The Truth about Pit Bulls

I have a 5yr old named Soda Pop. My granddaughter got him at 4mos old. I was not sure at first about getting him. But have since grown to love him very much. He is so friendly and loving. At 5mos old we got him a kitten Dominick, whom he loves as well. Everyone who meets him tells us what a great dog he is. At 118# he could very easily hurt someone if he wants to, but he is a lover not a fighter. When my granddaughter went to college he stayed with me and will always be my best buddy.

I am now a proud owner of a pit boxer mix As I call her my big ding dong The sweetest even tempered dog I have ever had. I am a retired vet tech in my twenty years I never had a bad experiece with this breed well maybe I got urinated on from a over excited one but the scars on my arms,hands and many other places have been from the sweet breeds that would never hurt a fly. I wish people would educate themselves on this wonderful breed! I will always have one in my home from now on.

I got my AmStaff Kalli about 2 years ago from a High kill shelter in Los Vegas Navada, A friend volenteers there and one thing led to another. Many people pitched in and drove and flew her(the airline people said she was a complete angel)all the way to the SW washington coast. poof I had my little girl on my doorstep. I love my girl. she's a great gard dog(not really) unless they have a truck, then she is ready for a ride. She sleeps(snores) on her back and gives nibbles too(we call them love nibbles). I love pittie's and will always have one in my home.

Hi. My name is Jo, and I'm the founder of Stubbys Heroes. We promote responsible dog ownership, partner with local organizations to advocate on behalf of the adoption of Pit Bulls; sponosor spay/neuter initiatives; fight Breed Specific Legislation (BSL); and educate the community, media and policy makers regarding the preservation of an American icon - the Pit Bull. When I lived in New York, I have to admit that I was terrified of them, and I think that admitting this to those trying to enforce BSL, is what helps me to win them over, at least to listen to me. I explain to them that these dogs came from very hard working and humble beginnings; true representatives of the America we treasure - dedicated, strong, family-oriented, and protectors - they should be considered as nobelity, rather than villified. My own family consists of four resident dogs that found me, and a foster dog for Friends to the Forlorn Pitbull Rescue in Dallas, GA. Of the five dogs, three are Pit Bull females. All of our dogs are sp/eutered, they are up to date, and social. They get daily exercise, play time, time-out time when appropriate, and lay more on our King sized bed than we do. I do not believe that the current status of this loving breed will change, unless WE advocates, change our approach. I have witnessed some emotionally charged behavior at local commissioner and council meetings, and all that it's managed to accomplish is to draw a deeper wedge between the policy makers and community, and we, the advocates and Pit Bull caretakers. I don't think that until our approach becomes one of calm, patient, compassionate education and daily representation of what a real Pit Bull owner is, will our dogs get the fair shake that they deserve. To accomplish this, our group is organizing Atlanta's First Bully Breed March next weekend Oct. 27th. While we march for Lennox of Belfast and to represent all the dogs dying in our shelters and on our streets nationally, the march is an opportunity for us to show the community WHO WE ARE - responsible dog owners, and their dogs. Being the breed Pit Bull is secondary. Being an American icon, is primary.

