pit bull terrier[/caption]Carol Forsloff---Across many communities around the United States, and even in other countries, people are growing more and more concerned about the number of pit bulls and the numbers of attacks documented in the news media and statistics, so that there has become a crisis among animal care advocates and communities.
Pit bulls have been found to be an aggressive breed with specific behaviors related to their genetics and a breed requiring especially good care and raising. But even in families there have been high profile stories about young children being mauled to death by a pit bull considered friendly and the family pet.
The frequency of attacks combined with the nature of them, particularly involving children, has led many authorities to be concerned and to advocate controlling the dogs by controlling their population. Both PETA and ASCPCA, two main animal advocacy groups, have called for spaying these dogs in order to restrict the population.
On the other hand, there are a growing number of cases found where criminals acquire these dogs and teach them to be particularly aggressive. As crime rises so do the numbers of pit bulls in communities. This has encouraged some communities to ask that these dogs not be allowed in residential communities, particularly where there are children.
But as some citizens clamor for increased safety from dog attacks, some animal advocates see the pit bull as being a good dog when treated kindly. These advocates believe that the reason for pit bull attacks is related to how they are raised and treated and that with kindness they can be just as delightful as dogs of other breeds.
The pit bull is a controversial animal in most communities, as animal advocates continue to examine options for an animal who is either misunderstood, or mistreated or simply a dog that has in-bred behaviors that warrant their restriction.
