Pitbulls and the Breed Bias

I have begun exploring the idea of getting another dog. Wait, don't get too excited, I am beginning to explore the idea, that's all. I have narrowed my list to a few breeds that I am considering, or breed mixes of course. Springer Spaniels, Greyhounds, Wire-Hair Pointing Griffons (of course!) and Pit Bulls. Yes, pit bulls. I recently told that to my Dad and his girlfriend and she looked scared while he responded "No, not a pit bull." Yes, a pit bull. Why? Because they have been treated unfairly by their owners, the press, legislation and numerous other entities. Because as an advocate of the breed I feel it is my obligation to show people how great these dogs can be. So, let me take this opportunity to dispel some myths, recant some of my experiences and most importantly tell the truth.

Question #1: Are Pitbulls safe dogs? Don't they attack at will with no forewarning.

This one is easy to answer!! There ARE safe Pitbulls that would never attack a human, and Pitbulls were actually bred to be one of the safest dogs with humans, being incredibly loyal and loving to all humans. (For some great facts on this, check out animalfarmfoundation.org) Now, I am not going to preach to you that all Pitbulls are safe. They aren't. However, are all dogs safe? NO. I have been scared of many dogs, and many of them were not pits. In my line of work we see a lot of Pitbulls, and we adopt a lot of Pitbulls out. I make sure that every Pitbull we put on our adoption floor is going to be a safe member of the community. There aren't any guarantees about the temperament of any dog, but our pits are held at higher standards than most of the other dogs up for adoption. Not only do they have to be good with people, they also have to be at least tolerant of other dogs. Do I have to make some very tough decisions about the pits that come through our doors? Yes. Do I stand behind each dog on our adoption floor and feel it deserves a chance at a loving home? Absolutely.

Question #2: If I am claiming that the breed is safe why are there so many stories about Pitbulls attacking people? 

A very legitimate question. With a GREAT answer. Research has been done on this very question which shows that the media loves incidents involving Pitbulls much more than incidents involving any other breed. Essentially, if God forbid, your neighbor's Poodle bites a child in the face, the local newspaper may pick up the story, but you better believe all the national and international news sources have better things to report. However, make that Poodle a Pitbull and all media sources will pick up the story. Why? Well, because people already fear the breed, and this story will sell. As for the Poodle, people will think it is a freak thing, and no one will care a few hours later. Sensationalism sells. And a Pitbull is going to create far more sensationalism than a Poodle. The study done on this picked one day in history, June 6th, 2006, a day in which there were 4 reported dog bites. All the bites were of about the same severity, and all were done by different breeds. One, of the bites however, was by a German Shepherd, and not only did this dog bite a human, it also killed a dog. The other three bites were by a Lab, a Golden Retriever and a Pit Bull. Only one of these bites made national news, and it wasn't the Shepherd that killed a dog. It was the Pit Bull that bit a child in the leg. Media bias? Absolutely!! All the dogs were equally to blame, but the Pit was portrayed once again, as the monster. This happens time and time again, the media only picking up the Pitbull stories. I am not going to say that Pitbulls don't bite people. They do, but all dogs bite people, no matter what the breed.

Question #3: So, if I love the breed so much why don't I have one??

This is a good question! Here's my multi answer reply: 1) I haven't been in the market for a dog until recently. 2) The dog I do adopt, regardless of the breed, has to fit into my family, and I am very picky when it comes to adding to my four legged family. 3) I have only recently begun talking about adopting a pitbull. The last two pitbulls that Stella has met she has hated. They were very sweet dogs, but Stella did not like them, and she even aggressed to them. So, my question is this: Has Stella realized that all the attention won't be on her if there is a new dog in the home? Or, has she, like so many humans I know, begun to dislike the breed merely because of the myths they've heard? Either way, she's going to have to stop the breed bias, and hopefully, after I read her this post she'll see the error in her ways. I'll keep you posted!

Am I the Crazy Animal Lady?

When I tell people I work in animal welfare, they inevitably ask me "Oh isn't it so hard?" This is followed by: "I would want to take them all home. How do you not take them all home? It must be so sad." I have created a scripted answer for this initial set of questions. It goes like this "No, it isn't hard, it's quite rewarding actually. There is nothing better than seeing an animal who has been waiting months for a home find the perfect home. I work really hard to find the animals homes and feel that is a better mission than taking them all home myself."

