Persuasive Essay: Pitbulls Should Be Banned

Pit Bulls are known worldwide for being inherently dangerous and extremely vicious, but according to the American Temperament Test Society, Inc. 86.8% of American Pit Bull Terriers have passed their temperament tests better than Collies, Golden Retrievers, and Beagles. Many people don’t know that the term “bully breed” refers to more than forty breeds that hail from the same root breed. The history of the Pit Bull goes back to about the nineteenth century, during that time they were used to protect livestock, families, and even children as nannies (the Canine Journal). Today Pit Bulls are used as therapy dogs, police dogs, and of course a simple companion. Many myths about pit bulls circulate, which scares society into believing that they are dangerous to us and our families the question of banning Pit Bulls has been hotly discussed around the world, but banning Pit Bulls will not stop illegal breeding, fighting and distribution of Pit Bulls, other dogs from biting, and the problem will grow. The question of whether or not Pit Bulls should be banned is a hot topic in recent society, but the real question is should Pit Bulls be punished for the actions of their owners, or should laws be enforced at a higher degree.

When you mention the words Pit Bull, many times people immediately begin talking about the statistics of them attacking other people as well as other dogs. A survey was conducted in 2009 of attack percentages of Pit Bulls compared to other breeds such as Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and Chows. Among this survey, the Pit Bull breed scored the lowest with a 0.00125 and the highest being the Rottweiler with a score of 0.00433 (https://defendpitbulls.com/pit-bull-attack-statistics/). On the website Dogsbite.org, it states that Pit-Bulls are the leading culprit in dog attacks, this is just a broad statistic which does not adequately explain whether these attacks were of

The main reason pit bulls attack is because they are mentally unstable, a mixed breed and show overbearing traits, or because they are mistreated by their owners. The public must understand that the three “pit bull breeds were bred for dog fighting and bear and bull-baiting” (PBRC). On the other hand, they were also kept as “nanny dogs” and used for herding cattle. “Pit bulls are ideal for therapy work because of their pleasant nature” (PBRC). These are three of the most stable breeds known to man. They have a very high temperament test score, 86% as of 2010, a lot higher than most breeds. “The American Pit Bull Terrier is one of the top 5 most stable breeds in the country” (PBRC). Anyone can see that this is an excellent breed of dog. There are a few things that people should know though. “Pit bulls have a lower Tolerance to dogs, but with any breed, a dog’s tolerance changes as they mature” (PBRC). “Maturity can come late with pit bull breeds” (Villalobos Rescue Center). The reason for this low tolerance is because of their history of dog fighting. It has been bred into them to have the will to fight. Pit bulls usually do not start a fight most of the time, but they will not back down or give up. Due to this, owners must be cautious and attentive.

The media portrays Pit Bulls as innately aggressive and dangerous due to their past with dog fights. There are banns all around the world on people owning Pit Bulls, and restricting them on what they can and can’t do with their dog. For example, recently in Montreal Canada, Pit Bulls were banned and ordered to be surrendered, euthanized or have very strict limitations on their freedoms outside their homes (Malboeuf, M 2016). Pit Bulls in the media can go back a long time, but they didn’t become such a target for BSL until football star Michael Vick was convicted and charged with animal abuse, slaughter and illegal dog fighting (Animal Legal Defense Fund 2010). BSL is an acronym for breed specific legislation which is a law that bans or restricts certain types of breeds based on their appearance, usually because they are perceived as dangerous breeds of

Banning a breed, which the technical words are breed specific legislation, is not a good idea. Putting a ban on pit bulls is a less than great idea because people will continue to own pit bulls and hide them or even abandon their dog(s) and leave them to die. The irresponsible owners should deal with heavier fines and possibly jail time and this might scare these owners into training their pit bull properly. There is no proven fact that banning pit

Pit Bulls are among the top percentage of dog bites across the nation, but it partly due to the misrepresentation. Most handlers just see a similarity to a Pit Bull’s physical appearance and then the dog is classified as such. The media always misrepresents and wrongly accuses Pit Bulls, they are always quick to name the pit bull breed as the attacking dog. The government also does the same thing if a dog has similarities to a Pit Bull, then it is automatically classified as a Pit Bull even if it’s not correct. They don’t care about

The pits that are raised in a fighting environment usually are the more aggressive dogs and the more likely to be euthanized because of their aggressive behavior. These fighting dogs are the reasons for most of the stereotypes directed towards the dog breeds. For example: “Pit bulls are the most aggressive dog breed” (17 Things...) Pit Bulls scored an 86.8% on the American Temperament Test or the ATT, which is a test that all dog breeds take in order to figure out the dog’s temper and aggression. The higher the score the better the dog, and the Pits just so happen to score second best, putting them above other common “nicer” household dogs like the Golden Retriever, the Beagle and the German Shepherd (Pisani). There are also many Pit Bulls being blamed for the actions of their owners, because of many of these actions it has caused many states to ban Pits. There are 17 states in the U.S. that have some type of pan against the breed (Pit Bull Bans (USA)...). Although these bans are places many criminals still continue to breed the dogs under ground and receive no

An intense debate follows when the word Pitbull is mentioned. Pit Bulls do not have naturally, dangerous characteristics, yet they are still negatively perceived by people believing they are all aggressive dogs and dangerous to the public. The banning of Pit Bulls has caused the establishments of anti-Pit Bull banning organizations. Moreover, laws that ban this precious breed of dog creates illusions, but not the reality of public safety, which is why Pit Bulls should not be banned anywhere and must be allowed to live in any residential area with their owners.

