bonniegrrl | Pit Bulls are NOT the enemy

After the horrible pitbull attack that happened this week in San Francisco, our Mayor Gavin Newsom may be hinting that he wants a pitbull ban in San Francisco.

This scares the hell out of me since I have a perfectly behaved beautiful pitbull mix that's the love of my life. Because of one dog attack, I'm completely petrified the mayor will take a kneejerk reaction to the media hype and go after pitbulls that haven't done anything wrong (like with my dog's case) with a possible ban.

This is outrageous, but knowing San Francisco and it's tendency to blow things out of PC proportion, I could see this actually happening.

I wrote Mayor Gavin Newsom to remind him that not all pits are vicious and aggressive, and banning them from the city making them illegal to own won't make things better, but possibly worse. The people who mistreat or neglect pits could care less about laws. And the people who could give pits a good home do. People who abuse pits by training them to fight for profit, or make them mean to be security dogs, don't make a habit of following laws. But the rest of us who already love and provide caring homes for pits do care about the laws. So where does that leave us?

Not only that, but the media here has gone nuts over the incident, feeding the public's panic with half-truths and blatant lies about the breed. SfGAte.com's coverage is disturbing. Not only are they playing up the idea that the dogs went nuts on the kid for no reason (when in actuality those same two dogs have been detained a year ago for attacking other dogs in the park), but they're also encouraging people to send in their "pitbull horror stories" which are often just people saying they cross the street the other way when they see a pit.

What I don't understand is why don't they make a real effort to publish stories that show the other side. I've only seen one solitary story "Despite reputation, trained pit bulls can be wonderful pets, experts say" in the sea of "pit bulls are evil" sensationalistic stories. It seems as though the San Francisco media doesn't think the other side of the story will sell newspapers or get people to tune into their media programs. After all, a dead boy and two vicious dogs sells more papers, then the fact that not all pits are killers.

Please read these and do me a favor and get more informated about these things before jumping on the bandwagon with other folks who only get their facts from the 10 o'clock news.

Regardless how you feel about pitbulls, PLEASE take a moment to read these myths and facts about pitbulls from Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls here:
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PITBULL MYTHS:

Well, LOTS of people no thanks in part to some very damaging myths, the deeds of unscrupulous breeders/owners and the hyped up media coverage that has been plaguing this breed for years. So many untruths and half-truths have been repeated so many times that the general public has begun to believe fairy tales instead of fact.

Aren't Pit Bulls MEAN and VICIOUS?
No more vicious than golden retrievers, beagles or other popular dogs! In a recent study of 122 dog breeds by the American Temperament Testing Society (ATT), pitbulls achieved a passing rate of 83.9%. That's as good or better than beagles ... 78.2%, and golden retrievers ... 83.2%. How did your favorite breed do? See for yourself: ATTS.org

In the ATT test, a dog is put through a series of confrontational situations. Any sign of panic or aggression leads to failure of the test. The achievement of pit bulls in this study disproves once and for all the old tired belief that pit bulls are inherently aggressive to people.

Like any breed of dog, a healthy pit bull that is properly raised will remain loving and friendly. In the past 20 years, we've seen some sad examples of poorly bred and badly treated dogs that are the byproducts of irresponsible 'backyard breeders' and cruel and abusive homes. These improperly raised, unsocialized creatures can show temperaments far removed from the traditional authentic pit bull. Don't confuse these unfortunate misbreds with the huge majority of well-loved dogs in this country that remain solid in temperament, affectionate, trustworthy and friendly to their dying day.

Don't Pit Bulls have LOCKING JAWS?
No. A pit bull's ability to "lock on" with it's jaws is one WHOPPER of a myth that refuses to let go! The jaws of a pit bull are built just as any other dog's jaw. There's no 'enzyme', no special mechanism that would make a pitbull's jaws 'lock'. They're DOGS, not alligators! What a pit bull does have is strength, tenacity, and determination. When he grasps something he wants to hang onto, his willpower is the glue.

Don't pit bulls have to be TRAINED TO FIGHT?
NO! Just as we have breeds like the Jack Russell Terrier which was selectively bred to do battle with badgers, foxes and other animals, the bull breeds have been selectively bred to fight other dogs. Pit bulls can run the gamut from very dog aggressive to exceptionally dog friendly, but each shares some degree of the inbred potential to fight other dogs encoded into their genetic makeup. Under the right (or WRONG!) circumstances, if a pit bull is poorly managed, he can get into a scuffle with another dog and fight like a pro ... even if he's never done it before.

A well socialized, well managed pit bull should never have to get into a dogfight, because he's accustomed to the presence of other dogs and - IMPORTANT! - he has a smart and responsible owner. Pit bull owners should always stay alert and careful to avoid any triggers or situations that could invite the unhappy possibility of a scuffle.

Will a pit bull that shows aggression towards other animals go after PEOPLE NEXT?
No. Aggression towards other animals and human aggression are two totally different things. We've heard this frightened quote, "He went after a dog (or cat) and our kids might be next!". This is one big MONSTER of a myth that has generated a host of damaging anti-pit bull hysteria. It is perfectly 'normal' for a pit bull to be wonderfully affectionate and friendly with people, while at the same time not 100% trustworthy around other dogs. Like any breed of dog that we see in family homes today, a properly raised, well socialized, responsibly owned pit bull should never be human aggressive. Pit bulls that do show aggressive behavior towards humans are not typical of the breed and should be humanely euthanized.

Are pit bulls unpredictable around CHILDREN?
Pit bulls have enjoyed a long history as favorite children's companions and family pets. When well socialized and properly raised, they're the perfect breed to tolerate the rough and tumble play that kids can dish out. Pitbulls tend to be drawn to the joyful optimism of children and love to meet them with tails awaggin'! Some APBTs may not be suitable with young children because they could knock them down in their exhuberance. Common sense dictates that children should be taught how to properly interact with dogs (of EVERY breed) and should never be left alone with a dog unsupervised.

Don't all pit bulls want to chase CATS?
Self-respecting dogs of every breed will go after cats, and pit bulls are no exception. However, there are endless examples of pit bulls that exhibit a lower prey drive and co-exist quite peacefully with cats, birds and other pets. Within BAD RAP there are members whose dogs are great with their family kitties, birds, rabbits, and ferrets...And there are also some dogs who can never be trusted with smaller animals.

If you want to help, voice your opinion about pit bulls to:

San Francisco Chronicle: Letters to the Editor:
letters@sfchronicle.com

Mayor Gavin Newsom
Telephone: (415) 554-6141
TDD: (415) 252-3107
Fax: (415) 554-6160
Email: gavin.newsom@sfgov.org