1. Brittany Irish
Mr. Sobiesiak
English 101
November 25, 2012
The Pit Bull: Man-Eater or Family Pet?
There will always be two sides to the same coin. It has always been that way, and it applies to
nearly everything. This fact is no different when talking about pit bulls. Some people claim they
are loving pets, and others claim they are 'man-eaters' and unfit as a breed. To truly decide on
what 'side of the coin' is correct, one would have to learn all of the facts they could about this
breed.
One very important factor that people don't know about Pit Bulls is that the Pit Bull isn't a
registered breed of dog (Pit Bull FAQ). The Pit Bull is the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American
Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrior, the American Bull Dog, and any other mixed
breed that is a combination of these dogs (Pit Bull FAQ). The weight and shape of these dogs
can vary from around thirty-five pounds to over one hundred pounds (Pit Bull FAQ).
The Pit Bull's history is long and gruesome. Bull baiting and bear baiting was a popular sport; it
was where pit bulls would try and subdue a bear or bull (Pit Bull FAQ). The pit bulls and the bulls
or bears would both sustain heavy damage after the fights, often times the pit bulls losing legs
or being ripped open (Pit Bull FAQ). When bull baiting was banned, people went to 'ratting,'
where rats were put in a big pit with a pit bull, and wages were placed on how many rats the pit
bull could kill in a certain time period (Pit Bull FAQ). The American Pit Bull Terrier emerged from
this sport because the ratters were breeding the pit bulls with terriers for speed and accuracy
(Pit Bull FAQ). Then, dogfighting became popular, with pit bulls and other dogs fighting against
each other until one side cannot continue, or dies (Pit Bull FAQ). These breeds of dogs were
selectively bred and created the way they are for maximum strength, endurance, and damage
(Pit Bull FAQ).
It is no wonder, with a gruesome reputation and history that the pit bulls have such a bad rap.
It's also pretty hard to find accurate information on them with so many websites out there that
are advocating the banning and extermination of the group of dogs. This leads many people to
be misinformed on the breed, and grow to dislike the breed and fear them. These people need
to look at the facts, the actual statistics, and the good parts in history that they played.

2. In the beginning of the 20th century, the American Pit Bull Terrier was the most popular family
dog, so what happened to the breed and the falling of popularity they are experiencing (Hedges,
Index)? With their bad reputation, many pit bulls are subject to animal abuse (Hedges, Index).
There were 10,728 total canine abuses as of July 16, 2012, and 77.5 percent of these cases were
involving pit bulls. The breed is often chained up and not given proper attention or care, which
makes them fear and hate humans just like with any other dog (Hedges, Index). Since this group
of dogs is seen so much more in these conditions, these dogs often get the bad rap, when the
owners should actually be getting the bad rap (Hedges, Index). Not to mention that illegal
dogfighting still goes on today and the pit bull is still one of the most popular breeds for the
sport (Hedges, Index). Along with dogfighting there are breeders that breed specifically for the
most aggressive lines of pit bulls, and when they get caught illegally breeding and the pits are
tried for adoption, it doesn't always turn out the best (Hedges, Index). So many illegal activities
circle around the breed just because of their history of dogfighting and general loathing of the
breed.
Pit bulls were celebrated in American History (Hedges, Index). Petey of the Little Rascals was a
pit bull, and Helen Keller even owned a pit bull (Hedges, Index). The pit bull was even a
celebrated American hero, often depicted in World War I posters (Hedges, Index). In one
poster, a pit bull is seen guarding the American flag and some kittens against a German Mastiff
(Hedges, Index). Stubby, a pit bull terrier mix, was the most decorated war dog in American
history (Hedges, Index). Popsicle was rescued by the police, and when no one would adopt her
because she was a pit bull, she went to the police academy and graduated top of her class
(Hedges, Index). Weela, another pit bull, saved thirty people, twenty-nine dogs, thirteen horses
and a cat during a flood in South California (Hedges, Index). Many pit bulls over time have
become heroes, even becoming an icon for America during World War I.
It is true pit bull attacks have resulted in more fatalities than any other breed, but probability of
being attacked by a pit bull is lower than any other breed (Hedges, Index). Of a population of
4,256,000 pit bulls, the probability of a fatal attack is .00125 percent, lower than Rottweilers,
chows, and German shepherds (Hedges, Index). The probability of a fatal attack by a pit bull
compared to other common fatalities is also very low. Three hundred and twenty-five people
on average die every year by suffocating in bed, while only eight on average deaths associated
with pit bulls (Hedges, Index).
Pit bulls also score above average on the temperament test that dogs take when being
evaluated (Hedges, Index). Eighty-two percent of dogs get a passing score with this test, and the

