Alexandra Alonzo- Don't Bully My Breed

Don't Bully My Breed

*Pitbull-type dogs=bully breeds

Social Issue: 

   "Pitbull" is a loosely used term to define a category of dogs that look alike. The definition of bully breeds are: American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, English Bull Terrier and sometimes Bulldogs; so in fact the term "pitbull" isn't even a breed as many believe it to be. The term pitbull came from dogs who would participate in "bull-baiting" in small areas called "pits". There would be different breed dogs involved in bull-baiting but the bully breed were commonly used which is where their history of fighting began. Bull-baiting is something that the dogs were taught, not something that was instilled in their DNA. This was a form of entertainment to see which dog lasted the longest in the ring with a bull. The early histories of pitbull-type dogs, suggest that they were bred to be farm dogs; they later got the reputation of fighting dogs because of bull-baiting in the early 19th century in England. (Cesars way)

     These dogs are being bullied because of their past experiences of being trained wrong and their looks. Pitbull-type dogs are being blamed for the harm of other dogs or humans. The primary factor of dog bites are because of the irresponsible owners. So the breed isn't even a factor when it comes to dog bite statistics, it's just how the owner trained their dog to act around others. Pitbull-type dogs are not more dangerous than other dogs, they are just the commonly used breed when it comes to fighting because their body build makes it easy for them to gain muscle. There was a study done in 2015 that states that 60% pitbull-types were misidentified to have harmed people and dogs (Pitbull info). They are visually misidentified because there are so many common characteristics in different breeds that look like the pitbull-type. This makes the statistics of the bully breed being dangerous higher since they are misidentified.

    An example of how the bully breed got its bad reputation is from Michael Vick's cruel act in 2007. Michael Vick, former NFL player was caught in a rut when the officials found out that he was an owner of about 50 dogs and trained them for dog-fighting. He not only did dog-fighting with the dogs he owned, he tortured them. Vick's dogs that he used for the fighting were "pit bulls" and that is one of the reasons why people believe them to be cruel. Michael Vick is an example of an owner error. Lack of discipline, training and love can make any dog dangerous which is what happened with Vick's dogs (Aldf).
    Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) is a term for laws that regulate and/or ban a specific dog breed. This law is trying to decrease dog attacks by banning certain dog breeds such as the bully breed. Some say that this law isn't doing anything other than harming dog owners and specific breeds; in fact it's a breed-discriminatory law. There are about 700 cities in the U.S that have breed-specific regulations (ASPCA).

This Map shows BSL restrictions and/or bans on "Pit bull" dogs in certain states/cities:

The bottom of this map states: "The BSL Map is current as of August 2018 and updated monthly"
(Animal Farm Foundation, Inc.)

Below is a video of how sweet bully breeds can be; especially around children.

https://youtu.be/hP5It0aF6vE

Why this issue matters to me:

   This issue matters to me because I have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Staffy) named Suede and I couldn't imagine my life without her. Being a dog mom, means that I have lots of love for my dog and her breed. My boyfriend and I didn't even know about her breed until we continuously went to the animal shelter and saw Staffies and other bully breeds in there. Learning about Staffies before we got one, we found out that my dogs breed is considered a nanny dog, which is crazy to think about since it's contradicting the ban on bully breeds in certain states. Now having a bully breed in my family for some time now, I don't think I would want to have any other breed. My dog is the most affectionate, loyal, and funny dog I have known and I'm not being biased. She attacks me with kisses every time I see her and she loves playing with other dog breeds. I haven't met other Staffies outside of shelters but I have met American Pit Bull Terriers and they seem to be the sweetest dogs.

   Knowing that there are some states where bully breeds are banned, makes me feel sad for dog owners and bullies in those specific locations. These dogs are some of the nicest dogs you'll ever meet and they are being punished for misidentification which ends up in the statistics and makes them look bad. These dogs will end up homeless, stuck in shelters, euthanized or become a dying breed.

       (Suede)

Members of the bully breed community:

                                 

"The idea of banning bully breeds is sad and unfair because it spreads a bad rap for these loving dogs and it causes them to miss opportunities to go to loving homes. When I was looking for a dog of my own I found a lot of bully breeds in adoption centers and shelters and that’s when I first fell in love with them. Many of the pit bulls and Staffordshire Bull Terriers I met in shelters were very sweet and deserved to be brought home just as much as other breeds."--- John Moreno & Suede

"I feel like this movement is a great movement. Every little bit of acknowledgement makes a difference, that way people can see how sweet and genuine our dogs really are. It breaks the stigma against them. We all know what it's like to be judged or bullied, so why is it okay to treat pups unfairly?"---- James Canales & Tootsie 

    

"I think the ban on bully breeds are cruel. These dogs are stereotyped because of what our society has said about the Pitbull-type dogs. People never take the time to get to know bully breeds because they think they're dangerous dogs. Like my dog Kumo, once they meet my American Pit Bull dog they see that he's a sweet big baby."--- Jamie Martinez & Kumo

What we can do to help:

• Keep our peers aware that bad owners are the reason why bully dogs get such a bad reputation
• Educate our peers on what bully breeds are so they don't misidentify them
• Sign petitions to help the ban on bully breeds in certain states/countries
• Go to dontbullymybreed.org to find out more information and keep updates on pitbull-type dogs that are up for adoption!

References:

 "Case Study: Animal Fighting--Michael Vick." Animal League Defense Fund, Dec 15, 2010, aldf.org.

Animalfarmfoundation.org 

Bastian, Jon. "How Did Pit Bulls Get Such a Bad Rap?" Cesar's Way, 2018.

Pitbullinfo.org

"Dogfighting: Breed Specific Legislation"ASPCA, 2018.