Nancy Grace has gone too far

[chinchow]

I have boarded Smokey a couple of times in Atlanta due to some overnight trips and in almost every boarding facility that I called that was one of the more highly recommended ones by other dog owners, they always stated right up front that they don't accept Pit Bulls. Now several of these facilities are owned by professional dog trainers.. So why are they banning this breed in the facility. When I called my National and well known Insurance Company to inquire if Smokey had to be listed in my home owners policy when I adopted her , they said only if she was a Pit Bull and there would be an addtional charge. Now are all these people and businesses crazy, that are setting up these rules and regulations?

As I said before, I am sure that many Pit Bulls are great dogs and make great pets. But there are a number of these dogs that for one reason or another that are very bad news and sooner or later something bad happens. So many times on this thread I read comments like , "oh that's because they are poorly trained and it's the owners fault".. OK, agreed, now what does anyone suggest in this long, long thread to solve the problem. I haven't read one practical suggestion yet. Tons of Rants on a TV talk show host and how it's all her fault, claims that it is the press that is making up or reporting inaccurate stories, or a host of other reasons why what is apparently happening isn't really happening.......But nobody is addressing the real issue.

So what is probably going to be the result of all this , I would suppose banning this breed inmore and more communities. There are more than a few cities that have already done that or are in the process of doing it. What else can the city officals do when the public complains? Anyone here have any good suggestions to solve the problem? I haven't read one yet

-Regarding your dog, Smokey, and what you've heard about Pit Bulls not being allowed in certain boardinf facilities. The fact of the matter is that this breed is dog aggressive. That does not condemn them to go off on tangents every single chance they get. I don't know any Pit Bull owner who would board their dog at a boarding facility, just like they would not take their dog to a dog park. Most people do not know how to handle dog aggression, and automatically rule it out as a fault that makes the breed or dog a terrible creature. That's really unfortunate, since these dogs, for the most part, make awesome family pets. Responsible owners recognize dog aggression, and take the measures to keep anything from happening, and most of them do it very successfully.

-You say you're sure that many Pits are great pets, just that a number of them are bad. That goes for any and all breeds. Even mixed breeds. No dog is immune to being able to attack or show aggression. It's not natural, at all. Just because a dog never exhibits this behaviour doesn't mean it was completely incapable of doing so.
There are many ways to get around breed bans, but that doesn't mean that anyone has tried them. The people who ban these breeds are extremely hard-headed, and refuse to listen, 90% of the time. There are a number of cities going back and re-thinking their breed bans or revising them in favour of the owners, as a matter of fact. Many places that ban these breeds also ban mixes that appear to be crossed with them. That means, that if your dog resembles any banned breed in one of these places, that it can be seized from you. It's been done plenty of times.

So what can we do, instead of banning the breeds? Lots, actually...but are you willing to contribute your share of trying to get them stopped? If not, then don't bother reading into them at all.

1) City officials need to crack down on owners who do not follow leash laws. They need to make better containment laws. Many people tie their dogs out in an un-fences yard, but these dogs break their chains and run freely (any strong DOG can do this). Better containment laws that are enforced can help prevent this all-together.

2) Come down HARDER on those who fight dogs, or sell dogs to be fought. These people are the scum of the earth, they don't deserve to get such loose punishments that don't even teach them a lesson. And instead of just saying they can never own a dog again, officials can actually make sure that they don't. Many of these people are only dealt with for a short period of time, told something to do, then never looked up on again until a problem arises, and that's not how you deal with people like this.

3) We can make harsher penalties for animal abuse. MANY dogs are fear biters. I've been bitten by a fear biter myself, going over a dog that has been abused the wrong way can make them extremely uncomfortable and they can attack. And the people who did this to them get off almost scott-free in some cases, even ones where the evidence is extremely heavy. It's not fair to the animals, and it's not fair to the people who take these dogs in afterwards.

4) Make it harder for people to become breeders! It should be required to do temperament testing if you're going to breed and sell your dogs. These people should have to send puppies to new homes with enforced contracts. There should not be any wiggle-room for people who do not want to follow the breeder's wishes. There shouldn't be any breeder allowed to breed and sell puppies from human aggressive parents. There should be more spay/neuter policies, because the fact of the matter is that not everyone is 100% responsible, and though these should be the only people who own dogs, nobody can be sure of who they are, so their dogs need to be altered to prevent unwanted puppies, and puppies who could have behavioural problems passed onto them.

