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Emma Kim

English 110

Major Essay #2 Final Draft

10/26/19

A Misunderstood Breed

When you think of a pit-bull, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? For some

people, the word pit-bull is a synonym for things like violence, fighting, and gangs. For other

people, they think of loyal, loveable, and cute dogs. Whatever your view on pit-bulls is, these

dogs have become the new definition of a dangerous dog. 12 countries in the world, including

Brazil, Canada, France, etc., have banned pit bulls. Many other states and counties have

restrictions on these dogs. (Hg.org, para. 3) However, there is a huge misconception with these

dogs, people need to inform themselves about this breed and then make a decision for themselves

on whether or not they want to own one. But at the end of the debate, pit-bulls are not inherently

dangerous dogs and they should not be banned.

Barbara Kay is a columnist for the Canadian newspaper, National Post. In 2019 she wrote

and published an article about pit-bulls. It’s called, “If you can only love a pit-bull, you’re not a

dog lover.” Kay has written multiple pieces on pit-bulls and she is a strong advocate and believer

in breed-specific legislation or BSL. BSL are the laws and requirements of specific breeds. These

rules include the use of muzzles, specific areas a breed is allowed, and even banning a breed

completely. In her article, Kay states that pit-bulls, “inflict greater damage in assaults than other

breeds, partly out of innate pleasure, but as well because of its distinctive kill-bite.” (Kay para. 6)

To establish hers, as well as other pro-BSL people, credibility, she states that they are attack

survivors, epidemiologists, and medical professionals. Kay also cites numerous sources and
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studies such as Dr. Billmore, a professor and plastic surgeon, who has had to do surgery on

multiple pit-bull attack survivors, and the Toronto Star, a Canadian newspaper. She includes

statistics such as licensed pit-bulls compared to pit-bull attacks. In 2004 before the BSL in

Canada, there were 984 licensed pit-bulls in Toronto with 168 reported attacks. However, in

2013 after BSL, there were only 501 licensed pit-bulls and 13 reported attacks. (Kay, para. 2)

Kay claims that pit-bulls are a product that people own, and it’s the government’s job to ensure

the safety of these products for everyone.

Simon Worrall is an author, journalist, and traveler. In 2016, he published an article for

National Geographic about the pit-bull debate and his interview with Bronwen Dickey, author of

Pit-Bull: The Battle Over an American Icon. Dickey’s book is meant to show the negative views

of pit-bulls and misunderstandings and stereotypes. In this interview, Worrall asks Dickey

questions about pit-bulls, her belief on certain subjects about pit-bulls, and advice for the people

reading his article. Throughout the interview, Dickey cites multiple sources and statistics. For

example, she mentions a study done by Jeffrey Sacks at the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention. His study shows that when it comes to fatalities caused by pit-bulls, the majority of

these dog attacks aren’t pit-bulls and were misidentified. (Worrall, para. 3) For instance, there

was a case in Idaho where a police officer shot a dog that barked at him and claimed it was a pit-

bull. However, it was registered as a black Labrador. The misconception is that many people

believe that pit-bull is one breed. Pit-bull refers to four to five different breeds of dogs – all of

them have large heads and short coats. Worrall also includes the history behind pit-bulls. He

mentions that although the original breed, the American pit-bull terrier, was bred to fight animals

like bears and bulls, pit-bulls used to be America’s favorite dog breeds. An example he brings up
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is Petey, the famous pit-bull from the 1928 comedy series Our Gang and later on in Little

Rascals the movie (Worrall, para. 9).

After reading these two articles, I am more in favor of Simon Worrall’s article. Not only

is National Geographic a more credible source than the Canadian National Post, but also because

of the content in the articles. Barbara Kay’s article doesn’t really mention the opposing side of

her views, and although it mentions a few statistics and studies, most of them only apply to

Toronto, Canada, and it’s purely her opinion. On the other hand, Worrall is in favor of pit-bulls

because he chose to interview a pit-bull advocate and lover. But the article did mention the other

side of the story. For example, Worrall and Dickey talked about the 5-year-old child who was

attacked by a pit-bull. They showed sympathy for the child and disagreed with how the media

supported the dog more than the child. Although the article is an opinion, the author believes in

an individual’s choice of whether or not they want a pit-bull as a pet. Kay believes that all pit-

bulls should be banned, and if not, then they should have restrictions.

Personally, for me, I am a huge pit-bull lover. My very first dogs were pit-bull mixes. They

were from the same litter, and they were bred into a dogfighting environment. Dogfighting is

illegal and a federal crime, but people still do it. They were kept outside on the concrete

pavement, chained to a metal pole in the middle of the property. My dogs were two years old

when they were rescued and brought home to me. At first, my mom was worried that because of

their history, they wouldn’t be good for a 9-year-old (aka me.) But as soon as they were released

into our yard, they played with me and even let my niece, who was five at the time, climb all

over them. Now that I’m older, I realize that although they were supposed to be used for

violence, they were good dogs that wanted love. Time has passed and I just recently had to put

my last dog down because of old age. However, my family was devastated, so I went out and
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adopted three pit-bull mixed puppies. Now, my dad takes the puppies to work and jokes around

that he’s going to start Hawaii’s Federal Probation Officer K-9 unit with them. I do admit that

they can be aggressive and territorial, but all dogs can be. And just like all other dogs, pit-bulls

can be insanely loyal and social dogs when raised properly. I truly do believe that pit-bulls can

be good dogs. Although they were originally bred to fight, they can be just as silly, loveable, and

cuddly as a golden retriever or a poodle. But even more than that, I believe that people have a

right to live where they want to, own the dog breed that they want, and for those dogs to be able

to be treated like any other breed. If someone doesn’t want a pit-bull, then they don’t need to get

one. But someone shouldn’t be shamed or restricted if they wanted a pit-bull.

In conclusion, pit-bulls are not inherently dangerous dogs and they should not be banned.

The dangers of these dogs don’t stem from their DNA and inherent behaviors. Environmental

factors heavily impact their behaviors. As people, we shouldn’t discriminate against these dogs

and we should take it upon ourselves to learn more about them to either avoid situations or to

eventually accept them. Just like Dickey believes, people need to “focus on the individual dog in

front of you. I wouldn’t get a dog just because it’s a pit-bull, just as I wouldn’t reject a dog just

because it’s a pit-bull.” (Worrall para. 22)

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Works Cited

Hyman, Ethan, et al. “The Most Feared Dogs May Also Be the Most

Misunderstood.” National Geographic, 3 July 2016,

www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/07/pit-bull-ban-aggressive-dog-breed-

bronwen-dickey/#close.

Kay, Barbara. “Barbara Kay: If You Can Only Love a Pit Bull, You're Not a Dog

Lover.” National Post, 15 Oct. 2019, nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-if-you-

can-only-love-a-pit-bull-youre-not-a-dog-lover.