The suspense of walking through a haunted house and not knowing what will pop out at you might make snakes wriggle in your stomach and send jolts of adrenaline down your spine. As October nights stretch longer and the anticipation of a full moon arises, the cast of Halloween characters can include rats, pit bulls and sharks.
However, rather than being mere sources of fright, these creatures deserve a closer look. Although these three animals have a certain reputation due to mainstream culture, this season, their nuanced narratives should be celebrated and understood.
Mice and rats
Once again, mice and rats seem to hold tight to their spot at the top of the list of creepy Halloween critters. Yet, these typically scorned creatures can also transform into beloved childhood characters, like Disney’s Mickey Mouse, who welcomes children into “The Happiest Place on Earth.”
While around 4% of pet owners have small animals, according to an online survey by the American Pet Products Association conducted in 2023-24, pet owners who own rodents have voiced that they feel the need to constantly defend their choice of pet.
Though these rodents may need more consistent litter-box training, they are highly social pets that offer a unique companionship that rivals that of traditional pets. Likewise, studies suggest that rats dream when they sleep and giggle when tickled.
As more people recognize these creatures on television or acknowledge them in pet stores, mice and rats will eventually shed their scary reputations.
Pit Bull Terriers
If there’s an “it” dog breed of the 21st century, pit bulls have come to reign. However, like other dogs in American history, the Instagram-worthy pups have gone through a formal movement of cultural stigmatization. American culture steered away from the century-old love for the patriotic mascot and towards a dislike for what pit bulls represented: fighting dogs.
In the 1980s, a media blitz was enlisted to bring dog fighting to the forefront, and thus, pit bulls were speculated about and demonized. Ultimately, increased awareness and legislative efforts in the following decades led to stricter laws and a decline in dog fighting, fostering a broader cultural shift towards animal welfare.
Today, it has become essential to address the complex history of these furry family friends and ultimately create a safer, “label-less” environment for people and their pets.
Great White Sharks
While not a staple of Halloween spookiness, wildlife, such as sharks, are also sometimes unable to shake the scary reputations they gained from blockbuster sensationalism. Trying to refocus preservation efforts, Defenders of Wildlife launched its “Real Scary Movies” campaign this year: Each week of October, they rerelease classic horror films with twists, including highlighting the harmful impacts of when non-target marine life is caught by fishers.
Defendants of the shark-fishing industry often claim their sustainable laws prevent overfishing and enhance economic value. Still, these ideas often overlook the threatened long-term health of shark populations, which are vital to marine ecosystems.
Senior attorney with Defenders of Wildlife, Jane Davenport, told the Public News Service that exposing the threats to sharks is vital to saving their populations, and ultimately, we need to “do some myth-busting.”
