a roll of the dice

"These dogs were bred to fight to death, bite harder, get stronger and be tougher. This breed is what is known as pit bulls. They get the name from the dogs being placed in pits to fight each other. These dogs weren't bred for intelligence, to be docile or make good pets. They were made to kill another man's dog. I have seen some pits that are really nice dogs. I have a friend who has one that will lick you to death. But you never know when a pit will go back to what it is bred to do. Some never do go back and continue to be good pets. However, it's a roll of the dice and you never know how they will fall. Statistics shows, that most will turn on their owners and usually a child of the owner. Some of them turn on who ever is handy when they decide to snap. Some say all dogs will bite and that is true, but pits are more likely to mall and finish the job if they can, and other breeds bite and run or back off. Pits can't be blamed, it was what they were made to do."

Cave City, Arkansas Police Chief Nate Stephens


Woman killed by family pit bull prompts Cave City dog ordinance

Dog fighting officiando on the gentle nature of pit dogs

From Richard Stratton's book The World of the American Pit Bull Terrier, 1983.

Apparently Stratton is not familiar with the sad story of John P Colby's nephew, Bert Colby Leadbetter.  OR, Stratton is familiar and he doesn't care.