Pit bulls have worked very hard to build a positive image. They were the loyal servants of great historical figures like Theodore Roosevelt and Helen Keller, and members of their breed looked after the Little Rascals. These days, however, that reputation has been decimated by trainers who encourage violent behavior through negligence and cruelty. As a result, the pit bull has become Public Enemy No. 1 in the domestic animal world.
That’s why the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society has partnered with CARE 4 Paws. Together, they aim to overthrow the public notion that pit bulls are bad for society by holding Project ResponsiBull workshops, the first of which happened on July 10.
According to information provided by project directors, many people who claim a pit bull caused a violent incident make wrongful identifications, therefore skewing statistics. The term “pit bull” refers to the American pit bull terrier, but victims can inaccurately describe dogs that share similar characteristics, such as the American bulldog or the Staffordshire bull terrier.
“They are a strong breed of dog,” said Bobbi Gilman, the Humane Society’s operations manager. “That’s why people use them for arena dogs.”
When treated correctly, pit bulls can be hard-working family members. In fact, pit bulls were often used as nannies and entrusted with child care because of their loyalty. They can also lug 30 times their weight, so they were often used as ranch dogs.
Sadly, their strength is commonly exploited by—as CARE 4 Paws claims in their pamphlet on pit bulls—“macho, high-risk owners.”
During the workshop, local owners brought in their pit bulls, so they could learn tricks to successfully train their animals, thus becoming ambassadors for the canine world.
The Santa Maria Valley Humane Society and CARE 4 Paws plan to hold another pit bull event soon. For more information, visit smvhs.org or care4paws.org.
Intern Henry Houston compiled this week’s Community Corner. Send comments or ideas
to the Sun via e-mail at intern@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 5-12, 2010.