Pitbulls Research Paper
Give Pit Bulls a Fighting Chance Most Americans do not know that pit bulls were once known as, “America 's Breed,” or that they were owned by individuals such as: Theodore Roosevelt, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Helen Keller. Pit bulls also served honorably in the military (Sargent Stubby was the most decorated dog in the first world war), were featured in films (Pete the Pup was a member of the Little Rascals), and were celebrated on famous World War I posters (“proclaiming: 'Land of the Free, Home of the Brave '”) (Dayan, 2010, p26). Indeed, pit bulls were once the darlings of American life and even regarded as man 's best friend. It wasn’t until the 1980s, when pit bulls began to develop a negative reputation. Rolling Stone, Sports
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Illustrated, and Time Magazine wrote articles about pit bulls being a particularly vicious breed (Dayan, 2010). Sports Illustrated erroneously stigmatized pit bulls by creating a lock-jaw myth and headlined their article “Beware of This Dog,”. These articles brought about a biased view of the breed that stills carries on today (Dayan, 2010). Before pit bulls were thought to be the “bad dog” of choice, Dobermans and Rottweiler’s were also scrutinized by media reports (Cohen & Richardson, 2002). Authorities that participate in and support the confiscation of pit bulls is law enforcement and the Humane Society. Law enforcement gains, due to the idea that they are protecting citizens of the communities from “harmful” pit bulls. To acquire donations and appear that they are protecting dogs from dog fights, the Humane Society discriminates against pit bulls.They discriminate against the breed by seizing them to kill. These systems are what newsmen are most likely to rely on for content detailing pit bulls, which is usually skewed and one-sided (Cohen & Richardson 2002). In addition to partial opinions, it is thought that pit bulls were bred to attack people, but that is not the case. “Pit bulls were bred to be people friendly because the traditional dog fight had two dogs and no less than three people in a pit. Any dog that either bit a handler or a referee was instantly disqualified and usually destroyed” (Cohen & Richardson, 2002, p288). Pit bulls, once a beloved breed of America, have become the most demonized breed because of distorted data in the media, bad ownership, and lack of education. The media has become responsible for using a variety of methods to mislead audiences in the universal perception of the pit bull breed.
The ways the media does this includes: tunnel vision, using politically charged labels, and misleading pictures. Tunnel vision includes, “providing little breadth or perspective and narrowing one 's perception of what is newsworthy to what has been newsworthy in the past or to what one was looking for in the first place”, which has been used to further a negative characterization of this breed (Cohen, J. & Richardson, J., 2002, p 291). Pit bulls across the nation make major headlines and capture the attention of numerous people for dog fighting and attacks, but has anyone ever stopped and thought, “Is there anything good pit bulls have ever done?”. There are stories regarding pit bulls that have acted in heroic ways to save their owners, and other animals, but they will never be covered in the news as much as the negative stories do. Another way that the media skews the opinions of the public is, using politically charged labels, such as: “viscous” and “unpredictable.” Without knowing the temperament of any pit bull, most people would assume them to be vicious because of what they have been fed. Also, many dogs that have been confiscated after being matched in dog fights and have been described as viscous. Even though there was no evidence that these dogs were ever aggressive towards people. In this context, the label is more than …show more content…