MY dog ROXy is a full Pit Bull/Terrier she is beautiful friendly loves to cuddle snuggle play and is ery jealous of anyone who I'm giving attention that's not her lol.Even my fiance get's pissed say's I love the Dog more which isn't far from the truth.J/p I love you both!! Anyway she is a playful dog and yes she bark's when people come to the door that she doesn't recognize but when I give her the o she'll be all over you licking you in your face jumping running all around trying to play or get pet.I love Pit bulls they are the best breed dog you can have I have had retrieer's German Shepard's Norwegion Elk Hound's beagle's etc. No dog yet other than the Pitbull German shepard mix I had yes a mut! Was close to what anyone could eer ask for in a dog I mean these dog's hae their own personality's just like other dog's but much more detailed I mean they act like human's I'm not jokeing anyone who has a Pitbull and a good relationship like I do with my animals will tell you it's just unlike anything youve seen or just way different than other animals!! My pit's neer let my side honestly didn't eer need a leash to walk them but it's law but around the house they were just naturally just by my side where I went so did they other breeds are more likely to run off and not listen from my exp.not saying all or you can't train them to but Pitbulls are 1 of the most loyalst breed I have eer seen in my history of dog's. They hae ton's of energy can keep up with you as long as you can and tons more. They are very quick leaner's I hae had to put a bit more time in with the current Pit I have now she is a bit hyper but she just gets so exited wants to lick you to death she lose's concentration but still is very simple to train once I get her attention or figure out how to get her attention which really isnt all that difficult can be though depending on the task but when I do she picks it up almost immediatly!!! She will protect me from anyone or thing and no she is not violent and knows whne to act if Im scared she's got me if Im like not sure about something she's on guard.If me and my fiance are fighting she starts barking and growling because she doesnt like us fighting alot of times shell ewen put herself in the middle it's actully funny but weird to see a dog be a mediator lol!!! Anyway at night when Im in my bed she cuddles with me when its extremely cold to keep us warm.She knows if I'm sick she kinda slowly come up and lick me very eer so soft not like usual when Im fine or playing same when I cry but only she comes up slow then licks the hell out of you catching all your tears!! I would never trade her in for anything I will always have a Pitbull in my life in my house for as long as I live just my life wouldnt be the same w/o she is beyong happy wagging her tail when I come home and when i walk aaway starts crying not like that annoying wippy yipe more of a cry then lays down and gets all calm !!!! She will come up and walk to the door letting me know hey I want to go poo or pee if Im not sure shell bark and go to the door. Shes so human in so many ways .Sorry to go on and on but she is the best and not just her every dog Ive eer had dogs are awesome but I love my Pitbulls and I would just like to say that she was at the shelter I got her at 8weeks old the people had puppy and they didnt want her because she was female and the runt of the litter but Im glad they gae her up or I wouldnt hae gotten her we were made to get her she came up to me as soon as they brought her lil furry but in the room jumped right into my arms went to sleep got back up and licked my dad in the face with her pup breathe lol .I think this is important to sorry but the first Pitbull i eer brought home my dad flipped telling me that I need to get rid of that thing and etc.So i came home from work the next day and they are playing in the yard he starts treating her like gold and takeing her to et etc then when she was old and died we got Roxy like i SAID AT THE SHELTER and we went back for months nothing but older dogs and dogs that just didnt show intrest soon as we saw the Pitbull pup i said dad how about this one and like i said went into the room she was all oer us both and now we have another pitbull and my dad likes pitbulls alot and understand them and see's that they are great dawgs and much more they are family and its bad people who make these dogs do these things the dog doesnt know but whatr its owner teache's alls they want to do is please their owner's like i said very loyal so if you tech it something it will do it the best to its ability because they want to be loyal and please you. So iw opuld like to end this with if your on the fence about pits or scarred then I honestly suggest to get a puppy and raise it tell me what you think after youe had a chance to bond with it for 6months a year and tell me if you still feel the same way.You know it's not just Pitbulls who are aleedgedly mean other dogs have eatn babies etc but are neer reported like the pitbull the pitbull does something automatically in the news its partly the way media portrays this animal as very vicious I also wouls like to say any dog can turn on you not just pitbulls Ive seen it little dogs anhd big dogs and they werent pit's I do howeer suggest if you have neer had a pitbull that i wouldnt advise you on getting an older dog unless the shelter says its good for older people and is sure of the history on it like the people just couldnt afford it i mean if youve never dealt with this type of breed they are very powerful and strong and need to be handled accordingly so just do research on what you want in a dog what you like about dos do all your homework and talk to people shelter's et's and go from their to decide if this dog or breed style is right for you. Thnks again for listening sorry for spelling errors etc Im rushing and the keyboard sticks needs to be replaced sorry for anything hard to understand as well but hopefully this might help someone out their!!!!

My daughter rescued a "Little Rascals Petey lookalike" Pit when the dog was a 6 month old puppy from people who kept her crated 24/7. She is not only adorable to look at, with a Sharpie marker drawn circle around her eye she is a ringer for Petey and all the parebt's recognize her "costume" at Halloween when we give out candy. Rita, or RiRi for short, is a sweet, affectionate girl who loves my toddle neices and nephews and guards them when they go to the back yard pool. She stands on the pool steps to keep them out and when one jumps in, she jumps in after them to pull them out. She sleeps in my bed (under the covers), goes to doggy daycare where she is the favoirte of all the dogs there, plays a great game of tug of war and keep away with her bone and is an excellent guard dog to boot. My elderly parents have recently moved in with me so I can care for them and though I have to go out of town once every week or so, I never worry about them being along as long as Rita is on guard. She gets along famously with my Boston terrier and tuxedo kitty and will give the cat a wide berth when he walks by because he swats her periodically to remind her who is boss. Before I inherited Rita, I had a very bad attitude about Pit Bulls and used to ask people who owned them if they were afraid of there own dogs and swore I would never own one. Rita is a special girl and I an no longer afraid of the breed and I fully trust Rita with anyone or any other animal.

