Pay a visit to Louisville's Metro Animal Services on any day of the week, any week of the year, and there will be pit bulls and litters of pit bulls up for adoption. It's a sad scene considering the reputation pit bulls have garnered in the last several years and and their chances for adoption.
On March 9th, Louisville residents turned on their local news station and heard about a pit bull attack in Floyd County.
A few excerpts from Whas11news follows:
“The black one was coming back in. He was coming back in after him. The police officer says when they taste the blood, they're ready to kill and turn on you too,” she says.
"Police say that it has been their experience that multiple pit bulls living together can sometimes exhibit pack mentality which can result in attacks."
Anyone who has owned multiple dogs at one time knows that dogs will exhibit pack mentality when the occasion arises, regardless of the breed. What about "...when they taste the blood, they're ready to kill and turn on you too." It sounds like a scene from a Stephen King Movie. Hide the children and bolt the doors.
On one side of the ring are those who say pit bulls are dangerous and should be banned. On the other side of the ring are the pit bull owners who say they are gentle loving animals. Who is right? What is truth? To get the facts and dispell the myths, go to http://www.pitbulllovers.com/ and see what Jason Mann, an expert on pit bulls, has to say about the breed. Be sure to read the section on "Myths about Pit Bull Terriers" and Responsible Ownership".
Please spay and neuter your pets.
Comments
Brenda,
This article reminds me of the show I saw on television once called "Pit Boss." They always say on that show that pit bulls just received a bad rap because people thought they looked and acted more tough than other animals. Animal cops also show a good support for what you are saying here. It is a sad fate for an animal that would be happy just chewing a milkbone somewhere. :(
I think there are a lot of myths about pit bulls but I don't think you will get the facts from a website called "pitbulllovers". I like my facts to be unbiased facts, based on, well....science. Malcolm Gladwell drew upon some of the current studies that have been done on pit bulls for an article he wrote and published in his book "What The Dog Saw".
Skewing data and information to one side or the other doesn't help the pit bull cause.
Tracy - Nashville Natural Pet Care anbd Training Examiner
Thank you for your input, everyone. Tracy, thank you for the resources. They are excellent. I thought pitbullovers.com offered some excellent information and advice. I especially liked his article on responsible ownership.
I must admit. I had to laugh at the ignorant statements by the police. Although it really isn't funny, because it just perpetuates the pit bull myths. Also, because of the authority the police have, many people take it as gospel.
I have heard the statement before: ...once they get the taste of blood... I'd like to know where that came from.
Thanks for the info. I never owned a pit bull.
Hi, Brenda.
Congratulations on a well-written and timely article. I personally like pit bulls and, in my experience, most of them are friendly, out-going dogs. At my veterinary practice, we see many of them.
I do not support BSL targeted toward any breed. I believe rather that owners of aggressive dogs of any breed should be targeted, particularly when those owners handle the dogs in an irresponsible manner.
As you requested, I investigated the site you referenced in your article. I found it to be a website that should prove useful to pit bull owners in particular. I think it gives a fair evaluation of the temperament of the breed in general. I did not find the facts presented there to be particularly biased or skewed. Will this website convert those that strongly oppose the pit bull to pit bull lovers? Probably not, but that does not detract from the usefulness of the site.
Thank you Lorie. I thought Jason Mann's website would be helpful for anyone who would like to know more about pit bulls and hopefully would put any fears to rest.
That police officer's comments are part of a very large problem these wonderful dogs face. They often pay with their lives for the ignorance of people like this cop. He'll shoot a dog given the chance because it's a pit bull without a second and have not an inkling of conscience in doing so, even if the dog is a valued member of someone's family. The reason you hear so many horror stories in the news about 'vicious' pit bulls is because of people like this bozo and the reporters who cover the stories of these brave (ignorant and cowardly) officers by making it sound like the murders and abuses they commit against this breed are justified. I once read a story about some cops who killed a man's dogs when they came up on him as he slept in his car; naturally the 2 pits barked and ran towards the nasty invaders with the guns AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES so the creeps shot and killed them. The reporter then went on to state that the man who owned the dog wasn't hurt in the attack! WHAT ATTACK!! Surely he meant the cops killing those dogs, because that was the only attack that could possibly have hurt this man except the murder of his 2 beloved pets by officers who were simply investigating a man sleeping in his car. DUH.
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