This is in response to a recent letter to the editor from R. D. Truitt about how pit bull advocacy was a concern. First, I want to say this person is misinformed and ignorant about the comments that were made on how dangerous pit bulls are.
The reason why the article “Area Shelters Step Up to Adopt Out Pit Bulls” was published in this newspaper in the first place was to make people more aware about the misconceptions of pit bulls.
Just because a dog is bred for certain characteristics does not mean the dog will show those characteristics. A dog is not born with aggression; it is taught that by irresponsible people. I do not really care what Wikipedia says about pit bulls.
I belong to many animal organizations and am an animal advocate, and I search out the truth in these matters. I read a lot on the subject and what people have been doing to get across that pit bulls are only dangerous if they are raised by dangerous people.
There are many pit bull owners who would highly disagree with Truitt’s thoughts. I know many of these people, and their pit bulls are the friendliest dogs around. I have walked right up to someone walking a pit bull and willingly put my hand out to pet it. If I saw one running alone on the street, I would try to rescue it and find out if it belonged to someone.
I did some digging of my own about the strength of the jaw on a pit bull and found out that tests were done, and results show that pit bulls do not have any unique mechanism that would allow their jaws to lock. Bite pressures were measured on German shepherds, pit bulls and Rottweilers, and the pit bull had the least amount of bite pressure.
Also, temperament tests were done, and it was found that pit bulls consistently scored above the average for all the breeds tested. So this proves that a dog is only as dangerous as its owner allows it to be.
About the breed discrimination laws — they do not work. These laws only result in the death of thousands of good, innocent dogs, only because they look like a pit bull. This also hurts the responsible dog owner who is forced to chose between a beloved pet and their home. And many dogs are misidentified.
Dogs should be judged by their temperament, not their breed. Studies have been done in the United Kingdom and Spain on pre- and post-breed ban dog bites, and it was concluded that breed discrimination laws had no effect on reducing dog bites. It has no scientific justification.
So instead of breed discrimination laws, ordinances should be passed to hold people responsible for the behavior of their pets, no matter the breed.
Remember the Michael Vick case? I am sure most people do. There were 47 dogs confiscated from Mr. Vick’s property and sent to shelters around the country.
An organization I belong to called Best Friends took in 22 of these dogs. With training and tender loving care, these dogs have overcome their past and have helped change America’s percep- tion of former fighting dogs. Nine of these dogs have been adopted out and live with other pets, so the bad behaviors that were taught to these dogs can be reversed.
Pit bulls have been unjustly prosecuted for far too long. Many innocent animals have been killed because people think all of them are dangerous. This could not be farther from the truth.
All dogs deserve love and compassion, regardless of their breed or what they look like. No single neutered household pit bull has ever killed anyone. So please, people, do some research on the matter before condemning a breed. It is not the breed that is the problem, it is the person who teaches bad behavior. Pit bulls are as friendly as any other dog breed out there. Get your facts straight. Wendy Beyda Marlboro