Sweetheart Act: Federal Ban on Dog Fighting. Breed Specific Legislation and the Protection of Game Breeds

The first point to get clear is 'pit bull' or 'pit bull' is not a breed; it is a nick-name or a type, just as a German Shepherd Dog is 'shepherd', or a Golden Retriever and a yellow or chocolate Labrador are 'retrievers'. The term 'pit bull' actually covers 5 breeds (6 including both color forms of the bull terrier). The term 'pit bull' has also been so totally warped by the media that the resultant monster one thinks of at the mention of that word is physically impossible. Quote taken from http://www.loveabull.org/pitbullinfo.htm

Many famous people have loved this breed and this petition is to restore the good name of the American pit bull Terrier. Michael J Fox, Helen Keller, Frankie Muniz, Teddy Roosevelt, John Stewart, Ashley Olsen, and Sinbad to name just a few. A common misconception is that pit Bulls are vicious Not according to the American Temperament Test Society. A recent study by this organization rates ALL the various bully breeds with passing rates of no lower than 83.9%. This is as good or better than many popular dogs today. For comparison, the Border collie only received an overall grade of 79.2%, and the Golden Retriever got 83.2%. These tests put the dogs through a series of confrontational situations. ANY sign of panic or aggression (with a minor exception for dogs TRAINED as guard/attack dogs) leads to failure of the test.
Q: Do pit bulls have locking jaws?
A: This is a popular myth. No they do not. There is no special structure or enzyme that allows a 'pit bull' to lock its jaws closed. Dr. I Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia states, "The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of pit bulls show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no different than that of any breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of 'locking mechanism' unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier." "Pit bulls" just have very strong jaws due to their bull-baiting background (look at those cheeks!) and are VERY tenacious.
Q: Aren't pit bulls able to bite with 1600-2000 lbs psi in bite pressure?
Sorry, wrong again. Dr. I Lehr Brisbin states, "To the best of our knowledge, there are no published scientific studies that would allow any meaningful comparison to be made of the biting power of various breeds of dogs. There are, moreover, compelling technical reasons why such data describing biting power in terms of 'pounds per square inch' can never be collected in a meaningful way. All figures describing biting power in such terms can be traced to either unfounded rumor or, in some cases, to newspaper articles with no foundation in factual data."
*UPDATE*UPDATE*UPDATE*UPDATE*UPDATE*UPDATE*
Dr. Brady Barr (PhD) actually tested the bite force of several schutzhund-trained dogs, including a Pit Bull named Aiden, with a bite meter inside the attack sleeve. His experiments were televised on a National Geographic show titled "Dangerous Encounters: Bite Force". The hardest bite he recorded from the Pit Bull was a mere 235 p.s.i. As they say on "Mythbusters", this one is officially "BUSTED!"
Q: Do pit bulls make good guard dogs?
A: Not generally. Most bully dogs are just too friendly. They are more likely to give a robber a guided tour of the house, and then beg for a ride in the getaway car, than they are to guard your 'stuff'. The exceptions are, because of their extreme loyalty, a bully will guard its owner if it feels its owner is in peril, so it’s a good dog to have at your side as you walked through that dark alley that may have muggers in it. Also due to their loyalty and eagerness to please, if the owner wants a dog to be aggressive toward humans and reinforces this behavior from an early age, the dog will most likely be aggressive towards humans as an adult.
Q: Don't only thugs, gangsters and drug dealers own pit bulls?
A: ABSOLUTELY NOT. (Gangsters, thugs and drug dealers own the ones they try to train to be people-aggressive, so we know which ones to steer clear of) Seriously, though, people from all walks of life own pit bulls. Some famous people to have owned pit bulls are: Helen Keller, Thomas Edison, General George Patton, President Theodore Roosevelt, Fred Astair, Jack Dempsey, Michael J. Fox, and Jan Michael Vincent.
Q: Won't a pit bull that shows aggression towards other animals go after PEOPLE NEXT?
A: Nope. Animal aggression and human aggression are two totally different things. I'm sure you've all heard someone say "Oh No! He went after my little Fifi! Your kids will probably be next!” This is one one of the biggest whopper myths out there. It's COMPLETELY 'normal' for a bully breed to be affectionate and loving with people, but not be totally trustworthy around other dogs or small animals. A properly raised and socialized bully should NEVER be human aggressive, IT IS NOT IN THEIR NATURE OR BREEDING. Bullies that do show aggressive behavior towards humans are NOT breed typical and should be seriously evaluated by a professional trainer to see what is causing it, or humanely euthanized.
Q: Should DOG AGGRESSIVE pit bulls be euthanized?
A: Since we just discussed that dog aggression does not equate with human aggression, there really is no need to "throw away" a dog aggressive bully dog just because it doesn't like other dogs. All the bully breeds are highly trainable and eager to please their owner, so even the more dog aggressive individuals can be RESPONSIBLY MANAGED by a smart and loving owner.
(*note: last two answers paraphrased from BadRap's website

I propose all persons purchasing a pit bull or pit bull mix must provide a photo id regardless of the source of the sale. The seller should be required to copy that information and file it in the proposed Bully Breed Adoption Registry kept at animal control, not to protect the public or invade privacy but to protect the animal from underground dog fighting rings. In the even that there are several dogs being fought and an owner does not step forward, the local animal control will be able to cross reference names and pets. Pitt Bulls should not be given as free to good home pets in the classifieds but rather turned into animal control who will ensure that these puppies are given a good home
I propose that there be a reward offered for information leading to the prevention or end of a dog fight. I am willing to donate $1000.00 towards that fund. That will generate more public cooperation in ending dog fighting rings. I also propose that when a dog fight is stopped, no matter if it’s before the fight during or after, that a $1000.00 fine per dog on the premises is imposed on the bystanders regardless of involvement. This will lead to more public cooperating in ending this brutal blood sport. Also if it is found that there is an owner or someone in charge of the event, usually the person holding the proceeds or bets, get a mandatory seven year prison sentence and while serving that time receive mandatory counseling and paying restitution that will fund the emergency vet clinics and the Dog Fight Prevention reward fund. I also propose that in fairness to the breed if there is a bite incident, that 2 veterinarians certify the breed. There are many APBT look alike, but only one APBT. This will help control the media frenzy and encourage many families to consider adopting these dogs which will also help heal this breed’s image and put them where they belong, with a loving family.

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