Decmber 4, 2013

Dear Sir,

Today in The Royal Gazette, I encountered an article entitled “Family’s Pet Puppy Ordered to be Put Down”, an account of a pit bull being euthanized because of its illegal status, not because of visible aggression signs.

Bermudians need to understand that it’s not the breed of dog that makes for a dangerous situation; it is due to the competence of the handler of the dog. While pits were originally bred to be “gripping dogs” for large game, and later for the inhumane sport of baiting and dog fighting, these dogs are primarily bred to be companions and are often deemed “nurse dogs” because of their willingness to be around children, and the fact that many are used as trained therapy dogs. (ASPCA, 2013)

It is true that pit bulls are bred to fight other dogs, and this means that if exposed to other dogs, they may be quicker to participate in a fight and less likely to back down. However, this does not mean that they are unpredictably aggressive or that they will fight to the death, a common myth surrounding the breed.

Additionally, it has been proven that dogs which are aggressive toward dogs are no more likely to become aggressive towards people than dogs who are not aggressive toward other dogs. In fact, pit bull breeders specifically maintained trustworthiness towards people in the breed so that they could be family pets and be pulled apart by the owner to end a fight in the ring.

Pit bulls which are trained and well socialized are some of the sweetest dogs I have ever met. Their stocky, intimidating appearance is favoured by people looking for a tough status symbol, and popularity with these people sometimes causes the breed to lose their friendly traits, if they’re not intentionally eliminated by irresponsible owners seeking to provoke the dog to become aggressive.

The “locking jaw” normally associated with the pit bull is also a misconception. Though the breed does have very powerful jaws because of their genetics, and a pit bull may be less inclined to let go if they do bite, the dog’s anatomy is no different than any other breed.

I find it unfortunate that Bermudians have gotten such a warped view of this breed. So much so that any unregistered dog is killed instantly, despite the dog probably being friendly, loyal and affectionate as the majority of pits are. It seems illogical to ban an entire breed based on the stigma surrounding it without looking at all the concrete facts.

The facts are that I have not met an unfriendly pit in all my life, and the ones which are unfriendly are most likely owned by irresponsible handlers who either don’t have enough expertise to handle an energetic pit, or are intentionally making the dog aggressive. I am calling for this ridiculous ban to be revoked and for Bermudians to become more educated about dogs before formulating an opinion towards them, and before any more innocent dogs are killed.

FAE SAPSFORD

SOMERSFIELD ACADEMY