Dog-crimination
“Man’s best friend” is a common phrase people use to describe their dogs. However, does anyone stop to think about the dogs who aren’t loved by a family? What about the dogs that are hated and demonized by society? Pit Bulls are among those dogs; the dog that gets left on the street when their family’s don’t want them, and the dogs that don’t get adopted from the shelters because they are seen as mean-spirited and aggressive. This may venture one to ask how did it come to this? How did the Pit Bull go from being one of America’s favorite breeds, nicknamed the “nanny dog”, to one of the most wrongly outlawed dogs as a result of poor judgment and misconceptions?
The first fact one should know about the Pit Bull breed is …show more content…
In 1987, Sports Illustrated did a horrific cover story with a picture of a snarling Pit Bull entitled “BEWARE OF THIS DOG”. Attacks involving a Pit Bull type dog are more likely to make the news while attacks by many other breeds go unnoticed. The media has been a huge force in creating America’s perception of Pit Bulls and their coverage of the breed has been widespread and very negative. Pit Bulls are not the first dog to be discriminated against and to have breed specific laws created against them. This discrimination on certain types of dogs has been going on since before the Civil War. During the Civil War, newspapers began to demonize Blood Hounds calling them savage, bloodthirsty beasts. It then became Northern Breeds like Malamutes and Huskies who were assumed to be equivalent to wolves. Towards the time of WWI, the Northern breeds were replaced by German Shepherds followed by the Dobermans and Rottweilers and finally the Pit Bulls. Breed-Specific Legislation is a statute or regulation that is directed towards one or more specific breed of dogs. The majority of BSL is focused on breeds traditionally known as “dangerous” or those that have demonstrated particular propensities for aggression and violent behavior. Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) is the blanket term for laws that ban certain dog breeds in an effort to decrease dog attacks on humans and other animals. Cities have begun to have breed-specific dog bans that outlaw dogs that resemble the Pit Bull. In Denver, Colorado, the police have confiscated dogs to be euthanized just because of their breed. It is also illegal to own a Pitbull in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Breed-specific legislation makes the dogs suffer. Dogs are less likely to be brought outside or to be taken to the vet causing a negative impact on the dog’s mental and physical health. Owners also suffer from Breed Specific
“Man’s best friend” is a common phrase people use to describe their dogs. However, does anyone stop to think about the dogs who aren’t loved by a family? What about the dogs that are hated and demonized by society? Pit Bulls are among those dogs; the dog that gets left on the street when their family’s don’t want them, and the dogs that don’t get adopted from the shelters because they are seen as mean-spirited and aggressive. This may venture one to ask how did it come to this? How did the Pit Bull go from being one of America’s favorite breeds, nicknamed the “nanny dog”, to one of the most wrongly outlawed dogs as a result of poor judgment and misconceptions?
The first fact one should know about the Pit Bull breed is …show more content…
In 1987, Sports Illustrated did a horrific cover story with a picture of a snarling Pit Bull entitled “BEWARE OF THIS DOG”. Attacks involving a Pit Bull type dog are more likely to make the news while attacks by many other breeds go unnoticed. The media has been a huge force in creating America’s perception of Pit Bulls and their coverage of the breed has been widespread and very negative. Pit Bulls are not the first dog to be discriminated against and to have breed specific laws created against them. This discrimination on certain types of dogs has been going on since before the Civil War. During the Civil War, newspapers began to demonize Blood Hounds calling them savage, bloodthirsty beasts. It then became Northern Breeds like Malamutes and Huskies who were assumed to be equivalent to wolves. Towards the time of WWI, the Northern breeds were replaced by German Shepherds followed by the Dobermans and Rottweilers and finally the Pit Bulls. Breed-Specific Legislation is a statute or regulation that is directed towards one or more specific breed of dogs. The majority of BSL is focused on breeds traditionally known as “dangerous” or those that have demonstrated particular propensities for aggression and violent behavior. Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) is the blanket term for laws that ban certain dog breeds in an effort to decrease dog attacks on humans and other animals. Cities have begun to have breed-specific dog bans that outlaw dogs that resemble the Pit Bull. In Denver, Colorado, the police have confiscated dogs to be euthanized just because of their breed. It is also illegal to own a Pitbull in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Breed-specific legislation makes the dogs suffer. Dogs are less likely to be brought outside or to be taken to the vet causing a negative impact on the dog’s mental and physical health. Owners also suffer from Breed Specific