The latest survey about dog breeds was published today, and the news about pit bulls is worse than ever. (See Merritt Clifton, Breed Survey 2019, published July 9, 2019 at Animals 24-7.)
There are 4.5 million pit bulls in the USA and 2.4 million of them are up for sale or adoption.
One year ago, "only" 1.8 million were for sale or adoption but backyard breeders added another 600,000 unwanted pit bulls.
Pit bulls equal 6% of the entire dog population but 50% of the dogs in shelters.
Why pit bulls are disliked
People do not like pit bulls and there are many reasons why:
- They are 6% of all dogs but have killed over 80% of all Americans who were killed by dogs.
- When they attack, their usual victims are their owners, the children of their owners, and the parents of their owners.
- They are the #1 canine killer of children.
- They are the #1 canine killer of women.
- They are the killers of 90% of all pets and horses killed by dogs.
The lies about pit bulls
Don't let anyone fool you:
- Pit bulls are not America's favorite dog, but the most disliked.
- Pit bulls are not "nanny dogs." Mary Poppins was a nanny. The #1 canine killer of children isn't a Mary Poppins.
- Pit bulls which attack people were not trained to do so. Their owners are this breed's #1 victims, and are not training these dogs to attack themselves and their families.
If you own a pit bull, do not breed it because you will just contribute to the problem. This type of dog inflicts the greatest amount of human suffering and wastes millions of taxpayer dollars on shelter costs, health insurance expenditures, and Medicare/Medicaid outlays. We do not need more pit bulls.
People who love their children and their parents, and love their pets, do not want pit bulls. That's the one news item that has remained the same for years and years.
