‘Good With Kids’ Pet Adoption Sites Market Brutish Pit Bulls As Family Friendly

Interesting children, death, dog, pets, pit bulls admin August 28, 2026 0 Comments

‘Good With Kids’ Pet Adoption Sites Market Brutish Pit Bulls As Family Friendly

Dog adoption sites continue to label pit bull-type breeds as “good with kids” despite the breeds being responsible for a majority of dog-related deaths and serious injuries involving children.

One such site, PetFinder, lists just shy of half of its pit bull-type dogs as “good with” children under eight. The 1,308 dogs within these breeds make up more than 18 percent of all dogs listed under the “good with children under eight” category, despite accounting for just 6.5 percent of all dogs on the site. (RELATED: Two Employees Die Of ‘Airport Malaria,’ Officials Try To Calm Fears)

The label “pit bull” is more of an umbrella term than it is a breed of dog. The title is reserved for muscular, short-haired, stocky dogs originally developed for fighting and known for their strength, stamina, and tenacity, according to Webster’s Dictionary. The definition suggests the dog is so closely tied to an aggressive personality that people with these traits can be colloquially described as a “pit bull.”

This creates another issue, as families unfamiliar with the terminology may filter out breeds such as the Pit Bull Terrier because of its association with near-endless horror stories involving small children, but will consider other pit bull breeds such as the American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and American Bully unaware that similar risks can apply.

Instead, the dogs’ bios often include a paragraph describing how the dog is a sweetheart who is simply looking for a family willing to love and be patient with it despite its rough past.

In 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded more than 124 fatalities in the U.S. resulting from dog attacks, the highest number ever recorded.

That year, pit bull-type dogs were responsible for 67 percent of those deaths, despite making up a small portion of the nation’s dogs.

Because these dogs were bred to develop strong jaws and a ferocious attitude, they adopted a new and lethal biting style known as the “hold and shake,” according to Dogsbite.org.

The admittedly effective method involves the dog’s tendency to attack deep muscles before holding on and shaking as the tissues begin to rip, similar to the biting style of sharks.

Numerous jurisdictions in the United States and around the globe have either banned aggressive pit bull-like breeds or enacted special permitting for ownership. Ontario, Canada, bans the breeding and ownership of pit bulls, among other restrictions. Similarly, Brazil bans the unauthorized breeding and commercialization of pit bulls, while Ecuador and Venezeula ban ownership without special permission. A number of European and Asian nations also either ban or greatly restrict pit bull ownership.

No U.S. states ban pit bulls, though some localities have either banned ownership or placed restrictions on their breeding and sale.

The biggest deterrent to pit bull attacks is responsible ownership, with tools such as a “break stick” recommended for the owner to carry at all times. The tool is used to pry the pit bull off its victim, as it may refuse to let go, Dogsbite.org said.

But children under eight are likely incapable of using a break stick once the large dog has decided to attack.

In June, a 5-year-old autistic boy died in a South Carolina hospital after being mauled by a bull mastiff and a pit bull terrier at his caregiver’s house, the New York Post reported.

Similar attacks also took place this year in Iowa, North Carolina, and South Carolina, leaving three infants dead.

It’s not just young children who may find themselves as targets. Teenagers can also be attacked, while parents or guardians who try to intervene may be hospitalized or permanently scarred.

PetFinder is not the only site to portray pit bull-type dogs this way. One concerned Virginia-based mother, Lyndsey Fifield, said Wednesday that Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA) also listed “mostly pit bulls” in its good-with-kids section.

Noticing that many of the nicer breeds are listed as not good with kids, Fifield theorized that those who set up the site mean that kids wouldn’t be in the dog’s best interest, rather than being concerned for the children’s safety.

“How many good dogs are being passed over by families because they’re being hidden behind a filter while toddler mauling pits are being pushed on people with children?” she said.

FOHA told the Daily Caller that each dog is evaluated individually and is not generalized across breeds.

“The FOHA Behavior Team is continuously evaluating our dogs to determine the type of home environment and family that would be best for each,” it said. FOHA added that current labels are based on how those dogs appear around children now, and that the label can be changed at any time. (RELATED: DUKE: Her Attacker Walked Free. Monica Seles Spent Years Paying The Price)

Purina, the parent company of PetFinder, did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.