This usually raises a few eyebrows. Do I really not take them all home? It is usually assumed that people who work in animal welfare have a lot of pets, that they are humane hoarders, people who love animals so much that they take in as many as they can financially and physically handle. For the most part this is a bit of a misnomer, and I like to think I am living proof. When I owned my own home, had a large fenced yard and pretty much free reign on as many animals as I wanted, I maxed out at 2 dogs and 2 cats. Occasionally I added a foster dog, but this was rare and for short periods only. Many of my non animal welfare friends had as many, or more animals, and I have come to the conclusion that I am certainly not the crazy animal lady.

I have a simple answer as to why I haven't had "hordes" of animals living in my home. My home is a sanctuary for my animals and myself. Every animal that comes into my home affects all of us, and to disrupt the hierarchy and routine is unfair on my four legged family. My animals are so forgiving of the long hours I spend at work, of the dogs I take on hikes with us that may be a bit snarky, or the fact that my dogs don't get a walk because I took so many other dogs from work out that I was exhausted by the time I got home. The least I can do, in my opinion, is to create a sanctuary at home where we can all co-habitate peacefully and have time together as one happy family.

Having a home that is stress free and enjoyable to go to at the end of a long day means the world to me. In fact, despite working tirelessly to find our great adoptable pets homes, I try not to be an animal "pusher." If people are looking for a pet, by all means I will find them the perfect pet. But, if a great dog or cat comes in, and I tell a friend how perfect it would be for them, and they aren't 100% committed to a new pet, I lay off. I would never ask someone to bring another pet into their home until their whole family is ready. For me, having a home filled with just a few, happy animals, is better than having a stressful environment where none of us are happy. After all, I don't want to be the crazy animal lady, do I?

How It All Began

Over 12 years ago, I found myself at the Lancaster County pound. I was ready to get a dog, and had been waiting two years, until I was out of dorm housing, and into my own house to get my very own dog. I had no idea what kind of dog I wanted, but figured it would all unravel when I got there. I asked a staff member which dog had been there the longest. She walked through and looked at the cage cards. She pointed out a German Shepherd mix. She had been there 5 days, after being brought in because she had been hit by a car. I figured I would add her to my list, although she didn't seem too interested in me. Her back was at the cage front and she didn't get up as I walked by.  However, being an animal lover growing up, I always assumed I would end up going to a pound and save the dog that had been there the longest. Once you actually get to the pound however, and realize you may be taking that dog home and living with it for upwards of 10 years, reality sinks in a bit.

After some more perusing, I chose three dogs I wanted to look at in the meet and greet room. The first was a Harrier, a hound that looks like a large Beagle. It spent the entire time sniffing the room and ignoring me. 

The second was a Boxer that was barking and lunging at the cage front. While it didn't appear like the Boxers my Dad fondly spoke about growing up with, I figured it couldn't be too bad, and my Dad would be thrilled that I got a Boxer. When I asked to meet the dog  I found out that it wasn't yet up for adoption. At the time I was disappointed, but in retrospect, I am so glad that I didn't take that dog out of it's cage. 

The third was the Shepherd. She came in the room and sat at my feet. Just lied there and allowed me to pet her. I wanted to think it over, but was pretty sure that the Harrier was the dog for me.  The Shepherd was too mellow and pretty big.

I got home and called my Mom. We debated the pros and cons of both dogs, and she tried to steer me towards the Shepherd.  "Schaferhund" as they are called in German, my mom's native tongue, and I imagine that it was this dog's country of origin that helped sway my Mom's vote. I wasn't sold, but figured I would go back to the pound, meet both dogs again and make my final decision.

When I arrived at the pound, the Harrier had been adopted. I was happy for the dog, but a bit disgruntled that he wouldn't be coming home with me. I figured I would walk around once more and see if there were any other dogs that interested me. After a walk through I ended up back the Shepherds cage. This time she came up to the cage, her tail a low wag. "Do you want to come with me?" I asked. Her huge upright ears turned forward and she pawed the front of the cage. 

I walked up to the desk and adopted her. Later that day I stood staring at the map of the USA I had on my wall and dubbed her Montana. It wouldn't be much later that her full name Montana Big Ears would develop.