Pit Bulls: Beating the Bad Rap
NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- We've all seen the scary headlines, and without a doubt, there have been serious and even fatal attacks involving the so called 'bully breed' dogs.
But is it accurate to say that are all Pit Bulls dangerous? While media stereotypes would have us think so, animal rescuers and loving, responsible pit bull owners say not only is that not true, but it's created a frenzy that's resulted in unnecessary breed banning.
In the "dog bite facts," section of it's Web site, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that on average, 16 of 4.7 million dog bites that occur each year in the United States are fatal.
"There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed," the site states. "And consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill".
In her book "The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media, Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression", author Karen Delise, founder of the National Canine Research Council presents evidence that Pit Bulls are just the latest dogs to face judgment in the court of public opinion. She notes that at one time, Bloodhounds, Dobermans and even German Shepherds were considered dangerous dogs.
In the latest edition of All For Animals, 1010WINS' Susan Richard sat down with The Animal Farm Foundation, a Dutchess County based organization committed to rescuing pit bulls and rehabilitating their image. She also got the scoop on "Operation Pit", a free spay, neuter and vasectomy program for bully breed dogs, being offered by the ASPCA .
