I live in the town of Atwood and I have since October of 2009. I would like to start off by saying I am a proud Pitbull owner. I have owned a American Pitbull Terrier and a Pit/Lab mix since I have lived here. My female is 3 and my male is 1-1/2 years old.
They have never caused any problems other then chasing a cat or two. They have never caused issues with people or other dogs. No one has ever complained about them before.
On two separate occasions my male has jumped my fence and went down the road to another home to play with the dogs that reside there and my female followed him. We never and have never left our dogs outside by themselves so we get them back home very quickly each time this has happened.
On Sunday evening they decided they were going to run under the fence where there is a small hole and chase a cat but got distracted by the barking of the dogs that were outside and went to their house instead. My husband quickly retrieved our dogs and not even 10 minutes later there was a cop at my our house.
What he said to my husband was, "Do you own two pitbulls?" Not the proper question, do you own two dogs? He proceeded to tell my husband that they take "pitbulls" very seriously and the next time they go in someone's yard or get out that they will take our dogs. This really bothers me.
I would understand if my dogs bit or hurt a person or another animal, but just because my pitbulls get loose for five minutes, if that, the county thinks that they are going to take my dogs. Would this happen if i owned a yorkie or a rat terrier also or is this just a prejudice?
For my fellow Atwood residents and everyone else that has this prejudice against Pitbull Terriers, I would like to inform you of some information and the background that a pitbull holds. A pitbull is a dog that is well-known for its intelligence, strength and loyalty. They hold a very excited and spirited character. They love to play if they have been properly socialized, which my dogs have been.
Pitbulls have been unfairly villianized as overly aggressive and dangerous animals because they were bred to fight back in the 16th century by the Romans. When the English immigrants came to America they brought there dogs and the pitbull then assumed the role of an all-purpose dog, not a fighter. In addition to herding cattle and sheep they served as faithful guardians. Protecting their families and livestock from the threat of thieves and wild animals.
Today American Pitbull Terriers are used in a variety of helping functions in society, including police dog, search dog, therapy dog and farm dogs. The negative treatment of pitbulls in our society is unfortunate to say the least. This is what causes a fighter, people not dogs. A dog can be and should be trained to be a pet not a monster.
My husband and I have never showed our animals anything but love. Our dogs are remarkably loyal and valued members of our family. We are not gangbangers that are teaching our dogs to fight and not like people. We have a child that our dogs are around everyday and they do nothing but watch over our baby and us.
With this said, I would appreciate it if people would stop judging a book by its cover and give our dogs the benefit of the doubt. I am speaking for other proud pitbull owners also. I can assure you that our dogs will not hurt you if you are doing no harm to them, and that is for any animal as far as I am concerned.
