What Do You Think of When I Say “Pit Bull?” BY ROBERT FRAGASSO PHOTOS BY JEFF GEISSLER AND ANGIE PULICE
Many people have a fearful and negative reaction when they encounter pit bulls. But is this really fair or are some of these reactions based on the attention the media give stories about this type of dog? The term pit bull itself is problematic, as it is a catch-all, somewhat subjective term for a type of dog, and not a specific breed. Breeds commonly associated with the term “pit bull” are the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and American Pit Bull Terrier. While many breeds associated with the term Pit Bull were originally bred to deal with farm animals, they were then moved into the home where they became known as “nanny dogs” because of their gentle nature with children. To add more fuel to the public perception of Pit Bulls, it is important to note that dog bite statistics include all breeds. Obviously the larger, stronger breeds and types such as pit bull, Rottweiler, Boxer and Cane Corso will inflict greater damage. Pit bulls garner much of the media’s attention in part because there are so many of them due to over-breeding, and also because they have become a symbol of a violent culture that includes dog fighting and macho imagery. This is a grossly unfair characterization. Most pit bulls are butt-wagging, kissy-face lovers, not fighters. The dogs in the accompanying photos personify this. All three came from abusive situations. Some people may believe they should have been shaped by those experiences, yet they were not. They love the children in their home and even nap with the family’s cats. There are many stories of former fighting pit bulls being reoriented and adopted, living out full, loving and uneventful lives. We must learn to combat the public’s perception of these dogs through education, which will lead to resolving the issues surrounding them over time. One of the ways to help these dogs is by reducing overpopulation, which can be immediately and enduringly addressed by spaying and neutering the animals. Many pit bulls are owned in lower income areas. Financial resources of the owners can prohibit this necessary action. However, most animal shelters with veterinary services provide low-cost spay and neuter services where the owner pays only what they can afford and the shelter covers the rest of the cost. If that were universally accomplished, the overpopulation problem would go away in just a few short breeding cycles. Unfortunately, there is no public money for this, so shelters depend on caring individuals to donate funds. However, not all issues around the plight of the pit bull are so easily solved, with the misuse and abuse of pit bulls being a largely structural problem. Humane agents enforce laws against animal abuse and, together with local police, try to stem the dog fighting culture that exists here. Often that activity is tied to the drug trade and other criminal activity. In Allegheny County, Animal Friends and the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society together field three humane agents who go out unarmed with instructions to call local police if they find themselves in a threatening situation. Much
of their work deals with animals left outside without adequate food, water and shelter and counseling dog owners on how to provide proper humane care. But they regularly find themselves in threatening situations without the chance to contact law enforcement. The answer, in my opinion, is to make humane investigations part of law enforcement, as so much of it is intertwined with investigations of drug dealing, child abuse and other crime. So the next time you hear someone decry pit bulls, try to help those poor dogs, and us, by setting the record straight. There is much that humans can do, and should do, to mitigate and even eliminate the problem. That way, when people say pit bull in the future, they do so with nothing but love in their hearts. 71