This episode of the Animal Advocate focuses on changing the narrative around pit bull type dogs. Host Penny Ellison discusses how pit-ish dogs have become unfairly demonized, similar to how other breeds like German Shepherds and Dobermans were stigmatized in the past. She explains that “pit bull” isn’t actually a specific breed but a catch-all term for several breeds and mixes. Pit bulls make up 30-60% of shelter dogs and have longer stays and are much more likely to die in shelters than dogs with other breed labels. Major challenges include overbreeding, negative stereotypes, lack of access to veterinary care, and breed-specific legislation. Research shows removing breed labels increases adoption rates. Also, there is reason for hope because several states are now passing laws to protect pit bull owners from housing and insurance discrimination.
The episode concludes with practical advice for potential pit bull adopters and a call to action for listeners to help change the narrative around these dogs through positive sharing and fostering.
Episode Highlights:
- 00:00 Introduction to episode topic on pit bulls and changing narratives
- 00:52 Background on historical pattern of breed discrimination (German Shepherds, Dobermans)
- 02:00 Explanation that “pit bull” isn’t a single breed but a catch-all term
- 03:28 Discussion of pit bull representation in shelters (30-60%)
- 04:11 – The Pit Bull Issue – Backyard breeding issue, Stigma, Legal challenges
- 05:09]Discussion of barriers: Negative stereotypes, Lack of access to veterinary care, Breed-specific legislation (BSL), Insurance discrimination, Housing restrictions
- 07:27 Research findings on removing breed labels
- 08:12 Effective solutions
- 11:28 Listener question about adopting pit bulls and housing/insurance concerns
- 13:38 “Be the Change” segment:- Promote a pit-ish dog and change the narrative
Resources Mentioned
- Illinois Law Banning Breed Discrimination in Insurance
- New York State Law Banning Breed Discrimination in Insurance
- Dorset
Transcript
Welcome back to The Animal Advocate. We’re so glad to have you here as part of our community. Today, we’re talking about pit bulls. You probably already have an opinion on this because there are a lot of stories out there about pit bulls. And here’s the thing about stories: once they take hold, they’re hard to change, and pit bulls have been stuck in the wrong story for too long. Today, we’re going to look at how assumptions became facts, how fear sometimes became policy, and most importantly, how real data is rewriting this story and how you can be part of it.
Welcome to the Animal Advocate, where we arm animal lovers with the information and inspiration you need to become effective advocates. I’m your host, Penny Ellison, and I’ve taught animal law and advocacy at the University of Pennsylvania since 02/2006. If you’ve ever thought someone should do something about that, I’m here to guide you on your journey to being that someone. You can find us on the web at animaladvocacyacademy.com, And that’s where you’ll find show notes and resources, and you can send us your comments on episodes and ideas for topics you’d like to hear on future shows. So on to today’s topic.
First, a pattern worth noticing. Every few decades, our culture seems to pick a different dog breed to demonize. German Shepherds during World War one when anti German sentiment turned these dogs from heroes into villains overnight, then later Dobermans in the 1970’s when Hollywood decided they made perfect villains and featured them as vicious guard dogs. And for a long time now, it’s been pit bulls. The dogs didn’t change. We did. And this isn’t a coincidence. It’s a story we tell ourselves, amplified by media, cemented by policy, and sometimes perpetuated by the very systems that are trying to help.
Here’s something many of you know, but I want to make sure to point it out upfront. Pit bull isn’t actually a breed. It’s a catchall term that can include American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, any mixes of these breeds, and any dog with a stocky build, a wider jaw, or a larger head. They’re usually given that label based on visual identification.
And things have reached the point in some places where almost any larger dog that’s not clearly some other breed is labeled a “pit mix”. So we’re talking about a lot of dogs here, including many that you wouldn’t necessarily look at and think pit bull. I like to use the term pit-ish.
So let’s break down the reality of what’s going on in shelters. Here’s a number that should make us stop and think. Somewhere between 30% and 60% of dogs in shelters are pit bulls or pit bull mixes or labeled that way. It varies by geography. But here in the Northeast, that number isn’t just a statistic, it’s our daily reality.
