Pets & Animals >
Dogs (Other)
Get a Widget for this title
RSS FeedAre Pit Bulls man's best friend or murderous beast?
Results so far:
| Beast | 35% | 651 votes | Total: 1883 votes | |
| Friend | 65% | 1232 votes |
Beast
Write now
Print
Invite a writer™
Add to FavoritesNot believing in peace or solace, I ask for both as I write a story of pit bulls. I write swiftly, keeping the story distanced.
I've heard of friendly pit bulls. I knew a friendly and loving pit bull. People with children have pit bulls. Okay, not all pit bulls are killers. I concede the point. My son David owned pit bulls. This is his story.
Four years ago David discovered a pit bull fighting arena. He reported the atrocity to Animal Control. David, knowing the dog's fate, snagged a puppy, stuffing it into his pocket and bringing him home.
David and his wife Jessica, named the pup Jake. Knowing the breeds reputation, David set out to prove the world wrong. Visiting Jason's apartment one afternoon, I was greeted by a low growl from Jake. My blood chilled. Dismayed, Jason walked outside for hours, tempering his disappointment and guilt. After reflecting, David renewed his efforts, determined to raise Jake as a peaceful dog.
I stayed away from my son's apartment. My daughter, knowing Jake, witnessed this fighting dog's love for David and others, her included. Jake was a wiry two year old when David bought a second male pit bull. Don't do that. Do not raise two male pits together.
Tank was a sweet dog. His pit bull appearance opposed his loving nature. Tank and Jake slept under the covers with David and Jessica. The couple treated the dogs like children. They raised them gently and spoiled them by cooking their meals.
Two adult male pits together spawn disaster. The dogs, lovable and ferocious, fought playfully. My son insisted the dogs understood love and gentleness.
As the dogs grew, the playful fights turned towards vicious. The two male pits lived up to the breeds' standard. Separated, both pits were lovable. Allow the dogs out at the same time and they fight, each striving to attain the glory of the Alpha male. Pits, with powerful jaws locked in battle, fight until separated. Many pit lovers keep a special stick handy, designed to break the fight up.
A friend was staying at David's and Jessica's apartment, alone with the dogs. For reasons unknown, and despite dire warnings, Beth let both dogs out at the same time. Within seconds, a deadly battle exploded.
Terrified and unable to separate the dogs, Beth ran from the apartment and called the police. Beth kept the police from entering. She knew the officers would shoot to kill. Later, we all wished the police had entered.
As horrible as that sounds, the battle was a million times worse. The dogs fought for forty-five minutes. Their ferocious growling and barking yelps penetrated the front door. Calling both my son and Jessica, neither answered the phone. They were working.
That night, David called me sobbing. The apartment, splattered in blood, bore witness to the gruesome, nearly one hour battle. Tank, the larger of the two pits and the friendliest, ripped out Jake's throat, killing him.
Pit bulls are fighting dogs. David asserts Tank wasn't trying to kill Jake, and he's right. The dogs are victims of their breeding. No one speaks of Beth's possible fate. The dogs fought only with each other, but who knew their rage?
How does the story end? Once a pit tastes blood, all trust shatters. The healthy and friendly pit bull Tank died from the overdose of anesthesia used for euthanasia of animals.
Nothing changes the inescapable reality. Pit Bulls are bred to fight. Maybe not now, maybe tomorrow, or maybe never. That is the temptation. Not all pits are dangerous. Every dog deserves a chance to find love. But not one person needs to befriend a pit bull. Why risk disaster by owning this controversial breed? Buy a Golden Retriever or a Cocker Spaniel. Bring home a dog known for its gentle disposition. Buy a cat.
Yes, pits are beasts. The beautiful and loving Tank makes it difficult for me to label pits as beasts. Jake, despite his unstable nature was lovable. It doesn't change my mind. Jake was torn in shreds by Tank. Tank met his end at the hands of a man who loved him. My son, knowing he made the only decision possible, remembers the dogs with love and a dire warning.
