Did you know that Pit bulls and Rottweiler’s together are accounted for 84 percent of fatal attacks in 2011? This is why people shouldn’t be allowed to keep Pit bulls as pets. Statistics have shown that Pit bulls are one of the two most lethal dogs in the United States. This is why it’s not in my favor to house such a dangerous dog. There are various reasons why I’m against pit bulls being as pets and those are the Dangerous Dog Act of 1991, dog fighting, and the possible harm these dangerous dogs cause to the community.
According to the Dangerous Dog Act of 1991 the number of dog attacks from Pit bulls and Rottweilers in the United Kingdom increased so much that this act was put into place. Some people actually refer to this act as the “Pit Bull Law” because of the number attacks these dogs have caused. The Dangerous Dog Act states that there are strict requirements for any dogs that are listed under the Dangerous Dog Act. These requirements are having the dog muzzled, they also need to be on a leash, and having the dog micro-chipped while being in public. In this act it also states that there is a ban on these dangerous dogs in the city limits. It is a criminal offense to allow the dog to be dangerously out of control out in public. My opinion is that if your dog is that aggressive then it shouldn’t even be out in the public in the first place. By bringing your dangerous dog out into the public you aren’t just putting yourself at risk, but you’re also putting other people’s lives or even pets’ lives in danger. This act has put a ban on buying and selling these breeds if the requirements are not met. The Dangerous Dog Act has put a halt on the number of killings these dogs have committed.
Dog fighting started in the late 1830s...
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...you get a little bit more understanding on why these dangerous dogs shouldn’t be pets. I wouldn’t want anyone to become the next victim in one of these possible fatal attacks.
Works Cited
The Associated, Press. "Pit Bulls In Yuma Horse Attack Ordered Destroyed." AP Regional State Report - Arizona (2012): Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 11 Mar. 2014
"How Dogfighting Works." HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
Lallanilla, Marc. "Are Pit Bulls Really Dangerous?" LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 14 Feb. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
Weathers, Ben. "BRIEF: Owner Saves Chihuahua from Attack by Tossing Pit Bull over Fence." Capital, The (Annapolis, MD) 23 Dec. 2013: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.
Wladis, Edward J., and Mohit A. Dewan. "Periorbital Trauma From Pit Bull Terrier Attacks." Orbit 31.3 (2012): 200-202. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.
On June 20, Charlotte Alter posted an article on TIME website titled, “The Problem with Pit Bulls”. In her article she starts with an event that happened to a three year old little girl that was attacked by three Pit Bulls. The little girl and her family were in KFC and one of the employees asked her to leave because her face was “disrupting their customers”. Half of the little girl’s face is now paralyzed and she has also lost her vision in one of her eyes because of the three Pit Bulls that attacked her. Her grandfather killed the three Pit bulls that attacked her; however her grandfather is now facing charges of child-endangerment. KFC was so generous to donated money to the family to help with her medical bills. But yet the rant is more
Nationwide, approximately 50 percent of all children will be bitten by a dog before they reach the age of twelve (DeIorio, “Have a Dog-Bite-Free Summer”). In Marion County, Florida, aggressive and dangerous breads of dogs are a “serious issue” for the community according to Marion County Commissioner Jim Payton (Thompson, “County drops '1 free kill'”). Responsible dog owners seem to be unaware of the problem but area residents who have been victims of these attacks have turned to the Marion County Board of Commissioners for help. The local County Commissioners have been wrestling with this issue since October of 2009 when a widow from Ocklawaha, Patricia McBee, had three of her dogs euthanized after they allegedly killed her neighbor’s cat (Thompson, “County drops ‘1 free kill’”). The need for change moved even faster after a 3-year-old little girl was attacked and killed by a dog that was chained to a tree outside her house in Citra (Lee, “Girl, 3, mauled”).
The misrepresentation of Pit Bull breeds in the media has been reflected in American culture. As these dogs were incorporated into World War I propaganda, they were perceived as symbols of courage and strength, the archetype of American dog breeds5. When, in the 1920s and 1930s, American Staffordshire Terrier “Pete the Pup” starred in the comedy Our Gang, later known as The Little Rascals, Pit Bulls were considered “nanny dogs” and family-friendly pets7. When the media focused heavily on illegal dog fighting rings and gang culture in the 1970s and 1980s, Pit Bulls were called demonic and unpredictable. Through their many roles, they have shown versatility and resilience, and lately they have suffered greatly.
National Canine Research Council. Investigative Report for Dog-Bite Related Fatalities 2010. National Canine Research Council, 2011. 6-49. Print.
An increasing number of pit bull attacks have occurred over past decade. People who are attacked by pit bulls always suffer serious injuries because of the pit bulls’ sharp teeth and strong muscles. In October 19, 2009, Dr Hugh Wirth who is the RSPCA’s Victorian president renewed calls for American pit bull terriers to be bred out of Australia. The current laws require owners of pit bulls to register their pit bull. While some people are satisfied with the laws because they think that they are safe, others disagree. From my own perspective, the laws should be improved. The government should ban these fierce dogs and wipe them out instead of just registering them. In my opinion, there are three reasons why I am in favour of Dr Wirth’s proposal.
“Dogfighting Fact Sheet.” The Humane Society of the United States. 2 Nov. 2009. Web. 23 Nov.
