Pit bulls, if they are treated right, make loving pets

To the editor:

When my family chose to get a family dog, we first chose a small mixed-breed. He was cute, but at night we had to keep our doors shut to keep him from getting in our rooms and tearing things apart. A few years later, we got a Red-nosed Wallace pit bull. The 85-pound ball of muscles and teeth truly became part of our family. Even though he stayed in a 6-foot kennel during the day, the mail quit running until we put a roof over it, and homeowner's insurance was outrageous. He never bit anyone.

My mom was once attacked by a Doberman pinscher. She was never more than licked by our pit bull. A dog is only as mean as its environment teaches it to be. Not all pit bulls are mean, and neither they nor their owners should be placed under an unfair stereotype. Only 19 out of 82 dog attacks over more than two years in Cape Girardeau were by pit bulls. People should know that pit bulls, if treated right, can be loving family pets. I personally will never own another breed of dog.

CYNTHIA COX

Cape Girardeau