The Pit Bull: A Lover or a Fighter?

In 1991, my sweet, 12-year-old cat Shannon was attacked and killed by a pit bull. I’ll spare you the details, but suffice it to say, my family was devastated when we found Shannon ’s lifeless body the morning after the assault. In fact, it was the only time I have ever witnessed my normally stoic father cry. I later learned that the pit perpetrator lived in a family with small children. The dog’s guardian told me, “I have kids and rabbits and our dog has never hurt any of them.” Small consolation, indeed.

This beefy breed has long evoked strong emotion and considerable controversy. Open a newspaper or turn on the TV on any given day and you’re likely to learn of yet another pit bull attack that has caused serious injury or claimed an innocent life. To be fair, not all incidents involve a pit bull. Other large breed dogs and some small breeds too, become embroiled in alterations that result in more than 4.7 million dog bite injuries annually, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children ages 5 to 9 are the most common victims.

Proponents of the pit declare the breed to be happy, confident, cuddly, non-dominant, and gentle with children when bred correctly. The key phrase here is “bred correctly” and I think that’s where things have gone astray. Can it be that the maligned mutt is simply the victim of poor breeding – the product of irresponsible “backyard breeders” – that churn out pups for profit? Or, are the unfortunate dogs taunted, teased and tethered until they become vicious fighters? (Studies show that dogs who are chained a good deal of the time become unsocialized and are more likely to bite.)

Genetics and socialization issues aside, concern is growing and many think it’s time to rein in the escalating pit problem. San Francisco, in January, made it illegal to own an unsterilized pit bull or pit bull mix, while Denver outlawed pit bulls altogether in 2005. Other cities and states are looking into taking similar measures. This legislation has raised the hackles of many pit bull owners and rescue organizations, like the Dog Adoption and Welfare Group (DAWG) in Santa Barbara , who have long contended that these powerful pups are simply misunderstood.

“It’s a shame that pit bulls and their cousins have such an undeservedly bad reputation,” says Lorna Hunt, Training Coordinator and a Board Member of DAWG. “In addition to being great family dogs, they are excellent as service dogs and in search and rescue.” DAWG, which has placed many pits in loving homes over the years, offers free spay/neuter services for all pit bull and pit bull mixes in the Santa Barbara area.

I’ve known a few pit bulls in my life. Some, like my friend’s dog, Buddy, has lived harmoniously with his human and cat family for more than a decade with nary a nip, while others, like the dog who mauled my beloved Shannon, showed no signs of aggression until that fateful day 15 years ago.

In my experience, I have found pit bulls to be wonderful, sweet, affectionate dogs … until they’re not.

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