D. Caroline Coile - Pit Bulls For Dummies

In the following sections, I dig deeper into why the Pit Bull is growing in popularity, and the consequences of that growth.

In 2007, football star Michael Vick was convicted for his actions related to dogfighting. At that time, Pit Bulls confiscated from dog-fighting rings were usually euthanized, but nearly all of the dozens of Pit Bulls taken from Vick’s kennel were, instead, made the subjects of intensive rehabilitation efforts, each accompanied with a stipend of $5,000 to $20,000 toward their housing and training.

Vick’s dogs became the faces of fundraising, and millions of dollars poured into Pit Bull rescue and advocacy groups. Even groups such as the Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which initially spoke out against rehabilitating fighting dogs, changed their positions.

Some people suddenly saw a financial profit in promoting Pit Bulls. Whether motivated by money or love for animals (or both), they embraced the idea that all it took was a little love, and even the most bloodied gladiator could become a child’s best friend. Although many of Vick’s dogs were never able to leave the rehab facility, some were reportedly rehabbed successfully and went on to live as family pets. They became all the proof people needed that any Pit Bull, no matter the dog’s background, could become a loving and trustworthy family member.

But only two years after Vick’s conviction, serious Pit Bull attacks started to rise. It wasn’t just that Pit Bull numbers were rising; it was that Pit Bull shelter adoptions were rising, too. All of a sudden, adopting a Pit Bull, especially one with an underdog story, was the fashionable thing to do. Totally convinced that all you add is love, well-meaning adopters made the shelter Pit Bull their pet project. That may sound great, but the results haven’t always been as planned.

The mid-1980s saw the birth of the no-kill shelter movement, in which the goal was to end euthanasia of any adoptable pet. To be labeled a no-kill shelter, a shelter must only euthanize terminally ill or obviously dangerous pets, and these euthanizations can make up no more than 90 percent of their shelter population. No-kill shelters may be eligible for funding and grants that other shelters are not, and they tend to receive far more support from the public.

Unfortunately, in an effort to keep that 90 percent adoption rate, some no-kill shelters resorted to refusing to accept less adoptable dogs (such as Pit Bulls), hiding the breed of some dogs (such as Pit Bulls) to make them more adoptable, not disclosing behavioral problems such as aggression, or transferring “problem dogs” to other shelters, which may then, in turn, transfer them again and again.

These practices have resulted in a great increase in attacks by dogs adopted from shelters. Between 1858 and 2010, only five fatalities were attributed to adopted shelter dogs (two of those from wolf hybrids). Since 2010, shelter dogs have killed 45 people; of those, 32 were killed by Pit Bulls. Shelters are now being sued for irresponsibly adopting out some dogs in which they failed to disclose a history of aggression.

The increased public pressure to adopt rather than shop, along with neutering and spaying, has had the desirable effect of greatly reducing shelter dog populations, to the point that many shelters in some parts of the country now import shelter dogs (either from other parts of the United States or foreign countries). But despite the efforts of Pit Bull advocacy groups, Pit Bulls tend to be the last dogs to be adopted. Some shelters have only Pit Bulls left. Overpopulation is still a real thing when it comes to Pit Bulls. Nobody wants to euthanize healthy dogs, but some government-run shelters now won’t adopt out any Pit Bulls because of liability issues.

Other shelters have resorted to “empty the cages” days, in which dogs, including Pit Bulls, are offered at heavy discounts or for free. For-profit rescue groups often turn down Pit Bulls because they can’t charge the high adoption fees they can charge for other dogs, especially small ones. But giving away dogs is not the way to match people and dogs. And sadly, too many people get a free or cheap dog on a whim, and give the dog up just as easily. The Pit Bull overpopulation continues to be a problem without a solution in sight.

As public outcry has increased following Pit Bull attacks, some communities have adopted breed-specific legislation (BSL) that either bans certain breeds (always including Pit Bulls) or makes owners follow more restrictive rules than owners of other breeds. These restrictions can include mandatory spay/neuter, muzzling in public, not allowing them in designated areas, requiring the installation of special fencing, or requiring owners to have liability insurance. Pit Bull lobbies formed to oppose BSL, ultimately giving rise to the well-funded Pit Bull lobbies of today (see the nearby sidebar). The lobbies persuaded many states to prohibit BSL, but local laws can still override the state laws in some cases. As of this writing, more than 800 communities have adopted BSL, all including Pit Bulls in their target breeds.

Pit Bulls are the only breed of dog to have their own lobby, Best Friends Animal Society ( www.bestfriends.org ), which works to fight BSL and promote Pit Bulls as family pets. Best Friends is funded by private donations and by the Animal Farm Foundation ( www.animalfarmfoundation.org ) to the tune of more than $100 million a year. The Animal Farm Foundation also funds the National Canine Research Council to conduct pro–Pit Bull research.

Opponents of BSL point to the toll on innocent Pit Bulls. Although in most cases, currently owned Pit Bulls are grandfathered in when BSL is adopted, many people ignore the laws and adopt Pit Bulls or move to a town with the Pit Bulls they already own. Opponents also point to the difficulty of labeling Pit Bulls. They further contend that BSL is difficult and expensive to uphold, and that a better solution would be to enforce laws regarding dangerous dogs that are already on the books.

Proponents of BSL contend that laws regarding dangerous dogs only address dogs after they’ve maimed or killed a person. They consider BSL proactive and laws regarding dangerous dogs reactive. They further point to lower dog fatality and serious mauling numbers after BSL is implemented in various communities.

BSL almost certainly saves lives. But it does so by casting a large net that also ensnares innocent dogs because of their breed or appearance.

No more controversial family of dogs exists today than the Pit Bull. On one side you have Pit Bull owners and lovers who think they are angels on four legs. They love their dogs like their children and are justifiably upset when they feel Pit Bull haters may threaten them. On the other side you have Pit Bull victims and haters who think they are demons on four legs. Some have been victims of Pit Bull attacks and are justifiably frightened of them and want the breed to be banned.

The truth is in the middle. No family of dogs comes close to being responsible for as many deaths as the Pit Bull has been. These deaths include human and canine family members and human and canine strangers. The attacks are committed by both well-raised and poorly raised Pit Bulls. But that doesn’t mean every Pit Bull is a mauler. In fact, most go through their entire lives being perfectly peaceful.

In the early 1980s, several breeders began crossing American Pit Bull Terriers or American Staffordshire Terriers with Staffordshire Bull Terriers along with English Bulldogs, American Bulldogs, Olde English Bulldogges, and French Bulldogs. Their aim was to create a tougher-looking but sweeter-acting bully breed: the American Bully. By 2004, they had their own association, the American Bully Kennel Club (ABKC).