Pitbulls are stereotyped as aggressive and dangerous dogs, the least friendly some would say; in Morton East High School, most people think this way as well.

In a random survey of 100 Morton East students, students were asked to rank 5 different breeds including the American Pit Bull Terrier in terms of friendliness. Out of the 100 students, 42 of them ranked them last (5th place), 19 students ranked them 4th, 22 students ranked them 3rd, 6 students ranked them 2nd, and 11 students ranked them 1st. This means the majority of Morton East students believe the Pit Bull is the least friendly amongst other breeds. 

According to pawschicago, mypetneedsthat and foundanimals, cities and towns with existing breed-specific bans or restrictions include Addison, Buffalo Grove, Golf, Lincolnwood, North Chicago, Markham and Maywood in the Chicago area. However, pit bulls used to be a mascot for the US Army during the 2 world wars to symbolize bravery, loyalty, and determination. Additionally, They are perfect as therapy dogs because they’re funny, puppy-like, loving, and affectionate. Many articles have said that any dog who has been abused, abandoned, neglected or trained to attack can grow up to exhibit aggressive behavior; it’s not intrinsic to Pit Bulls or any other breed. Nevertheless, pit bulls still make up about 5 to 10 percent of the total dog population in the United States. However, because of the bad press, they represent 30 to 50 percent of the dogs in the shelter. 

“A Pit Bull attacked my dog, Athena, in February and I broke two of my fingers. [I’ve had experience with] Other Pit Bulls who are very sweet but [I’ve also had] experience with an abused Pit bull [which was also bad],” said English teacher Karen Judge.

Another teacher also describes a bad experience with a Pit Bull.

“I have had positive [experiences], friends of mine have a Pit Bull who is super gentle and a total lover. On the flipside, I have a neighbor who had a Pit Bull who appeared to be a total lover, but when I reached down to pet her she bit me in the face,” said journalism teacher Kent Frankfother

Nevertheless, there are others with positive experiences with pit bulls.

“I’ve had different experiences with pit bulls just like with other breeds of dogs. Some have been extremely friendly, others can be reactive. But any dog can be reactive. I’ve had chihuahuas try to bite me. Before getting my own dogs I fostered an adorable pit bull puppy. […] I react to pit bulls the same way I react to any dog. […] All dogs can be loving and sweet. It’s sadly people that can make them mean.”

A different teacher has also heard about pit bulls having a bad reputation.

“I think (pit bulls) are portrayed that way, whether it is on social media or movies,” said math teacher Luke Brzostowski.

And, others don’t let rumor and reputation cloud their judgment.

“It’s a dog! Let me pet that,” said English teacher Steve Wascher. “I’ve heard that they’re aggressive and mean but I don’t believe it,” he added.