So pit-ish dogs are clearly overrepresented in shelters. And in most places, pit-ish dogs make up a majority of the dogs that are losing their lives in shelters, which means something pretty profound. To become no kill, we have to embrace not just a pet friendly attitude, but a pit friendly one as well. When one type of dog dominates shelters like this, I think it tells us something important. This isn’t a dog problem. It’s a human problem, And human problems have human solutions. So let’s look at exactly how we humans created this crisis.
First, overpopulation.The overbreeding of pit bulls leads to shelter overcrowding and puts a strain on their limited resources. As we talked about in episode three on dog breeding, which you can find on our website animaladvocacyacademy.com, most pit type dogs don’t come from large commercial breeding operations that we call puppy mills. They come from backyard breeders chasing quick profits and from preventable accidental litters. The challenge of finding and regulating backyard breeding really remains one of our biggest challenges in preventing overpopulation. Our legal and regulatory frameworks just aren’t equipped to effectively address backyard breeding operations. If you hide and sell only to people you know, there’s a good chance you won’t be found.
Next is negative stereotypes. The stigma surrounding pit bulls is real, and it doesn’t just hurt their image. It costs a lot of them their lives.
Another factor that we’ve talked about is the lack of access to basic veterinary care. The pit bull crisis hits hardest in big cities where poverty puts even basic veterinary services like spay /neuter surgery out of reach for a lot of people. So we end up with more pit bulls.
You may have heard of BSL, breed specific legislation. That’s another barrier that we’ve put up. Hundreds of communities have enacted breed specific legislation or breed bans. These laws don’t just ban dogs, they ban possibilities.They tell families they can’t keep their pet. They tell shelters they can’t adopt out perfectly good dogs. They tell communities that fear is a reasonable basis for policy, and that same sort of fear feeds into insurance problems.
Insurance companies often won’t cover homes that have pit bulls. Even though the data shows that neither dog bites in general nor incidents involving pit bull dogs specifically significantly impact insurers’ profits. We’ll probably do a whole show on how we might solve the insurance issue.
Housing is also an issue. Property managers ban them from apartments, and all these no’s add up to fewer homes for dogs who need them the most.
But here’s what’s interesting, especially if you’re an optimist like me. When we look at communities that have repealed breed specific legislation, we don’t see an increase in dog bites. What we see is an increase in families getting to choose the dog that’s right for them regardless of breed. And the insurers who’ve chosen not to discriminate based on breed, they haven’t found any business reason to change course.
So let’s talk about what the research and data tell us about creating real change. A 2016 study published in the journal Plos One found something fascinating. When shelters simply removed breed labels from their descriptions, adoptions increased and dog’s length of stay decreased. Think about that for a minute. Same dogs, different story, different outcome. Let’s pause on that research for a moment because it’s stunning. Pit bulls and pit bull mixes, pit bull-ish dogs, wait three times longer for adoption than other dogs. Three times. But when shelters switched to describing dogs by their individual characteristics rather than breed labels, everything changed.
The Animal Farm Foundation took this insight and ran with it. They proved that when we focus on each dog’s individual personality instead of breed stereotypes, adoption rates improve. It’s not about hiding what a dog is, it’s about showing who a dog is.
Here’s what else we know works.
One, photography and presentation. Now, the ASPCA has done research showing that quality photographs of dogs outside their kennels in natural settings with people. So, if you have some kids and older people around, they’re great to put include in photos. And those kind of photos significantly increase adoption interest. It’s not just about taking pictures, it’s about capturing personalities.
Second, language also matters. When Arizona State University researchers studied how shelters describe dogs, they found something powerful.When descriptions focused on personality rather than breed, potential adopters then paid more attention to the things that actually matter, behavior, personality, and fit with their family. We need to get more people asking, what is that dog like? Instead of, what breed is he?
