I really hope that Verizon has decided to pull their vicious Pit Bull ad before this article gets posted, and just in case they have succeeded in removing it from the web, I will break down the storyline for you (most recent working video below). In the first shot we see a wannabe hipster kid standing on the opposite side of a fence for some sort of junkyard. Next thing you know, hipster kid is jumping the fence into the auto wasteland to get closer to the object of the commercial, the LG Dare mobile phone. The sleeping Pit Bulls that had been guarding the junkyard have now been awakened by the stranger’s presence, and charge toward him as he reaches to touch the screen of the phone. The hipster is saved from mauling due to the fact that the dogs have run out of chain, and they are pulled back away from the kid as the commercial ends.

After all of the positive press that has come out regarding how wonderfully the Mike Vick dogs are doing, how could Verizon choose to spew out such an obvious misrepresentation of this breed?! This has to be, by far, one of the most irresponsible advertisements I have seen in years. This kind of marketing only serves two purposes - to perpetuate the stereotypically ignorant characteristics of the breed, and reinforce fear in the segment of the population that is already terrified of these dogs. A simple ad like this can singlehandedly change the reputation of the breed from good to vicious in a mere 30 seconds. These dogs do not deserve to be the object of your demonization, so now I will, as I have done many times before, defend the honor of this breed, and my best friends.

First, chaining dogs leads to aggression. I guess VZW missed my latest post on Save A Bull titled, “The Problem With Chaining Dogs“, but basically it is an overview of the many reasons why leaving a dog chained or tethered outside is dangerous. Dogs are social creatures, and being confined to a small space for long periods of time can cause immense psychological damage. This inhumane practice can harm not only the dog, but also poses a threat to other animals and humans, hence why the dogs in the video were so ferocious when the stranger left onto their property. ANY dog would do this if kept chained on a property long enough, and it is unfair to single Pit Bulls out as the only breed of dog that would act in this way given the situation.

Second, cropping a Pit Bull’s ears is not part of any breed standard (especially since Pit Bulls are not even an officially recognized breed). In lieu of meeting any breed specification, many Pit owners are choosing to have this procedure done in an attempt to make their dog look “tough” or “menacing”, and as a result, Veterinarians have started to place strict guidelines on performing ear cropping procedures. The procedure of ear cropping is painful, unnecessary, and inhumane. Ear cropping today in Pits is usually done by careless owners, owners that want their dog as a status symbol, and dog fighters (having the ears cropped avoids any injury during a fight), which is probably why Verizon chose to use a dog with this look, as it gives viewers the sense that the dog was a real danger to the fence jumping idiot.

Third, Pitbulls are not inherently human aggressive. In fact, human aggression was selectively bred out of these dogs during their use in dogfighting, because owners did not want to risk being bitten by their dog when breaking up a fight. On the same token, a chained dog’s first instinct is to act in a territorial manner when approached. If these dogs were constantly tied up in the junkyard, as the commercial suggests, they were just asking in line with the nature of any dog that has been forced to live in a confined area, and not showing any Pit Bull specific aggression. Again, good choice Verizon, way to promote responsible dog ownership.

Fourth, Pit Bulls do not make good guard dogs. The media has done a pretty darn good job at making people terrified of Pit Bull appearances and nomenclature, but that is the extent of their qualifications as guard dogs; it’s all hype. Pits are usually not very good at protecting their owners and/or property because they were never intended to perform this task. In many cases Pit Bulls are just too friendly with people to be good at this. They may bark and “look” scary, but as soon as the intruder smiles at them, most pit bulls think they have made a new friend:)

I simply will not stand for this sort of appalling media garbage, and think its only fair to stand up and speak out against the many ignorant stereotypes this commercial has put into motion. This commercial is a hateful facsimile of the REAL Pit Bull. The Pit Bull community is constantly working hard to rid the breed of their bad stigma and make them understood, but companies like yours are hitting us harder that you care to even think, assuming that someone in your company actually thinks.

There is a petition I would like you all to sign - “Make Verizon Accountable. Can They Hear Us Now?“. It’s the least we can do to protect the image of these dogs.

July 18th, 2008 | News, Adventures with Dogs