What you don’t see in the news: defending the American pit bull

People often give into the stereotype of pit bulls. They are scared of them and think they are dangerous animals. The news constantly portrays pit bulls as vicious dogs who attack people. Such a portrayal isn’t fair. There are a lot of stories you don’t see where pit bulls protect and save people.

Pit bulls are caring, protective, and smart animals. Having a pit bull is like having a child: it all depends on how you raise it. If you take care of and love them, they will be there for you and protect you.

My family had a pit bull for eight years and she was the sweetest dog I’ve ever had. She used to wait at the front door when it was time for me to come home from school. I cared for her and treated her kindly; as a result, she was well-behaved and kind. If we had guests over to the house, she was just as nice to them as she was to me.

Unfortunately, there are pit bulls that are abused and treated terribly. These are the ones you see on the news. They are the ones not raised correctly. All they know is they have to protect themselves and they are hesitant to trust humans because of mistreatment by them. What do these dogs get for defending themselves from mean people? They are taken to animal shelters and killed. Most pit bulls taken to animal shelters are put down, whether they are a threat or not. Pit bulls are characterized unfairly and not treated the same as other dogs.

People don’t understand that pit bulls are like any other dog.

For example, I was in class the other day, and I told a friend I got a puppy. Someone asked what kind and I said he was a pit bull. After I said that, the person told me he couldn’t be considered a “puppy.” How is he not a puppy? Right now, he is like any other puppy. He is a baby that plays, sleeps, and eats. As long as I raise him correctly, he will be a sweet and loving dog.

Pit bulls have a lot of heart, and if more people took the time to get to know and understand pit bulls, then they wouldn’t be so afraid.