Pit Bulls Misunderstood Breed

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Pit Bulls Misunderstood Breed

Introduction

Currently, there is an ongoing debate concerning the dangerous nature of pit bulls, as well as their impact on society. This paper seeks to give a critical analysis concerning why pit bulls are viewed in a negative manner, and what should be done to reverse this notion among people. If this issue is not addressed, there might be no more pit bulls left. Pit bulls are certain breeds of dogs, and found mostly in America. It is a breed that has brought a lot of debate, as well as controversy. The controversy is majorly brought in regard to it being kept as a pet. The pit bull has been widely prohibited in numerous American states. The pit bull has been portrayed negatively for many years, in areas where they exist mostly, that is, the United Kingdom and the United States. The negative depiction of the pit bull is mainly through the attacks that it has been involved in against owners and the general public. The fatalities that have been caused by the pit bull against humans according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention are many. From the year 1979, until 1998 report indicated that the pit bull was involved in the fatalities for 66 of 238 people in that duration within the United States (D’Avino, 2010.1).

Background

The origin of the pit bull was as a result of the cross-breeding between the pit bull and the bull dog. The terriers were known to love playing, and thus embracing games, while the bull dog is known for its athletic nature and incredible strength. The main purpose of the cross-breeding was to have an offspring that exhibited the characteristics of strength, athleticism and playfulness. The introduction of the pit bull in the United States from the United Kingdom in the 1870s was mainly for the purpose of companion, hunting and security. During this time, when animals were mainly being involved in ring fighting, the pit bull was seen as being quite strong. In 1898, the pit bull was registered under the United Kennel Club whose chairman C. Bennet registered his owned pit bull, and named it American pit bull terrier (American Pit Bull Registry, 2012.1).

The pit bull later on, became a key symbol of loyalty to groups and organizations, such as the Buster Brown, Little Rascals, and even the RCA recording company (Morral, 2012.1). It also portrayed a sense of dependability as well as sturdiness. With time, the pit bull was spotted by United States law enforcers, who resorted to train the pit bulls to be used as police dogs and used to search for criminals hidden in various places. The pit bull is also used in several places such as medical research centers, for therapy purposes. Ranch owners also adopt the pit bull as farm dogs, and are able to provide security against intruders.

The United Kennel Club made the place where pit bull owners came to register their dogs. There existed a lot of financial obstacles that made many people fail to register their pit bulls because it required a lot of money to register a pit bull. As a result, of the failure to register the pit bulls, the total population of the pit bulls has become difficult to determine. On a more positive aspect when World War I commenced in 1914, the pit bull was widely used in the war as the canine mascot especially in America (American Pit Bull Registry, 2012.1). The famous pit bull Sergeant Stubby of 1917 was applauded for saving the lives of numerous American soldiers in France, and even solely capturing a German soldier believed to be spying the American marines (Morral, 2012.1).

Critical Analysis of why pit bull is a misunderstood breed

The main reasons why the pit bull breed has been portrayed negatively in the media and other platforms is mainly due its aggressive nature. The American pit bull terrier breed is widely reported for attacking humans, causing serious injuries, trauma and ultimately death. The aggression of the pit bull terrier is mainly the cause why the FBI and the CIA have reported that it is widely used in the guarding of illegal trade such smuggling and narcotics. It has been widely reported that the pit bull is widely used in facilitating attacks against police officers in operations against crime. The attacks have made numerous states ban the ownership of the pit bull in its jurisdiction. There are over 650 cities in numerous states that have restricted keeping of the pit bull. The states, including Denver, Florida, Miami, and Colorado, which have restricted, pit bulls from ownership (DogsBite.org Some Dogs Don’t Let Go, 2011.1). This position is extremely impractical because one cannot change the nature of pit bulls. They are naturally aggressive, and thus should only be owned by people who will not make them become aggressive. Furthermore, the ban is encouraged because it will reduce the number of people who own the pit bulls. In turn, only law enforcement agencies should have the mandate to own pit bulls.

