Bullying the Pit Bull breed is redundant, refutable, and entirely wrong. The issue at hand is not the breed itself, but rather our society. Pit Bulls are classified as working dogs; however, they’ve historically been raised by their owners to be aggressive, fighting dogs. This supports the concept that Pit Bulls, just like humans, are products of their environment and their upbringing. If a dog, regardless of the breed, is brought up in a neglectful, violent environment by an inattentive owner, it is no surprise that the dog will likely be aggressive--further fueling the stereotype that Pit Bulls are aggressive. This concept corresponds to an old argument that psychologists hold dearly: William James’ nature vs. nurture argument. Support backs
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There are approximately 3-5 million Pit Bulls in the United States, and about 1 million of them are euthanized in shelters every year. Save-a-Bull Rescue further identifies that “about 75% of municipal shelters euthanize Pit Bulls immediately upon intake.” These shocking statistics contribute to our society’s misperception regarding how “vicious” these dogs are, which leads to further bullying of the breed. Despite the fact that these euthanizations are due to over breeding, uninformed people will likely interpret these euthanizations as responses to the breed’s “dangerous” behaviors, so they will be opposed to adopting a Pit Bull.
Luckily, there is a solution to the overarching issue of over breeding. If our local veterinary offices offer low-cost, or even free, spaying and neutering, the population of Pit Bulls in the United States will stabilize. Through the stabilization of the population, the vast amount of Pit Bulls entering shelters, and eventually facing euthanasia, will significantly decrease. As you can tell, it is a vicious cycle: beginning with a large population due to over breeding, leading to overcrowded shelters, then unjust euthanizations, resulting in the continuation of the large
There are approximately 3-5 million Pit Bulls in the United States, and about 1 million of them are euthanized in shelters every year. Save-a-Bull Rescue further identifies that “about 75% of municipal shelters euthanize Pit Bulls immediately upon intake.” These shocking statistics contribute to our society’s misperception regarding how “vicious” these dogs are, which leads to further bullying of the breed. Despite the fact that these euthanizations are due to over breeding, uninformed people will likely interpret these euthanizations as responses to the breed’s “dangerous” behaviors, so they will be opposed to adopting a Pit Bull.
Luckily, there is a solution to the overarching issue of over breeding. If our local veterinary offices offer low-cost, or even free, spaying and neutering, the population of Pit Bulls in the United States will stabilize. Through the stabilization of the population, the vast amount of Pit Bulls entering shelters, and eventually facing euthanasia, will significantly decrease. As you can tell, it is a vicious cycle: beginning with a large population due to over breeding, leading to overcrowded shelters, then unjust euthanizations, resulting in the continuation of the large