(PIT BULLS/BREED DISCRIMINATION) There’s no doubting the contentious divide in perceptions of pit bulls across the globe. To some, these dogs are considered dangerous killers who should be banned outright, whereas others view them as misunderstood victims of breed discrimination. In the newly released book, Pit Bull: The Battle Over an American Icon, author Bronwen Dickey demonstrates how negative views of pit bulls are often shaped by misunderstandings of the breed and its history. She points out that while many cities and countries ban pit bulls as a dangerous breed, there’s actually no scientific evidence that proves this notion as fact. In the Q&A below, Simon Worrall asks Dickey how these dogs went from “mascot to monster,” and how her book attempts to restore the reputation of this polarizing breed. — Global Animal