pit bull, bsl and peta.

www.whatapittie.comBSL-Breed Specific Legislation. A bill, bylaw or law that targets a certain breed with restrictions or a complete ban.

Pit Bull- The American Pit Bull Terrier is a breed who has a long history. It is generally agreed that this breed was originally bred in the 1800's for baiting, fighting, hunting, and as a farm dog. Some argue Pit Bull history stretches back to the 1700's.

Pit Bulls are a medium sized dog, with well defined muscles and a solid build. They have a nice, even, short coat. They are human friendly and as a standard should show no human aggression at all. They are an eager to please breed, noted for their love of children. They show an eagerness to work and are highly intelligent, so they do well as working dogs, SAR dogs, therapy dogs and in police work. They also excel in agility.

Under BSL, "pit bull" generally refers to a grouping of dogs, not just the APBT. The grouping usually consists of American Pit Bulls, Staffordshire Terriers and Mastiff breeds. They also refer to any animal that looks as if it could be a cross of any breed with the above mentioned breeds.

The media irresponsibly refers to all bulldog breeds and mastiff breeds as "pit bulls". Reporters will lump unrelated breeds as diverse as cane corso mastiffs, presa mastiffs and animals over 100 pounds as "pit bulls".

PETA- PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is the largest animal rights organization in the world. They famously fight many issues, such as the fur trade, animals in the food industry and lab animals. They are backed by celebrities. PETA makes millions of dollars. MILLIONS. They have the money and the influence to educate people regarding pit bulls and the resources to help them.

PETA AND BSL- PETA supports BSL. Why? The reason they give is that Pit Bulls are over populated and the subject of abuse. They feel that supporting BSL could "have the potential to prevent an enormous amount of suffering". So, let's get this straight. Banning a breed so as to decrease animal abuse? I don't buy that. Would the people who abuse Pit Bulls really just give up pet ownership? I doubt that.

PETA supports spay/neuter programs and educates people regarding animal abuse. I am curious to know why PETA chooses to support legislation that targets a certain breed as opposed to boosting awareness and supporting legislation that prevents people from over-breeding and abusing ALL animals.

PETA STATISTICS
While PETA lectures to people about animal cruelty, PETA has some pretty interesting habits themselves. In 2007 alone, PETA took in 1,997 animals. Of that, they killed 1,815. This isn't new for PETA, over the years they've killed countless animals. From 1998 until 2007, PETA took in 22,896 animals and of that, they killed 83.9%.

While they are raking in almost 30 million dollars, you'd think that they could do a little better with the numbers. It's not like they can't afford to vet and feed these animals.

Don't believe me? Check out the stats here: www.petakillsanimals.com/downloads/PetaKillsAnimals.pdfPIT BULL STATISTICS

A Pit Bull, Sergent Stubby, was the most decorated dog in military history.

Bandog Dread, APBT, has the record for winning the most performance titles of any dog of any breed for all time. Dread won titles in obedience, herding, Schutzhund and weight pulling.

Pit Bulls rank high in temperament testing. In 2006 alone, Pit Bull temperament stats came in with an 84.4% pass rate. To help put this in perspective, the Golden Retriever, a dog that people accept as a loving, caring family dog had a pass rate of 83.8%.

So, it's my opinion that PETA should literally put their money where their mouth is, and stop supporting legislation that would mean I can't own the breed I love. I'd love to see the end of abuse on Pit Bulls, but I'd love to see the end of abuse on all dog breeds. I'd love to see the end of BSL, too. And I'd love to see PETA step up to the plate and stop pumping out statistics that even they would protest if it wasn't them doing it.