I wanted to say something about pit bulls after I read the story about the little Jack Russell terrier that saved the five kids in New Zealand from two attacking dogs. George, the terrier, was so badly mauled as he held off the pit bulls and protected the kids that a vet had to euthanize him.
You've read the stories about pit bulls attacking children or workers in Delaware:
* In April of 2002, a 2-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pit bull in the Fox Point area.
* In January 2006, a pit bull injured a 3-year-old New Castle-area girl when he lunged at her and mauled her.
* Last October, a roaming pack of dogs attacked three kids as they waited for the schoolbus in their Belvedere neighborhood. The three kids suffered minor injuries; the dog owner was charged with eight misdemeanors.
* In March, a sanitation worker who was charged by a pit bull in a Prices Corner neighborhood, fended him off and then ended up in an altercation with the home's resident. The worker later shot and wounded the dog in the leg. Both men were charged in the incident.
The incident with the kids in Belvedere prompted New Castle County Council Jea P. Street to act. He offered an ordinance requiring owners of specific breeds of pit bulls or pit bull mixes to muzzle their dogs while outside, post warning signs on their property and secure $100,000 in liability insurance. The legislation failed 11-2 after passionate testimony by dog advocates that the legislation was unfair and wouldn't work.
Now what?
I've heard people say the breed is misunderstood and they know "sweet" pit bulls. Tell me why you would have a pit bull? And how, as a society, do we prevent owners from teaching and encouraging these dogs to attack, either for protection or for sport? How many more Belvedere or New Zealand incidents do we need before we take this threat more seriously?
You've read the stories about pit bulls attacking children or workers in Delaware:
* In April of 2002, a 2-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pit bull in the Fox Point area.
* In January 2006, a pit bull injured a 3-year-old New Castle-area girl when he lunged at her and mauled her.
* Last October, a roaming pack of dogs attacked three kids as they waited for the schoolbus in their Belvedere neighborhood. The three kids suffered minor injuries; the dog owner was charged with eight misdemeanors.
* In March, a sanitation worker who was charged by a pit bull in a Prices Corner neighborhood, fended him off and then ended up in an altercation with the home's resident. The worker later shot and wounded the dog in the leg. Both men were charged in the incident.
The incident with the kids in Belvedere prompted New Castle County Council Jea P. Street to act. He offered an ordinance requiring owners of specific breeds of pit bulls or pit bull mixes to muzzle their dogs while outside, post warning signs on their property and secure $100,000 in liability insurance. The legislation failed 11-2 after passionate testimony by dog advocates that the legislation was unfair and wouldn't work.
Now what?
I've heard people say the breed is misunderstood and they know "sweet" pit bulls. Tell me why you would have a pit bull? And how, as a society, do we prevent owners from teaching and encouraging these dogs to attack, either for protection or for sport? How many more Belvedere or New Zealand incidents do we need before we take this threat more seriously?
66 comments:
How dare you ask why would someone have a pit bull? Why do some people decide to have children? Not everything is for everbody and I happen to take great care of my pit bull.
I know a lot of people that have these dogs and they are very nice dogs. The only reason there is a problem with this breed is because of the owners and how they raise them. Any dog can maul a child.
The typical drug dealer has pits. Probably a status thing. I have witnessed dealers in Wilmington beating on their pit bull pups. This must be to "rough them up" for either gangs, other drug dealers or dog fighting. Then when they are done with them they take them to the SPCA. There are tons of pits at the SPCA and no one wants them because of their reputation.
These dogs that attack are usually in crappy neighborhoods where crappy people live. I am a mother of a 3 year old and I wouldn't trust ANY dog around my child unless I was there. A Rot can do the same damage as a Pit. A Lab can do the same damage as a Pit. Get my point? It is the way the dogs are raised. I guess that explains disrespectful kids also. They were raised that way.
There is a grat saying that goes "There are no bad dogs, only bad owners."
The worst reason to get a dog is for protection...get a security system. And anyone teaching a dog to be violent should be treated as if they are buying a weapon and training themselves to use it for the wrong purposes.
