We have an opportunity to focus on a breed that has received more than its fair share of negative attention and stereotyping on Pit Bull Awareness Day, October 24th.
As any celebrity or politician can confirm, image is everything. Unfortunately, the pit bull has struggled to regain a realistic public image, but the good news is that there’s a very important conversation going on today about breed-specific misconceptions.
For decades, legislatures have been passing laws against certain breeds, undoubtedly in response to public hysteria when a “vicious pit bull attack” is reported on the news. As with many other issues, elected politicians tend to pander to the passionate demands of their constituents rather than to reputable scientific studies that methodically refute breed-risk claims.
It is for this reason that an educated public is so important to fair and intelligent pet-ownership laws, rather than the reactive legislation that neither proves nor prevents breed-specific dog bite risks.
Studies published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2000 and 2013 disavow breed-specific legislation, and reveal that the breed of dogs involved in fatal bite incidents is often misidentified or unidentified. More importantly, the circumstances of most of these hundreds of cases are coincidental and preventable.
This October 24th, help raise awareness about pit bulls and their true nature as fun-loving, goofy, and loyal dog friends.
Remember that the Little Rascals had an American Staffordshire terrier named Pete the Pup, and he is a far more accurate representation of the breed than Stephen King’s Cujo, or anything the media might dream up in the news.
We have several pit bulls that we visit and love them to bits! We want to send a big thank you to all those who are helping to change the public perception about this wonderful breed – including rescue organizations who are so passionate to find them loving, furever homes.