The owners of the pit bulls being kept across the country are to blame for the fatalities linked to the attacks. Research has indicated that the pit bull breed can become docile, just like other dog breeds, but the owners are to blame for the aggression. The pit bull is used by thugs and amateur gangs, who are trying to intimidate the public as well the authorities. Many owners of pit bulls are blamed for having ill motives, as far as the adoption of the pit bull is concerned. It is also said that a well bred and properly reared pit bull is quite docile, and it will not attack strangers. The maltreatment of the dog accompanied by being used to violent environments makes it aggressive according to the Los Angeles’ Villalobos Rescue Centre owner Tia Maria Torres. The rescue center is used as an orphanage for pit bulls (Coile, 2001. 32).

It has been a norm that the pit bull causes serious injuries to people, for the owners to blame the nature and the immediate environment. The pit bulls are trained to attack by being exposed to violent environment and even in various occasions being beaten to raise their anger, due to their genetically aggressive characteristics. The owners are blamed for not letting the dog stay in its fixed premises, but also letting them roam free and unsupervised increasing the potential for a dangerous situation. This position is extremely practical as people are the ones to blame for the attacks on people by pit bulls. Owners usually train their pit bull to be aggressive, while others even neglect them. In turn, the pit bulls attack people as it has no control over its behavior. This is why one can claim that most times people tend to misunderstand the behavior of pit bulls.

The 2011 dog bite statistics show that out of 31 dog bites in the United States, 22 dog bites were caused by the pit bulls. This is close to 71% of the total dog bites, despite the low number of the pit bulls in the country that amounts to only 5%. The population of the pit bulls shows that almost 80% of the pit bulls caused injuries to the population. Statistics from 2005 showed that pit bulls have killed almost 127 American citizens, the highest, as compared to the Rottweiler and other breeds (DogsBite.org Some Dogs Don’t Let Go, 2011.1).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the pit bull is portrayed negatively, and this should not be the case. The attacks against human beings are mainly a direct result of the owner’s irresponsibility and human aggression, and people view them negatively. The aggression and injuries caused by the pit bull are mainly blamed on its irresponsible owners, who are known to encourage the aggressive nature of the pit bull. Unfortunately, the actions from these owners or lack of education of current owners have caused the saddening statistical data for 71% of the dog bites in 2011, which were mainly caused by the pit bulls in the United States (DogsBite.org Some Dogs Don’t Let Go, 2011.1). I concur with the mentioned position as it gives a more practical solution as compared to the others. It is a known fact that dogs behave similar to how their owners act towards them. In this case, most owners tend to teach their pit bulls to be aggressive and fierce. Indeed, pit bulls should not be blamed for their behavior because it is human beings that have made them that way.

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Works Cited

D’avino, Grantland. “The Pit Bull Problem: “Statistics”.” The Trentonian. N.p., 03 Jul 2010. Web. 22 Jan 2012. HYPERLINK “http://www.trentonian.com/articles/2010/07/03/news/doc4c2fab7309d7d996640777.txt?viewmode=fullstory”http://www.trentonian.com/articles/2010/07/03/news/doc4c2fab7309d7d996640777.txt?viewmode=fullstory

American Pit Bull Registry. Web. 22 Jan. 2012. HYPERLINK “http://www.pitbullregistry.com/PitBull History.htm”http://www.pitbullregistry.com/PitBull History.htm

Coile, D. Pit Bulls for Dummies. Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing Inc, 2001.Print.

“DogsBite.org Some Dogs Don’t Let Go.” 2011 Dog Bite Fatalities. Lynn Media Group,

18 Jan. 2012. Web. 21 Jan. 2012. HYPERLINK “http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-fatalities-2011.php”http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-fatalities-2011.php

Morral, Timothy. “Pitbull 411.” History of the Pitbull. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. HYPERLINK “http://www.pitbull411.com/history.html”http://www.pitbull411.com/history.html

Raymond, Joan. “The Pit Bull Problem.” The Pit Bull Problem. 29 Oct. 2009. Web. 21 Jan. 2012. HYPERLINK “http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/10/29/the-pit-bull-problem.html”http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/10/29/the-pit-bull-problem.html