The War on “Pit bulls”
Dylan Spicer
Actual Breed Names
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
American Staffordshire Bull Terrier
American Pit-bull Terrier
History
These breeds were formed from Terrier and Bulldog breeds.
Breeding began in the early 1800’s in England.
The idea was to combine the gameness of a Terrier with the strength of a Bulldog.
Blood-Sports Originally, The “pit-bull” type breeds were created for Bear-baiting.
Popular for royalty and commoners of the time.
Made illegal in 1835 with England’s animal welfare laws.
2010 U.S. Statistics
Lethal Dog Attacks33 Lethal dog attacks in 2010
22 were by “Pit-bull” type breeds
Human Homicides12,996 Murders
6,009 were by handguns
29 Deaths by lightning
Bad Press Due to lethality of a “Pit-bull” they are reported often by media.
Study by Penn State found that most aggressive dog breeds are actually Dachshunds and Chihuahuas.
Majority of attacks occur by small breeds, but are obviously not reported.
Bad Owners are the issue.
The Better Side
SourcesAmerican Kennel Club (akc.org)National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (nws.noaa.gov)
Federal Bureau of Investigations (fbi.gov)
ASPCA (aspca.org)University of Pennsylvania (vet.upenn.edu)