I find it fascinating how incredibly powerful the written word can be. It is known to start wars and put an end to them; to inspire hope or spread despair.
Yes, words can help or hurt us (and others) by making what we say and what we write a very complicated matter. As the saying goes, “The pen is mightier than the sword.”
In recent years, a lot of negative words have been written in the media about the pit bull breed. They say that breed is cruel, unpredictable, and a threat to the public. There have been tragic cases of pit bulls attacking children, other animals, even their own owners. Some of these incidents have even resulted in the death of the victim and / or the dog.
I’m not saying these stories aren’t true, unfortunately, they are. What I’m saying is, “Where are the positive stories about pit bulls? Are there any?”
I don’t know if it’s just me, but it seems like the bad publicity pit bulls have gotten seems to be very one-sided. Being the investigative reporter that I am, I decided to do some research to find out the whole truth … to find out if there is a bright side to this “dangerous” breed of dog.
I was not disappointed.
“Brave Pit bull saves a woman from the train”
May 2, 2012 – Shirley, Massachusetts:
Three years ago, Boston Police Officer David Lanteigne decided to get his mother, Christine Spain (who suffers from alcoholism) a canine companion: Lilly, a beautiful rescue pit bull. On Wednesday May 2, Christine fell on the tracks of an oncoming train. His faithful dog, Lilly, tried desperately to get Christine off the tracks, saving her life. Although Christine was unharmed, Lilly suffered major trauma and eventually had her right front leg amputated, but survived. Officer David was very grateful and was quoted as saying, “We saved her life and she saved my mother’s life.”
“Pit Bull Saves Landlord From Home Invasion”
March 31, 2012 – Graniteville, Staten Island, New York:
Imagine that you are at home when you suddenly hear the doorbell. You look out the window and see a man in a FedEx delivery uniform. He says he has a package for you. Just as you are about to open the door, the man makes his way into your house brandishing a weapon.
This is exactly what happened to Justin Becker and his twelve-year-old pit bull, Kilo. Fortunately, Kilo sprang into action and was shot in the head, saving his owner from the intruder. Both the dog and the owner survived the ordeal. When asked what he thought of his dog, Justin exclaimed, “He’s a hero. He saved my life. He went to protect me and did his job.”
“Pit Bull saves a woman from being beaten and kidnapped”
April 8, 2009 – Holland, Michigan:
Steven Schumacher, 33, was arrested and charged with felony burglary in the first degree and misdemeanor domestic violence, all with the help of Blitz the pit bull. “I didn’t think he had it in him, but I guess he did,” said the owner of the Blitz incident.
Steven broke into his estranged wife’s house and assaulted her and then dragged her out of the house onto the street. The whole concussion alerted a neighbor and her 2-year-old pit bull, Blitz. The dog broke free from its owner and headed straight for the attacker, scaring him into letting go of his wife, who ran for safety. Although the dog never attacked him, Steven turned himself in and was immediately arrested without further incident.
So there you have it. These three pit bull stories that save the day have proven that they are not the dangerous villains that many believe them to be. These dogs can be loyal, courageous, loving, and protective companions.
So why the bad reputation?
If I could offer my opinion: I think it has a lot to do with the way these dogs are raised. Backyard breeding for the purpose of producing fighting dogs, lack of obedience training, inadequate socialization training, as well as stereotypes and general public misinformation about the pit bull breed can all be attributed to poor reputation and mistreatment of these large working dogs.
What do you think of this controversial topic? Are Pit Bulls Dangerous? Do they deserve the bad reputation they have?