On the other hand, any dog has the opportunity to be violent if they don't like what's going on. We have to respect dogs. All dogs. I was bit in the face by the cutest little white fluffy dog because I didn't know him and disrespected his boundries. It was my fault.
Get a dog because you love dogs. Keep it safe, keep others safe and stop giving breeds a bad name.
I owned a pit-bull previously and know a good deal about the breed. I could blog on about the pros and cons, but the solution is simple. Delaware needs to have a special licensing program that qualifies or disqualifies an applicant who is looking to own, breed, or sell a pit-bull terrier. The current system does not regulate the owners, but it should. The dogs are not at fault. They cannot understand right and wrong, but people can. It is a shame that a championship breed and beautiful children have been marred by the inactions of society
You CAN NOT judge the dog by it's breed - my son brought home a Pit (staffordshire) against my wishes (I already had a GSD) Ali MY pit is now 3 and I would never NEVER own another breed of dog...you the people in the community should look to the owners not the dog - A Pom attacked my child - should I HATE them? How about the Lab yes lab that attack the little girl in Washington - please think before you judge this or any breed.
Unbelievable!!!!! I have a pit who is the friendliest sweetest dog I have ever owned. Unfortunately due to people'sperceptions of this type of dog (Pit bull is not a real breed), people are afraid of him just because of his look even though he is rather small and friendly. For this reason, even though, I love this breed, I wouldn't get one in the future due to peoples closed minded opinions such as yours. Reasons to have one - Loyalty, friendliness, trainability, low maintenance. Big dog in a compact body. Are you aware that most dog bites are from labs?? We should probably get rid of them too. The list is endless. Guess we should all jump on the endless poo bandwagon, yorkie poo, goldendoodle etc. Responsible, kind owners, have safe dogs. This breed is not inherently mean, but they are probably the most mistreated dogs because bad people are drawn to them. Go after the people who mistreat animals. DE has over 62 animal cruelty cases and a whopping total of 1 conviction. Go figure.
Breed specific legislation is not the answer. You ban pit bulls, the thugs who are the root of these issues move on to another breed. What if the next breed is the breed you have? Years ago, German Shepherds and Dobermans were the dog of choice. Now it's pits, rotties, and often, pits that are mixed with other breeds like mastiffs to make them bigger. A true pit bull or Am Staff is not people aggressive. They were bred to fight dogs, this is true, but the handlers of these dogs did not want to be bitten themselves, which is why they bred them to not be human aggressive. The people who make pit bull breeds human aggressive cause these problems through abusing the dog and placing them in situations where they have no choice in the fight or flight instinct. Take away a dogs ability to run away, it has no choice but to fight. Do this enough, you have a dog that will bite people.
What defines a "pit bull"? Most of the time the dogs that are involved in these attacks are not "pit bulls" at all, but some kind of mix breed. The majority of people don't even know how to identify a pit bull. I had some kid ask me how old my pit bull puppy was. It was our 5 year old pug! Hardly a pit bull.
Look at bite stats. They are direcly correlated to the popularity of the breed. Pit bulls are not the most likely dog to bite. Your friendly neighborhood Lab is more apt to bite a person than a pit bull. Small dogs like poodles are also more apt to bite, but you never hear about that because they are small and don't cause damage like a large dog does. And most of the time the owners think it's "cute" when their poodle comes rushing out at you while you walk your dog through the neighborhood. If my dog were inclined he could pick it up and shake it once and it would be my dogs fault for defending himself against an aggressive ankle biter.
I do not own pit bulls, I don't even really like pit bulls or terrier breeds of any kind, but I'm tired of people blaming an entire breed for the actions of irresponsible humans. BSL concerns me because I own a German bred German Shepherd. He's not a dog that any person could own. He requires a lot of training, exercise, and supervision. He's very intelligent and protective of my family. I don't want my breed being singled out next when some owner who doesn't take the time to train and care for their GSD allows it to run loose and it bites someone.
Journalism that promotes these sensationalist stories only contributes to the problem. Next time write about the lhasa apso that bit your neighbors hand and caused them to get stitches, or the toy poodle who attacked your pug while you took him for a walk. Oh, thats right, that won't sell papers!
