She can be cradled in your hands weighing only nine pounds. Although her eyes are heavy and heartbeat slow her tail wags vigorously because your touch shows her something she hasn’t been able to experience yet: love. As you cradle her against your chest you feel her warmth and she gives out a little whimper and her eyes open. That’s why you picked her – those beautiful blue eyes as pure as her sole, and that cute little white bone-shaped spot on her back. She is your new puppy, and she is a Pit Bull.
You named her Marley before Marley and Me was a thing. You made sure to put her through obedience school so that she would listen if you told her to stay or sit – you didn’t want her to have any confrontations that could get her into trouble, but Marley was incapable of being the slightest bit scary. You spent more summer hours trying to get her to sit in two inches of water in a kiddy pool than you should have. Every time you told her to sit she would, but it was more of a hovering squat normally assumed when female dogs relieve themselves. When you brought her for a playdate with your in-laws wieners she was more interested in forming a literal puppy pile. She has always been one for cuddling whether it is with a friend or in a blanket. Soon you realized she was frightened by squirrels that would climb up the trees and held grudges when you wouldn’t let her sleep in your room. Despite your shoves and “no’s” she would always lick your face, leaving you perfumed with dog breath.
Pit Bulls are the most euthanized breed, very few of them will ever find a forever home. The term “Pit Bull” isn’t actually a breed, it consists of three similar breeds that have been grouped into one name: American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes consist of the majority of shelter intakes nationally. Many shelters euthanize Pit Bulls as soon as they are taken in. The shelters that do give these animals a chance at adoption typically choose to euthanize them before any other breed when their shelters become over crowded. Estimates of Pit Bulls euthanized each year vary, but the low end is around 1 million, that’s 2,800 each day. The ASPCA estimates 1.2 million dogs of any breed are euthanized a year…meaning the majority of the dogs in the United States being euthanized are Pit Bulls. These numbers don’t even include the ones killed or left to die by irresponsible owners.
So what’s the problem? It’s not just that shelters aren’t giving Pit Bulls a chance, it’s that we aren’t giving them a chance. Due to people not wanting to adopt them they aren’t getting adopted. Instead they are going into shelters, and those shelters know that their adoption rate is low and that is why they are first to be killed. The main reason people don’t want them is because we are afraid they will hurt us because of stories we've heard on the media. There is this idea of a locking jaw, where a dog goes to bite a person and their jaw locks shut so they can shake their head without losing grip. Pits are believed to have this feature, but they don’t – no dog breed does. Pits are labeled an aggressive breed and thought to be more likely to attack than other dogs – wrong. A study of 122 dog breeds by the American Temperament Testing Society (ATTS) found Pit Bulls achieved a passing rate of 83.9%, compared to Beagles who had a 78.2% and Golden Retrievers who got an 83.2%. What dogs didn’t do so well? The Chihuahua was the worst at 68.3% followed by the Dachshund at 68.8% and the Chow Chow. Even the Dalmatian scored worse than the Pit Bull. Despite their scary reputation, the United Kennel Club doesn't recommended using Pit Bulls as guard dogs because they're too friendly with strangers. Pits wouldn’t be good in a home with children because they would lose their temper and snap – false. Pits consistently score in the top 5 for the most stable dog breed. Do you recall in Peter Pan the Newfoundland called Nana who was a nanny to the children? In real life those dogs were Pit Bulls. They were actually considered the perfect nanny dogs because they were patient and obedient. Do you recall The Little Rascals or Homeward Bound? Pit Bulls.
All of the stories you hear about Pits attacking people are real, I can’t hide that fact. However, other dogs attack people too, but since Pits have such a reputation their stories are the only ones that get published. Almost all Pit Bull attacks involve dogs that have not been spayed or neutered. Serious Pit Bull attacks rarely involve spayed/neutered dogs who have been through proper training and socialization. The hormones in dogs that haven’t been spayed or neutered can make them more aggressive, especially when it comes to the heightened need to express dominance, claim property and mate. Pits are like any other dog, if they can be raised in a good environment, trained, socialized, and fixed, it is highly unlikely they will be aggressive.


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