I owned a pit named Bugsy a couple of years ago, he passed away from cancer. To this day I still get emotional when I think of him. He was such the sweetiest and smartest dog I ever owned. He scared people with his size and muscled body, but if they only knew that he was a big softy who only wanted to jump on you and play. Just like Linus, one of Charlie Brown's character, he had a blanky that he dragged around with him when it was sleepy time. He also greeted me everyday at the door and carried my purse into the house. We loved him so much and it broke my families heart to lose him. I presently own 3 shelter dogs, a chihuahua, hound dog and a boxer but I will never forget My Bugsy. I plan to adopt another pitbull in the near future because I love the breed and maybe I'll name it Bugsy.

my pit bull named lilymoo is two and half and i rescued her from a horrible person who was trying to sell her and her brothers and sisters on a street corner.he asked me if i wantd to buy a puppy i said not the ones he had in the bag,i asked if he had other ones he said yes that the mother pit bull dog had thirteen puppies.i went and looked at the other puppies and while standing there i was talking to the puppies and just asking who wanted to come home with me?and one little black female puppy kept jumping up and licking my hand so i gave the man twenty dollars to buy dog food and took lily home with me.the next day we had to take her to the vet and she had alot of problems but the biggest one being a upper respiratory infection,two hundred dollars later we took her home and we cared for her properly and now she is a very enrgetic playful dog who is on regular medicine due to her allergies but we love her regardless and i someone asks why we have a pit bull i ell them becaus she picked me and we love her.now between the age of six months and one year we had alot of problems with her being a over energetic puppy who tore up everything but we taught her no and she hasnt done it for over a year and a half now!!!!!my pit is all black except one white spot under her chin but she will always be my baby she shares a house with five cats and my other dog which is a labrador retriver who also was a rescue........

i love pits--our first inside dog (growing up we were not allowed to have 'animals' in the house-so our beagle was an outside pet) was a pitbull named sabrina-OMG she was amazing with my young children at the time and an amazing friend to me. she passed away and our lives were not the same. we now have another pit named corruption-he is awesome! he waggs his tail so hard if it hits you it actually hurts-this is how excited he is when he sees us when coming home from school or work. he gets so excited his whole body wiggles-we have nicknamed him woogie. i have had a few different breeds of dogs and i love them all but pit bulls are the most loyal, loving, gentle best friends there are!!!

Honestly I used to be one of those who has always listened about all the negativity about the breed and soon enough it seems like I closed my ears when someone said anything good about the breed until one day in encountered a little newborn puppy who was in not so good shape myself being such a dog lover I stopped and picked her up and I noticed not ony was she skinny she had a very big opened wound that was th he worst thing I had ever saw I took her home cleaned her up removed all her ticks cleaned her wound and bandaged it and thought that was the only thing I was needing to do now time to focuse on get her to gain weight when she looked like more was going on and sure enough she had parvo so of course it was at a time of me loosing employment and could not afford to have vet keep her until she pulled through it so I looked up any other possible ways without having a vet treat her and I did so I bought severl different things stayed up day and nite with constantly keeping her hydrated giving food food even when she didnt want to and of course my love and faith and when l least expected it she looked up at me with this look like "Im ok mommy thank you for your dedication of getting me well and most your love now you may rest im good" She and I have gained such a great bond never leaving my side goes everywhere with me and is the sweetest best dog that doesnt understand she's not a lap dog but I don't mind lays down when she know its a child that wants to pet her but as sweet as she is I was forced to move atleast three times because of the bad name they have gotten but their was no way I was to seperate myself from her so I moved and moved until I found a place for us to be accepted she is going to be 2yrs old and their is nothing that would ever make me get rid of her we have been through so many obsticles in these two years I cant even mention it all but if their is something I do know is that I have changed my mind on the way I look at pitts I now understand its not a bad breed its its bad owners and irrisponsible people are using these poor dogs for bad making their life in this world hard because its hard to make people listen about the positive things. I end my story about my blue fawn baby girl sky by saying "Mommy loves you ".

I am a house Mom, I have 48 girls, in house, plus Tia my pit, girls love her, in fact they ask me if they can go to my apartment to see her. Tia is a lady. I will never have another breed,she is a clown. Tia has never never shown aggreshion, also sleep with Tia, in a singal bed, bed hog.

We have 2 kids. Our first dog is Jack. We have to others but Jack is our Pit mix. He is the sweetest dog you will ever meet and loves to cuddle on any lap that is offered and give kisses to anybody who comes in our door. If we got robbed he would be more likely to give them kisses than to attack. He is a huge goofball too who loves to dance and does flips any time we come home, or when he gets a treat. It is a shame that Pits get such a bad rap because he is so gentle with the kids. If they are crying for any reason he goes up and kisses them to try to make it better. I do not think we could have asked for a better dog for our first. He gets along amazing with the other two dogs we have as well!