First off let me begin by saying that picture is the reason pit bulls get a bad name. The owner of that dog should be charged with animal neglect and abuse. I have 2 pit bulls at this time and wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. I have owned pit bulls for the past 10 years. My first was a stray in the neighborhood that I rescued and that's where my love of them started. I have owned labs, golden retrievers, and several muts, and had more problems out of them then any of my pit bulls. I don't believe I should have to muzzle my dogs or put a sign on my home that I own a vicious animal considering any dog or cat could be vicious. Considering they are domesticated wild animals. I live in a neighborhood and my one neighbor is deathly afraid of pit bulls, which I do respect and definitely make accommodations for their fear and the communities fear. I am a responsible owner and I am very proactive to any potential incident that may occur which I believe all dog owners of any breed should be. It is just ironic that her fear of my pit bulls has blinded her to the risk of her own dog, a golden retriever that bit her son in the face without being provoked. I believe everyone who owns an animal should respect the fact that they don't have a rational thinking process and treat them as the animals they are always knowing the possibility. What I think could be done is the same thing as with any other breed of dog. Owning pit bulls is for the active lifestyle people. These dogs are muscle based animals and do require a lot of activity. Charge the owner for the conditions their animals are raised in and how they are treated. Also, crack down on the breeding of these dogs. Some breeders just breed them for money and sport. Crack down on the pit bull fights. Give stiffer sentences for these deplorable actions. It's definitely the owner not the breed. Definitely spay and neuter your animals. I have three children and couldn't imagine our lives without our dogs. I will continue to have them and will fight to keep them!!!
Here's a test for you. Identify the pit bull.
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html
This issue needs be taken more seriously. There are two things to address. 1 yes they can be raised to be vicious dogs but also can be raised as a family dog. I do believe Pit bulls should be licensed/registered and up to date on all vaccines. Secondly the dog too is a victim there used in fighting, trained with huge link collars around there neck, neglected emotionally and nutrionally, terrible housing, the females are stripped from there youth and impregnanted before the age of one. This seems to be of low importance maybe due to the fact that more minorities have Pit bulls as pets. There's that cliche it only hit home when it's close to home God forbid if a Pit attacks someone in Congress or aroud Montchanin area then maybe the issue would be addressed.
I was just about to post the link the poster above me provided. This should be eye opening - try it. When I see the picture in this article, I don't fear the dog in it. Rather I see a sad dog who has been left to a life on a chain in a yard strewn with rubble. That is the problem. Go after these owners who have dogs that get absolutely no companionship. Why get a dog if it is left to a lonely life away from the family stuck on a chain? I'd be pretty ticked off left like that wouldn't you? Responsible pet ownership is the key to the problem. Of course this is just like gun laws. Ban the guns and only criminals will have them. This blog opens up a very heated topic. Let's say we use this theory in every day life that no one should have Pitt bulls because some have been involved in bite incidents. Does this mean that if I was mugged by a specific race, the whole race is bad? Of course not, but a lot of people buy into that. Especially the closed minded bigots who frequent the comments section TNJ made the mistake of starting.
I have had a total of 5 pit-bull terriers going back many many years. They are a GOOD bread. They slept in my kids beds, played ball in the yard, went for walks in the park, played with our rabbit and allowed my parrot to sit on their backs without ever having a problem. Dogs are not lawn orniments!! They should never live their lives chained up outside. ANY bread living in this condition without human contact (love and care) will be aggressive. It is not the bread but the owner fault on how these dogs turn out. DO NOT judge the bread instead judge their living conditions and their owners.
HELLO.... Dogs are animals. Yep, I know it's hard to believe but they are. SO LET'S STOP THINKING THAT ANY ANIMAL SHOULD HAVE HUMAN TRAITS. Futhermore. let's start focusing more on pit owners as being the responsible party. Come on society are we really that stupid?
Feed them some of that good pet food that is going around... Problem solved!
Actually, it is not totally the breed that is at fault. The owners, handlers, and trainers of these animals are to blame for the way these animals behave.
