Dangerous pit bulls? Or despicable owners?

Three seemingly unrelated news stories that made headlines this week had one thing in common. Each of them underscored how misguided it is to blame pit bulls for the reckless, even criminal, behavior of their owners.

In Massachusetts, officials rescued 11 emaciated pit bulls that were found “clinging to life in a Springfield home,” according to The Associated Press. The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals plans to file cruelty charges in the case, which involved dogs that were, in some cases, about a quarter of their normal body weight.

Irresponsible owners starve their dogs, but we’re supposed to believe the breed is a threat.

In Worcester, Mass., the City Council has postponed a vote on an ordinance that would crack down on pit bulls, in part by requiring all of them to be leashed and muzzled when they are not on the owner’s property, even if they have no history of aggression. The proposal also would require a warning sign on all properties housing pit bulls, according to the AP.

Irresponsible owners frighten their neighbors by failing to train and restrain their dogs, but we’re supposed to believe the breed is a threat.

In California, police stopped a van that was carrying 14 pit bulls to Mexico for dog fighting, according to the Mercury News newspaper. Police said many of the dogs belonged to convicted felons.

Irresponsible owners force dogs to fight, but we’re supposed to believe the breed is a threat.

If you connect the dots when pit bulls grab the headlines, the picture that emerges almost always shows a two-legged culprit, whether it’s Michael Vick or an equally reprehensible copycat. For some people, it's a lot easier to turn dogs into scapegoats than to place the blame where it belongs, which is at the other end of the leash.