Pit Bulls are very significant in American culture and many people consider them to be beautiful people-oriented dogs. According to the ASPCA shelter data, pit bulls are the most popular dog breed by intake and the third most popular dog type by adoption counts. If Pit Bulls are so widely accepted into thousands of American households, why are they so widely judged and ostracized in the media? Throughout history, it is no surprise that the labeled “attack dog” has evolved over time due to the ongoing illegal dog fighting events. As a result, the media capitalizes on the noteworthy news of a breed that kills. Unfortunately for the pit bulls, they have been deemed the most ruthless breed of all. ¹ You may be familiar with this poor image they have received for several years now. It would be a tragedy to let the breed only receive negative scrutiny without the exploration of their character as a whole and their beautiful stories that are not often shown to the public. If media creators continue to focus on the negative aspects of Pit Bulls, more of them can suffer and die because the general public isn’t getting the whole story of the breed.

 Examining the positive characteristics of Pit Bulls is very critical to the health and livelihood of the breed. In order to uncover the true heart of these beautiful dogs, it is essential to listen to the stories of people who have had experience. I conducted an interview with service dog trainer and expert, Beverly Malo to gain a better understanding of how Pit Bulls are viewed in the media and her personal experience with them. ² She shared with me her journey with a Pit Bull terrier named Honey. Honey was taken at a young age to fight in a cage for gambling purposes. She was a proficient fighter and overtime she became extremely aggressive to any dog she came in contact with. Malo was able to aid in the rescue and care of Honey. Once Honey was brought to a real home, she appeared to be a lost cause due to her excessive violent behavior. Malo never gave up and made it her mission to rehabilitate Honey so she could live a normal life free from the torment and suffering of the dog fights. Malo persisted through patience and love to change Honey from a violent dog to a happy pup that could be around people and other dogs without showing aggression. Honey and Malo became companions and grew to love each other as family. A year after Honey’s recovery from the dog fights, Malo discovered that Honey had bone cancer and would not survive. The time and effort Malo gave to Honey was not in vain. She gave Honey a bit of  heaven on Earth, even if it was only for a little while. Honey will forever be an example that even the most difficult dogs can heal with proper intervention.

 Honey is not the only miracle pit bull. In Stockton, California, a single mother named Nana Chaichanhda lived with her three young children and her 8 month old Pit Bull puppy named Sasha. Late at night on June 3rd, Sasha alerted the family that there was a fire in the house by barking loudly until Chaichanhda ran to investigate. ³ Once she realized the danger and ran to her 7 month old daughter’s aid, Sasha had already started an attempt to rescue the baby. She pulled her from her bed and started dragging baby Masailah to safety by her diaper. This was possible because of her strength, stamina and bone construction which allowed her to lift a baby, even as a young puppy herself. Sasha’s heroism saved the family and prevented any of them from getting injured. The house suffered immensely from the fire damage and the family has been forced to find temporary housing. Sasha is currently living with another family while Chaichanhda addresses the family’s housing and financial plan.  Feel free to visit their go fund me to donate to help the family recover from the fire. Sasha is a gifted dog and deserves more recognition for her bravery.

There are countless stories that demonstrate the beautiful and affectionate qualities of the Pit Bull breed but overall the news and social media creators don’t cover these stories as much as they cover the attack dog stories. Because the breed is the third most often adopted breed in the United States, by percentage there will naturally be potential for more news coverage. ⁴Animals that are adopted from shelters and rescue groups may have challenges that sent them there in the first place. This is not usually a journalistic consideration when reporting on an incident, along with the attacking dogs previous or current home situation. Journalists are looking for news worthy stories that typically focus on accidents, loss of life, property damage and illegal activity. Rarely is a news entity able to have air time or publication space to share stories about dogs like Honey or Sasha. It’s for this reason that there are dozens of websites, like Bustersvision.org that address the misinformation that circulates about the breed.  

 Social media and other forms of accessible news outlets also spread misinformation about Pit Bulls to gain an audience/followers. There are several myths about them suggesting that they are the most aggressive dog breed and have the ability to lock their jaws on an object. A recent study was conducted to analyze the aggressive tendencies in different canine breeds. According to the results of the peer reviewed study, there was not a significant difference in aggressive qualities between Pit Bull breeds and Golden Retrievers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also concluded that 72% of bite-related incidents were accredited to non-Pit Bull breeds. ⁵  Other breeds such as Golden Retrievers are given more chances than Pit Bull terriers because they are not perceived as aggressive dogs. The term “Golden Retriever personality” has surfaced in the contemporary vernacular of teens and adults. The term is now used to describe a person who is consistently happy and a joy to be around. In reality, not all Golden Retrievers have a laid back personality with bright sunny characteristics. A Golden Retriever can attack a human just as easily as a Pit Bull. ⁶ There are several factors that affect every dog breed’s temperament. The biggest factor in the  temperament development of a canine is how they are treated by human beings. Dog’s react to abuse in multiple ways. Sometimes they will recoil from human contact and sometimes they will feel threatened and bite.

It is critical that the media creators acknowledge that Pit Bulls are not intrinsically violent and that other lovable dog breeds, such as Golden Retrievers, are not solely friendly. As long as this perception about the Pit Bull breed continues, there will be less opportunity for them to be used for service and in other positive ways that contribute to the community. If a change doesn’t occur, more people and dogs will get hurt by the biases. The stigma about just one dog breed holding a monopoly on aggression has to stop. Without a change, Pit Bulls will continue to be euthanized and people will continue to assume that because a dog is fluffy and the color of sunshine means they’re always safe to pet.