Recently my family grew by one baby, a furry one at that. We welcomed our new puppy Lucy, thinking that she was a hound mix, as that is what we were told at the shelter. However, as she grew a bit bigger and we got opinions from people that met her, it became obvious that we had adopted a pit bull puppy. Ever since welcoming Lucy into our home and hearts, I've become much more aware of the bias that our society has in regards to pits. After spending so much time with my girl, loving her and training her, I know that most of what society believes about these amazing dogs is honestly false. I hope that by reading this you can begin to see the truth.

Pit bulls are angry and violent.

Lucy might only be just about five months old, but she already has her own personality. And let me tell you, there is not a violent bone in her quickly growing body. When we play, if she nips and you tell her not to bite, she will immediately kiss your hand. She loves to cuddle and sleeps with me in my bed. The worst injury I have sustained from this dog is shoulder pain from her using me as a pillow for the night.

They aren't good with children.

Now, I might be biased but I happen to think my pup is gorgeous. Because of this, little kids approach her every time we go out, asking if they can pet her. Lucy loves it, oftentimes she will jump up, but only to get closer so she can lick them. Our pit is a thousand times more social than our other dog, which just goes to show that, much like humans, every dog is different.

Pit bulls don't know how to love.

My little pit might just be the most loving and playful dog I know. We had her in a kiddie pool over the weekend and she immediately started splashing around trying to grab my hands. Any time one of her "people" comes home, she immediately starts wagging her tail and getting as close to that person as she possibly can. At night when we go to bed, she snuggles up right to my face and falls asleep with her head on my neck. She is a lover to her very core, and the best of puppies.

Pits are so often very misunderstood creatures. Much like humans, no pit is born bad. They will love you unconditionally if you let them. Just give them a chance.