It's revealing that the pit bull expert quoted above (A pit bull expert's opinion) says "Animal aggression in this breed is VERY common. Most Pit Bulls have some degree of aggression towards other dogs and put into the right situation they will fight", also "In the case of Pit Bulls, the breed has been selectively bred to fight other dogs--they "trigger" very easily as opposed to, let's say, a Poodle or a Lab", and on this expert's web site's "Aggression" page, "The breed is known for its high prey drive, and so due caution should be exercised when cats, rabbits, domestic fowl, and other such animals are present." http://www.angelfire.com/nj2/training1/agg.html.

Dogs view children as small prey. All children are at risk of dogs, but especially at risk of dogs with a high prey drive. This is why so many children are attacked by dogs, and why so many of those attacks that cause the greatest amount of damage and death are by pit bulls.

Pit bull defenders say, "Ban the deed, not the breed", but the "deed" in this catchy slogan is an attack on a person or another animal. So banning the deed only applies after there is a bloody (or dead) victim of an attack. This slogan sounds right and even rhymes, but like so many slogans it obscures, not informs.

It's true that pit bulls are innocent because all creatures but man are innocent of intent. But the breeding of a dog specifically to fight to the death and attack without provocation is far from innocent, it is deliberate cruelty to the dog, and in a civlized society, deliberately-bred fighting dogs should not exist in the first place.

AAS has rescued some pit bull crosses, but the sad truth is that pit bull defenders can only save a tiny fraction of the hundreds of thousands of unwanted pit bulls killed every year by pounds in Canada and the US. Real love ought to put the happiness of the loved one first and defending the birth of dogs, most of whom are doomed to misery and death, cannot be very loving.

To pit bull defenders we ask: If the pit bull breed didn't exist (as it didn't not long ago) would you not be able to love any other dog?

Some pit bull defenders say that a pit bull should be under control at all times - they promote a life of no freedom, no fun, no socializing. Some pit bull defenders say that any pit bull showing aggression should be euthanized - they promote a stygian cycle of breed and kill.

AAS is frequently asked to rescue pit bulls and we cannot because the kind of people who we will give a dog to do not want a pit bull.

The SPCA is in the same postion, but it is, in our opinion, part of the problem. Its official policy is not "ban the breed" but "ban the deed" and that is why SPCAs have to kill so many pit bulls.