"Mom", he mourned. "I loved those dogs. Their deaths haunt me. Bringing home a pit like Jake and buying a second male pit bull was wrong. I messed up. But I'm okay and I do carry both dogs in my heart, because inside their hearts, they were lovable. But pits are killer dogs Mom and I'll never look at one again."
Learn more about this author, Anne Warchol.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Friend
Once again I find myself writing in defense of the American Pit Bull Terrier. The first thing I want to say in response to one of these articles against the Pit Bull is that these dogs DO NOT have "locking jaws"! This is nothing more than a myth and has been disproved by many veterinarians. I also want to say that there is no way to measure the bite per square inch of any dog. The articles that say that the bite of a Pit Bull is 1,800 pounds psi are incorrect. In fact, the bite of any dog is different at any time depending on what the dog is biting or chewing. This being said, let me explain why I think the APBT is definitely one of man's best friends.
The APBT (american pit bull terrier) is one of the most loyal dogs you will ever know. These dogs are very affectionate and loving. The fact that some people use these dogs as guard dogs is almost laughable. They love people to the point that unless your Pit Bull has been trained to be a guard dog, they will likely lick an intruder to death before biting them. I speak with much experience on this subject as I have owned and been around Pit Bulls for many years. I have been bitten twice by two different dogs and neither was a Pit Bull. One was the family pet, a German Shepherd and the other was a black lab.
The APBT is wonderful around children however, as with ANY dog, they should never be left alone with a child. I have read articles of dog attacks by a Pomeranian, Cocker Spaniels and even Chihuahua's. The article on the Pomeranian was unfortunately one where a child was killed by the animal. We have to be smart as parents and never leave our children unattended with our dogs. Any dog can attack for any number of reasons and they do. Unfortunately when the Pit Bull attacks it is on the front page of every paper and on every news channel. If this is the type of thing we want to see, of course that is what the media will report on.
The people who fight these wonderful dogs and the people who run these puppy mills are the people who are responsible for the bad name that the Pit Bull has been given.
The people who fight these dogs often are very cruel to them, keeping them on short chains with minimal shelter and little (if any) food and water. Then if the dog fails to perform as they are expected they are sometimes killed, beaten or abandoned. These dogs that are abandoned, unfortunately do not usually make good pets for those with children. Dogs, like people are a product of their environment. They only do what they are taught to do.
The people who run the puppy mills keep their dogs in deplorable conditions also. They are kept in tiny, over run cages filled with urine and feces. These dogs are in-bred and they are not socialized. This makes for a poor pet with any breed not just the Pit Bull.
The laws for dog fighting and for those who run these puppy mills are almost non-existent. Even in the states where it is a felony to fight dogs, the punishment is all too often probation. We need strict laws for these people and they need to be enforced. If we could rid the world of these crimes you would notice that these "pit attacks" would all but stop.
Statistics show that Pit Bulls are only responsible for a small fraction of dog attacks. The fact is this, the media sensationalizes these attacks. This makes the average person believe that this happens regularly. It does not. As a matter of fact, there are more children killed by parents or caregivers each year than there are dog attacks. I will give you a link at the bottom of this article to a short video I have found. It will give you surprising statistics on Pit Bull attacks.
If you want a wonderful and loving pet in a Pit Bull just make sure you know the breeder and check out the facility where your pup was raised. I say pup because the best way to ensure that your pit will be a good dog is to raise it yourself. As I said earlier in this article a dog is a product of it's environment. If you raise your Pit Bull with love and you socialize it well, you couldn't ask for a better dog. In my opinion there is not a more loyal and loving animal than a Pit Bull.
I can't emphasize enough that the key to a happy and safe dog is socialization with other animals and people. Also, chaining your dog increases the risk of a dog attack. Dogs have a lot of energy and when they are chained they get nervous and agitated, this could lead to your dog biting someone, no matter what the breed of your dog is. So please, don't punish the breed, punish the deed.
http://www.yout ube.com/watch?v=vL1t rl1FMUw&mode=related &search=
If this link does not work, please search "pit bull viciously attacks baby". And then click on the YOU TUBE link with the same title. This video is very informative and does not show an attack. Thank you for your time.
Learn more about this author, Donna Park.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
