This recent increase in traffic to PIT BULL OWNERS WAKE UP! has caused me to reflect on why I will fight for bsl, and more specifically why I write this blog.
I have been asked over and over, how in the world I could have a Pit Bull and think they deserve different requirements than other dogs, I feel like I need to explain this in depth.
What is my Pit Bull like? My Pit Bull is very strong willed, often high strung and highly aroused, but sometimes a couch potato, hard headed, goofy, very protective of her yard and home, loving towards my family, and okay with certain dogs.
I'm going to tell you, taking care of her is a full time job! I have to go above and beyond to make sure everything is always properly secured so she does not escape, because she is very good at that! I have no doubt that if she got out and ran up on the wrong dog, she would kill it. And cats? Well, no cat is safe if she can reach them! Well, let me rephrase that, no small animal is safe around her, her prey drive is off the chain! So, we know what we have to do to keep her and everyone/thing around us safe, we deal with that, we do it, and that's just something we live with. There is too much chaos in owning a Pit Bull! If I didn't have a relative on the inside, I would never have been able to get insurance, WHAT A HASSLE! Not one single insurance company in my area will insure a Pit Bull! Insuring a Pit Bull is too much of a risk for them! It is such a pain in the butt having to always check and recheck the locks and gates and make sure there are no new holes in the fences. It's too much of a hassle to make sure no dogs come up in her space when we are out walking, so I just started muzzling her so I don't have to worry about it. I'm sick of the mean looks and sometimes harsh comments we get when she is seen in public. There are too many other breeds out there that are just as loving and don't come with such a big risk.
When you own a Pit Bull, you get a ton of extra baggage!
My dog is perfectly safe in my hands, I take all of the precautions to make sure of that. But you could take my dog that is safe under my ownership, give it to my parents (who have more of a laid back doggie ownership approach) and the results could be deadly. Heck, I highly doubt that my mom and dad could even handle her out on a walk! She has almost jerked my arm out of socket so many times I cannot even count, and that was just because she saw or heard another dog!
I apologize if this offends anyone, but I honestly DO NOT believe that dogs like these should be allowed in today's world. If you put a Maltese or a Schnauzer in the hands of an irresponsible owner, someone may get bit, but if you put a Pit Bull in the hands of an irresponsible owner someone can get killed, and that is unacceptable. Since I was an advocate of the breed for many years before I had a change of heart, I know hundreds of Pit Bull owners and their dogs. I know many that have killed dogs on more than one occasion. I know many Pit Bulls that were raised from puppies in good homes that have a screw loose in their head. I know some people that have dogs that are so aggressive they are never allowed around their children! How stupid do you have to be to own a dog that will kill your kid if given the chance? Not that it's a surprise, but there are many stupid Pit Bull owners, that can be seen in some of the "anon" comments on this blog.
When I say that we need bsl, let me be more specific. We need the following for Pit Bulls: they should be spayed and neutered, no felons can own them, they should be muzzled any time they are outside, if they are housed outside it should be inside a kennel with concrete floors and a roof. They should have to be microchipped, registered with the city, and the city should have a picture of said dog. Pit Bull owners should never be allowed to go to dog parks as they are a fighting breed. Pit Bull owners should have to pay an extra fee to own a Pit Bull, have to obtain separate insurance policy, and also be required to attend classes before they obtain one. Any new owners that move in the city should have to attend the class as well. There should be a limit on how many per household.And last but not least, any owner of a Pit Bull who's dog is involved in an attack on a person or an animal should be punished with higher fines and jail time (they knew the risk when they acquired the dog, and were not being responsible to let an attack happen, now people are paying the price for their stupidity.) Pit Bull owners have been shown to be careless, and there just isn't any room for mistakes when you have a Pit Bull.
To answer the questions before they are asked; WHY DO I THINK PIT BULLS NEED THESE REQUIREMENTS, here goes: Pit Bulls are very athletic and can easily scale a six foot fence. They will find a way to escape if there is a way. Criminals are attracted to this breed and use them illegally and sometimes as a weapon, so they should not be able to have one. Pit Bulls have been known to attack while on a leash being walked by their owner, so they should always be muzzled in public. Pit Bulls are dying by the millions in shelters each year so they need to be spayed and neutered ALL OF THEM! Pit Bulls often attack and cannot be traced to an owner so they should all be accounted for by the city they reside in so a person can be held responsible for the damage. Pit Bull owners often do not know the power and great responsibility that lies in their hands, and they need to be educated about the breed they choose to own. Often times when Pit Bulls attack the owner makes excuses and tries to downplay what happened. If owners were not just given a slap on the wrist when their Pit Bull attacks they would probably wise up and be more responsible with their killer. Now, this is what I would like to see happen, but more than likely no lawmaker has the cajones to do it.
I truly believe that when I got my Pit Bull and started doing research on the breed, if I would have been presented with THE FACTS by Pit Bull people, or ran across a blog like this, I would never have got into advocating for this breed. While I do love my own dog, I believe that because of their tremendous strength and being bred for the sole purpose of fighting and killing, I do not think they should be in society without restrictions and strict ones at that. Every opportunity I get, I will push for bsl and write lawmakers educating them on why we need it. I have opened my mind to perceive Pit Bulls in a different way, and I strongly encourage all Pit Bull owners to do the same for the safety of everyone, including Pit Bulls. It really didn't take much for me to change my mind. Just pay attention to the headlines and that should be enough.
The main goal of this blog is to get Pit Bull owners to change their thinking about bsl. Crazy Pit Bull lovin' websites lie to us about a lot of stuff. The main thing they lie about is saying breed specific legislation is our enemy. The truth is, if there are no more Pit Bulls it will hurt their pockets, so they do all they can to keep them around.
We bitch and whine every time a Pit Bull attacks someone and say we are sick of the irresponsible owners that let them do this. We hurt when we see another dogfighting ring broken up, and we cry when we see the awful acts of abuse inflicted on Pit Bulls. Well, if your truly sick of all of those things, then start looking at bsl in a new light. BSL will ward off all of those things.
So far today I have covered why I believe these dogs should be restricted. Sorry I rambled on for so long about it. Stay tuned for more coming soon!
And Pit Bull owners, if your still in the mood to read, please read this blog post for yet another reason you should change your mind about breed specific legislation:
http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/2009/12/is-400-million-pounds-of-dead-pit-bull.html
