Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

I think ...

I was not always a pit bull lover. Before I owned my first pit bull I thought they were vicious and born crazy. That is not the case. I now breed the wonderful dogs.

Sometime during the nineteenth century, dog breeders in England, Ireland and Scotland began to experiment with crosses between bulldogs and terriers, looking for a dog that combined the eagerness of the terrier with the strength and athleticism of the bulldog. The result was a dog that embodied all of the virtues attributed to great warriors: strength, indomitable courage and gentleness with loved ones. Immigrants brought these bull and terrier crosses to the United States. The American Pit Bull Terrier's (APBT) talents did not go unnoticed by farmers and ranchers who used their APBTs for protection, as catch dogs for cattle and hogs, and as family companions.

Today, the APBT continues to demonstrate its versatility, competing successfully in obedience, tracking, agility, protection and weight pulls, as well as conformation.

Owning a pit bull has its good points, as well as the negative points. Not all APBTs are bred for dog aggression. Pit bulls, as with any dog, can be aggressive if they are mistreated. Most dog fighting breeders put their dogs to death if they show any signs of aggression towards a human. Pit bulls are basically hardwired to listen to their owners. This makes training extremely easy. However, it must also be said that if an owner trains his pit bull to attack humans, it will do so without hesitation. They thrive on pleasing their owners, no matter what the cost.

It is your "game-bred" dog-fighting breeders that are hurting our breed more than anything! They are the ones out there turning a wonderful family pet into something vicious.

It breaks my heart everyday to know that there are people out there using these dogs for the wrong reason. APBTs are just like any other dog. They have boundaries and you must respect that. They want to be loved and cared for, just like every living thing. A responsible owner of any dog doesn't need to let their dogs run lose unattended and get out of pens to roam the streets. You must be a responsible pet owner before anything else, regardless of what type of dog you choose to have.

An APBT lover,

Megan Odom