by Morrigana Shalafae

Created on: October 25, 2008

As I read this question, is it the duty and obligation of the upstanding press to vilify a breed of dogs, I vehemently state no. There is no reason the media should out one breed of dogs because of a reputation earned by irresponsible owners. In my opinion, the media should feel morally obliged to defend all that is good in this breed, and end the unreasoning fear and hatred of a lovely, loyal dog.

The history of the American pit bull is steeped in blood and fierceness, yet also in loyalty and protection. The believed descendants of this breed were thought to have started their career with humans as guard dogs, and battle dogs. They were bred to be loyal, fierce, and protective. To examine the breed shows they have these characteristics in spades.

The Roman emperor Claudius started breeding the original dogs as fighting dogs, using them for entertainment in the arenas, prizing them for their tremendous abilities. Once labeled a fighting dog, the pit bull was shoe-horned into that position. Humans, ever ready to exploit a talent, used the undying loyalty along with their natural skills, to warp and train them into killers.

Even baiting comes from more innocent functions. Butchers originally used the pit bull to keep unruly bulls in line. The dogs would latch onto the sensitive nose of the bull, and hold it in place until a handler could take control. Yet there seems to be an element in humans that delight in cruelty, and these dogs were put in baiting rings, which became a common bloodsport throughout England. Current fight training for these dogs is not to dissimilar from previous centuries: every step is designed to create a violent, blood hungry animal that will fight to the death against any opponent.

This history has tainted the breed, leaving them marked forever as "violent", "unpredictable", and "unsafe for humans". Even after the breed was brought to America and taken to the frontier, they could not escape they reputation. In the West, they became utility dogs, and once more the loyal guardians they had started as. Even the AKC would not accept the dog, deigning them to be fighters, and ignoring all the other attributes of the breed. It took over fifty years for the pit bullto be accepted as a pure breed, though it was forced to change its name to Staffordshire Terrier.

Despite the laws against it, some people continue to pit these dogs against each other for "fun" and "sport". Dogs are treated poorly, turned into killing machines, and all signs of the loving

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