inauspiciously charged, it is largely false. Since pit bulls have been the media 's choice of horror stories, the dogs have been labeled “four-legged guns” or “lethal weapons” (Dayan, 2010, p26). One last thing the media is guilty of is using misleading pictures. For instance, an article used a picture of what appears to be a “vicious” pit bull with teeth bared, jumping against a fence, supposedly wanting to attack the photographer, when in fact the dog was owned by Richard Stratton who explained that his dog was jumping and excited because Stratton was holding a ball the dog wanted to play with. This distasteful coverage is utterly wrong and offensive. If people do not know the whole truth, then they are not able to render judgment on any topic let alone this one. Although the media shames the pit bull breed, awful owners do not help with improving the breed 's crumbling reputation. The way a dog behaves is dependent on the actions and treatment of its owner. As humans, we should realize that how dogs behave is a direct reflection of ourselves. We like certain breeds because they appeal to us, such as: the little lap dog that we can dress up and carry around, or the gentle giant that would not hurt a fly. Renowned journalist and bestselling author, Malcom Gladwell, states in the article Dead Dogs, “Dogs that bite people are vicious because they have owners who want a vicious dog”. That is what inclines a dog to bite; it is not its nature, but the environment that the dog is raised in (Dayan, 2010). Often times the most loyal dogs are the most maltreated and abused; always ready to please their owners. These dogs have become victimized by the ones they love. Gang members, drug dealers, and street corner thugs have been using pit bull-type dogs for their new weapons of choice. Society’s miscreants have been able to avoid prosecution or suspicion of wrongdoing by having their perceived weapon intimidate rivals or foe without the need to carry illegal instruments of force. “Dangerous dogs have recently been widely used by gangs and criminals to intimidate and cause injury to other people and other animals” (Hallsworth, 2011, p395). The authorities claim that pit bulls are “vicious dogs” because they are unpredictable and are eager to attack and maul at any moment, but this is simply not true. Society should realize this fact: according to the article “Then they came for the dogs!.” Dangerous breeds do not bite at significantly higher rates, and their singling out is therefore not justified. Pit bulls are not an evil breed, it is how they are being raised and abused by the criminals, which gives them a bad reputation. These dogs were once used as hunters and herders of large game and livestock, but because of their strong grip they are now used inhumanely. Therefore, citizens should demand tighter legislation and regulation on who should be able to own pit bulls, like background checks, and look more into each person 's motivation. Americans who own non-threatening pit bulls, and who have raised them responsibly should not have to be punished simply because of their choice of wanting this specific breed of dog. This is not just. Today people are naive and believe what they told in the media because of a lack of education on certain topics, such as pit bulls. Many people, including our own government, believe that just because a dog has a certain look, it is vicious. The government and all citizens should be required to know their facts about any breed before deeming them vicious and banning them. Multiple studies have proven that banning a certain breed (Breed-Specific Legislation) unfortunately does not work to decrease the amount of dog bites in specific areas, despite well-intentioned efforts. For example in Spain, a study was published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior showing the Dangerous Animals Act, which targeted numerous breeds of dogs, had no impact on reducing dog related injuries. In Italy, Francesca Martini reported, “The measures adopted in previous laws had no scientific basis. Dangerous breeds do not exist”. In the Netherlands, the government did a study on the breed ban 's effectiveness, which revealed that banning a breed of dogs was a not a successful dog bite mitigation strategy. Instead, researchers recommended better education for children and adults on proper interactions with dogs (“World Wide,” 2010). Has America been impartial and not looked at these other nations ' strategies to realize it is not working, and amended legislation should be introduced? Although the media, bad ownership, and lack of education has degraded pit bulls, they were once held upon a pedestal in America. Because of this, “[w]e call on communities to recognize these fundamental truths; to honor the special relationship between dogs and human beings; to repeal cruel and ineffective breed-specific regulations; and to hold all owners to a high standard of humane care, custody and control of all dogs” (“World Wide,”2010, p2). It is urged that if you ever see a pit bull to not rely on emotional responses driven by undue fear, but to challenge yourself not to judge the breed. It is important to give pit bulls a fighting chance. Remember what you have always been told, don 't judge a book by its cover.
References
Cohen, J., & Richardson J.