Throughout the United States, pit bulls have been banned from multiple cities. A lot of people have given pit bulls an awful reputation. People have trained their dogs to be very aggressive so the pit bulls can fight other pit bulls. Consequently, pit bulls are not like any other dog. They are more than any other dog can be. Pit bulls make great family dogs, they have such high intelligence and the dogs are very responsible and dictate ownership. No dog should be banned from living in a certain place. Dogs are just as important as humans and for the authorities to restrict the animals from living their lives with people who will give them love is wrong. Pit bulls are typically known as attack dogs because they have such a strong history of attacking other dogs and humans. Many people believe it is because of the dog’s breed, but others believe it is the owners and how they train them. To avoid the situation, owners just have to be sure they train the dog the proper way when they are little. Many cities restrict the allowance of pit bulls living there due to the history of their aggression, animal control should make sure the house is a safe environment and occasionally have checkups on the house and owners to check on the dog. A safe environment at home is a place where the animal doesn’t get abused. Pit bulls should not be banned from living in certain places because of their history of aggression.

To begin, saying Pit Bulls are dangerous is useless because getting rid of them doesn't make everything safer. The ASPCA states that there is no evidence that passing a law that bans Pit Bulls is secure. If this is true, why not get one? The Centers for Disease control and Prevention also oppose these discriminating laws. Plus, Pit Bulls could protect communities from criminals. Saying not having pit bulls because it'd be more sheltered is untrue.

People in the public are lead to believe that Pit Bulls are bred only as fighting dogs and that they are aggressive to other dogs and humans. It is unfortunately true that some Pit Bulls are bred for fighting but, not all are. There is a small percentage overall of Pit Bulls that are used as fighting dogs, mostly Pit Bulls are family dogs. “Some pit bulls were selected and bred for their fighting ability. That means that they may be more likely than other breeds to fight with dogs. It doesn’t mean that they can’t be around other dogs or that they’re unpredictably aggressive. Other pit bulls were specifically bred for work and companionship. These dogs have long been popular family pets, noted for their gentleness, affection and loyalty.” (Position). This states that not all Pit Bulls are threatening and have a desire to fight. I believe that dog fighting is wrong and should be illegal throughout the United States. Dog fighting is a very popular underground form of entertainment.

These results show the percentage of each breed that has passed the test. The tests consist of many random actions that would occur on a normal day like: feeding, taking away food, opening an umbrella, coming near another dog, petting, playing with toys, loud noises and for some cases children. Pit bulls are one of the best dogs you could have for a pet. The American Temperament Testing Association proved that the native temperament of a pit bull is better than the common pet dog breeds such as the Golden Retriever, Labrador, even the poodle does not compare to the pit bull. With the ATTA the pit bull had a 86 percent passing rate. The National Canine Temperament Testing Association tested 122 breeds, and pit bulls placed the 4th highest with a 95% passing rate. This means that as a pet, a pit bull can be nicer than a

Maryland has laws on both rulings against just Pit Bulls and the concept of ‘dangerous dogs’. First we will focus primarily on Maryland’s law against Pit Bulls. Aaron C. Davis, a reporter for the Washington Post, states that “Maryland’s highest court ruled in March [of 2012] that pit bulls…are more dangerous than other breeds” (Davis). Even the media today is biased against Pit Bulls based on the immensely smaller number of media articles reported on non-Pit Bulls versus Pit Bulls. The ASPCA, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, shows that a “quantitative study by the National Canine Research Council of dog-bite reportage in a four-day period proves that anti-pit bull bias in the media is more than just a theory—it’s a fact” (ASPCA). Under Maryland law as well, there are specific rulings on what deems a dog as a ‘dangerous dog’. Stated in West’s Annotated Code of Maryland, “‘Dangerous dog’ means a dog that: (i) Without provocation has killed or inflicted severe injury on a person” (West). This could relay onto any breed of dog depending on the situation and environment. Because of the Maryland law on Pit Bulls, many Maryland families are facing distress.

breed of dog that seems to take most of the hits, the American Pitbull. This

In the next source, Tim Hume goes into detail about a specific breed that is feared the most and how the Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) is being used. Another place where BSL has become popular is in New Zealand. Before Hume goes into breed specific legislation; he explains how Pitbulls became the most feared breed. The breed was originally designed to include the important attributes of other dogs; to be the ultimate competitor. The dogs that were bred together was a bulldog and a terrier to combine their strength and bravery. As Hume informs us “Strong jawed pitbull was the perfect fighting machine.” Even though pit bulls were first bred to be fighting dogs, recently New Zealanders have welcomed Pitbulls and have 7000 pitbulls registered