Laura Okula
Mrs. Buczynski
Composition
October 3, 2015
Decriminalizing Dogs
Imagine looking for and finding the perfect apartment. It has everything included: Wi-Fi, a pool, a game room, cable TV…all the amenities. You see it is pet-friendly; they allow all dogs up to 75 pounds. That’s perfect considering you own a 64-pound American Staffordshire Terrier. But wait. The owner takes a look at your dog and says no way, we can’t have him here. You ask why and you get the “Oh, he’s considered dangerous” response. Many people here in the US have a problem with certain breeds of dogs. They are deemed as dangerous because of looks and breeding history. The problem is not the dogs though; it is the people who are raising and training them.
Dogs are …show more content…
They are not known to be aggressive dogs. Pit bulls are commonly used as therapy dogs. They are known to be very loyal and great with kids (AKC). Most of the time, if a dog is aggressive, it is due to irresponsible owners. People who have owned pit bulls like their macho appearance and encourage the dog to be aggressive for either fighting or protection (Babcock 1). But this could be applied to any breed of dog, not just pit bulls. Someone can train a lab to kill on command and labs are known to be the ‘perfect family dog’. Labs aren’t going to be banned from cities and make renting an apartment …show more content…
It shouldn’t be so breed specific though. Instead of having anti-pit bull or anti-German shepherd laws, they should make it more neutral. It’s like racial discrimination. Maybe people need to be more educated on these breeds. They can look up information about different breeds on websites such as ASPCA.org and the American Kennel Club’s site. Make the animal abuse laws stronger; make the punishment more powerful. Focusing just on the dog is taking the light off of the people who are raising them and training them to be that way. A search and rescue German shepherd and a junk yard-guarding German shepherd may be the same breed but they are not the same dog. It is what the owners’ intentions are (Babcock). Stop blaming the dogs and start looking at who’s on the other end of the leash.
Some people say the only reason pit bulls should be banned is because they are abused so much. If the dog is not allowed, the abuse rate will go down and the number of attacks will go down. But what about getting rid of the feral dogs that roam the streets in almost every major city? Feral dogs are more dangerous than a domestic canine. They are domestic dogs that went wild and run in packs hunting whatever they can for food. Cities should be more concerned about getting a control over wild dogs than dogs that were raised and brought up by
Mrs. Buczynski
Composition
October 3, 2015
Decriminalizing Dogs
Imagine looking for and finding the perfect apartment. It has everything included: Wi-Fi, a pool, a game room, cable TV…all the amenities. You see it is pet-friendly; they allow all dogs up to 75 pounds. That’s perfect considering you own a 64-pound American Staffordshire Terrier. But wait. The owner takes a look at your dog and says no way, we can’t have him here. You ask why and you get the “Oh, he’s considered dangerous” response. Many people here in the US have a problem with certain breeds of dogs. They are deemed as dangerous because of looks and breeding history. The problem is not the dogs though; it is the people who are raising and training them.
Dogs are …show more content…
They are not known to be aggressive dogs. Pit bulls are commonly used as therapy dogs. They are known to be very loyal and great with kids (AKC). Most of the time, if a dog is aggressive, it is due to irresponsible owners. People who have owned pit bulls like their macho appearance and encourage the dog to be aggressive for either fighting or protection (Babcock 1). But this could be applied to any breed of dog, not just pit bulls. Someone can train a lab to kill on command and labs are known to be the ‘perfect family dog’. Labs aren’t going to be banned from cities and make renting an apartment …show more content…
It shouldn’t be so breed specific though. Instead of having anti-pit bull or anti-German shepherd laws, they should make it more neutral. It’s like racial discrimination. Maybe people need to be more educated on these breeds. They can look up information about different breeds on websites such as ASPCA.org and the American Kennel Club’s site. Make the animal abuse laws stronger; make the punishment more powerful. Focusing just on the dog is taking the light off of the people who are raising them and training them to be that way. A search and rescue German shepherd and a junk yard-guarding German shepherd may be the same breed but they are not the same dog. It is what the owners’ intentions are (Babcock). Stop blaming the dogs and start looking at who’s on the other end of the leash.
Some people say the only reason pit bulls should be banned is because they are abused so much. If the dog is not allowed, the abuse rate will go down and the number of attacks will go down. But what about getting rid of the feral dogs that roam the streets in almost every major city? Feral dogs are more dangerous than a domestic canine. They are domestic dogs that went wild and run in packs hunting whatever they can for food. Cities should be more concerned about getting a control over wild dogs than dogs that were raised and brought up by