Pitbull: Misunderstood Or Dangerous?

Milledgeville, GA- In August of 2021 a Staffordshire terrier mix named Nala lost her life in Vernon Florida. She was taken from the rescue she had been saved by and put into a foster to adopt situation. Within 24 hours she was allegedly murdered by her adopters with no known reason why. Public outrage was swift when Furever Bully Love Rescue made the announcement of Nala’s death, yet many other people said she deserved it being what she was: A Pitbull.

With this incident, there is no doubting the divide among people across the globe in perceptions of the Pitbull breed. Some people think they are misunderstood victims of breed discrimination , abuse, and abandonment. Yet others say they should be outright banned everywhere because they are dangerous killers. But where does the truth lie?

There seems to be some confusion as to what a Pitbull is. The American Kennel Club does not recognize the Pitbull as a breed because in the late 1800s, they did not want to be associated with dog fighting as a dog registry organization. However the American Dog Breeders Association and the United Kennel Club do recognize the Pitbull as a breed. The AKC recognizes the American Staffordshire Terrier where UKC and ADBA does not.

So, what exactly is a Pitbull? Many call all stocky dogs Pitbulls but that is not the case. “Pit bull is actually an umbrella term rather than a specific breed,” said Dr. Pamela Reid, the vice president of the ASPCA anti-cruelty behavior team. There are about 18 million Pitbulls in the US today. Dr. Pamela Reid says, ''With the pit bull we have this pervasive label that encompasses a variety of purebred dogs as well as mixes that share characteristics but not DNA, like American pit bull terriers, Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American bulldogs. 'Pit bull' is now a label for any medium to large, muscular, short-coated dog with a blocky, disproportionately large head.''

The numbers and statistics do support the premise that the Pitbull are dangerous, however those statistics are only a fraction of the animals in the populace. According to dogbite.org there were 44 people were killed in dog bite incidents in 2020. Of those 44, 33 were considered Pitbull attacks. But again, how do we know that they were not mislabeled dogs?

Kate Horowitz argues that reports are disproportionate in dog attacks. “Researchers cite, about 46 percent of American dogs are mutts, but 90 percent of dogs named by the media in attack stories were labeled with a single breed or type (often pit bull). The numbers just don’t add up.”

Some cities and states have enacted Breed Specific Legislation that limits or even bans outright the ability to have Pitbull type dogs within their limits. However, these types of laws do not diminish the number of dog attacks. People that support these laws do so with the misconception that these animals are vicious and more dangerous than other dog breeds. In truth, the “bully breeds” are loving, derpy, loyal dogs and great with children. Many Victorian photographs of family life you will see a mother, father, children, and right in the middle, the “nanny dog” a Pitbull type dog watching over his charge.

When asked what made him choose to adopt his two pitbulls Dylan Patterson replied, “I picked Ares because he was the only one not acting crazy and barking and just sat there and looked at me cutely Hades was my wife Savannah’s fault. I think it was just because he was a cute little puppy and was returned twice by previous owners that adopted him.”

So where did it all go wrong? Temperance testing shows that the Pitbull breed was the second most tolerant breed of dog; the Golden Retriever being the most tolerant. Another myth is that they have the most powerful bite among canine breeds. It has been shown through testing that the German Shepherd has the most powerful bite of any of the breeds. Pitbulls are also not “naturally” aggressive towards other animals or humans; they also feel pain as much as any other breed of dog.

In recent years the Pitbull has been stigmatized as being overly aggressive and dangerous because they have all been put in the same category even though they are not the same “type” of dog. About 1.2 million dogs are killed in shelters around the country a year. Of that about forty percent are “Pitbull type” dogs, yet those statistics could be argued against as many dogs are often mislabeled in a shelter situation. So that makes the number right at 800,000.

So, while they are the first to be euthanized, they are the third likely to be adopted. When asked “In your experience working at Baldwin County Animal Shelter are Pitbulls and other bully breeds inherently more dangerous than other breeds?” Ashton Branch, adoption coordinator for Baldwin County Animal Shelter said, “Absolutely not. Quite the opposite.”

She went on to say, “Pitbulls are more likely to forgive people after trauma and actually learn to trust again more quickly than other breeds, in my experience. We also find that Pitbulls who are uncomfortable in the shelter environment (or in general) are more likely, than other breeds, to attempt to convey that to a human before striking out.”

Zoe Carbajales, former Board Member Secretary of the Hudson County SPCA says “Pitbulls get a bad rap. At my time at the shelter, we had so many loving bully breeds that were victims of neglect and abuse simply because of what they were.” Pitbulls do have a bad reputation. They are stereotyped as being the most aggressive dog in the world by the public. However, so many Pitbulls have come forward as heroes for their handlers changing the face of the breed.

James Souter says that a Pitbull can be as good as gold, but it all depends on the person that has them. So, when asking if a bully breed is dangerous, one must remember that any dog can be dangerous regardless of breed. Dangerous dogs can be any size or breed so yes, there may be dangerous bully breeds, but there are dangerous Huskies, Akitas, Chows, and Chihuahuas as well.

It is important to remember that a Pitbull or any other Bully breed that has responsible handlers are no more dangerous than any other dog. Many bully type dogs are often loyal affectionate animals and are good family pets. With adoption of a shelter “Bully”, you may not know what they have been through in their lives, so a temperance test should be done. However, most shelters in the US require temperance testing to determine if a dog is adoptable or not.

Greg Howell, a Pitbull owner, adopted his dog Paige, who is a Pitbull, from the Baldwin County animal Shelter. When asked why you would adopt a Pitbull over any other breed at the shelter, he replied, “I’ve always liked bulldogs and I wanted to prove that if raised right, they are not a vicious breed.”

When asked what her temperament is liked in comparison to their dog Twinkie who is not a pit, he says, “Paige is more outgoing but still tenderhearted.”

With all the evidence that has come out recently regarding bully breeds, education should be at the forefront of this debate so that these animals are treated just like any other breed. Yes, there are groups of people that say “Ban the Pitbull” by coming up with more breed specific laws, however what would the full scope of banning entail?

According to Kennel to Couch.org, the Pitbull is considered a working dog. These animals are high energy and born to be athletes or have some other type of “job”. The Pitbull breed is now used for guide dogs, medical alert Service Dogs, PTSD and Psychiatric Response Service dogs just to name a few. They are also used in nursing homes to help the residents cope as Emotional Support Animals.

The Pitbull and other bully breeds offer so much more than just being a family pet. So, to eradicate the breed would affect so many more people that have them as more than a family pet. These dogs are a lifeline to those with disabilities, so how as a society can we eradicate these animals that help so many people?