Our Views: Pit Bulls Deserve Their Bad Reputation

Home » Why Pitbulls Are Bad » Our Views: Pit Bulls Deserve Their Bad Reputation

Maybe your like

Skip to main content You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close site-logo
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
Site search Search Subscribe Today Or get a Day Pass for only $1.99! Newsletters Sign up for news in your inbox every day!
  • Sign Up
  • Log In
  • Dashboard
  • Logout
    • My Account
    • Dashboard
    • Profile
    • Saved items
    • Logout
Read the e-Edition
  • e-Edition How-To
  • Special sections
Subscriber Services
  • Subscribe
  • Manage Subscription (Pay Your Bill, Vacation Request, Update Account Info)
  • Subscriber Savings
  • Newsletters
  • Subscription terms
  • Contact Customer Service
Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Legals
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Employment
News
  • Local
  • Crime
  • State
  • Nation/World
Weather Sports
  • High School
  • Local
  • College
  • National
Obituaries
  • Submit an obituary
Local Events
  • Promote your event
Announcements
  • Anniversaries
  • Births
  • Death Notices
  • Engagements
  • Thank You Letters
  • Weddings
Entertainment
  • Food & Dining
  • Night Music
  • Movies
Community
  • Community Briefs
  • Names in the news
Opinion
  • Columns
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Other Views
  • Our Views
  • Political Cartoons
Submit News Release/Photo Videos & Photo Galleries
  • Videos
  • Photo Galleries
  • Traffic Cameras
  • User-submitted Galleries
Local Business Spotlight Sponsored Content Contests Games Special Sections Bought & Sold Classifieds
  • Place An Ad
  • Autos
Jobs Submit News Menu site-logo
    • Search
  • Open user controls

    • Log In Using Your Account

      Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today
    • My Account
    • Dashboard
    • Profile
    • Saved items
    • Logout
  • Sign Up
  • Log In
  • Dashboard
  • Logout
    • My Account
    • Dashboard
    • Profile
    • Saved items
    • Logout
Subscribe
    • Site search Search
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • SMS
  • Email
SUBSCRIBE NOW
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • SMS
  • Email
  • Print
  • Copy article link
  • Save

Pit bulls aren’t the misunderstood animal that some dog lovers claim.

They are a dangerous breed, and blaming owners alone for vicious attacks by pit bulls does a disservice to public safety. Pit bulls account for the vast majority of fatal dog attacks, causing 71 percent of fatalities between 2011 and 2017, according to the victims group, DogsBite.org. That’s up from 56 percent between 2005 and 2010.

Meanwhile, many pit bull owners claim these animals make great pets. They downplay pit bulls’ physiological features, which make them adept at tearing flesh. Their powerful necks and jaws are a lethal combination, and some people have resorted to using crowbars and knives to pry open their mouths.

It’s no wonder many insurance companies refuse to provide homeowners and renters coverage for pit bull owners. As Gazette reporter Catherine Idzerda highlighted in her story Monday, pit bulls make up a large percentage of dogs at local shelters. They linger there good reason, and any family who adopts one is taking, in our opinion, an unnecessary risk.

Some pit bull advocates allege a conspiracy against this breed and say many of these dogs wouldn’t hurt a fly. They argue it’s nearly impossible to distinguish pit bulls from other breeds and say dog-attack statistics have been manipulated. In their minds, the pit bull is the real victim. If it mauls a child, the pit bull owner is at fault.

Is the owner even to blame when the pit bull turns on its owner? Was it Bethany Lynn Stephens’ fault when her two pit bulls mauled her last year during a walk through a wooded area near her family’s property in Virginia? When she didn’t return, her father went looking for her and discovered the two dogs guarding what the father thought was an animal carcass.

How grisly was her mauling? “We spent a lot of time there at the scene and made some observations that, out of respect for the family, we’re not releasing,” the Goochland County Sheriff Jim Agnew told the Washington Post.

What Chihuahua, poodle or border collie is capable of doing that kind of damage? None, obviously.

Closer to home, friends and family mourned the death of Daxton Borchardt, a 14-month-old mauled by two pit bulls at his babysitter’s home in the town of Walworth in 2013. Investigators found no indication of why the dogs attacked.

