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Do "Pit Bull" stereotypes make you sad?

June 26th, 2005, 11:30 PM
Here I am, recovering from a nice weekend :thumbs up just relaxing on the internet. I have AOL and I read a story about a girl who got attacked by a shark. I figured I would go look at the posts and see what people were writing about it.

When I went in I noticed that somehow it all got switched onto the banning and "Pit Bull" breeds. From sharks to that? Is that how people view these wonderful dogs? Even lying saying they have stronger jaws than sharks!! I mean, COME ON!!

It really gets to me and I worry that one day I will have to go through the same thing Jen Steele (I'm assuming we've all read that thread and the website) is going through. Which is why I am starting to take action myself.

However, I can't help but become really sad about this, day after day. I get completely preoccupied by it. I want to do something NOW! But I know it takes time. I even had people IMing me personally with mean things after I posted. I spoke to a few of them, and they actually apologized and see things in a different light now. Yet, how many people can one person talk to?

I am very depressed about this, and it puts me in a bad mood whenever I see or hear people speaking so poorly of them. I run into this EVERYDAY! I've had enough! Even when seeing Maximus (my APBT) he makes me feel better... but then I think that he is at risk to this legislation creeping up on us. I feel like people don't want him living next door, or cross the street when I'm walking him. I get nervous someone will give him something tainted (not that people have access to him, but they can throw something in my backyard- so I'm constantly checking like I have OCD)... I just worry about him all the time, and other dogs of his breed type in a loving home (or even those being abused and fought in other homes). Why do humans do these things?

Does anyone have any tricks on how to keep this from getting to them? Or am I one of the very few who even care?

Maybe the reassurance of others who feel like me is the only thing that can lift my spirits.

June 27th, 2005, 07:06 AM
Ahhh, the dreaded pit bull. Perhaps those in favour of BSL should sit down for an evening watching Petey from the Little Rascals being a "menace" to the children. :pawprint:

June 27th, 2005, 07:20 AM
Angeleyes, every single person you talk to , every person that listens to you and understands, is one more person that will talk to others about what you said, as the commercial goes "and so on and so on and so on", you may not get through to all of them, but even one will pass on the word and soon it will spread.....and to get over it, look into your dogs eyes....there's your answer. :grouphug:

June 27th, 2005, 11:53 AM
Thanks! I know, it's crazy. I will talk my butt off- I just feel like there are always people with bad views of them and I always need to defend them! I get so upset. I will never stop- but it gets to me. Even the one person who voted that they dislike the breed... gets to me. It's really sad that people know so little and make assumptions about it.

June 27th, 2005, 01:40 PM
I certainly have the same problem Angel Eyes but Lately I have noticed , in my neighborhood anyway, while there are still lots of idiots, more people are coming up to me very intentionally to tell me I have a beautiful dog, taking time to pat him, just a multitude of nice things and then we start talking about the ban and they are passionately agsainst it. I feel like the tide is starting to turn, too late, I hope not! But slowly even some of the media is stariting to come onside. Probably just because if they write for or against, Pit Bulls stories sell! They have already gone so far onside of the ban that if they want to keep up the sales they now can go the other way...gosh Ive become so JADED! Anyway I dont believe that about our friends at City. I guess my point is that you are in a good place right now, you have seen what can happen when the media gets carried away and spreads lies and sensatitonalism, or even half truths, so don't wait til a ban is proposed, see if you can get something started in your area, or maybe there already is an organization, I never knew about the DLCC here until all of this was already out of hand! In the mean time you always have us :)

June 27th, 2005, 02:06 PM
Thanks babyrocky! I get the good people too- often... however the mean people stick out... thats life I guess. I just finished writing a letter to send to the President and other officials. Jen actually looked it over for me. I'm sending it with pics of Maximus and me, some memorabilia from the World Wars- where Pit Bull breeds were soldiers. Also a small proposal as an alternative to BSL (tracking owners, not dogs). Hopefully I can really help this cause... I was put on this earth for a reason, maybe this was it. :D

