The first time we saw her she was being carried around by one of the store attendants, almost completely in a ball, she lay still.  It was as if she knew what was going to happen to her and she had stoically accepted it.  Her eyes were glued shut because of a genetic disease, her eyelashes growing into her peepers instead of curling upwards like normal.  She couldn’t see, she was the runt and she was going to be destroyed at the end of the week because nobody wanted damaged goods in their family.  Other visitors walked by with nothing more than a glance, but our family stopped, running our hands through her thick fur; she was ours.  When we put her in the car, she curled up on the floor at our feet and fell asleep.  She had been saved from death and probably found solace in the fact that she was finally home.

ZENA

 When we brought her to the vet for the first time, he told us to give her back.  He said my parents were crazy for bringing that animal into a house with kids; it was a killer.  It was an Akita.  All the vet knew was that this species had a bad reputation for being bloodthirsty and vicious, a fighter and hunter.  Not suitable for family life.  My mother refused.  She was of the mindset that it is all in how you care and nurture something that makes it into a killer or a lover.  There is good and bad in all.
 This experience has been on my mind lately because one of my friends just adopted a puppy with a similar reputation.  He is taking her out to socialize with people and explore the world so that she can feel comfortable in any situation.  She is a pit bull and her name is Zena.  A woman was so excited and giddy to see this cute puppy that she began to stoop down to pet little Zena.  As she was about to reach out and play, my friend Brent told her she was a pit bull.  The look on the woman’s face changed from puppy-love to fear and she physically jumped back and refused to pet Zena, afraid that this killing machine would chew her hand right off.  To add to the fracas surrounding my new little buddy, Brent’s family won’t tell people what kind of dog she is.  Perhaps afraid of the backlash or the hushed whispers about what Zena might become as she grows.  I don’t blame them, there have been some outrageous attacks documented.

 How powerful the media can be though.  Enough so to cause this woman to be afraid of a 15 pound puppy just due to the mention of the breed and for family members to hide the identity of their dog.  Because of this reaction, I decided to look at what myths abound about this species of dog.  To my surprise, Helen Keller owned both an Akita which was a gift from the Japanese Emperor, and a Pit Bull.  Also, according to badrap.org, the American Temperament Testing Society (ATTS) did a study of 122 dog breeds.  Pit Bulls received a passing rate of 83.9%, Golden Retrievers received a passing rate of 83.2% and beagles received a 78.2%.  Is it shocking that they have an agreeable temperament?

 Another thing I have heard about Pit Bulls is that they have this locking mechanism in their jaw structure, and once they grab they don’t let go.  According to several rescue websites (austinlostpets.com, pitbulllovers.com, badrap.org) this is just a myth.  The jaw is structured like any other dog jaw, nothing special.  However, the breed is tenacious and is determined, making these character features what allows them to grip. Another interesting myth is that the brains of this species keep growing, pressing on the skull and forcing them to go “crazy.”  Again, there is nothing anatomically different about how this dog is built versus any other dog.  Their brains don’t keep growing like a sort of mutation, they are actually very intelligent animals.

 Just like with any adoption of a pet, the same animals aren’t right for everyone.  The Pit Bull is a terrier, known for being scrappy and a fighter inherently.  However, it takes love and nurturing, socialization and patience to make sure the animal is happy and healthy—both mentally and physically.  For Zena, sadly, she may be faced with a life of discrimination because of her breed.  But look in her eyes and you may have a change of heart.

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