I also have a pit bull mix (Staffordshire Bull Terrier) to be exact. When people see her they are a little intimidated by her looks and her big mouth, but she is the biggest "princess" you will ever meet. I have ensured to have her in training as a puppy, took her two obedience school, and I also made sure that as a puppy she was around other dogs, and children. She is the neighborhood mascot, every day when I pull in the driveway from work all the kids in the neighborhood are at my door asking if she can come out and play with them. And Lord, knows these kids are rough with her, and she plays and is very gentle with them. Now, I will admit that if someone was trying to break into house late at night I cant promise that she would not attack, but then you would be doing something illegal as well. But I agree with the other posts, yes their heritage and background breed can make them aggressive dogs, but it also comes back to the owner and the kind of training and love that they give the dogs. In my opinion, dogs are just like children the ones who have caring parents who watch then and take care of them are good to be with, the ones that re neglected, beaten and treated ill, will then retaliate and fight back.
PS- You can turn any type of dog into a bully, no matter what breed!!!
As stated above, it's not the dog, it's the irresponsible owner that is the problem. Owners of dogs that cause damage need to be held accountable. Punishments should fit the damage. Misdemeanors for property damage; assault and battery charges for harm to people. And no pandering to owners in denial-that their dog "had never done anything like that before." Any dog in the right situation, regardless of breed, is capable of biting, therefore owners should take measures to prevent such incidents from ever occurring.
Not that I'm saying it was the dogs fault or the owners fault but how can you blame parents when their kids were waiting for a school bus, not waving a stick at some dog in his yard. The owner of a dog needs to keep a watch on his pet, be it a pit bull or a terrier.
I have a mixed lab and pit, the biggest danger she is, is of licking you to death. In between nail clippings her nails can scratch you good but the real problem with pitbulls is not the dogs but the owners! Its all in how they are raised and cared for! Pitbulls are a product of their enviornment and its the owners that need to be kept in check!
Punish the deed, not the breed.
Nice pick showing the true nature of a Bully breed, asshat.
Pit Bulls need to be loved and trained like any other dog breed. My pit mix has lots of energy, but through exercise and training is as obedient as my lab. It is ashame that people mistreats these dogs or any dogs for that matter.
I have a neighbor who has his Rot chained up 24/7 in his yard. This dog has no human interaction what so ever. I have called animal control many times on them. No dog should be chained up all day and night and expected to be friendly. I fear this dog, but no for its breed, but its situation. Point is any dog can become violent. We as parents have to warn our children not to touch any dog they do not know and we as dog owners must be responsible in raising our pets. If you cannot handle your dog, please re-home the dog.
I believe that there are temperment differences between all dogs. Someone can have a nice lab and others can have a mean lab.....this may be due to genetic variations among the breeding lines. I believe that the same types of differences exist among all types and breeds of dogs. For example, I have a Rottweiler and when I brought her home at the age of 8 weeks I noticed that she was very nippy and would growl when I would smother her with too much affection. Instead of ignoring this type of behavior I took control of the situation and made sure that I made this a regular routine. I also socialized my dog beyond belief and ensured that she was exposed to children at a very young age...ie you can overcome inheritable traits....nature versus nurture. So, as far as people thinking that it is just the pitbull breed that has this evil streak...you are wrong. They just have more power and jawstrength to do more damage when they do attack. It is more in the way that these animals are raised....or not raised that make them more likely to kill or harm.
BAN THE DEED ~ NOT THE BREED !
I'm so tired of this same discussion, remember when Wilmington tried to ban them? Guess it didn't work now did it! If anyone tried to get rid of my two by some stupid law, you can bet I'd go down fighting for justice! And the whole lock jaw thing!
KT I have a 4 1/2 male American/German Rott that I'm looking to breed interested?
I have two am staffs (American Staffordshire's) and they are the BEST dogs in the world!! They are so loving and live for having their bellies scratched!
I agree with almost every other post on here. It is how the dog is raised. Why don't we have stiffer penalties for animail cruelty?! I bet if we did there would not be half as many problems. There should be manditory jail time and huge fines if something horrible happens or if a dog is neglected; regardless of what breed is owned.
