A Sad Life for Pit Bulls

Michael Vick--quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons--and three other men are alleged to have run a dogfighting ring on a 15-acre estate in the rural area of southeastern Virginia. In addition to being charged for this brutal and bloody sport, Vick and his buddies are alleged to have executed losing and under-performing dogs by electrocution, hanging, drowning and shooting.

I find this story more than upsetting. Sickening, nauseating. How does someone take one of God's creatures and abuse it? This is a rhetorical question, I guess, as the only answer is that anyone involved in dogfighting does not cherish or respect dogs. Or as my mother used to say, "Marsha, never trust a man who would hurt an animal."

This was good advice from my mother, as we've seen that when serial killers--like Jeffrey Dahmer--were children, they engaged in torturing animals. I don't think I'd want to know how Vick and the other adult defendants treat women and children.

In American justice, one is considered innocent until proven guilty, so maybe Vick has been accused of something he didn't do. If he is guilty, I hope he loses his career and goes to prison, as any violence against Pit Bulls affects every dog of that breed and every owner of that breed.

Because dogfighting is more popular than I personally want to consider, many Pit Bulls must be destroyed. Once rescued by Animal Control, they are no longer viable pets.

If I'm walking my dog and someone is walking toward me with his Pit Bull, I will cross the street or step off the path. But I will also do this when I see someone with a German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Doberman, or any other potentially aggressive breed, until I see that the dog owner has control over his or her dog.

I own my third German Shepherd. Research and experience tells me that untrained and unsocialized dogs with aggressive tendencies can be vicious and dangerous. I'm a German Shepherd lover, but had trouble with my own dogs until I got myself educated. These dogs make great pets but their territorial tendencies must be channeled with lots of exercise and exposure to all kinds of situations so that few people and situations are deemed a threat.

Working with dogs and dog handlers, I've seen Pit Bulls that are wonderful pets. They are sweet, strong, smart, and very loyal dogs that want to please. Like the Shepherd, they need exercise to get rid of pent up energy. They need exercise to get rid of boredom. Some famous people who love their Pit Bulls are Rachel Ray, Jessica Biel, and John Stewart.

There's a legitimate question about the Pit Bull's inability to release it's jaw, once it has locked onto an arm, leg, or neck. Some history of the Pit Bull breed and more information on jaw locking can be found at Wikepedia. As for Michael Vick, we shall see how the charges against him play out.