Many people associate a negative connotation with the dog breed “pit bull.” These dogs are thought to be dangerous and problematic. However, much of this can be attributed to the mass amounts of negative media attention that pit bull breeds receive as opposed to other breeds of dogs that can be just as dangerous. For example, The National Canine Research Council did a four-day study on dog-bite repo...
...ports Illustrated cover photo of a pit bull (Pit Bull Rescue Central, "Breed Information”). Dog fighting made a comeback during the 1980s and the pit bull became the favorite macho dog for dog fighters. The dogs were trained to kill or be killed. Pit bulls were also the preferred guard dog for gangs, thugs and criminals. Since the supporters and detractors of pit bulls hold such disparate opinions regarding the ferocity of the breeds, it is only hoped that further discussion and education will help resolve the sad fate that awaits these unfortunate animals. Simply placing all the blame on the breeds will not solve the problems of dog fighting, overbreeding, aggressive training, and excessive euthanizations. Lastly, the biased, sensationalistic publicity of horrific dog attacks which has destroyed the reputation of the once beloved All American Dog must cease.
...ociated Press published an article “Pit Bulls are A Danger to Society,” yet this year, the same publisher issued an article “Attitudes and Laws Against the Pit Bull Soften – The Big Story” in which the Pit bull advocates hail the changes as recognition that breed-specific laws discriminate against dogs that are not inherently aggressive or dangerous should not be discriminated against or victimized. The debate puts millions of pit bull owners up against a relatively small group of activists against the breed and challenges the notion that Pit Bulls that are well-cared for had any history of aggressive behavior in the first place, closing the argument by again stating what the Canadian Encyclopedia explained, that their actions were just a park of the cycle of favorites and least favorites that has always been and always will be in the history of ownership of dogs.
This is a myth. First off there is no breed named pitbull. It is simply a term grouping dog breeds like the American Staffordshire Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier together. Any dog who resembles the appearance of these 2 breeds is categorized as a pitbull. 2nd it's how you raise them that makes pitbulls, or any dog aggressive. The media makes the pitbull seen as a “tough” dog, and this attracts the bad owners to the breed. A dog who is abused and neglected is going to think all humans are bad because it has never been treated kindly by a human. Imagine you are tied up to a tree, in someone's backyard. The only human contact you get is when your owner comes out to feed you once a week. The nextdoor neighbor throws rocks at you and shoots you with a bebe gun when you bark. Your were never given a pat on the head or never got your belly rubbed. Are you going to react to humans the same way as the dog who was treated like family? Of course not. You have never had a positive experience with humans. It doesn't matter whether the dog chained to a tree is a Pitbull, Rottweiler or golden retriever, they are all going to react the same way to humans. According to PETA, dogs who are kept outdoors are 3 times more likely to attack then house dogs. I agree dog bites need to be regulated, but murdering innocent dogs is not the way to go. Since 2003 more than 450 people, many
Many people throughout the years have really under estimated the effect of what dog fighting really has and how it is considered abuse on dogs and even dog breeds in general. How it has a society knowing the true facts of the people and what really goes on behind the clos doors of dog fighting. It can cause abuse, drugs, gangs, and even death. What people are involved and how articles can really open a person’s view on what really goes on out there and what people are doing to fight back dog fighting. What one person or thousand can do to save dogs from being put into the ring.
Animals become dangerous because they were maltreated by their owners and when the media has exaggerated the danger of its breed to the public. A very good example of lies in society is the concept of the people on the breed of Pit bull Terriers.
Restate Thesis Statement: Dogs don’t only give owners happiness; they also affect their owners positively.
... -- research shows that bans on certain types of dogs are largely ineffective and often a waste of public resources.” Recognized on a federal level, the injustice of Breed Specific Legislation is still misunderstood by states and counties in America. Something you can do to help is be aware of your own considerations of dogs based on their breed and spread the word. We all know dogs are naturally gentle creatures and no group should have a negative stigma attached to them. The easiest way to make a change is to inform those around you- you can go to www.facebook.com and like the page “STOP Breed Specific Legislation” to become involved and aware of the policy’s status across the nation. If these discriminatory laws don’t change, we might not be able to walk our poodles and beagles down the street either. Remember that dogs cannot speak, so we must be their voice.
In 2013 a news team from Oklahoma reported on a story where a Pit Bull alerted its sleeping owners to a fire that destroyed their home. In the report, it states “A 10-year-old pit bull terrier is being hailed a hero after she saved a Lincoln County family from their burning home” (KOCO). Within six words the breed “Pit Bull” is brought up in a positive manner. The news article goes on to talk about how the dog not only saved its owners, but the other family dogs as well, and how the family considers the dog to be their hero. Another dog in Pennsylvania named Lou also had the chance to save his family from their burning home. In January of 2015 Chris Julian and Kelly Yarbrough were awoken by their rescue dog Lou when their house was on fire. The family told Q13 Fox News of the event and even stated “The fire was coming through the door and the dog saved our lives and if it wasn 't for him, we 'd all be dead right now”. False myths from the media, as well as negative human influences have led to a horrible misunderstanding of a wonderful breed of dog. The American Pit Bull Terrier is loving, sweet, protective animal that needs to be given another chance in society. How can a society truly be free of discrimination of any kind if it is still discriminating dogs that are forced to fight? If the government were to put in more effort to bring the end of dog fighting this stereotype very well could be