We have a 5 year old pitbull named Abbi and a 9 year old pit mix named Zoie. Both girls are rescues; Zoie from a shelter as a 10 week old puppy who had been abandone and Abbi from a vet's office after she had been viciously beaten by her previous owner (she was 4 months old when he beat her, shattering her right rear leg, requiring extensive surgery and two steel rods which she will keep for the rest of her life). Despite having had less than favorable treatment by their previous "humans," these two girls absolutely love people! Abbi received her CGC title at the age of 14 months old and received her therpy certification (through TDI) at the age of 15 months old. She works at a few different facilities locally and is loved by residents, patients and staff at each respective place she visits. My husband and I (along with the rest of our family) are totally smitten with them. Pitbulls are truly different than any other breed; and for this reason, they will always be our breed of choice!

i have a pit mix who acts as if his world is going to end if he can't be near us or in our laps. He is just a big blockhead of love and licks. We don't have children but many of our friends do and when they come to visit he is so gentle with them. If they get hurt it is from him maybe knocking them over from excitement or being whipped by his wagging tail. we do have a west highland terrier too and the two get along great. I have actually seen the pit mix protect my westie from other dogs. I love pits and will probably have another one after Caesar passes. They are just full of so much love and loyal to the family.

We rescued Finn when he was 10 weeks old from Last Chance Ranch in Quakertown. That was the day I found my heart! He is now 10 months & he is the absolute sweetest, goofiest, smartest little cuddlebug-guy EVER! I have no idea how anyone can live without one of these guys in their lives. He adores children, loves people and is in a state of pure joy when he gets to run & play with other dogs. I call him my angel-puppy because he just spreads joy everywhere he goes. Everywhere we go we meet, well EVERYONE, because no one can walk by without telling us about the Pits they've rescued or even to ask "what kind of dog is that?" (His ears are no clipped & are HUGE so not everyone realizes) this leads to big discussions about his breed and it also lead to me creating a facebook page to share his story and anyone elses who cares to post. (www.facbook.com/finnstales) I LOVE MY PIT! I recommend going to your local shelter right now and geting a big pit cuddle and then you can love your pit too!

i have a pitbull, her name is issa-bell, and she is a BIG sweetie, she likes dogs and wants to get close to cats. i wouldnt trade her for a million dollars.

Pitties are the most lovable and affectionate dogs ever. I can't imagine life without a pit bull. Love the breed!!

I have been a pit owner for the last 3 years. Theyre like no other dog Ive ever had before. Daisey is mine and my 1 year olds best friend. My pit greets us with kisses and plays gently with my daughter. Shes athletic as she is goofy. shes 50 pounds of love and kisses. Pitbulls are the most funny stubborn loyal amazing dogs youll ever own. Treat them right and they have sooooo much to give in return. Please everyone adopt a pit from a shelter if you are seeking the perfect companion, and the perfect family member

I am the oh so proud pet parent of a 13 yr old pibble whom I have had since I rescued her as a puppy from a pop-up "pet store." She is the most sweetest thing.

This past July, I adopted a 1/2 year old American Staff. Terrier from a nearby SPCA. Now named Ezrah, at that time in the shelter he was considered undesirable, he would nip, jump, and bark at the volunteers, and had little to no manners. I said I want him anyway. Now 4 months later is going through K9 Connection obedience training along with some APS classes to get him socialized properly with other dogs, and he has done an 180 degree turn around from day one. With the right handling, training, and mindset any dog from any circumstance can become a great dog. My adopted dog has become the love of my life, my best friend, and an absolute joy to have in my home.

Before you decide to post a negative comment on this thread, you should know that it's hilarious to the point of absurdity, that you think you know more about the nature of the American Pit Bull Terrier than the ASPCA does. "It's better to stay quiet an appear a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." -Mark Twain

Diesel is our amazing 5 year old pit. He is a wonderful, sweet and gentle angel!!! Right before my sister went into labor, he definitely sensed it and stayed glued to her side and watched over her meticulously. Once our niece arrived he fell in love and protected her, including letting her stuff and remove goldfishes from his mouth or simply walking up to him playing happily with a beloved toy and her taking it right from his teeth. We have countless stories just like this, that are not surprising for our Prince, just more evidence that truly exhibits how remarkable this breed is and how frustrating and hurtful it is getting discriminated against. Lastly, I would like to add, that we adopted him from a shelter and that for 2.5 years now he has been a therapy dog thru TDI and we have been taking him to our local Ronald McDonald House every Friday for over a year!!!!!

Three years ago, two pitbulls killed my cat in his own garden, and my neighbor's cat and their neighbor's cat. All in their own garden. My heart is simply broken. I didn't know anything about pit bulls until this happened (except Michael Vick)but what I learned about them and all of the grief they have caused human beings (not stats on pets), was horrifying. They need to be neutered out of existence. They were created by humans to be what they are. The pits did not ask to be denatured dogs. They are unpredictable with the potential for extreme violence. A chance meeting with a pit bull can change your life forever, even if you somehow survive. Changing the "public image" just puts more dangerous animals in people's neighborhoods, and no one wants that!