5) Cities could provide better training and socialization classes. It's no secret that Petsmart is not the best place to have your dog trained, but professional trainers are often extremely expensive. Make it easier and more available to dog owners to get into these classes. Help encourage responsible ownership this way, instead of just expecting people to know the ins and outs of socialization and training, both of which can be difficult for a new dog owner, or novice dog owner, sometimes even experienced dog owners.

6) Learn how to talk to officials. Instead of arguing with people who want to ban these breeds, talk to them like you would anyone else in a civil tone. Give them the facts about the breed. Don't throw useless information at them.



These ideas are nothing new, but people higher up who don't like these breeds often refuse to listen many times. It's when the PEOPLE won't listen that's the biggest problem, because people have a bigger voice in larger numbers. Being hard-headed doesn't get anyone anywhere.

 

[DanL]

Bob the reason the things are happening that you mention in your post are because of lack of education and fearmongering. Many other breeds could just as easily be singled out, banned from boarding facilities, have legislation brought up for them, have insurance companies scrambling to make a buck. It's been done in the past, and will be done in the future. Banning a breed does no good- the people who are causing the problems for pit bulls will just move onto another breed. People are the problem, not the dogs.

 

[travelpet]

Bob the reason the things are happening that you mention in your post are because of lack of education and fearmongering. Many other breeds could just as easily be singled out, banned from boarding facilities, have legislation brought up for them, have insurance companies scrambling to make a buck. It's been done in the past, and will be done in the future. Banning a breed does no good- the people who are causing the problems for pit bulls will just move onto another breed. People are the problem, not the dogs.

So true...I'm old enough to remember when the worst breed ever, the most hated was the dobie, because most people who had guard dogs used dobies for their intelligence and easy trainability. By nature, they were and are very sweet dogs. Today, most folks have no memory of the dobie's old rep. I expect that may happen (as it has started to with the rottie) with the breeds that are villified today.

Pits do tend toward animal aggression but of all the problems, that one is the easiest to cure in young pits through very intensive socialization. Pits are NOT human aggressive, that is a trait that doesn't exist in the breed, it has to be taught to them (the only way I know of that can be accomplished is through abuse).

I'm thrilled that my own state has started to come down hard on animal abusers who now see jail time as a matter of course...minimum being 90 days (first-offense) to maximum 4 years (second offense). This has actually caused the number of prosecutions to increase, which makes it appear the abuse is on the rise, while the opposite is true. It is just that now people REPORT the incidents because they know something can and is being done.

If you really want to help cure the problem, get involved. Offer to work with your local animal control to get REAL laws passed with teeth in them, then work for the election of judges who will enforce the law to the limit.

 

[ToscasMom]

the most hated was the dobie,

I remember this too! I recall being about ten years old when a dobie ran into our yard and knocked me down. my mother was so frightened! He then proceeded to lick my face ad nauseum. He turned out to be lost and we kept him for about a week. I remember crying when the owners came to get him. I guess in retrospect some would say i was lucky but I still remember him because he was so lovable. Still, there were many attacks at that time from dobes. Of course that's when the underbelly of the earth wanted dobes as well as the very rich, leaving them outdoors and training them as serious guard dogs. Mean dobes were common then. But you have to look back and know it was deliberate for many people to make them that way.

I also spent a summer at my roommate's home in st croix when I was in college and my friend had these two dobes that were just marvelous dogs, unless you happened to come on up the hill uninvited. I left there with no more than one complete pair of shoes, as one of them stole half of every pair I brought there, never to be found again. It was amazing how they clicked off and on though. As gentle as they were with me, a welcomed guest, I watched them nearly take down a man.

 

[casablanca1]

Um..If we outlaw dobies, rotties, dalmatians, pits, gsds, ridgebacks, mastiffs, YES they will turn to standard poodles. There are always going to be bad guys who want an aggressive dog.

And they're always going to turn to the breeds they currently turn to. If these breeds are outlawed, they're going to break the law or breed mixes to skirt the letter of the law. It's not rocket science. Poodles aren't going to turn up snarling over their tuffets at a biker bar, no matter how far BSL goes.

I think I am being fairly nice, I am posting facts. There are tons more stories about GSD attacks I just dont have time to post them. I think you would be pretty upset if someone were to attack your breed like my breed (or one of them) is being attacked.

You're posting your opinion and cherry-picking news stories to support your opinion. Which is legit, but let's not get carrie away and act like this constitutes an objective truth. And yes, I get upset when someone attacks my breed - that's what I feel like, every time one of the pro-pit people says dog aggression isn't a problem, that pits aren't people-aggressive by history, so the media's attitude toward them is just so wroooong. I understand that you're upset by the legal dangers faced by your dogs, but you don't appear to understand that part of the reason dog people in general don't all support pits is that pits often pose a physical danger to their dogs.

