Have you ever been to or seen the aftermath of a Pit Bull fight?  Coming from a small WNC town, such things were not uncommon; the next most common sport was cockfighting.  No one really seemed to care; the police often turned a blind eye to it.  One of my boyfriends had a batch of the most adorable Pit Bull puppies that he had rescued from the clutches of fighters.  They were the sweetest things I had ever seen, and I was much relieved that they would not end up in the pits.  I can only hope that now that he's moved, he found them all suitable homes.

 Most people claim that Pit Bulls are vicious animals, right up there with Rottweilers and other so-called "mean spirited" animals.  Personally, I've never known a Rottweiler or Pit Bull (beside the ones I've encountered in fight rings) that were anything but loyal, protective, and giant puppies at heart.  I grew up with Rottweilers--as a baby I could stick my hand down our Rottweiler's mouth to retrieve toys.  We also have a gigantic male Rottie named Zeus, who is so goofy he will chase a laser pointer for hours, only to wiggle his way up into your lap and shower you with kisses (he's 100 pounds; this is actually quite an exhaustive procedure for those being sat upon).  However, the minute someone opens the house door, he's up and barking; doing his duty to earn his keep.  Once he knows who it is, he's immediatley back to wiggling his adorable little butt and harassing the cats again.

 There is no excuse for animal cruelty.  We've rescued four horses from the clutches of neglectful and abusive owners.  One of our mares, Cheyenne, was a baby mill to the point where her muscles completely atrophied and her back hooves turned under onto themselves.   Five years later, they are almost completely back to their normal position.  She was extremely timid, fearful, and completely saddening to look upon.  We're only regretful we were not able to rescue her stud, Skipper, as well.

 One of my aunt's neighbors was a very spiteful man.  He beat his beautiful Collie puppy to death with a stick when it got out of the yard.  The next month, he was beating his wife and children.  They immediately left the household, and he now has a Saint Bernard that he has beaten into a vicious canine.  Her other neighbor regularly buries cats up to their heads in his yard and runs them over with lawn mowers.  I'm appalled.  If I were able to operate a gun, he'd be shot in the face.

Too extreme?  Not in my book.  This is a man that has tortured animals, and moved on to his own wife and children.  He is vengeful, sick, and in need of mental help.  I have no sympathy for cruel people. 

There is nothing right about beating an animal out of pure spite and cruelty.  And remember, those who beat animals are only one step away from beating their signifcant others and children.

 To see the results of Pit Bull fighting, click here [1].  Warning: some of the pictures are graphic.