It is sad when people want to brag about their dogs and showing pictures of how cute they are and the minute I pull pictures out of my dogs their faces turn to disgust and they question my dogs! I bet my dogs are much safer around any person or pet than any labs, poodles, or any other breeds!
I feel so bad for any dog neglected of love, food, fun, and the owner needs to be punished for the actions.
The only humane way to deal with a pit bull...SHOOT-SHOVEL-SHUT UP...
Hey shoot-shovel
hope you haven't bred any kids....i am thinking the brats will be future seriel killers...especially with part of your DNA
I would be scared of 8/10 dogs that were chained up on the side of a building like the dog shown in the picture above. It is very sad to me how my dog gets judged when he is better behaved then most dogs my friends or family own. I think it is also sad how the media attacks these dogs b/c it sells papers. I have wrote to Rachel Ray who owns a Pit Bull and have asked her to do stories either on her show on ABC or in her magazine, focusing on positive pit bulls. I believe if people were exposed to more positive stories about the breed it would help the breeds reputation, even if people just knew that Rachel Ray owned a Pit Bull that would help. When I first got a Pit Bull I had no idea the stereotypes that went along with the breed. I am just going to try and keep changing people's mind about the breed and show them how good a Pit Bull can actually be. It is hard though, someone who moved into the apt complex I live in had a female pit that was pregnant and he told me he breed her with her son from a previous breed. It made me sick to my stomach. I called, but of course nothing was done.
The owners should be made to own a strong cage, kept in the back yard, and there should be a dept that checks on these dog owners every so many months, to see if they are abiding by the state/town rules. Every owner of one of these animals should be kept in the town/state registry... If they are not abiding by the rules there dog should be picked up with a 1k bale out... from the SPCA>>>
That poor dog, having to live that way. I see a missed opportunity to have a great, loyal, and loving friend. What do we pay animal control for if obvious neglect can be seen like this picture and they do nothing to help the animal? We need more stringent and enforceable laws about animal ownership, perhaps make people get some type of profile done before they adopt an animal. I mean, what's the difference between adopting a puppy versus a baby? It's all about responsibility, isn't it?
seriel killers??? Did you drop out after second grade or are you just "special"?
I always say there are no bad dogs just bad very bad dog owners. If a dog is aggressive than that is the owners fault.
Please give me a break. Where are your priorities? How many people were killed by guns compared to Pit Bulls? Get rid of the guns first then worry about the dogs.
Guns don't kill people...pit bulls and abortion clinics kill people.
Actually your statement is incorrect. People use guns to kill people. The guns are a tool that makes killing people easy.
I lived in a neighborhood where a pitbull constantly escaped his house and yard. It terrorized people in the neighborhood. The owners were irresponsible and couldn't care less as they believed their dog was a safe dog. How it reacted to people outside of its own home was not safe. Children have a right to play safely in their neighborhood and pet owners have a responsibility to their neighbors and their animals to be good owners.
I can't believe someone who writes a pet column is so clueless. The reason that kind of thing happens is obviously due to the owners, not the type of dog. Any large dog could be dangerous depending on how it is treated. To blame one breed because of some cruel owners is unfair and extremely ignorant.
EQUAL RIGHTS 4 PITS!
Pitt Bulls are killers, period. I would not trust one as far as I could throw one. You generally find Pitt Bulls in the lower income areas.
i own two pitbulls and they are great around people. like so many people have said any dogs can be mean. I don't own my pitbulls because of what they are i have them for what they do for me....companionship and loyalty. We should consider teaching children how to approach dogs in general at a young age...not to tease any animal and maybe that can help in the long run. Also there are alot people who have mix breeds (of course when you look at the dog it may look like a pit bull) but the question is it mixed w/someone else...like rottweiler, doberman...etc. I have to admit I didn't truly understand the breed until I became an owner. And I have no regrets.
Figured all of the pitt bull bleeding hearts would take this opportunity to their defense. Would these people trust pit bulls around their small children? No they would not. These dogs have been a problem for years and will continue to be, unless someone intervenes.
