Not since the days of Hal Roach’s Our Gang [Little Rascals] that Pete the Pup was honored and adored despite having been a pit bull. You know – the photos of the dog with the dark ring around his eye? The first Petey was a UKC registered American Pit Bull terrier named Pal, the Wonder Dog (1924-1930), who had a natural ring that nearly encircled his right eye.
Everyone loved Petey!
Sadly, now pit bulls get a lot of bad press. In the 1980s, the dogs were being bred for their aggression and power. Many of the dogs were bred to fight, and the media sensationalized some of the most egregious stories of the dogs fighting other dogs, and thus created their reputation as pit bulls. They are often demonized as were German shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermans and even bloodhounds at one time.
And as usual, it’s not about lumping these terrific dogs as mean and aggressive. Let’s meet Ruby – a pittie who loves to be hugged and held over her mom’s shoulder like a baby. Look at that sweet face and how content she is.
When we first adopted Ruby I used to tell my husband, ‘I swear she is looking at me like she wants to be held.’ He thought I was crazy, until I picked her up and this is what she did. It’s literally her happy place. Much later we found out that she was in fact held and cradled by a loving elderly woman at her previous home and it made so much sense to us. She is calm and content, like a baby. Love my sweet Ruby girl so much.
TikTok
As far as the breed, pit bulls are not a specific breed; rather a combination of several terrier breeds.
Many cities still have bans on owning pit bulls through breed-specific legislation (BSL). Many animal control officers incorrectly identify the breed and call many mixed breed dogs – pit bulls unfairly discriminating against them. Sadly, the stigma has resulted in rampant euthanasia of these dogs at shelters throughout the country.
Dogs – just like people are individuals and each have their own unique personality. Dogs who are raised and trained correctly make loving family members, and it’s just not fair they continue to receive such bad reviews.
Let Ruby be an example of a dog who might have kind of a squarish and wide face, a kind of stubby body and those small, alert ears who might be a terrier of some sort, but her sweet video has garnered nearly half a million “likes” and almost 2 million views. We love you Ruby.
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