June 27th, 2005, 06:19 PM
Wow you mean the Pres of the United States, no sence messing around with the little guys LOL ! Good for you Angel eyes!!!! I have heard, I think through the Canadian SPCA that New York State has good "dangerous dog laws" Also Calgary, and Cyber Kitten could tell you more about New Brunswick laws, its good to have positive alternatives in hand. By the way, this is a great day for all of us cause of Lily but tomorrow I have a REAL IDIOT story about my neighborhood that I was so proud of an hour or so ago! I just realised your in New York sorry it was a really bad "idiot encounter" So Yeah Im pretty sure they told me that you guys have good, non breed specific laws and they were offering to pay, to bring them up for Michael Bryant, unaffectionally known to us as the "villiage idiot" hes unfortunately our attorney general and is just in this for the media! Did I misunderstand about New York State?

June 27th, 2005, 06:52 PM
No, NYC is the most dog-friendly city... however, if it can happen anywhere it can happen here. I probably don't need to worry right now but I do. Even if it never affects me- I don't want it to affect anyone. I will fight this cause till my death JUST because. And yes... I'm not messing around, I'm going right to the big guy, lol.

June 27th, 2005, 07:34 PM
I feel as you do about fighting BSL. expecially when they LIE to make it happen! Im just thinkin though, that if the state laws really are good enough, it might be a good strategy to try and have them adopted more broadly, Im not sure if they were reccommmending NYstates laws because they felt they were the best they could do quickly or if they felt they were the BEST period. Do you have organizations there, like we do here that you could hook up with? Are the city laws the same as the State laws?

June 27th, 2005, 07:49 PM
The city laws are pretty much the same as the NY state laws with BSL. Only thing is that in the city "dangerous" breeds have one out of three strikes automatically against them. So if they bite twice they get put down over the typical dog biting three times. From what I know NYC has been voted the #1 dog friendly city in the world by a lot of organizations. However, there should be no 1 automatic strike, or BSL anywhere.

There are some organizations here against BSL, I am in the middle of researching them all so I can contact them all in one shot. It's very nice to know people out there actually care, you know?

June 27th, 2005, 08:00 PM
Thats good to know, I thought that there were some flaws! At least you have something in existance to work on, Ontario is just discusting! The whole thing needs to be thrown out and built from the ground up by people who know what theyre talking about and we know who those people are! Again, Im so glad to see your doing this and that there are people in your area to help! :thumbs up

June 27th, 2005, 08:07 PM
It enrages me to listen to people spew untrue crap about any dog, especially pit bulls. I have met so many "dangerous" breeds who had horrific things done to them by their stupid, macho owners, and them still remain sweet.

My ex coworker adopted a pittie named "Rocky". Rocky's former owners had tried to crop his ears at the age of around 6 months with kitchen scissors. Can you imagine the pain and suffering this dog went through? And yet, he was the sweetest, cuddliest dog I've ever met in my life.

People who yammer on about pit bulls being a dangerous breed are ignorant.

June 27th, 2005, 08:27 PM
That is so sad Mocking Cat, Thank goodness your co-worker adopted him!

June 27th, 2005, 08:32 PM
I just had to listen to very uninformed people at my son's soccer practice.There was one guy who doesnt even have a dog nor ever owned one,but was the full of information about Pitbulls.It got to the point where I started to raise my voice and told him there was no reason for me to continue the conversation with him until he did some homework and learned about the breed.I even suggested coming here.I'm sure I had steam coming out of my ears.I think on Wednesday Boston is coming to soccer practice as long as it is not too hot for him.I am so tired of people spewing their uniformed poop.

June 27th, 2005, 09:10 PM
Mocking Cat... that is horrible. If I saw that happening I think I would beat him senseless!! Thank God he has a good home now. Do you know that the Pit Bull Breeds have the highest turn around rate from abuse and neglect? Just a little statistic I picked up on Animal Cops :D

Kellyla- I know... I encounter ignorant people like that often and get especially mad when they have no clue but speak with extreme confidence. People like that get others to believe them... even though they speak pure nonsense.