Again, if you all want to talk about how horrible pits are why not meet one first? I havent heard any story from any person on here who actually seems to have met one. I heard from Bob that some guy who owns one looks like a gangster. So what? You dont judge a book by it's cover. The dog/man could both be wonderful people/dogs to know. If you want to talk bad about pits go to the shelter & meet one. I am sure your mind will change.

I've met many. I used to defend them quite passionately. But you live and learn. I never feared pit bulls until the day I found one killing my dog at my feet. And no, a GSD couldn't have done that. A GSD once tried that, and was kicked off in a few seconds. So don't give me this attitude like you're the only one who's ever met a pit bull and thought it was so sweet and people are just so wrong about them. I went through that stage. But the situation is more complicated than that. Not all pit bulls deserve to be banned or killed, but no dog or child or adult deserves to be mauled by a dog whose owner is hiding behind the 'ban the deed' mantra, which is what MOST pit bull owners are doing. The good guys in this breed/type are in the minority.

 

[MomOf7]

 

[adoptashelterpettoday]

Um..you all were posting stories about pit bulls attacking so I posted GSD stories about GSDs attacking.

It obviously happens quite a bit as well. See what I posted about GSD's & the news story.

Wait & see what happens. People will use poodles. Dont believe it, wait & see.

Sorry to hear about your dog but I beg to differ. A GSD could easily do the same thing. I guess you didnt read the post about the 2 GSDs killing the pit bull at a shelter?

I have a pit (foster), 2 dalmatians and a german shepherd puppy. My DALMATIAN & GSD pup are aggressive toward the PIT. I keep them seperated all works out fine but it is THEM who has the problem, not Jet. Sure some pits are aggressive toward other dogs, and people who own pits need to realize this. I would never take Jet to a dog park because I know if a fight were to break out, even if he wasnt involved, he would most likely be the one who got blamed. Reponsible owners of pits (and fosters ) have to be well aware of their issues.

I guess I am lucky, I have a great mentor who has been rescuing pits for 10+ years. So she has given me lots of tips & I know she is there for me when I have questions or concerns.

 

[ToscasMom]

Sorry if my questions turn out to be stupid...

What is the reason that pit bulls continue to be dog aggressive? Is it possible to breed this out of the animal? I keep reading that they are dog aggressive as a "given", and let's face it, that's not really acceptable. They can easily mistake a small child for a dog, etc. etc. can they not? Should pit bull afficionados and breeders instead be working on breeding this out of the dog instead of expecting the world at large to accept this dog aggression?

I do know a pit bull owned by a friend. He is a very sweet dog but hers is the only dog among my friends and relatives that I cannot dare to expose Tosca to. She romps with a boxer. She romps with an Akita, but to the house with the pit bull, she is persona non gratis. That is really a shame, don't you think?

I think I mentioned awhile back that there were two chained pits in my neighborhood that eventually got carted off by dog control. The first one was loose in the AM and bit a girl waiting for the school bus. The second one was also taken but I do not know why. But during most of this summer, these dogs scared the bejesus out of me because, even though we are fenced in, they went wild as if we were intruding on THEIR domain instead of our own property whenever I or/and my dog into my own yard area. Tosca was just a puppy and I knew instinctively these two dogs wanted her butt. I had to make a conscious effort to keep my own dog away from the rear of my own property because she wanted to go near there and maybe play with the "doggies". You could see where this would not endear me, and without a thought for how sorry I felt for those two dogs, and I REALLY felt sorry for them, I found myself bringing a spiral tie-out stake with me whenever I was "forced" to go to the rear of my property. Throughout the entire summer before both dogs were gone, I never felt safe with my dog in my own yard area unless I was there. This was more than mildly annoying, and certainly unfair.

I tell you all of this so that you might see why the world at large is terrified of these dogs, which brings me to my original questions above.

 

[Bobsk8]

And they're always going to turn to the breeds they currently turn to. If these breeds are outlawed, they're going to break the law or breed mixes to skirt the letter of the law. It's not rocket science. Poodles aren't going to turn up snarling over their tuffets at a biker bar, no matter how far BSL goes.



You're posting your opinion and cherry-picking news stories to support your opinion. Which is legit, but let's not get carrie away and act like this constitutes an objective truth. And yes, I get upset when someone attacks my breed - that's what I feel like, every time one of the pro-pit people says dog aggression isn't a problem, that pits aren't people-aggressive by history, so the media's attitude toward them is just so wroooong. I understand that you're upset by the legal dangers faced by your dogs, but you don't appear to understand that part of the reason dog people in general don't all support pits is that pits often pose a physical danger to their dogs.



