Cell Phones and "Vicious" Dogs?!

If you watch TV, or even if you don't, you probably know about one cell phone company's commercial showing someone going over a fence and having to avoid Pitbulls in order to get their newest cell phone. It is completely offensive to anyone who loves dogs. There are those who will tell you that there is no such thing as a "Pitbull" and that is essentially true. There are "Bully" breeds and there are some crosses that look like anything but an alleged "Pitbull."  What this commercial is doing is further demonizing dogs.

The dogs are chained and portrayed in every possible way to be vicious. The company refuses to remove the ad. There is an ugly tendency now to castigate some dogs because of the way they look. It has been carried to such an extreme that it isn't unusual for someone walking a little Pug or Boston Terrier to be stopped on the street and asked if it's a "Pitbull." 

Many breeds have gone through similar experiences and been falsely labeled as "vicious." Any dog can bite. They have teeth and no other way to defend themselves but to paint all dogs with one brush is as bad as saying that all people are the same, all cars are the same, all horses are the same, well, you get the idea.

If I hadn't already left that cell phone service provider for another last year I would certainly leave them now in protest, opting to vote with my dollars.

What is as offensive as the commercial is the fact that the company won't acknowledge their mistake, apologize and move on, creating better relations with the dog-owning public.  

Are there bad dogs? Of course!  Any dog can be turned into a defensive animal but there are far more good dogs whose owners love them, train them properly, and care for them as family members. Those people buy cell phones and cell phone service, too. And I suspect once they realize what is happening they may opt for another provider.  

Time will tell. Meanwhile, I'm just one more voice asking that this commercial be taken off the air. Now. Please.