This Pit Bull is 17-Months-Old, and Already Weighs Over 173 Pounds: Appropriately, His Named is Hulk
The public debut of Hulk, the worlds largest Pit Bull, caused a great deal of controversy last month. The 174 pound dog sparked debate over backyard breeding, the safety of Pit Bulls as a breed, and the ethics of breeding dogs (in any capacity) for size and aggression. Well, Hulk is making more waves, this time over the price tag of studding him out. Dark Dynasty K9’s, who are responsible for Hulk, are charging $20,000 for impregnation services. Yes, for about half of the average household income, you can contribute to this heinous practice. What a sweet deal.
The Animal Rescue Site has written about the dangers of breeding, especially when done in puppy mills or for specific traits, like Hulk. What makes his story so tragic is not just the considerable damage he may have, or may pass down, from linear breeding, but the way Dark Dynasty is advertising him.
Their website also features a video section, every single one highlighting how dangerous and deadly these dogs are. There is much to be said about the kind of clientele they are cultivating, and the fuel they are giving anti-Pit Bull advocates, but they are also contributing to the “designer dog” field. Well over a million dogs are euthanized in shelters every year, nearly 800,000 being Pit Bulls.
Overpopulation is a major concern among Pit breeds (some states consider American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or any breed with similar “characteristics” to be Pit Bulls), and the fact that there is a market for $20,000 semen is only adding to the list of dogs that don’t “make the cut.”
Another concern about this now-famous pup is how his breeders encourage dog fighting, unintentionally or not. Dark Dynasty uses shock collars, choke chains, heavy restraints, and antagonizes them with violence in order to make them “the best security dogs” that they can. These practices are disturbingly close to how dog fighting rings are ran, and these animals are the exact target of underground rings.
Animal lovers are well aware of these issues. However, Hulk’s viral debut was met with a great deal of awe, and his newly priced services are keeping him in the public eye, a public that doesn’t know about how terrible the world surrounding him really is. To them he’s huge, adorable (or scary), and apparently worth $20,000.
There must be a reason right? The takeaway is that Hulk is worth it, encouraging people to look at purebred animals and bypassing shelters. This glorification is why shelters are overcrowded, why states are banning Pit Bulls, and why the breed is among the most contentious and misunderstood.
FOLLOW US!
