Does your dog look like an APBT?
That's the trick - it depends on who's making the judgment call. He's brindle and has a wide mouth and head. I've been an APBT/AMstaff advocate/rehabber for 20 years, and given the presentation and that "Find The Pit" test to John Q Everyman and animal care/service/enforcement professionals alike. The average number of tries to identify the pitbull for the pros is 3-6 guesses.
Up until a few years ago, the animal control department in the county I used to live in had a mandatory euthanasia policy on boxers, mastiffs, bull terriers, Bordeaux, and anything else over 35 lbs that came in with a brindle coat because "they're pitbulls", end of discussion.
The pity of it is, the 22" burn scar down the middle of his back is what sets most people off thinking he got it fighting, even though it looks nothing like what you see on a dog that's been unlucky enough to be put in a ring. He got the burns because a rotten dirtbag poured gas on him and lit him, and it still wasn't enough to give him any defensive behavior triggers other than what any normal dog would have. He's not even afraid of fire now. We're the only safe home he's had, and he's been with us for 4 of his 7 years. He makes a great therapy animal because when people find out what he's been through, even though he's a dog they see someone who's been in a worse place than they are, who understands that life can be really bad, and they relate to him like they can't always relate to other people.
His tendency to plunk down on his back with his feet in the air and audibly fart and burp contributes real well too.
