Madison Mondragon

Robert Macdonald

English 1010

21 April 2015

Raising an Aggressive Pit Bull

Around the world Pit Bulls are known as fighting dogs and dangerous animals,

aggressive is the most used term there is out there. Most people would think that these dogs are

cheap and that is why that they are being raised to fight but in all reality if you are to go and look

these dogs up online they are a very expensive breed to purchase, this breed can range anywhere

from $500 to $8,000. There have been off-shoots of this breed to make them docile and family

friendly but even these dogs are over looked because they are still perceived as scary. It is true

that in the beginning these dogs were bred for fighting and guard purposes, it is also true that

people still use these breeds for these purposes. However now days these happy friendly Pit

Bulls are family dogs that are around small children and other animals. Most people would say

that no matter how you raise them they will turn against you, it isnt a matter of if but when.

People would even argue that it doesnt matter how they are raised their true nature is to be mean

and vicious down to the core. (puppyfind.com) (dogsbite.org)

Dog fighting is illegal in all fifty states in the United States but that doesnt stop it from

happening. The dogs that are put into the ring suffer a terrible fate, I would argue that it is worse

than death. In a paper written by Hanna Gibson Titled Detailed Discussion of Dog Fighting she

states that not only are their bodies ripped open but their limbs are broken and they still dont

give up in the fight; when the dog can no longer fight or are no longer useful to his or her owner

they are put to death. The dogs dont know any better they think that fighting is their life and
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because of how loyal they are to their owners they will keep going until they no longer can. She

also talks about how the owners have no concern or care for their fighters lives all they care

about is the money that can be brought in by them. (Gibson, all pages). Dog fighting isnt the

only problem and terrible act that goes on when the people get together for the entertainment,

children are brought as family bonding and there are often drugs being purchased and or sold.

The fights arent even as bad as it gets because they dont just start fighting from the get go. The

training that these poor Pit Bulls and other breeds are put through is horrendous. Animal Legal

Defense Fund puts what they go through quite well without going into too much detail. Neglect

and cruelty is an ongoing process throughout the training and the rest of their lives, they wear

heavy chains and run with them on, simulants and steroids are fed to them, they are starved, and

the females are sometimes put into what is called a rape box so that they can be bred with

fighting males. ALDF says that some of the trainers will put poison or paralytics on their dogs

coats to harm their opponents during the fight. (aldf.org).

The city of South Jordan, Utah takes the stigma of Pit Bulls to new level. Municipal

Code, City of South Jordan, Title 6 Animals, Chapter 6.12 Dogs and Cats, 6.12.100: Pit Bull

Terroirs. Summary:

In South Jordan, Utah, it is unlawful to own, possess, keep, exercise control over,
maintain, harbor, transport or sell any "pit bull terrier." There is an exception for dogs licensed
prior to the effective date of the ordinance, but such dogs are subject to certain requirements,
such as the maintenance of $50,000 insurance for bodily injury or death. Such dogs must be
properly confined or securely leashed and muzzled, and be implanted with an identification
microchip. Any violation of this section is a class C misdemeanor.

This quote and information is off of animallaw.info and it was last checked in June of

2012 to make sure that the law was still intact and it is. This keeps the stigma alive for people

who are already scared of being attacked or having their loved ones being attacked by a dog or
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more specifically a Pit Bull or Pit Bull type breed. I understand why these laws were put into

place at the time but for them to still be in act I dont understand it at all. There is more

awareness now on the breed and their needs, larger breeds need different attention than small

breeds of dogs. Everyone who purchases a dog should look into the breed that they purchasing

no matter the type of breed. (dogsbite.org/dangerous-dogs.php?gclid=, n.d.) (animallaw.info)

Pit Bulls who are raised to fight can still be loving family pets. When Michael Vick was

arrested for dog fighting 48 dogs were not euthanized and were appointed a special master by the

court to be rehabilitated. (aldf.org) A lot of people out there would say that dogs and other

animals lives arent are important as human lives but I would have to disagree because I grew up

with pets and after owning my own I know that they are just as much of my family as my human

family is. I have watched and have felt what it is like to mourn over a passed away family pet

and I can only imagine that the reason people say that they arent family is that they either

havent owned a pet like that or they simply just dont understand. I had no idea what I was

getting into when I got Sif, my American Bully, I knew that people didnt like Pit Bulls because

of the stigma of them being aggressive but I didnt realize how much they hated them. I cannot

take her on a walk, to the vet, or even into Pet Co without people giving us dirty looks or

crossing the street so they dont have to walk by us. Because of the stigma that surrounds Pit

Bulls people dont want to give them a chance to see how sweet they actually are. I choose to be

above the stigma every day that I have Sif in my little family and so should everyone else that

owns an aggressive dog breed, I am not ashamed of her and nor should I be.

