Don't Judge a Dog by its Breed
Just last month Governor Chafee signed a bill into law that prevents the continuance of breed bans in any of Rhode Island's cities and towns. This is a victory for local shelters and rescue groups who seek to match their four-legged residents with the best adoptive families. It is awful to think that a family who falls in love with a Pit Bull and has the resources to provide a great home may be turned down just because they live in a certain municipality. I was volunteering at a fundraiser for a shelter (before the recent passing of legislation) and a couple came over to ask about a particular dog they had seen on the website. They were told this dog was a Pit Bull and their reaction was one of sadness. They notified the staff member that adopting this dog was not an option due to a breed ban in their city. Pit Bulls and other bully breed dogs can be owned, adopted and loved by people all over our state, which will hopefully reduce the number of these dogs in shelters.
Though the legislation against breed bans allows more state residents to adopt Pit Bulls and other bully breeds, there is still a stigma against these dogs. Pit Bulls are often labeled as frightening, aggressive and even vicious. These terms are not just used in reference to one specific dog but to define the breed as a whole, and this is unfair. Just as some children are disrespectful, rambunctious or mischievous as a result of poor parenting; some dogs are aggressive or vicious as a result of abuse, neglect or even training to dog fight. There are no bad breeds, but there are bad owners.
The media perpetuates the stigma of Pit Bulls being aggressive by reporting dog bite incidents when they involve this breed. However, when dog owners were surveyed results showed that Dachshunds, Chihuahuas and Jack Russell Terriers were said to be the most likely biters. Why then are most news reports about bites concerning Pit Bulls? It is probably due to the strength of this breed's jaw and bite grip. Though some smaller breed dogs bite more frequently, a bite from a Pit Bull results in more serious injury.
In summary, the stigma against Pit Bulls and bully breeds needs to be lifted with education, human-dog interaction and un-biased media reporting. There are great dogs of EVERY breed at your local shelter or rescue, so go visit and meet them- you might just love-a-bully!
Resources for this blog:
http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/blog/rhode-island-becomes-third-state-this-year-to-preempt-breed-specific-legislation/
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/which-dog-breeds-are-most-likely-to-bitefind-out-today-1043794.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ab_paid_12&gclid=CN3NmJ3qjLkCFaU5Qgod0AsAYA
