Pit bulls get a bad rep in the press. People see the breed as brutish, aggressive and outright dangerous. Well, I'm here to tell you the rumors aren't true. Despite persisting myths, there isn't any breed of dog inherently more aggressive than another. Need more proof? Meet Mamma.
Mamma isn't just the beloved pet of the Byrd family. She's a service dog — and now, a hero. To help their daughter Zahara cope with cerebral palsy and social issues, the Byrds enlisted the help of Mamma. She's a smart, loving service dog, gentle enough to work with a disabled eleven-year-old girl — not exactly the image of pit bulls the media likes to present. I'm sure when the Byrds welcomed Mamma into their lives they didn't expect she'd one day be saving them.
While Zahara and her eight-year-old friend Jasmin were sleeping, Tony Byrd was waiting for his friend and Jasmin's mother, Anastasia Guerra, to visit. Horrifyingly, it was someone else who arrived. Tony was in the bathroom when he heard Mamma make an unusual sound.
“She just did this low-pitch growl and took off,” he told the Toledo Blade. A few moments later, he heard the voice of a man yelling but by the time he could make it to the scene, the intruder was out the door. Mamma had successfully fended off the perpetrator. The man ran into a parked car outside and left a trail of blood behind him.
Mamma did what any service dog would do: protected her family. Though she behaved aggressively when danger approached, Mamma's got a pretty good reputation for being a sweetheart. Guerra described Mamma as playful, sweet, and even a little spoiled. Sounds like she has some grateful owners. Tony indicated that — unless you're a squirrel, bird, or burglar — Mamma will approach you with kindness.
On the subject of pit bulls behaving badly, Tony had a few thoughts about that, “I don’t necessarily think it’s the dog, it’s the people. They are highly intelligent, very loyal dogs. They do what you teach them to do. You teach them to fight, that’s what they do.”
We tend to agree. Love a pit bull and it will love you back. No matter how you feel about the breed, I think you'll agree: Mamma deserved some extra treats that night.
