It is ignorant and misinformed people such as yourself that continue to perpetuate this unfounded rationale that pit bulls should be banned based solely on breed specific legislation. I rescued my pit bull ten years ago and can say unconditionally that he is the sweetest, most kind-hearted, timid, and loving dog I have ever owned. He's been around infants (supervised of course), small children, elderly, and any other person you can imagine with not one single instance of aggression or hostility, ever. Does he have the potential to be aggressive? Sure. Does the lab that lives next to me, the lhasa apso and great dane that live up my street, or any of the other hundreds of dogs that live near me have the potential to be aggressive? Absolutely. Unless you happen to be a squirrel, my dog won't even bother to give you the time of day, thats how docile he is. Rather than enforcing breed specific legislation, how about we instead focus on educating the public and members of the community how to responsibly care for an animal, and severely punish those who own these breeds for the purposes of dog-fighting or other illegal activities. Individuals that sadly do engage in these illegal activities who own pit bulls, rottweilers, and other "vicious" breeds will merely move onto a breed that is not currently banned. How many dog breeds will we eventually have to ban before the problem is rectified? Instead of hating on pit bulls, focus on their irresponsbile and sometimes detestable owners. People convicted of animal cruelty should be in jail for a long long time. Michael Vick should still be jail.
Ultimately, the responsibility of pit bulls and other potentially dangerous breeds falls directly on the owner. Obedience classes, training sessions, and countless other forms of literature are available to the owner to help educate them into properly raising a healthy, non-aggressive pet. This guidance and support has proven to be effective provided the owner wishes to foster a healthy environment for their pit bull. Banning pit bulls and other breeds is an ineffective and inhumane approach to correcting a societal problem. Instead, public outreach and educational programs should be developed for current and future pit bull owners focusing on constructive methods to avoid aggression with simple solutions such as socialization and play time. Pit bulls can be the most docile of all animals given the opportunity and environment to do so. While the stigma of pit bulls may never be fully eradicated, it is imperative that members of the community understand that there are no bad dogs, just bad owners.
