Responsible Pit Bull Ownership
Responsible Pit Bull Ownership
DeeAnna Rodriguez
Kaplan University
CM 220
American motivational speaker Wayne Dyer once said, “Judgments prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.” (Dyer, 2012). This quote holds true in relation to the public’s perception of “pit bull” type dogs. Pit bulls are often judged by their muscular bodies, large head, and strong jaws. Pit bulls are consistently portrayed in the media as aggressive as well. Because of this, pit bulls face a variety of different obstacles to overcome. From breed specific legislation (BSL), to dog fighting, to homelessness and euthanasia, the list of obstacles to overcome may seem impossible. However, “Experts say that five factors affect a dog 's tendency to bite: owner quality (quality of care, level of supervision provided); degree to which the dog has been habituated to people; training received (level and type); behavior of the victim; and genetic predisposition to be dangerously aggressive” (Pet Owner Liability, 2001).Only through education on the true nature of the breed and promotion of responsible ownership can pit bulls be helped.
One of the most serious threats that pit bulls face is breed specific legislation (BLS), often referred to as breed banning. A breed ban is a law where certain breeds of dog, often “pit bulls” are banned in certain areas. Breed specific legislation has been “developed as a reaction to the sense of a growing dog bite problem in communities (whether real or perceived)” (Wisch, 2008). American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and mixed-breed dogs with the characteristics of these breeds are all often categorized as pit bulls under these laws. In reality as reported by an article by Erin McCormick and Tom Wallack in the San Francisco Chronicle, “After all, German shepherds killed more people than any other dog in the late 1970s, when many people favored the breed for its fierce reputation. Then, for two
DeeAnna Rodriguez
Kaplan University
CM 220
American motivational speaker Wayne Dyer once said, “Judgments prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.” (Dyer, 2012). This quote holds true in relation to the public’s perception of “pit bull” type dogs. Pit bulls are often judged by their muscular bodies, large head, and strong jaws. Pit bulls are consistently portrayed in the media as aggressive as well. Because of this, pit bulls face a variety of different obstacles to overcome. From breed specific legislation (BSL), to dog fighting, to homelessness and euthanasia, the list of obstacles to overcome may seem impossible. However, “Experts say that five factors affect a dog 's tendency to bite: owner quality (quality of care, level of supervision provided); degree to which the dog has been habituated to people; training received (level and type); behavior of the victim; and genetic predisposition to be dangerously aggressive” (Pet Owner Liability, 2001).Only through education on the true nature of the breed and promotion of responsible ownership can pit bulls be helped.
One of the most serious threats that pit bulls face is breed specific legislation (BLS), often referred to as breed banning. A breed ban is a law where certain breeds of dog, often “pit bulls” are banned in certain areas. Breed specific legislation has been “developed as a reaction to the sense of a growing dog bite problem in communities (whether real or perceived)” (Wisch, 2008). American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and mixed-breed dogs with the characteristics of these breeds are all often categorized as pit bulls under these laws. In reality as reported by an article by Erin McCormick and Tom Wallack in the San Francisco Chronicle, “After all, German shepherds killed more people than any other dog in the late 1970s, when many people favored the breed for its fierce reputation. Then, for two
References: American Kennel Club. (2012). Akc meet the breeds®: American staffordshire terrier. Retrieved from http://www.akc.org/breeds/american_staffordshire_terrier/ American pit bull terrier Date, J., & Cook, T. (2007, July 18). Atlanta qb michael vick indicted in dogfight probe. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3387333&page=1 ESPN news services Gibson, H. (2005). Dog fighting detailed discussion. Retrieved from https://orgs.law.ucla.edu/moot/Competitors/Documents/Gibson.pdf via www.googlescholar.com (2012). International Business Times. (2012, Februrary 7). Pit bulls against mcdonald’s: Two other pulled mcdonald ads. International Business Times, Retrieved from Regional Buisness News item number 294500.20120207 McCormick, E., & Wallack, T