Community Blog Post

 While at home in Naples, Florida during Thanksgiving Break, the local D.A.S(Domestic Animal Services) arrived at my house to gather more information regarding the "vicious" dog fight reported by neighbor.The previous day, my dog bit our next door neighbor's dog while the two were outside. My neighbor told the authorities that she watched my dog run over into her yard and bite her dog's back. After the authorities surveyed our home, they questioned my family and I about the history of our pit bull and her usual behaviors. 

However, the neighbor diagonal from us recollects an entirely different story. He told the authorities that he watched the whole scene unravel. According to him, the neighbor who called was in fact not outside when the situation happened. She let her dog outside to go to the bathroom and as she ran outside she spotted our pit bull. Cassie(neighbor's dog) darted towards our dog aggressively and ready to fight. Lola(my dog), hide behind my father's legs. It was not until she felt threatened by the other dog did she react by bitting her back. 

Although the act of violence was pure self defense, DAS treated our dog as the pursuer and not the victim because she is a pit bull. Due to many reported accounts of dog fighting and accidents that pit bull have caused in the past, the bred receives a negative connotation.  However, the manner in which a pit bull acts is solely dependent on the owner and the training the dog received. It truly is a hassle to own her in our neighborhood because of the large amounts of elderly citizens. I cannot take my pit bull for a walk without receiving glares from by standers who believe she will attack them at any time. It's disheartening to know that discrimination is not constricted to the human race but also extends to those who cannot speech up against their prosecutors.