I've met many. I used to defend them quite passionately. But you live and learn. I never feared pit bulls until the day I found one killing my dog at my feet. And no, a GSD couldn't have done that. A GSD once tried that, and was kicked off in a few seconds. So don't give me this attitude like you're the only one who's ever met a pit bull and thought it was so sweet and people are just so wrong about them. I went through that stage. But the situation is more complicated than that. Not all pit bulls deserve to be banned or killed, but no dog or child or adult deserves to be mauled by a dog whose owner is hiding behind the 'ban the deed' mantra, which is what MOST pit bull owners are doing. The good guys in this breed/type are in the minority.

After reading this thread and a couple of others on this topic I see the same things brought up again and again by the anti-ban folks.

1. People defending Pit Bulls will try everything imaginable to discredit any reports of Pit Bull attacks, by trying to shoot both the messenger and the message.
2. They don't seem to realize that these events are happening all over the country on a frequent basis, otherwise we wouldn't even be having this discussion.
3. They come up with all kinds of excuses as to why the dogs attack but no solutions as to how to prevent these attacks.
4. Very little sympathy seems to be directed at the victim(s). ( if you disagree with me on this one, count the sympathy posts in this thread vs the bashing posts of the TV talk show host)
5. They say that the bad owners should be punished, but offer no workable way to do this until a tragedy has already occurred.
6. If you copy links to posts about recent Pit Bull attacks you get accused of trying to slander the breed unfairly.
7. There is no doubt in most people's minds that when one or more Pit Bulls attack a dog or a person, death or a very severe injury is the probably result. I realize that the Pit Bull defenders hate to deal with this as a reality, but it is a reality never the less. If it's not your kid or family member or dog, it is considered "bad luck". I remember talking the young man, at the Vet Emergency Hospital, out of going home and getting his .357 and going over to his neighbor's house and blowing his dogs head off after it crippled his dog... If it had attacked his kid, there is no telling what this guy would have done.

In my opinion, there is no reason to discuss this topic any further, because the people defending the breed and against any regulation of the breed would stick to their ideas no matter what anyone says, or no matter how bad or numerous the attacks get. The local governments both in the US and worldwide are instituting bans on a more and more frequent basis, and I think that will continue. Maybe by making these dogs more difficult to obtain, the problem will at least be minimized.

 

[adoptashelterpettoday]

Um..not sure if you read or not but you very well could have to pay insurance for your GSD mix. (which was one of your points?) The American Vet society also says GSDs arent safe around children under 10 years old.

breed discrimination sucks because it doesnt just mean banning pits, it means banning GSDs, rotties, mastiffs, dobies, exc.

Sure hope it doesnt have to come to that for you to realize it isnt just pits..

I can give you a link to a GSD forum where I have ready numerous stories of people being attacked by their GSDs/other people's GSDs. I would guess GSDs will be next on the "chopping block". Believe what you want but you will be sad when you are told you can no longer have Smokey unless you register her & tatoo her, or worse you have to get rid of her. Your smokey also looks like she might have a bit of pit in her. Her eyes & the shape of her head as well as her size scream pit bull to me.

 

[DanL]

Thats what I meant when I said Bob has no idea of Smokies background, what breeds she is mixed with, and what her temprament may turn out to be as she gets older.

I'm not a pit bull person, I can take them or leave them. I have a friend who has had them for years, they are nice dogs. My nephew has one that is trained and can do all kinds of cute tricks. I've seen a few in my OB classes (one couple had 2- they could not leave them alone together, and had a blood bath in their kitchen one day when someone dropped a piece of fried chicken and the dogs started fighting- this was brother and sister dogs too)

I am NOT a BSL supporter in any way. Not because I have a GSD, but because it doesn't fix the problem, which is people. They instituted strict regulations in the city near where I live- Pits have to be neutered, registered, muzzled in public, all kinds of stuff. They can't enforce it- they didn't add a single AC officer to make sure the law was being followed. So what good is it. The thugs who want a mean pit bull or pit cross are still going to have one.

As far as GSD's go- this is a breed that WAS developed to show aggression to people. Why do you think they use them for law enforcement? Responsible owners are going to socialize their dogs with as many people as they can to help reduce the risk of the dog biting someone who comes on their property. They are going to train the dog so it listens at all costs. They are going to understand what their dog's purpose is/was and do everything they can to avoid putting the dog in a place where it could harm someone. I think a responsible pit owner does the same things, but substitute dogs for people.