These dogs need to be euthanized, all of them
I own a Staffordshire terrier that I have had for 12 years. I found him when I lived next to Crook Mont Farms (briar gate)and it was pretty obvious what he was being trained for by the way be played. Well I am happy to say that I also have a 4 year old daughter who hangs and jumps all over him not to mention her friends do the same when they are over. He is basically a 50lb lap dog. All he wants is love and to be petted (and sometimes it gets really annoying). This is the first one I have owned and from what I can tell is, they can be family dogs and they can change. I now live in a pretty nice community and all my neighbors love the little guy.
I am all for going after the trash that train the dogs to be aggressors, it is not that hard to tell who they are, and by no means is that meant to be a racist comment, white or black you can tell who these guys are. Oh I apologize for the comment I made about the neighborhood above I guess I sounded a lot like the guy who wrote that article except for the fact that I was talking about people “who have intelligence” and he was referring helpless innocent animals that only know what their owners show them and don’t have government funded programs that could help them change the way they act or where they live. Hey there’s an idea for the pets!!!!
sheperds in the 70s, rotties in the 80s and 90s, and now pits! What breed will be the killer 5 years from now? BTW about 27 people a year die from dog attacks so perhaps we should be worrying about other things...gotta go my lab just tried to eat me and I have to get a face transplant but I have to be careful while driving to the hospital because I might get hit by a drunk driver or get shot on my way down some street on the west side!!!
People should be more accountable for the actions of their animals. I have a very well behaved 3 year old American Bulldog who is constantly mistaken for a pit-bull. It infuraites me when people call her a pit bull. The breed has unfairly earned a derogatory name. The owners of these dogs should be punished harhsly. The dogs should NOT be blamed.
As a responsible pit bull owner I love the breed. My dog has changed many peoples views on pits b/c they have seen how wonderful and well behaved they can be. My dog loves people, dogs, and even cats. Please stop judging the breed as a whole instead judge the dog individually.
I speed up to hit pit bulls.
i can't believe you would ask such a question. there are plenty of pit bulls out there that are loving animals. why own a pug, why own a dalmation? because you fall in love with the dog. instead of looking at the breed, why don't you look at SOME of the people who own these animals. look at the owners that are loving and caring, look at owners that dont have the dogs best interest at heart. why dont't you look at the peole who own these animals for their status. let's put responsibily on the irresponsible pet owners, not the breed.
Just look at the conditon that dog is living in right there in the photo -he is not living the good life! What are the chances he has to "perform" for his food and water. Those animals are slaves to their owners. Sad, sad, sad!
"Look to the other end of the leash for the problem......" The problem with a BSL (Breed specific law) is that they would keep adding any breed that the thugs turn to - make a NDL -nuisance
dog law - list the ways a dog can be a nuisance....include all those yard yappers too for heavens sake - AND THEN GET THE LAW ENFORCED. That is the problem - the enforcement. The dogs that attacked the 3 kids were running loose - against the law, the dog that attacked the little girl was in her grandmother's living room - it was not licensed, not vaccinated, not registered in the city where it actually lived (all against the law) and not one of the points of the breed specific law that were introduced by Councilman would have made a difference in the outcome of that scenario. Perfect example of a failed BSL is England - the country, yes - country outlawed Pitbulls and guess what -incidents of dog attacks did not go down - why? those that were dogfighting went to another breed - it is time to wake up and hear the barking !
Forget the pit bulls "WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT THE OWNERS OF PIT BULLS?"
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A small Pomeranian dog killed a 6-week-old baby while the infant's caretaker briefly left the child unattended.............
http://www.understand-a-bull.com/BSL/OtherBreedBites/2007/January/Bassethound123007.pdf
This website has many breeds that have done the deed - Dachshund, Labrador, Jack Russel, Greyhound, Bassett Hound and more.......
"Figured all of the pitt bull bleeding hearts would take this opportunity to their defense. Would these people trust pit bulls around their small children? No they would not."
