OREGON'S LGBTO NEWSMAGAZINE
“Dog mauls child,” the newscaster an
nounced. “Details at 6.” I turned to my part
ner: “Well, we know it wasn’t a pitbull. If it
were, they’d be screaming it.”
There was a time— as an R.E.I.-style dyke
with two Labrador retrievers— that pitbulls
struck fear into my heart. One day my partner
came across an emaciated female pitbull with
five very small mixed-breed puppies; someone
had abandoned them in the freezing rain in a
North Portland park. Impressed with the
mama’s calm demeanor under duress, we
ended up keeping one o f the pups and I be
came an accidental but devoted owner, friend,
and protector o f the bully breeds.
Many municipalities have outlawed pitbull
and pitbull-type dogs, the current rogues of
the canine world. O ur neighbors to the north
in the city of Vancouver just considered— and,
fortunately, rejected—just such a ban. Here in
Oregon, the 6 o’clock news reported the tod
dler was killed by the dog attack about which
I heard the headline. As I guessed, it was not
a pitbull. Though the breed involved is often
used as a guard dog, no one decried its vicious
nature or suggested it be banned.
As a society we seem to need a villain,
someone or something to distract us from
critical issues we could sink our teeth into and
make real headway solving if we could just get
over our hysterical finger-pointing. More
children die each year from abuse by caregiv
ers than die from attacks by all kinds o f dogs
voices’
Pitbull Pride
JULY 1, 2011
Ü_J ä
Consider these statistics. O f the dogs in
volved in fatal attacks:
• 90-97 percent (depending on the source)
m id
are not spayed or neutered.
• 84 percent have been abused, neglected,
BY MARY MANDEVILLE, DC
and are not properly contained.
combined. More children drown in swimming sive to humans. Many folks nod their heads at
• 80 percent are chained dogs.
pools or die in car accidents. The chances of this. “It’s all in how you raise em,” they say.
• 78 percent are not kept as pets, but as
being killed by a lightning strike are higher “It’s not the dogs, it’s the owners.” But ban
guards or implements o f protection.
than the chances of being killed by a dog. But ning the dogs does nothing to change the be
• 3 out o f 4 attacks on children involve the
we love drama, and the specter of the monster havior o f people. In the ‘70s, German shep
family dog.
pitbull and its sometimes real and sometimes herds were the bad dogs o f the day, in the ‘80s,
Judging a dog by its build, ears, shape of
imagined “gangsta” owner satisfies our need Doberman pinschers.
head and slant o f eyes is nonsense. Due sim
for sensation.
A couple o f years ago, a legislator introduced ply to the skin they were born into, good dogs
I have met, worked with and fostered nu a bill to ban bully breed dogs in Montana. My and responsible owners are punished along
merous pitbull dogs. These pooches long to sister is active in local politics. She had never with the ill-temperamented and poorly bred,
gain the approval— and the laps and pillows— seen more attendees at a committee hearing on the negligent and criminal. Judge the deed,
of their human companions. The qualities old- any issue at any time. Passion was high, with not the breed.
m
time breeders valued for a dog in the pit— te sentiment running about 10 to 1 against the
We’d improve safety by addressing social is
nacity, fortitude, loyalty, determination— serve ban. Among the comments:
sues underpinning cycles of abuse and neglect
well in search and rescue, drug and bomb sniff
“O ur son was mauled by a black Lab. But across ¿ill classes. Unless we address the reasons
ing, therapy and making wonderful family pets. we’re not here to suggest Labs—or pitbulls— people want menacing dogs along with the
In a recent study of 122 dog breeds conducted be banned. We re just looking for owner reasons they cruelly mistreat them, there will
by the American Temperament Testing Soci responsibility.”
be dangerous dogs o f one breed or another.
ety, pitbulls achieved a passing rate equal to
“My former boyfriend beat me up, broke Histrionic attitudes about pitbulls may sell
standard poodles and better than golden re my arm and three ribs, punctured my lung. newspapers and grab viewers for poorly con
trievers, beagles, Chihuahuas and a host of Nobody’s suggesting a ban on him, though I ceived evening news clips. But they do little to
others. Even dogs rescued from fighting op wish they would.”
help us to a saner, safer future. J0]
erations (e.g., the infamous Vick dogs) have
“We had two dogs when our child was
earned Canine Good Citizen status.
born, a cocker spaniel and a pitbull. One of M ary M andf . villf . wakes to a snoring pitbull
As with any breed o f dog, pitbulls who are them started snapping at the baby and threat pup, head on the pillow, most mornings. Her p it
abused, neglected, starved and otherwise mis ening to bite her. We had to get rid o f it. We bull dogs are part of the family. Find her at an-
treated can, but don’t always, become aggres still have the pitbull.”
imotionchiro.com.
petlandia
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