3. American Pit Bull Terrier has an average of almost eighty-seven percent (Hedges, Index). The
golden retriever even scored lower than the pit bull, with eighty-five percent. (Hedges, Index).
A lot of people think that the pit bull bites more often than other dogs, and is more dangerous
that other dogs. As mentioned before, the American Pit Bull terrier scores highest out of all of
the breeds tested for temperament issues. There are also no statistics saying that the pit bull
attacks more than any other breed (PBRC). Another point of interest not only brought up by Pit
Bull Rescue Central, but also by Dogsbite.org and Catherine Hedges, is that most people can't
correctly identify the dog that attacked. Most people identify the dog as a pit bull, when in fact
it wasn't a pit bull.
People often claim that a pit bull has a higher bite pressure than most dogs, and they have a
different biting style than other dogs that inflicts more damage. Domestic dogs have an average
of three hundred pounds of bite pressure (PBRC). After testing a Rottweiler, a German
Shepherd, and an American Pit Bull Terrier, the results showed that the Pit Bull Terrier has the
lowest bite pressure compared to the other two (PBRC). According to the PBRC, after studies on
the structure and functionality of dog's jaws, they concluded that the pit bull, nor any dog, has a
'locking jaw' that would allow them to inflict more damage than any other dog.
Still, even with these statistics, people still want the pit bulls banned and governed more than
other dogs. None of the communities that have passed breed specific laws have shown reduced
dog bite incidents (Hedges, Index). The National Canine Research Council has studied for twenty
years and concluded that no breed has a specific method of attack or specific type of injury that
they inflict (Hedges, Index). In Prince George's County, Maryland, the annual budget for
enforcing the Pit Bull ban is 250,000, and they admit that the ban does not improve public safety
(Hedges, Index). The Supreme Court in Alabama even ruled that there is no genetic evidence
that any dog is more dangerous or aggressive than another, after having veterinarians that
specialized in the study come up with evidence of this fact (Hedges, Stop).
Many of the arguments against the pit bull actually could apply to any breed. In 2006, ninety-seven
percent of dogs who fatally attacked were not neutered or spayed (Hedges, Index). More
than seventy percent of the bites were from un-neutered male dogs (Hedges, Index). Male dogs
are 6.2 percent more likely to bite than a female dog (Hedges, Index). Eighty-eight percent of
dog attacks involving 2-year old children occurred with no adults were present (Hedges, Index).
Most of the things that caused the attacks were due to the owners. It is up to the owner to get
their pet spayed or neutered, and up to them to supervise their children when alone with any

4. animal.
From the evidence gathered, it can be assumed that it is not the breed's fault for nearly any
attack that was reported. Owners need to spay and neuter their pets, and supervise them
around children. More people need to become informed on what really is a pit bull, so less non-pit
bull dogs get classified and reported as one. Less people need to go to websites advocating
against pit bulls, and go to their veterinarian if they really want to learn about pit bulls. The pit
bull may not be right for everyone, but it certainly isn't a bad dog.
Works Cited:
Hedges, Catherine. "Index." Dontbullymybreed.org. Catherine Hedges. N.d. Web. Nov. 24,
2012. < www.dontbullymybreed.org/index…>
Hedges, Catherine. "Stop Court Ruling." Dontbullymybreed.org. Catherine Hedges. N.d. Web.
Nov. 24, 2012. < www.dontbullymybreed.org/StopC…>
Miller, Daylina. "Pit bulls Are Not Bullies." News.usf.edu. University of South Florida. 2012.
Web. Nov. 24, 2012. < news.usf.edu/article/templates…>
"PBRC Media Center." Pit Bull Rescue Central. Pit Bull Rescue Central. 2010. Web. Nov. 25,
2012. < www.pbrc.net/mediacenter/media…>
"Pit Bull FAQ." Dogsbite.org. Lynn Media Group. July 31, 2012. Web. Nov. 24, 2012. <
www.dogsbite.org/dangerous-dog…>