Published Sept. 28, 2007|Updated Dec. 28, 2008
A ban on pit bulls would save lives - Sept. 17, guest column
I totally agree with Mary Kousathanas that action needs to be taken on the issue of pit bulls, but a ban is not the answer.
My first objection is that the people who are responsible pet owners and obey the law are being penalized. The problem will be those who do not obey the law and who will continue to hide and inbreed the dogs, which will lead to more dangerous dogs that threaten the public.
My second objection is that the unscrupulous, cruel and greedy individuals who are making big money by fighting these dogs will just select another "legal'' breed and re-create the problem with the new fighting-breed dog they create.
One solution is serious and tougher penalties for the dog fighters. Make the consequences as harsh as the crime. Make it too expensive to fight dogs, with large financial penalties for those caught dog fighting, whether they are organizers or betting participants.
While I do not believe in breed discrimination, unfortunately people's actions have made it necessary. But we can control this by controlling the breeding of pit bull and pit bull mixes. It is a man-made problem, and it is unfair to penalize the dogs. Pet welfare has taken a back seat in our society for far too long; a proposal to outlaw one breed of dog is not going to solve the problem. There has to be a multiphased attack to combat the problem, but not one based on mob hysteria.
Let's enact laws strictly regulating animal breeders. It is the backyard breeders who take a breed (pit bulls) noted for their strong and inherent desire to please their two-legged companions and use that quality to create an aggressive animal. Let us, rather than annihilate the breed, subject the breeder to licensing, to inspection without notice and fine and jail those who would raise and train an innocent puppy and make it a danger.
Just as we expect parents to take their newborn child and make him or her a responsible adult, let us expect the same from those who raise animals.
Let us make it a crime for those who have been convicted of a felony to own a dog that animal behaviorists think can be trained to be aggressive. Just as a weapon can be dangerous only in the hands of the wrong person, so can almost any animal if trained to do so.
If you look at pit bulls, you will find a breed with a long and admirable history in America. Pit bulls were the No. 1 pet in America in the early 20th century.
Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, John Steinbeck, Laura Ingalls Wilder and Helen Keller had them as pets, and they were a staple of the advertising industry because of their popularity and reputation as reliable, sturdy and friendly breeds, along with many lesser-known breeds that have passed with history.
The most decorated dog in World War II, who was willing to risk life and limb for those he loved, saved hundreds of lives and assisted in the capture of a German spy, was Stubby, a pit bull.
Law enforcement has discovered the value of the breed, and because of their qualities and their agility, more are being trained to assist law enforcement. Popsicle, a pit bull found in a freezer where he had been left to die during a drug bust, was trained to be a law dog and assisted in the seizure of 3,075 pounds of cocaine, making him the No. 1 U.S. Customs Service dog.
Pit bulls are proving themselves daily in search-and-rescue operations, including the collapse of the World Trade Centers. Read the story of Weela, a pit bull who first saved a child's life by pushing the child out of the way of a rattlesnake and took the bite instead; she recovered, and a few years later when a dam on the Tijuana River gave way during flooding, Weela is credited with saving the lives of 30 people, 29 dogs, 13 horses and a cat.
Yes, we need laws, but we need the right kind, the kind aimed at the real problem. No problem can be addressed without finding and curing the root cause. Destroying a breed that is not the base of the problem or the cure to the problem is a knee-jerk reaction.
Joanne Schoch is executive director of the Humane Society of the Nature Coast, based in Brooksville. Guest columnists write their own views on subjects they choose, which do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.