I believe and studies have proven that with love, care, and sometimes rehabilitation Pit

Bulls can be part of any family who wants them; without the danger of them or their loved ones

being harmed in any way. These dogs are beautiful creatures that just want a safe environment to
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live in just like everyone else and unfortunately they have been over looked and abused for to

many years. Then even when Pit Bulls are in a loving environment they are still abused by the

outsiders who wont give them a chance to prove themselves. To give an example of how people

see Pit Bulls; when Sif was a puppy I took her to IFA, on her leash, as we were walking around a

little girl yelled Puppy! and started to come towards us. As she was coming toward us her

mother grabbed her arm forcefully and said in a gruff voice We dont pet dogs like THAT. And

pulled her daughter away from the isle we were standing in, I was shocked needless to say. Sif is

a sweet girl who loves kids and would have been fine letting that little girl pet her but because of

how she is perceived by the mother that little girl will forever think that dogs that look like mine

arent worthy of being pet or loved on. I do believe that there are some traits in the breed that

cannot be over looked. These dogs are more curious than most and when they get excited it is

like a bull in a china shop, however this does not mean that they will destroy everything in their

path every chance that they get. You do have to take caution when you go on a walk with them

and to be aware of the dog that you own boundaries. They are also unbelievably protective so

when they feel as if they are being threatened or their owner is being threatened they will do

everything they can to protect them. (dogtime.com)

Any dog can be label aggressive depending on who you are talking to. Some would say

that small dogs are the meanest, others would say that you could never trust a big dog with your

life, and a lot of people just hate dogs in general. All dog have a mean side and we, as humans,

shouldnt punish a whole breed for the actions of just a percentage of them being aggressive. Just

like there are terrible people out in the world there are terrible dogs. We punish people

individually for the bad things that they do and we should punish dogs and all animals the same

way, as individuals. I cannot but help to relate it in my mind to people being discriminated
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against because of the color of their skin, what they look like, and how they talk. Discrimination

is something that no one ever wants to have to be put through in their life and it isnt something

that any one should have to go through. I have been discriminated against because I am female

and because of my skin color and I dont let either of those things hold me back and I dont let

what other people think about my dog stop me from loving her. All life has a purpose and is a

precious thing it doesnt matter how insignificant it may be life is a beautiful thing. Every life

should be able to be lived in a safe environment and it is up to us give it to those less fortunate

and animals.

Love and a good home isnt going to stop the dog fighting or the stigma of Pit Bulls

being nasty dogs because most of them are already in good homes and are being loved. The thing

that will help the most is bringing awareness to the subject and not the sugar coated awareness

that the media or the government wants us to believe but the cold hard truth. People need to

know what actually goes on before, during, and after the fights. People dont care enough

because they dont know enough about the subject and dont know where to find the correct

information. Along with the correct information there needs to be awareness from real people

who dont care what will happen to them once they speak out. We dont need famous people to

bring the awareness so that they can be known for doing something upstanding and wonderful.

We need Joe down the street who is doing it because he believes in the cause and wants to do the

right thing, because it is the right thing to do.

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Works Cited
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://aldf.org/resources/laws-cases/animal-fighting-facts/.

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/american-pit-bull-terrier#personality.

dogsbite.org/dangerous-dogs.php?gclid=. (n.d.).

Gibson, H. (2005). https://www.animallaw.info/article/detailed-discussion-dog-fighting.

Retrieved from www.animallaw.info.

http://www.puppyfind.com/for_sale/?breed_id=134&keyword=%2Bpitbull+%2Bpuppies+

%2Bsale&gclid=CMu0hIf0gMUCFRAaaQodHlcA-A. (n.d.).

Jordan, U. M. (2012, June). https://www.animallaw.info/local/ut-south-jordan-breed-pit-bull-

ordinance. Retrieved from www.animallaw.info.