PitBulls:
Baby Killer
or
Lady-killer?
EDUCATION IS KEY.
Education is key to learning; that is why we are currently attending The University of Texas at Dallas’ MAIS course. We learn and knowledge is strength that cannot be taken after everything is said and gone. We are supposed to learn from our mistakes, but as we see in the current pandemic world, we live in history is doomed to repeat itself. All we can do is learn and do better. Yes, ignorance is bliss, but a small, sheltered mind leads to self-destruction in the end. Alfred Hitchcock said it best: “When we think we have been hurt by someone in the past, we build up defenses to protect ourselves from being hurt in the future. So, the fearful past causes a fearful future and the past and future become one”. Replace the word “someone” with “something” and it makes no difference if we are referring to a person or a four-legged animal.
Temperament
In tests performed, as such by the American Canine Temperament Testing Society (ATTS) where they concluded that “pit bulls achieved a passing rate of 83.9%, passing 4th from the highest of 122 breeds, this umbrella breed is getting a bad rap. However, it may come as a surprise that Beagles, passing at 78.2 and Golden Retrievers passing at 83.2%” (Admin, 2016). The ATTS reported in 2008 that the top three “bully breeds” that continuously scored higher compared to their opponent were the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Their test concluded that “85.3% of American Pit Bull Terriers passed […] 81.9% American Staffordshire scored 83.9% and Staffordshire Bull Terriers scored 80.0%” (Admin, 2010).
In further research, the ATTS came up with similar high percentages when tested in 2010. They American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier were again in the top 80th percentile, almost three percent higher compared to the Golden Retriever, Cocker Spaniels, and Collies (Admin, 2010). Researcher was unable to locate updated statistics past 2010 but will be considered in further research.
EDUCATION IN MOTION.
If you never heard of the award-winning series Pit Bulls & Parolees on Animal Planet, I recommend you watch an episode or two just to get familiarized with Tia Maria Torres and her mission to change the minds and break stereotypes. As the former “contracted dog trainer for the City of Los Angeles Animal Services for 11 years”, started Villalobos Rescue Center (VRC) initially started out as a “wolf/ wolf hybrid rescue in the 90’s” in California and integrated parolee employment in 2006 (Villalobos Rescue Center, n.d.). However, after taking a trip to New Orleans, they were “warned” that they were in for a rude awakening post Hurricane Katrina but were shocked by the true nature of it all. Therefore, VRC is now “centrally located in the heart of the city of New Orleans (9th Ward), the never-ending flow of stray and unwanted dogs has now become an everyday occurrence. Our normal average population of 400 (give or take) dogs here is quickly increasing. And as much as we wish it was just a matter of “saying no,” this is not the case here. Dogs tied to our front gates, turned loose on our street, dogs chained up and abandoned in empty lots where houses once stood prior to Katrina…. this is now our daily routine” (Villalobos Rescue Center, 2021).
On the VRC website, under the “Adoption Process” tab, there is a “Pit Bull Facts” page that offers insight to all pit bull future owners and inquiries. Throughout it, the page addresses key points that all animal owners should consider but is especially essential to any future owners or inquiries that are considering a pit bull for their next family member. First, “We can’t blame specialized breeds for behaving like they were bred to do what they do. Certain specific traits were selectively bred into the dogs and are now a part of the breed’s character. It’s like the digging instinct of many Terriers, the herding behavior in Shelties, the compulsion to run in a Greyhound, etc. Your Pointer may have never spent a day on a real “hunt”, but he may still point and flush out a bird as his ancestors were bred to do so. We don’t have to condone or glorify it, but dog aggression is not uncommon with Pit Bull type dogs” (Villalobos Rescue Center, 2021b). This is true in the manner that not all breeds are for everyone and not everyone is meant to own all breeds. Just like some people are not equipped to be parents as I, for example, was adopted and that was the best decision that my birth mother did for me. Secondly, VRC states, “Pit Bulls have great physical and mental characteristics that make them excellent partners for responsible, active, and caring owners. On the other hand, these same outstanding qualities can make them a little difficult to handle for people who don’t have a lot of experience with dog ownership or for those who don’t understand the breed very well” (Villalobos Rescue Center, 2021). This support my previous statement as not everyone is meant to own every breed; some are just not one’s cup of tea.
To help educate the public, VRC offers unmandated tours at their New Orleans, LA location, but specific guidelines for the safety of the visitors and the rescues. According to The VRC website, visitors have been known to have their fair share of “overly zealous fans who do not understand boundaries (running up on Tia Torres and tackling her to the ground to give her a “hug”… while walking a dog)” (Villalobos Rescue Center, 2021b). They also offer Volunteer Days in their Assumption Parish, LA sanctuary location where you will have to “work for it! All in good fun, of course” if you are intrigued (Villalobos Rescue Center, 2021b).