Pit bulls were bred to fight and are like having a loaded gun in the house, except this gun can go off without anyone touching it. A quick Google search—type in “pit bull”—will reveal just how unpredictable and vicious this animal can be.

Pit bulls are popular in Janesville, with nearly 280 licensed. That’s not a good thing, in our opinion. Efforts to keep these animals out of housing or parks should be applauded, not made into “dog discrimination.” Nobody should have to apologize for working to protect people, children especially, from pit bulls—or any dangerous dog, for that matter.

SUBSCRIBE NOW Love 206 Funny 35 Wow 37 Sad 75 Angry 601 (1 Ratings)
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • SMS
  • Email
  • Print
  • Copy article link
  • Save

Tags

  • Pit Bull
  • Bethany Lynn Stephens
  • Goochland County Sheriff
  • Janeville
  • Social Affairs
  • Social_feed

Recommended for you

Trending Now

  • Teacher pay, future workforce, fiscal responsibility: Janesville School Board candidates lay out issues at forum
  • Hardacre named SSM Health president for Monroe, Janesville
  • 'It's just fun.' For Friday the 13th, Janesville studios offer $13 tattoos and a block party atmosphere
  • Welch challenges Ryan for Rock County Board District 28 seat
  • Former Whitewater superintendent's annual evaluations cite 'fear of retaliation'

Screentime

Screentime Section

Screentime

Latest e-Edition

The Gazette

The Gazette

To view our latest eEdition, click the image on the left.

You're on the list!

Thanks for signing up. Keep an eye on your inbox for the next edition.

ℹ️ You may want to whitelist emails [email protected] make sure it doesn't go to your spam folder!

The Gazette - Daily Update

Get the latest news, sports, and weather delivered to your inbox every Monday-Sunday at 6:30 am.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Sign Up Now By signing up, you agree to receive promotional emails.

Promote your event

If you have an event you'd like to list in our calendar, submit it now!

Go to form © Copyright 2026 The Gazette 1 S. Parker Drive, Janesville, WI | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Powered by BLOX Content Management System from BLOX Digital. Privacy Manager Back

Sorry, an error occurred.

Already Subscribed!

Get StartedManage Service

Cancel anytime

Log In Register You are logged in Switch accounts Secure transaction. Cancel anytime. Back

Sign Up

Account processing issue - the email address may already exist

User information Username (Optional) This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! * Email Address Your email address will be used to confirm your account. We won't share it with anyone else. * Password Create a password that only you will remember. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. * Confirm Password Confirm your password. CAPTCHA Create Account or

Sign up with

Newzware Have an account? Log In

You're all set!

Thank you .

Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.

Check your email for details.

OK Back

Log In

Invalid password or account does not exist

Email Address Password Forgot your password? Log In Email me a log in link or

Sign in with

Newzware Admin login Subscribe Need an account? Sign Up Back

Reset Password

Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.

Email or Screen Name CAPTCHA Reset Password

Forgot Password

An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.

Back

Email me a log in link

Account Email CAPTCHA Send Email Back

Promotional Offers

Enter Promo Code Redeem

No promotional rates found.

