#ItsBull
Awareness
Because we should celebrate every dog every day for who they are, not for how they look.
“Pit bull” dogs aren’t different from other dogs. Stop treating them like they are.
No other dog label has awareness events. It’s bullshit that “pit bull” dogs do.
Dogs labeled “pit bull” aren’t biologically different from other dogs, so why are you telling people they are?
Special awareness days for dogs typically targeted by breed-discriminatory policies send the unintended message that there’s something different about those dogs. According to canine biology and behavior science, there’s nothing different about them.
Instead of misguided awareness campaigns, we should celebrate our dogs for who they are as individuals, no matter their supposed breed or breed-mix.
Share our PSA to help everyone advocate with honesty, science, and compassion.
Tag your social media posts with #itsbullawareness and #alldogsareindividuals to remind everyone that “pit bull” dogs are just dogs.
Ask yourself if you are advocating with stereotypes or with science.
Don't assume a dog's past
Just because a dog is at a shelter doesn’t mean he was abused or neglected. Scars from an unknown past do not equal abuse. When we make these assumptions we feed the stereotypes that shelter dogs are different from other dogs.
A dog's history doesn't determine behavior
The phrase “it’s all in how they are raised” is frequently said by dog advocates. This is a false statement. Dogs who have been victims of animal cruelty often go on to be loving pets.
You can't advocate with folklore
The nanny dog myth is a sweet story, but it’s not effective advocacy and it’s not true. It’s only a myth. No one breed or breed-mix of dog is biologically wired to care for children. Every interaction between a child and a dog should be handled with care.
Society has evolved. Advocacy should too.
“Pit bull” awareness events started decades ago to confront stereotypes about dogs and their owners. This was before social media and the internet. There were no other ways to show policymakers everyday dogs who were part of everyday families.
Now we have a better option. Now we can talk about all dogs the same way by regularly sharing our stories on social media and other internet outlets.
Awareness events aren’t necessary anymore and because of that, the effect they have on society is contrary to their intent.
So let’s all celebrate everyday dogs for who they are as individuals.