And third and finally, policy change that works. For three decades, Denver banned pit bulls entirely. When that law was repealed in 2021, something remarkable happened. Nothing. Under their new restricted breed assessment process, which is still nowhere near ideal because it singles out certain breeds for special assessments, pit bulls started finding homes successfully. The sky did not fall. Communities didn’t become less safe.Dogs just got homes. And this is exciting to me as a lawyer because the legal landscape is shifting. Dogs are starting to be looked at as individuals. We still have dangerous dog laws, but we’re starting to understand that deciding whether a dog is dangerous or not is not something that can be based on breed alone. And this is so important because laws shape possibilities.
17 states have passed laws prohibiting municipalities from banning dogs based on breed. In Colorado, the Pet Ownership and Housing Act now limits breed restrictions in rental properties. And in a major breakthrough, New York, Nevada, and Illinois banned insurance companies from refusing to issue or renew a homeowner’s policy or charge a higher premium based just on the breed of the homeowner’s dog, and that’s so exciting.And we’ll link to those laws in the show notes because that’s an opportunity for advocates who want to look into proposing a law like that in their own state.
Each of these changes happened because advocates showed up with facts and not just feelings. And here’s the real opportunity. Every time someone adopts a pit bull, they become part of this new story. Every successful adoption is a tiny crack in the wall of fear. Every happy pit bull family is proof that the old story was just wrong. But stories don’t change themselves. They change when people decide to change them.Every adoption creates an ambassador, and every success story changes the narrative. Every positive interaction challenges the fear. The old story about pit bulls is powerful, but it’s not permanent.
Now for our listener question. Susan sent in a question. I want to adopt a pit bull type dog, but I’m worried that I might have trouble if I need to move and find a new apartment. And what about renter’s insurance? What are my options?
Well, let’s deal with the insurance issue first. For insurance, look to companies that are leading the way. State Farm, Allstate, and Chubb all promote that they don’t discriminate based on breed. Let’s reward them by giving them business. And in terms of what to do if you need to move, I think, obviously, first and foremost, you look for an apartment where they don’t have a breed restriction or a size restriction if that’s relevant to your dog. But if you find yourself in a situation where the pet policy is a little bit vague on that point and you need to do a little persuasion, I think the best option is just make sort of a pet resume for your dog. Include any training certificates they’ve had, include vet records showing that they have consistently gotten vet care, include any references from trainers or even previous landlords or neighbors that your dog has not been a problem, and include photos of your dog in positive situations with kids and other people, and make the case to have your dog evaluated as an individual.
And now our Be the Change segment. Here’s a short action you can take today to be the change you want to see. Whatever online platform you’re on, share a pity who needs a home.Sadly, it won’t be hard to find one. And don’t just hit share. Become part of their story. Add your own description of their good points that you can learn from reading their adoption bio if you’re not involved in a shelter or rescue. If they like other dogs, you can say, “Looking for a dog who loves other dogs? This guy does, and he’s been waiting a long time for someone to see past his breed label and into his heart” Help people look for the right match without regard to breed. If you see people online asking “what kind of dog is that?”, ask them what qualities they’re looking for in a dog and offer to help them find one that matches those.
Or if you’re feeling you could do more, you could foster a pit-ish dog.Thousands are waiting for the opportunity to meet people outside the shelter and show who they really are, and nothing changes perceptions like direct experience. I’m going to drop a picture of our pit-ish dog, Dorset, in the show notes just for fun. He’s not around anymore, but in his time, he sure changed a lot of minds about pit-ish dogs.
The old story about pit bulls was written in fear. The new story is being written with facts. And remember, you’re not just the audience for this new story. You’re one of the authors, and you can rewrite it. That’s it for today.
The Animal Advocate is brought to you by the Animal Advocacy Academy. You can find the episodes and show notes at animaladvocacyacademy.com. You can listen to episodes you missed, leave a comment, and start a discussion there. And if you’re really interested in learning more about protecting animals, subscribe to the show so you can get every episode right when it comes out. If you have any questions on this or any other topic related to animal law, go ahead and email them to me at podcast@animaladvocacyacademy.com. And remember, compassion is great, but compassionate action is infinitely better. Look forward to speaking with you next time. Take care.
