I remember the day our family picked out my black pitbull/labrador mix out from the local pound. My parents were a little hesitant about owning a pitbull at first, but Emmi (as we would name her) looked so adorable with the little chew toy in her mouth, that we had to take her home. At the time, none of us knew how great of a decision it would be. The first few nights we had her at home, Emmi would get very upset when we were in separate rooms, and would cry until we all followed her to the living room to sit together. Pitbulls used to be considered "nanny dogs" because they are so good with children, but we didn't realize the extent of that until after we took Emmi home.

As time passed and Emmi got used to living with us, it became clear that it was *her* house not ours. The beds and sofa were all at her disposal, as there is nothing more that she loved than a good nap. We joke that Emmi enjoys the simple things in life, napping, spending time with our family and the other dog, Schnoz (he has a very large nose), belly rubs, eating, going for walks and car rides, and playing with her favorite orange ball. Emmi is a very content dog, and has never met a human or dog (or even guinea pig, in the case of my other pet, Ari) that she did not like. Emmi is a wonderful dog, and beloved by all the people who meet her. Give her a little scratch behind the ears, and she will become your best friend.The only problem with Emmi is that because she is a pitbull, people are often afraid of her. There is always a fear in the back of our minds that people will be upset when they meet her, or when they see us walking her down our country road. If Emmi ran away, there is always a chance that she would be automatically killed because she is a "dangerous breed of dog".

Pitbulls have an awful reputation for being violent dogs, but throughout history, they would watch over infants because they are such motherly dogs. It was not until people began using pitbulls for dog fights that they got a negative reputation. Pitbulls are very muscular with powerful jaws and big heads, this is true (we always say that Emmi is muscular, not overweight, even though she eats a few too many slices of toast for breakfast). But the dogs can not help it that their bodies look like that. Dogs do not naturally fight each other or act violently. they are raised that way. It is never the dog's fault that misbehave or are aggressive, it is the owner's. It is the owner's responsibility to care for a dog and teach it to behave, like you would do with a baby (and it is our fault that Emmi jumps when she gets excited because my brother and I have tried to teach her "to dance" with us). Pitbulls are not dangerous dogs, dangerous people are the real dogs in this situation.Recently, I saw something on Facebook that was saying that according to a new law in Montreal, all unadopted pitbulls will be euthanized.

Any pitbull that has a home needs to walk on a 4 meter long leash with a muzzle, needs to be sterilized and up to date on all shots, tagged, etc. and the owners need to pay a fine. If the guidelines are not met, the dogs can be taken and euthanized. This makes me sick. The pitbulls have done nothing wrong, yet they are being punished for just being what they are while dog fighters and animal abusers receive a minimal punishment. It is not right. I cannot imagine taking Emmi on walks and having to keep her muzzled; we could not see her doggie smile through a muzzle. I can not imagine living in fear that the city may take her at minute and kill her, just because she is a pitbull. Pitbulls are a wonderful and loving breed of dog, and it is completely ridiculous that entire cities will make owning one illegal, just because of some untrue stereotypes.So what can you do? Adopt pitbulls.

A woman at a local dog shelter told me that shelters and pounds are full of pitbulls because no one wants to adopt them. There are plenty to choose from, so why not adopt a pitbull? You can sign petitions and donate money to kill-free shelters and organizations that care for pitbulls. You can spread awareness about the unfortunate situation that pitbulls are in right now, and correct people who say pitbulls are all bad. If enough people do something small, it can really help end the stereotype that pitfalls are dangerous. Pitbulls are truly a wonderful breed of dog, and I would recommend adopting one to really anyone who is looking for a dog that will also become their best friend.

I love my pitbull, and would not trade her for the world. I do not care what people say about the breed because I know that my Emmi is one of the sweetest dogs on the planet.