The War on “Pit bulls”

Dylan Spicer

Actual Breed Names

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

American Staffordshire Bull Terrier

American Pit-bull Terrier

History

These breeds were formed from Terrier and Bulldog breeds.

Breeding began in the early 1800’s in England.

The idea was to combine the gameness of a Terrier with the strength of a Bulldog.

Blood-Sports Originally, The “pit-bull” type breeds were created for Bear-baiting.

Popular for royalty and commoners of the time.

Made illegal in 1835 with England’s animal welfare laws.

2010 U.S. Statistics

Lethal Dog Attacks33 Lethal dog attacks in 2010

22 were by “Pit-bull” type breeds

Human Homicides12,996 Murders

6,009 were by handguns

29 Deaths by lightning

Bad Press Due to lethality of a “Pit-bull” they are reported often by media.

Study by Penn State found that most aggressive dog breeds are actually Dachshunds and Chihuahuas.

Majority of attacks occur by small breeds, but are obviously not reported.

Bad Owners are the issue.

The Better Side

SourcesAmerican Kennel Club (akc.org)National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (nws.noaa.gov)

Federal Bureau of Investigations (fbi.gov)

ASPCA (aspca.org)University of Pennsylvania (vet.upenn.edu)