(2002). Pit bull panic. Journal of Popular Culture, 36(2), 285-317.Retrieved on November 12,2013, from http://library.keuka.edu
Dayan, C.,(2010). Dead dogs: Breed bans, euthanasia, and preemptive justice. Boston Review, 35(3) p26-28. Retrieved on November 12, 2013 from http://library.keuka.edu/login
Hallsworth, S. (2011). Then they came for the dogs!. Crime, Law, and Social Change, 55(5) p391-403. Retrieved on November 13, 2013, from http://link.springer.com/statistcs
Pratt, H. K.(2004). Canine profiling: does breed-specific legislation take a bite out of canine crime?. Penn State Law Review, 108(3) p855-879. Retrieved on November 13, 2013, from http://library.keuka.edu/login
Tullis, P., (2013). The softer side of pit pulls. A reviled breed gets a makeover. Time, 182(4), p54.2p.Retrieved on November 12, 2013, from http://library.keuka.edu
Twinning, H., Arluke, A., Patronek, G., (2001). Managing the stigma of outlaw breeds: A case study of pit bull owners. Society & Animals, 8(1). p25-52. Retrieved November 12,2013, from http://library.keuka.edu
World-wide failure of breed specific legislation.(2010). National Canine Research Council. Retrieved November 20, 2013, from
http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com
Illustrated, and Time Magazine wrote articles about pit bulls being a particularly vicious breed (Dayan, 2010). Sports Illustrated erroneously stigmatized pit bulls by creating a lock-jaw myth and headlined their article “Beware of This Dog,”. These articles brought about a biased view of the breed that stills carries on today (Dayan, 2010). Before pit bulls were thought to be the “bad dog” of choice, Dobermans and Rottweiler’s were also scrutinized by media reports (Cohen & Richardson, 2002). Authorities that participate in and support the confiscation of pit bulls is law enforcement and the Humane Society. Law enforcement gains, due to the idea that they are protecting citizens of the communities from “harmful” pit bulls. To acquire donations and appear that they are protecting dogs from dog fights, the Humane Society discriminates against pit bulls.They discriminate against the breed by seizing them to kill. These systems are what newsmen are most likely to rely on for content detailing pit bulls, which is usually skewed and one-sided (Cohen & Richardson 2002). In addition to partial opinions, it is thought that pit bulls were bred to attack people, but that is not the case. “Pit bulls were bred to be people friendly because the traditional dog fight had two dogs and no less than three people in a pit. Any dog that either bit a handler or a referee was instantly disqualified and usually destroyed” (Cohen & Richardson, 2002, p288). Pit bulls, once a beloved breed of America, have become the most demonized breed because of distorted data in the media, bad ownership, and lack of education. The media has become responsible for using a variety of methods to mislead audiences in the universal perception of the pit bull breed.
The ways the media does this includes: tunnel vision, using politically charged labels, and misleading pictures. Tunnel vision includes, “providing little breadth or perspective and narrowing one 's perception of what is newsworthy to what has been newsworthy in the past or to what one was looking for in the first place”, which has been used to further a negative characterization of this breed (Cohen, J. & Richardson, J., 2002, p 291). Pit bulls across the nation make major headlines and capture the attention of numerous people for dog fighting and attacks, but has anyone ever stopped and thought, “Is there anything good pit bulls have ever done?”. There are stories regarding pit bulls that have acted in heroic ways to save their owners, and other animals, but they will never be covered in the news as much as the negative stories do. Another way that the media skews the opinions of the public is, using politically charged labels, such as: “viscous” and “unpredictable.” Without knowing the temperament of any pit bull, most people would assume them to be vicious because of what they have been fed. Also, many dogs that have been confiscated after being matched in dog fights and have been described as viscous. Even though there was no evidence that these dogs were ever aggressive towards people. In this context, the label is more than …show more content…
inauspiciously charged, it is largely false. Since pit bulls have been the media 's choice of horror stories, the dogs have been labeled “four-legged guns” or “lethal weapons” (Dayan, 2010, p26). One last thing the media is guilty of is using misleading pictures. For instance, an article used a picture of what appears to be a “vicious” pit bull with teeth bared, jumping against a fence, supposedly wanting to attack the photographer, when in fact the dog was owned by Richard Stratton who explained that his dog was jumping and excited because Stratton was holding a ball the dog wanted to play with. This distasteful coverage is utterly wrong and offensive. If people do not know the whole truth, then they are not able to render judgment on any topic let alone this one. Although the media shames the pit bull breed, awful owners do not help with improving the breed 's crumbling reputation. The way a dog behaves is dependent on the actions and treatment of its owner. As humans, we should realize that how dogs behave is a direct reflection of ourselves. We like certain breeds because they appeal to