You know, I wouldn't either. The fact is that I don't trust ANY dog around a small child. It's very possible the dog can mistake the child for another animal. Ask anyone who was attacked as a child by a dog and they will tell you that a dog is an animal. BTW, the pix included with the article is not a pit bull.
The problem is very easily solved. There is a licensing procedure for dogs -- confiscate any dog that is not licensed and the owner needs to get the animal his/her shots and a license to have their animal returned. I would start with dogs like those in the picture -- chained to a house having to live in trash. It might be good punishment to chain the owner for a few days to see how it feels. But then, we're a civilized society, aren't we?
I can't believe you would write this crap! My boyfriend has a pit who was abused and still licks your face and rolls over to show submission. Your article would have been more useful if you printed it on tiolet paper.
This site..
http://understand-a-bull.com/
is full of wonderfully positive stories about pit bulls. It also has some up to date information on dog bites and attacks that do not involve pit bulls. One of the stories is about a LABRADOR POLICE DOG that attacked a little. I have a pit/chow mix(double whammy, huh?!?) that is 10 years old..and in his 10 years on this earth he has never bitten anyone or any other animal. He is the sweetest most loving dog I have ever known. He just lives for attention. Everyone else has said it..and i'm going to say it again..it's not the dogs, it's the owners!! The dogs are not going know any better if they are not taught to know better.
I own pits. I was raised around pit bulls as well as other breeds. My pit is one of the most loving child dog a person could ask for. Parents are to blame for the attack on children. If a parent does not teach a child to respect an animal, any animal, the child could get hurt. I personally know that my pit was suppose to be raised as a pit fighter, but I got her at 3 mths old and like I said is the most loving child dog. People need to realize that a breed is only a breed just like a all humans have different orgins. Just because you have a certain background it does not make you a bad person, same as an animal.
"tell me why you would have a pit bull?"
because EVERY dog deserves a loving home and a fair, firm, caring master. especially pit bulls, who need protection from the ignorance of the world that abuses them and villifies them as evil monsters. the person that asked this silly question has VERY OBVIOUSLY never owned or met a pit bull. no animal is evil, especially not my sweet, loveable pit. he is my best friend and i couldnt imagine life without him.
as for the alledged "pit bull attacks", i want to see a picture of the dog involved, not a stock photo of a mean looking pit. ive yet to see that in any case. pit bull is a loose term for a number of mixed breed dogs. its just not fair.
to the mother of the 3 year old who wouldnt trust ANY dog around her child, b/c any dog can maul a child, thank you for a very intelligent post.
i have an idea, the reason these dogs are going bad IS because of the cruddy owners. where i come from when a dog is adopted by a person from a breeder or shelter the previous owner will WANT to look into the buyers past, present, reputation, understanding of the breed and dog care, u get what im saying..... So i say EVERYONE should do that, if ur selling a pitbull to a person look into that persons life, if u see them unfit and unworthy of the dog YOU ABSOLUTLY DONT SELL IT TO THEM IF U CARE ABOUT THAT DOG! obviously if the sellers sold a dog to a sketchy buyer they wernt careful, i think that people who want to own a dog and a certain breed should study hard on it so they know what they are doing RIGHT! like me, i desperatly love pitbulls, i think they are VERY MISUNDERSTOOD and someone who wants one should know what to do.i want a pitbull, so i have been for the past year studying all i can about them so i can be one of the careful, compassionate responsible owners, and so should everyone.
Saying any pitbull will attack and kill someone is no different then saying any black man, lets say, will rob, kill and rape u. thyr BOTH very BAD stereotypes
WHy would we have a pitbull? well where do i start? they have a great temperment, in fact everything about them is great(apart from the media image).
i would much prefere a pit to a lab or JRT. Just because some are trained wrong i dosnt make them bad.
and to stop dog attacks instead of a breed ban that wont work, get schools or something to teach children how to be with animals. why not bring dogs to schools and never allow children to be with their dogs unsupervised, and supevise dogs whenever children are around. that would be more effective than anything else.
What a shame, I was going to add your blog to my bookmarks and share it with the rest of my SPCA staff up here in Canada, but after reading your ignorant, short sighted racist comments regarding the Pitbull terrier, I'll change my mind.
