I have seen more and more people rescuing and adopting pit bulls over the last few years, so I'd like to take a moment to list why that is obviously the Worst Idea Possible.
1. They're vicious.
Look! You can't even get close to them without them violently attacking you, especially in the face.
2. They fight.
They can't be around other dogs, or they just attack! It's in their blood!
3. They aren't safe around children.
Just look at this adult pittie attacking this poor child. What kind of irresponsible parents would leave their child around a dog like this?
4. They can't learn discipline.
Do you see the poor owner of this dog fighting to keep it still long enough for a bath? They simply can't be tamed!
5. They'll attack any animal smaller than them...
6. ...even their own puppies!
7. Even the puppies are vicious.
Obviously, this is a whole boatload of sarcasm. As a proud pittie owner, I can tell you firsthand that they're some of the sweetest dogs you'll ever meet. Pit bulls are only violent if they're raised to be violent. Breed specific legislature doesn't treat the problem at its source but instead at its result. Dogs that can be rehabilitated shouldn't be put down just because they were found in a ring. In fact, many dogs taken from rings are used as bait rather than fighters. My own puppy, Libby, spent the first year of her life this way, and while she needed some training to not be so defensive, she's now one of the sweetest dogs I've ever oned.
Instead, the people who run dogfighting rings and who raise pit bulls to be so violent should be the one punished. Fortunately, in the state of Connecticut, this is considered a Class D felony, but this is not the case nationwide. Many municipalities would prefer to ban pit bulls - and seize and euthanize those they find - rather than strengthen their punishments on the people who hurt them. In fact, 41 states and the District of Columbia still allow breed specific legislature within their bounds. The Center for Disease Control has even made statements against breed specific legislature. The only ones it hurts are the dogs themselves.
So I urge you: the next time you're looking for a new dog, consider rescuing a pit. The next time you hear about laws targeting pits and other similar breeds, protest them.
Libby, Cooper, and thousands of other dogs will thank you.
