Police are told to be on the lookout for a dangerous dog, only to find a loveable pit bull instead
Pit bulls are a breed that often gets a bad rap. They are seen as violent by many people, a stereotype arising from their role in dogfighting rings – and while people might view them as violent and aggressive, that is often far from the case. Many pit bulls are only aggressive if trained to be so, otherwise, they can be some of the most lovable dogs around.
Reports of a dangerous dog
When the Lee County Sheriff’s Office in Lee County, Florida got a call about a pit bull on the loose, they went in prepared to deal with a vicious animal. What they got instead was something unexpected. As they rolled up on the dog, the pit bull approached their vehicle. Instead of barks and aggression, they found a friend instead.
The pit bull wasn’t dangerous at all
The deputies posted about the encounter on the Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook:
“This morning, deputies responded to an Animal call in South District. A large Pit Bull was running around and neighbors were worried. Upon arrival, the deputy discovered that this wonderful dog was just out looking for friends to play with.”
All the dog wanted to do was play
The dog, which was not named in the department’s Facebook post, initially jumped up on the driver’s side window of the patrol car. The officers knew right away that the pit bull was harmless by the big smile on the dog’s face. He wasn’t vicious at all and the worries of those who had called in were unfounded.
Are pit bulls illegal to own in Florida?
Unlike some areas around the country, Florida has not banned the ownership of pit bulls. Instead, state law has a restriction on dangerous dogs, which can be of any breed. To qualify as a dangerous dog, the dog must have:
- Aggressively bitten, attacked, or endangered a human on either public or private property.
- More than once severely injured or killed a domestic animal while off the owner’s property.
- Has, when unprovoked, chased or approached a person upon the streets, sidewalks, or any public grounds in a menacing fashion or as if the dog is going to attack.
In this particular dog’s case, that was not what happened. One of the residents of the neighborhood had simply assumed he was dangerous, which is perfectly understandable given the stigma towards the breed.
More about the Lee County Sheriff’s Office
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office serves the Lee County, Florida area located in the bottom southwest portion of the state. For more on the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and its mission to serve the Lee County community, visit the department’s Facebook page.
All’s well that ends well
It seemed the pit bull had escaped from his yard and did not mean any harm to anybody. Who can blame a dog for being curious about what is out there in the great, big world? The department posted about the happy ending to the encounter in their Facebook post:
“After sufficient playtime and fun, deputies were able to reunite the dog with his owners. A gate was accidentally left open and this beautiful dog was able to be taken back to his loving home.”
Check out this video of an example of just how lovable pit bulls can be.
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