The pit bull problem
Pit bulls are a contentious issue. Their reputation for being dangerous dogs has led to their banning in several jurisdictions around the world. Their owners — as well as those who just have a hard time accepting that certain breeds of dog are more innately and immutably violent than others — are reluctant to admit there's anything wrong with them. Some clichés you hear: “it's just a matter of bad owners,” it's not the breed itself. The data is overwhelming though.
In this article we cover a brief list of recent and notable pit bull attacks, more on an offshoot breed wreaking havoc in the UK, and some data on the subject.
List of attacks
- NYPost (Oct 9)
- LAT (Sep 8)
- Daily Mail (Jul 26)
- TPM (Apr 3)
- NYPost (Mar 14)
The Bully XL, an offshoot breed of pit bulls, has been in the news lately in the UK over a few particularly grisly and deadly attacks and the proposal by Conservative PM Rishi Sunak to ban the dogs by the end of this year.
Some attacks:
- Sky News (Oct 15)
- Daily Mail (Oct 14)
- Express & Star (Sep 18)
- (Sep 9)
Data
The following chart showing the share of fatal dog attacks in the U.S. committed by pit bulls over time comes from a good thread on the subject from a data-oriented Twitter account. It shows that even back when pit bulls were relatively rare, they still managed to commit a pretty disproportionate share of these attacks (over 50% at one point). Since pit bulls have become more common their share of all fatal dog attacks has approached and even surpassed 75%.
Apologists often bring up all dog bites, not just fatal, but pit bulls are so dangerous because of their strong bites and because they refuse to let go. Small dogs can bite people and only do superficial damage. And the data for fatal dog attacks is overwhelming. The next chart is a popular one (via Forbes). It too shows just how lopsided the problem is.
