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| Apple at the library - Doggie reading day 2012 |
One can certainly find similar scenarios involving Labs, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and other types of dogs, with nary a problem. Unfortunately, not all dogs are as dependable. In particular, the pit bull, created by the dog men of Stafford in the 1800s, specifically to kill other animals for their amusement, has been selectively bred for the past 170 years for sudden, all-out attack and a burning desire to press the attack, ignoring pain and injury as long as it is physically capable of continuing to attack. Refer to This article for an introduction to the qualities pit bull breeders strive for. Consequently, It should come as no surprise that pit bulls have a particularly bloody and violent history with children, attacking suddenly, brutally, without warning, and seemingly at random.
Pit bull lobbyists have in the past arranged for specially trained pit bulls to be put into situations with the public, often with disastrous results - small dogs brutally killed at the dog groomers, at dog-friendly restaurants, surprise attacks on dogs at public gatherings, and unexpected attacks on humans as well.
One pit bull activist thought it was a good idea to bring her pit bull to the library where she worked as a volunteer. Not surprisingly, the pit bull mauled a library customer, leading to a $158,000 lawsuit against the library.
I suppose it's only natural that a pit bull activists would eventually realize that the easiest and least risky way to show pit bulls acting like normal dogs among children is with Photoshop.
Consider the obviously doctored image below -
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| I wonder what was in the original picture before the pit bull was photoshopped in... |
While one's natural impulse to such a fraud to cry foul, it is in fact a safer way to show pit bulls with children, at least at first glance. But then again, if uninformed people see this picture and try it themselves, tragedy could well result.
What do you think? Is it responsible to circulate synthetic images like this, or is it just too dangerous to tolerate?
These folks see nothing wrong with lying to achieve what they believe to be their virtuous ends. Scary.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't surprise me one bit.
ReplyDeleteand this is what is helping to pave the pit path, lies...guess it's truly why they get up in such arms when we call them out on it. Why is it so horrible to admit how screwed up the breed is and save some lives, or save a child from living with scars on their face? Why is a damned breed of dog more important than that???
ReplyDeleteWell said !
DeleteJust for your information Akita's were also bred for fighting. The Akita is Japans version of the Pitbull
ReplyDeleteThere is some factual basis to your statement, even though the idea is mostly incorrect. The Akita is an ancient dog, a primitive Spitz type dog which was commonly used in Japan for bear hunting, and as protector of families. There is a type of dog which was bred in Japan specifically for fighting, and that is the Tosa fighting dog. When dog fighting reached its height of popularity in Japan some 100 years ago, Akitas, because of their strength and dominant personality, were also used in fighting, but that was not their original purpose, and it did not last.
ReplyDeleteIn any event, the Akita nearly went extinct during WW2, but US servicemen loved them and began taking them home with them, and Japanese breeders were very happy to ramp up production. Since then the Akita has diverged into two breeds, the so-called American Akita, which contains German Shepherd and Mastiff genes, and the "Japanese" Akita which has had these foreign influences bred out.
While dog fighting may be ancient history for the Akita, dog fighters still breed "game" pit bulls, right here in the USA - see this link for a gentle introduction to the kinds of qualities that modern pit fanciers breed for.
The bottom line is that, while the Akita is a potentially dangerous dog, they are safer to own than pit bulls. Even though Akitas are larger and stronger than pit bulls, with higher bite force, it's pit bulls who kill their owners far more than any other type of dog. It's pit bulls who enter other peoples property and kill their pets, even in their own homes. It's pit bulls who jump out of second story windows and moving cars to kill little dogs.
A quick look at human deaths from dog attacks from 2010-2011 will make the important points quite clear: Out of all types of dogs, pit bulls are the most deadly to humans by far, with Rottweilers a very distant second. This same trend has been true for the past 30 years, and in fact pit bulls have been the leading killer of humans in the US for every single decade starting in 1851. Akitas? they are way down there in the stats, trailing German Shepherds and Huskies, which are in turn far behind Rottweilers, which are far behind pit bulls, which have killed more humans than all other types of dogs combined.
The pit bull stands out like a sore thumb any time you look at the stats. It's just too big a problem to ignore.
Akitas WERE bred for fighting.
ReplyDeleteBoxers WERE bred for fighting.
Bull terriers WERE bred for fighting.
Shar-peis WERE bred for fighting.
Boston Bulls WERE bred for fighting.
Pit bulls ARE bred for fighting.
i am glad to see that you are pestering other bloggers besides me.