On a sunny weekday afternoon, Mary Anne Reynolds, a 44-year-old elementary school teaching assistant, was giving her Chihuahua, Carlos, a run in the K9 Korral Dog Run located in Forest Park, in the heart of Woodhaven, Queens. Upon seeing a pit bull enter the park, she scooped Carlos into her arms, holding him close to her chest.
“I’m sorry, he seems nice,” she said, referring to the pit bull, “but you see stories these days.” While she declined to elaborate, Mary Anne’s reaction reflects a broader societal fear of the pit bull breed.
Pit bulls are perhaps one of the most famous types of dog, but for all the wrong reasons. American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Bulldogs, and other bully breeds all fall under the “pit bull” category. The breed was created by mating bulldogs and terriers, in order to produce a strong but loyal fighting animal. For centuries, the pit bull was used for blood sports, including cattle hunting and dog fighting.
Today, pit bulls are very polarizing to dog lovers and haters alike. But is the breed vicious by nature? Some would say so, given the dog’s history as a fighting animal. But, in fact, over the past few centuries, after dog fighting was outlawed in several places, the fighting genes have been mostly bred out. Due to the breed’s inherent loyal nature, training them at a young age to be gentle has resulted in what some believe to be one of the greatest family dogs. They are often used as police dogs, therapy dogs, and have been given the nickname “nanny dogs.”
Yet, their vicious nature can still be evident within the news. According to dogsbite.org, pit bulls account for 83% of reported dog attacks. It is widely believed that the way a pit bull is trained reflects their behavior, so a pit bull owned by a proper owner should behave well, but the statistic above is one of the things that scares people away from the breed.
Jeanne Misoku, 52, is the owner of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy named Rocco, and agreed that she sees prejudiced reactions when she brings her dog to public places. She reminisced about bringing her other adult pit bull to the park. “It was hilarious how people would leave seeing this 50 pound dope running into the park, as if he was ready to attack, but really, he just wanted to play.” She also noted that she gets better reactions when bringing Rocco around. “Once he’s out of the puppy stage, we’ll have the park to ourselves again,” she commented.
Most people only look at the negative statistics. Other research proves pit bulls’ true nature: 84% of dogs involved in fatal attacks are neglected or abused, and 86% of fatal attacks involve unneutered male dogs, according to the ASPCA. Truly, if a pit bull is properly trained and cared for, its temperament should not be an issue. The American Temperament Test Society tested multiple breeds of dog for low levels of aggression, panic, and avoidance. 86.8% of the 400+ Pit Bull Terriers tested passed, second to only Labrador Retrievers. When this statistic was shared with a skeptic, Carolina Rodriguez, 19, of Ozone Park, Queens, she raised her eyebrows. “Just because some are nice doesn’t mean they all are.”
Still, breed-specific regulations are becoming increasingly common, and New Hyde Park is one of the locations in New York City that indeed has regulations on the breed. When contacted, the Parks department declined to comment on the matter.
When searching on petfinder.com, as of May 2017 there were 626 adoptable pit bulls within the NYC area. Out of those, 36 were puppies and 25 were seniors. 280 of them were house-trained. The influx of pit bulls available for adoption shows just how badly they are looked upon.
The stigma is so concerning that even the ASPCA had to take a stance on their website, with an article detailing their policy and position on pit bulls. They state, “All dogs, including pit bulls, are individuals. Treating them as such, providing them with the care, training and supervision they require, and judging them by their actions and not by their DNA or their physical appearance is the best way to ensure that dogs and people can continue to share safe and happy lives together.” It seems the only way to stop the stigma is to spread awareness about proper training, because no animal should have to suffer.