Enjoy the breed bans as your dogs are next on the list.
I write this with a viscous pit bull asleep on my lap. Every once in a while he stretches and type a few random keys which I will have to backspace.
His name is Herodotus. Hero for short. There are few reasons for this, but mainly it's because when he is at the dog park and a dog fight starts, he's definitely involved. He runs right over and stands over the smaller dog to protect him - sometimes squishing him a little. He is a big pit bull, so by the time new-park people look over, they just assume that he started it and is to blame. The regulars know him well.
I moved to Albuquerque NM and my front door was broken down. I needed a dog. I went to the pound and found that 75%+ were pit bulls that looked just like mine. I chose him, he was nothing special, and I began to fill out the paperwork to find out he was less than 48 hours away from being put down. There are just too many.
I bore you with this story, because this dog is the best dog I have ever had. I am not a gang member, and I am not badass. I am a brand designer, and pretty boring. This dog dog scared the hell out of me when I first got him - just because he was a pit bull.
I thought I was open minded. I have always thought that all dogs are good dogs until turned bad by people or situations, and I was still convinced he would eat my face someday. But he needed a chance.
I can tell you today because if I ever get another dog, it would be pit bull. I have now met many, and they have the best personality of all the dogs that I have had or met.
Hero is the love of my life - the smartest and most affectionate dog. He works at my company now, with clients, and babies, and the other dogs in the office. (http://www.tangerinecafe.com/us/herodotus/)
I can't ask people to not be scared. If a pit was to attack, it would be nothing short of devastating. Be responsible with your animals. Get them to make good decisions, and you will find that they are the best companions out there.
There really is not too much to mention that has not already been pointed out by the well-educated and responsible Pit Bull owners that have already posted their comments.
So why do I have a Pit Bull. Well, my husband and I wanted to save a dog from the shelter and give him/her a wonderful home. It just so happened that one of the dogs in the greatest need was a 1.5 year old Pit Bull that needed some training and, most of all, love. How could I turn my back on such a helpless creature??
I had never so much as met a Pit Bull before owning one, and quickly realized why so many people fall head over heels for this breed of dog. They are everything a dog is, and should be, multiplied by a factor of 100. They are adoring, loyal, intelligent, and always eager to please their owner. These traits, unfortunately, are what get them into trouble when placed into bad homes, but on the same token, are the exact reason why people like myself could not imagine owning a different breed of dog.
It is true that any breed can be trained to be aggressive, but I think you would be hard-pressed to find another breed of dog that would put his heart and soul into whatever task his master assigns more than a Pit Bull. When placed into the hands of irresponsible owners, negative consequences result due to their determination to please their owner, but when placed into loving homes, they are the most wonderfully goofy, loving, adoring and stable pet a dog owner could ask for.
I realize this post is old and you may not even check these messages anymore, but please, in the future, take a minute to think about the implications of what you are writing before spewing your nonsense out into the public.
Thats incredible. How ignorant can you be to write an article like that. My pitbull has been trained properly and is no different then any other dog. Its truly sad that you would judge a whole breed over some iscolated incident.
Some dogs are more inclined to be aggressive - its that simple.
Some owners are more inclined to neglect/mistreat pets.
Some parents are more inclined to neglect/mistreat their children.
Leaving a child around an animal that you don't trust is neglect.
Fostering aggression, or not properly managing an animal is cruel and wrong.
All potential dog owners should be assessed and licensed - just as all potential parents should be.
What can we do about pitbulls? I don't know what is wrong with them? Please can people who judge negatively inform themselves of the statistics of dog attacks, breeds, dog abuse, etc then give a good reason why something needs to be done about an entire breed of animal. I bet it's not breed related. PLEASE BE RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERS!
Anyone who could kill an innocent animal cold-heartedly, could hurt a human. Serial killers start out that way
"Guns don't kill people...pit bulls and abortion clinics kill people."
-Or maybe the people behind the guns, and the people that own the abused dog, or the people that run the clinic...hmmm all point to people.
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