Back

Purchase Gift Purchase Access

See More Offers details close × An error occurred ×

Secure & Encrypted

Sign in with Email Address Continue with Email Address or Continue with Newzware What's your email address? Email Password Confirm password Who is this gift for? Recipient name Recipient email Optional message for the recipient Who is this gift from? Purchaser name Purchaser email Purchaser zip code Delivery date Delivery date What's your billing location? State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces PacificArmed Forces EuropeNorthern Mariana IslandsMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamPalauAlberta, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaManitoba, CanadaNew Brunswick, CanadaNewfoundland, CanadaNova Scotia, CanadaNorthwest Territories, CanadaNunavut, CanadaOntario, CanadaPrince Edward Island, CanadaQuebec, CanadaSaskatchewan, CanadaYukon Territory, Canada Zip Code Country United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People's Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People's Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth ofAustria, Republic ofAzerbaijan, Republic ofBahrain, Kingdom ofBangladesh, People's Republic ofBarbadosBelarusBelgium, Kingdom ofBelizeBenin, People's Republic ofBermudaBhutan, Kingdom ofBolivia, Republic ofBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana, Republic ofBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)Brazil, Federative Republic ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgaria, People's Republic ofBurkina FasoBurundi, Republic ofCambodia, Kingdom ofCameroon, United Republic ofCape Verde, Republic ofCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChad, Republic ofChile, Republic ofChina, People's Republic ofChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombia, Republic ofComoros, Union of theCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, People's Republic ofCook IslandsCosta Rica, Republic ofCote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of theCyprus, Republic ofCzech RepublicDenmark, Kingdom ofDjibouti, Republic ofDominica, Commonwealth ofEcuador, Republic ofEgypt, Arab Republic ofEl Salvador, Republic ofEquatorial Guinea, Republic ofEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Fiji, Republic of the Fiji IslandsFinland, Republic ofFrance, French RepublicFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabon, Gabonese RepublicGambia, Republic of theGeorgiaGermanyGhana, Republic ofGibraltarGreece, Hellenic RepublicGreenlandGrenadaGuadaloupeGuamGuatemala, Republic ofGuinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c ofGuinea-Bissau, Republic ofGuyana, Republic ofHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)Honduras, Republic ofHong Kong, Special Administrative Region of ChinaHrvatska (Croatia)Hungary, Hungarian People's RepublicIceland, Republic ofIndia, Republic ofIndonesia, Republic ofIran, Islamic Republic ofIraq, Republic ofIrelandIsrael, State ofItaly, Italian RepublicJapanJordan, Hashemite Kingdom ofKazakhstan, Republic ofKenya, Republic ofKiribati, Republic ofKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwait, State ofKyrgyz RepublicLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanon, Lebanese RepublicLesotho, Kingdom ofLiberia, Republic ofLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtenstein, Principality ofLithuaniaLuxembourg, Grand Duchy ofMacao, Special Administrative Region of ChinaMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascar, Republic ofMalawi, Republic ofMalaysiaMaldives, Republic ofMali, Republic ofMalta, Republic ofMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritania, Islamic Republic ofMauritiusMayotteMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonaco, Principality ofMongolia, Mongolian People's RepublicMontserratMorocco, Kingdom ofMozambique, People's Republic ofMyanmarNamibiaNauru, Republic ofNepal, Kingdom ofNetherlands AntillesNetherlands, Kingdom of theNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaragua, Republic ofNiger, Republic of theNigeria, Federal Republic ofNiue, Republic ofNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorway, Kingdom ofOman, Sultanate ofPakistan, Islamic Republic ofPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanama, Republic ofPapua New GuineaParaguay, Republic ofPeru, Republic ofPhilippines, Republic of thePitcairn IslandPoland, Polish People's RepublicPortugal, Portuguese RepublicPuerto RicoQatar, State ofReunionRomania, Socialist Republic ofRussian FederationRwanda, Rwandese RepublicSamoa, Independent State ofSan Marino, Republic ofSao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic ofSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegal, Republic ofSerbia and MontenegroSeychelles, Republic ofSierra Leone, Republic ofSingapore, Republic ofSlovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomalia, Somali RepublicSouth Africa, Republic ofSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpain, Spanish StateSri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic ofSt. HelenaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudan, Democratic Republic of theSuriname, Republic ofSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwaziland, Kingdom ofSweden, Kingdom ofSwitzerland, Swiss ConfederationSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailand, Kingdom ofTimor-Leste, Democratic Republic ofTogo, Togolese RepublicTokelau (Tokelau Islands)Tonga, Kingdom ofTrinidad and Tobago, Republic ofTunisia, Republic ofTurkey, Republic ofTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUganda, Republic ofUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain & N. IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe What's your delivery address? Copy billing location