A WWI postcard by Wallace Robinson posited the Pit Bull as America’s protector.
Photo courtesy the Animal Farm Foundation, via washingtonpost.com
We post a lot about Pit Bulls here on the Orvis Dogs blog, mostly about how the public’s perceptions of the breed are mistaken. A new book by Bronwen Dickey traces the history of Pit Bulls in America, noting how they were once prized pets. But then something changed to shift the public’s view:
That was before a confluence of events, most beginning in the 1970s, knocked the pit bull off its pedestal. The dog turned into America’s bête noire, demonized in magazines and shock news reports — and euthanized by the millions as animal shelters gave up trying to find them homes.
An article on washingtopost.com discusses how Pit Bulls went from respected and loved to feared and hated, using Dickey’s new book as a resource. It’s an eye-opening read.
Click here for the full story.
