Advocates believe that dogs – including breeds such as the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier that are commonly referred to as pit bulls – should be judged on an individual basis.
"I think to some degree, [pit bulls] have been maligned and misrepresented," said Jeff Kocian, the executive director of the Northeast Ohio SPCA in Parma. "Some people think that all pit bulls are violent, and that's just not true."
The Cleveland Division of Animal Care and Control does not list dogs of any kind for adoption unless they are safe, and that includes pit bulls, Chief Animal Control Officer Ed Jamison said.
"I don't believe that the breed itself makes a dog more likely or less likely to [be dangerous]," Jamison said. "The pit bulls we have listed for adoption are wonderful dogs."
Three years ago Ohio enacted a law that removed pit bulls from the definition of "vicious dogs." The law did not overturn pit bull bans in Northeast Ohio communities such as Akron, Parma, Lakewood and Garfield Heights.
One reason pit bulls are often involved in incidents is they are popular. Jamison estimated that 50 percent of dogs registered in Cleveland are pit bulls or pit mixes. Ledy VanKavage, senior legislative attorney for the Best Friends Animal Society, said pit bulls are the most popular dog in 47 states.
"The more popular a breed is, the more bites you're going to see," VanKavage said.
Dog bites have not changed in Cleveland since the city voted in 2011 to remove specific breeds, including pit bulls, from its vicious dog ordinance. The city received 676 reports of bites in 2010 and 679 reports of bites in 2014, Jamison said.
"You don't know for sure what any dog will do, no matter what the breed," Jamison said. "We've had a lot of dogs coming in from horrible situations and they turn out to be wonderful pets."
It's important to judge pit bulls on a case-by-case basis, said Shana Klein, founder of the Cleveland-based organization For the Love of Pits.
"You always have to get to know a dog as an individual," Klein said. "Not every dog is going to behave how the standards say they should behave."
Some advocates said proper training is the best way to ensure a dog is safe. Klein suggested that owners interested in reading about proper training visit the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' dog behavior website.
Kocian acknowledged that pit bulls are susceptible to be trained as fighters, which means some can be violent.
"I can't support the idea that pit bulls are not dangerous, because they can be," he said. "But it's the [owners] who make them dangerous."
Pit bulls are prevalent at two of Cuyahoga County's most notable animal shelters. In Cleveland, 47 of the 56 dogs listed for adoption on the Division of Animal Control Services website are pit bulls or pit bull mixes. In the county's Valley View shelter, 13 of the 29 dogs listed for adoption fit those specifications.
VanKavage said Best Friends Animal Society recommends laws that target the behavior of individual dogs and owners, rather than breeds.
"All dogs are individuals," VanKavage said. "I want kids protected against any dangerous dog. I really don't care if it's a German Shepherd or a Weimaraner."
Anyone interested in adopting a pit bull can visit the Cleveland Division of Animal Care and Control or For the Love of Pits.
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