us, such as: the little lap dog that we can dress up and carry around, or the gentle giant that would not hurt a fly. Renowned journalist and bestselling author, Malcom Gladwell, states in the article Dead Dogs, “Dogs that bite people are vicious because they have owners who want a vicious dog”. That is what inclines a dog to bite; it is not its nature, but the environment that the dog is raised in (Dayan, 2010). Often times the most loyal dogs are the most maltreated and abused; always ready to please their owners. These dogs have become victimized by the ones they love. Gang members, drug dealers, and street corner thugs have been using pit bull-type dogs for their new weapons of choice. Society’s miscreants have been able to avoid prosecution or suspicion of wrongdoing by having their perceived weapon intimidate rivals or foe without the need to carry illegal instruments of force. “Dangerous dogs have recently been widely used by gangs and criminals to intimidate and cause injury to other people and other animals” (Hallsworth, 2011, p395). The authorities claim that pit bulls are “vicious dogs” because they are unpredictable and are eager to attack and maul at any moment, but this is simply not true. Society should realize this fact: according to the article “Then they came for the dogs!.” Dangerous breeds do not bite at significantly higher rates, and their singling out is therefore not justified. Pit bulls are not an evil breed, it is how they are being raised and abused by the criminals, which gives them a bad reputation. These dogs were once used as hunters and herders of large game and livestock, but because of their strong grip they are now used inhumanely. Therefore, citizens should demand tighter legislation and regulation on who should be able to own pit bulls, like background checks, and look more into each person 's motivation. Americans who own non-threatening pit bulls, and who have raised them responsibly should not have to be punished simply because of their choice of wanting this specific breed of dog. This is not just. Today people are naive and believe what they told in the media because of a lack of education on certain topics, such as pit bulls. Many people, including our own government, believe that just because a dog has a certain look, it is vicious. The government and all citizens should be required to know their facts about any breed before deeming them vicious and banning them. Multiple studies have proven that banning a certain breed (Breed-Specific Legislation) unfortunately does not work to decrease the amount of dog bites in specific areas, despite well-intentioned efforts. For example in Spain, a study was published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior showing the Dangerous Animals Act, which targeted numerous breeds of dogs, had no impact on reducing dog related injuries. In Italy, Francesca Martini reported, “The measures adopted in previous laws had no scientific basis. Dangerous breeds do not exist”. In the Netherlands, the government did a study on the breed ban 's effectiveness, which revealed that banning a breed of dogs was a not a successful dog bite mitigation strategy. Instead, researchers recommended better education for children and adults on proper interactions with dogs (“World Wide,” 2010). Has America been impartial and not looked at these other nations ' strategies to realize it is not working, and amended legislation should be introduced? Although the media, bad ownership, and lack of education has degraded pit bulls, they were once held upon a pedestal in America. Because of this, “[w]e call on communities to recognize these fundamental truths; to honor the special relationship between dogs and human beings; to repeal cruel and ineffective breed-specific regulations; and to hold all owners to a high standard of humane care, custody and control of all dogs” (“World Wide,”2010, p2). It is urged that if you ever see a pit bull to not rely on emotional responses driven by undue fear, but to challenge yourself not to judge the breed. It is important to give pit bulls a fighting chance. Remember what you have always been told, don 't judge a book by its cover.
References
Cohen, J., & Richardson J.
(2002). Pit bull panic. Journal of Popular Culture, 36(2), 285-317.Retrieved on November 12,2013, from http://library.keuka.edu
Dayan, C.,(2010). Dead dogs: Breed bans, euthanasia, and preemptive justice. Boston Review, 35(3) p26-28. Retrieved on November 12, 2013 from http://library.keuka.edu/login
Hallsworth, S. (2011). Then they came for the dogs!. Crime, Law, and Social Change, 55(5) p391-403. Retrieved on November 13, 2013, from http://link.springer.com/statistcs
Pratt, H. K.(2004). Canine profiling: does breed-specific legislation take a bite out of canine crime?. Penn State Law Review, 108(3) p855-879. Retrieved on November 13, 2013, from http://library.keuka.edu/login
Tullis, P., (2013). The softer side of pit pulls. A reviled breed gets a makeover. Time, 182(4), p54.2p.Retrieved on November 12, 2013, from http://library.keuka.edu
Twinning, H., Arluke, A., Patronek, G., (2001). Managing the stigma of outlaw breeds: A case study of pit bull owners. Society & Animals, 8(1). p25-52. Retrieved November 12,2013, from http://library.keuka.edu
World-wide failure of breed specific legislation.(2010). National Canine Research Council. Retrieved November 20, 2013, from
http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com