A FEW DAYS AGO, I was skimming the online newspaper and saw a sad article. A local couple decided to euthanize their pit bull. Although, "Major" was a gentle, loving pet, he had been involved in two scuffles so the police were impounding him, declaring Major a, "dangerous animal." After consulting other pit bull owners who, after a lengthy court process had been forced to euthanize their pets, the couple felt it was more humane to put Major down than to force him to live in captivity interminably, while the courts decided his fate.
This begs a few questions that probably can't be answered. First, is animal aggression part of a dog's temperament--nature or does it surface as a result of the dog's environment--nurture? Do pit bulls start out docile and become aggressive by unscrupulous pet owners? Or is the aggression trained out of them by responsible owners? Are pit bulls being unfairly vilified? I know my friend Annie, a pit bull owner herself, believes they are.
This begs a few questions that probably can't be answered. First, is animal aggression part of a dog's temperament--nature or does it surface as a result of the dog's environment--nurture? Do pit bulls start out docile and become aggressive by unscrupulous pet owners? Or is the aggression trained out of them by responsible owners? Are pit bulls being unfairly vilified? I know my friend Annie, a pit bull owner herself, believes they are.
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I'm sure there are no easy answers but on the subject of animals, I'm in the middle of reading a very heartwarming book about animal rescue titled, Bebe & Friends: Tails of Rescue by Jean Rodenbough.
Bebe & Friends, is a collection of short stories detailing real-life pet perils and how kindhearted humans rescue these poor babies and provide them with the love and warmth that all animals deserve. And of course, the animals return the favor by loving their people.
At a time when our world is so full of craziness and corruption, it feels really refreshing to get a glimpse at the goodness and decency of humanity. Countering the dreaded doom of daily news with Bebe & Me will make anyone's day brighter.
Oh and before I go, the winners of my giveaway are, Lorraine, Tina and Jennifer. Thank you to all of you who commented. I'll have another giveaway soon. Promise.
At a time when our world is so full of craziness and corruption, it feels really refreshing to get a glimpse at the goodness and decency of humanity. Countering the dreaded doom of daily news with Bebe & Me will make anyone's day brighter.
Oh and before I go, the winners of my giveaway are, Lorraine, Tina and Jennifer. Thank you to all of you who commented. I'll have another giveaway soon. Promise.
Such a sad story about that pit bull. I do think pit bulls are unfairly vilified.
ReplyDeleteThat book sounds really good. I love reading about animals.
And thank you for the book--I'm excited to win! :-)
Boooo, I didn't win. Kidding. Sort of. :)
ReplyDeleteOkay, now onto the book. I don't know if I could read a sad animal story. Especially one that has a photo on the cover that looks EXACTLY like my four-legged baby.
When I first bought my house, I was less than a year out of a long-term relationship that ended in me losing two cats and a dog. The whole situation was devastating, but losing my "kids" was horrific. I knew when I finally had a place of my own, I wanted another doggie.
A friend of mine knew I was in the market for adoption and he knew someone who was wanting to get rid of their dog. I went to meet her and at less than a year old, she was super sweet, but clearly uncared for. When I found out she was a pitt-rottweiler mix, I cringed. The stigma wasn't really something I was wanting to take on. I left her there. She sat at the end of the driveway and watched me back out. The whole way. That look on her face was engraved on my retinas. Two days later I went back and got her.
Ten years later, that dog is the sweetest, most loving critter on the face of the earth. Not once has she been aggressive with me, my husband, our three kids, or our cat. And I just love her to pieces.
So, to make a short story long, I'm sure that some animals, like people, are born with certain tendencies. I know some little dogs that would rip your throat out if given the chance. I say, it depends on the individual dog AND the owner, not the breed.
It is amazing when folks rescue these wonderful animals...I believe people cause the aggression in animals and have seen it...stop by on the 19th and I will be giving away some garden books Grace!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great review of Bebe and Friends. --Wendy Joseph, contributor
ReplyDeleteMy son owns a pit-mix and a "Staffie" that might as well be a pit. They're both great dogs. I'm not sure what the final word is/will be on the question of nature/nurture, but I know that all dogs deserve a chance, and another.
ReplyDeleteIt can be easy to forget the good stuff when we are bombarded with news of the other unpleasant stuff.
ReplyDeleteIn my neck of the woods we are enduring a year long court case regarding the fate of two Newfoundland gentle giants. Absolutely crazy.