Address City State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces PacificArmed Forces EuropeNorthern Mariana IslandsMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamPalauAlberta, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaManitoba, CanadaNew Brunswick, CanadaNewfoundland, CanadaNova Scotia, CanadaNorthwest Territories, CanadaNunavut, CanadaOntario, CanadaPrince Edward Island, CanadaQuebec, CanadaSaskatchewan, CanadaYukon Territory, Canada Zip code Country United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People's Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People's Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth ofAustria, Republic ofAzerbaijan, Republic ofBahrain, Kingdom ofBangladesh, People's Republic ofBarbadosBelarusBelgium, Kingdom ofBelizeBenin, People's Republic ofBermudaBhutan, Kingdom ofBolivia, Republic ofBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana, Republic ofBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)Brazil, Federative Republic ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgaria, People's Republic ofBurkina FasoBurundi, Republic ofCambodia, Kingdom ofCameroon, United Republic ofCape Verde, Republic ofCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChad, Republic ofChile, Republic ofChina, People's Republic ofChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombia, Republic ofComoros, Union of theCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, People's Republic ofCook IslandsCosta Rica, Republic ofCote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of theCyprus, Republic ofCzech RepublicDenmark, Kingdom ofDjibouti, Republic ofDominica, Commonwealth ofEcuador, Republic ofEgypt, Arab Republic ofEl Salvador, Republic ofEquatorial Guinea, Republic ofEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Fiji, Republic of the Fiji IslandsFinland, Republic ofFrance, French RepublicFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabon, Gabonese RepublicGambia, Republic of theGeorgiaGermanyGhana, Republic ofGibraltarGreece, Hellenic RepublicGreenlandGrenadaGuadaloupeGuamGuatemala, Republic ofGuinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c ofGuinea-Bissau, Republic ofGuyana, Republic ofHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)Honduras, Republic ofHong Kong, Special Administrative Region of ChinaHrvatska (Croatia)Hungary, Hungarian People's RepublicIceland, Republic ofIndia, Republic ofIndonesia, Republic ofIran, Islamic Republic ofIraq, Republic ofIrelandIsrael, State ofItaly, Italian RepublicJapanJordan, Hashemite Kingdom ofKazakhstan, Republic ofKenya, Republic ofKiribati, Republic ofKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwait, State ofKyrgyz RepublicLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanon, Lebanese RepublicLesotho, Kingdom ofLiberia, Republic ofLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtenstein, Principality ofLithuaniaLuxembourg, Grand Duchy ofMacao, Special Administrative Region of ChinaMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascar, Republic ofMalawi, Republic ofMalaysiaMaldives, Republic ofMali, Republic ofMalta, Republic ofMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritania, Islamic Republic ofMauritiusMayotteMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonaco, Principality ofMongolia, Mongolian People's RepublicMontserratMorocco, Kingdom ofMozambique, People's Republic ofMyanmarNamibiaNauru, Republic ofNepal, Kingdom ofNetherlands AntillesNetherlands, Kingdom of theNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaragua, Republic ofNiger, Republic of theNigeria, Federal Republic ofNiue, Republic ofNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorway, Kingdom ofOman, Sultanate ofPakistan, Islamic Republic ofPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanama, Republic ofPapua New GuineaParaguay, Republic ofPeru, Republic ofPhilippines, Republic of thePitcairn IslandPoland, Polish People's RepublicPortugal, Portuguese RepublicPuerto RicoQatar, State ofReunionRomania, Socialist Republic ofRussian FederationRwanda, Rwandese RepublicSamoa, Independent State ofSan Marino, Republic ofSao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic ofSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegal, Republic ofSerbia and MontenegroSeychelles, Republic ofSierra Leone, Republic ofSingapore, Republic ofSlovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomalia, Somali RepublicSouth Africa, Republic ofSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpain, Spanish StateSri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic ofSt. HelenaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudan, Democratic Republic of theSuriname, Republic ofSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwaziland, Kingdom ofSweden, Kingdom ofSwitzerland, Swiss ConfederationSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailand, Kingdom ofTimor-Leste, Democratic Republic ofTogo, Togolese RepublicTokelau (Tokelau Islands)Tonga, Kingdom ofTrinidad and Tobago, Republic ofTunisia, Republic ofTurkey, Republic ofTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUganda, Republic ofUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain & N. IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe Phone Subtotal: Total: How would you like to pay? Ending in Add New Card I Agree to the Subscription Terms of Use. This service will be automatically renewed and your credit card billed once it nears expiration.

Secure transaction. Secure transaction. Cancel anytime.

You're all set!

Thank you.

Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.

Rate:
Begins:
Transaction ID:

A receipt was sent to your email.

OK

An error occurred

This offer is currently unavailable. Close

Tag » Why Pitbulls Are Bad