose me, comes home.

Amen.