 

[ToscasMom]

Actually when I told my insurance rep that I had a dog he mentioned a number of dogs that are targeted by insurers. Here's a typical list.

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/insurance/bad-dog-list1.asp

"Most of the breeds that concern the insurance industry are large canines that can inflict a lot of damage. About 25 breeds of dogs were involved in 238 fatal dog bites, according to a 20-year study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in 2000. According to the report, pit bulls and Rottweilers were involved in more than half of fatalities resulting from dog bites. Those two breeds have joined several others on the industry's "bad dog" list."

 

[Amstaffer]

First of all, my impression of the people defending pit bulls is that they have a bit too much aggression themselves.
Melanie and the gang in Alaska

If you had to defend your very friendly and loving dog from BSLs, Discrimination, Prejudice and flat out lies near daily, you might show some signs of frustration (you see as aggression) like us.

 

[Amstaffer]

5. They say that the bad owners should be punished, but offer no workable way to do this until a tragedy has already occurred.
.

First an answer to your question. You can never punish until the crime is comitted (ala Drunk driving, Murder etc...) But I would support the need to obtain a license to own pets. To get this license you would have to prove knowledge, desire and abiltiy to take care of any breed you owned.


Now Bob answer me this question that no Pit Bull hater has been able to answer and many of your supports continue to run from (I have asked it several times on this board.)

Why can you go to a dog show where there are up to 50 Pit Bulls (usually intact males) together and they are surrounded by other dogs, children, strangers poking and pulling them and yet no one ever gets bit? I will tell you why....because the dogs there are well bred and raised. If they are more dangerous and born killers as you imply this couldn't possiblly happen! Please stop listening to the fear monger press and get out and meet some dogs and owners who raise wonderful dogs.

 

[Georgygirl]

^^^ great post amstaffer

 

[jess2416]

Now Bob answer me this question that no Pit Bull hater has been able to answer and many of your supports continue to run from (I have asked it several times on this board.)

Why can you go to a dog show where there are up to 50 Pit Bulls (usually intact males) together and they are surrounded by other dogs, children, strangers poking and pulling them and yet no one ever gets bit? I will tell you why....because the dogs there are well bred and raised. If they are more dangerous and born killers as you imply this couldn't possiblly happen! Please stop listening to the fear monger press and get out and meet some dogs and owners who raise wonderful dogs.

Good point...

 

[Miakoda]

You said a lot right there!!! It's those people that litter the breed with fighting lines that have done so much damage. It's the fighting lines that make the news. Unfortunately no matter how much educating you do about the original origin of the breed the fact will always remain that there's no way for someone to know where a neighborhood pit came from.

Wow. More untruths with no proof to back it up.

Actually, if you research all the "pit bull" attacks (like I do) you would notice a common denominator--that 95% of the dogs are 80-130lbs. Now honestly, I don't remember seeing one picture of a fighting APBT that was that large. And to make another point, in the latest of the cases, it is the oversized blue "pit bulls" out there doing the damage.

Of course you hear about the fighting dogs whenever an illegal ring is busted, but that's not the issue here. Those dogs weren't/aren't confiscated for attacking & maiming people, just other dogs. We are talking about the "pit bulls" that are actually hurting humans.

 

[elegy]

i really cannot express how sad and helpless this entire thread makes me feel. i love this breed so much that i can't put it into words, and yet i fear these two dogs asleep on my couch are the last two of the breed i will ever own. selfishness, ignorance, greed, stupidity, fear-mongering. they're going to kill my dogs. they're going to destroy what is left of this breed.

the point is being missed in such a major way that i don't even know how to try anymore.

all i know how to do is make my dogs into the best canine citizens that i can, to write to politicians and newspaper columnists, especially the ones who are doing a good job, in the hopes that they will continue to defend and protect the breed, and to offer up empty prayers in the hopes that this culture of fear will not destroy what i hold dear.

but it doesn't feel like enough. it never feels like enough.

people want solid answer of what can be done to make a difference, but those things are so big and so hard to see. it's not like extermination. the corpses don't pile up.

better enforcement of leash laws, stricter enforcement of licensing, outlawing chaining, dog bite prevention programs in schools. all those things could help.

but none of them will solve the dog bite problem, because as long as people live in close contact with dogs, as long as people own dogs as ornaments and "bling", as long as people own dogs but don't bother to train them or socialize them or care for them properly, as long as people continue to breed them indiscriminantly and people continue to buy them without demanding proper temperament, the dog bite problem will continue.

if not with pit bulls, then with other breeds. because people aren't going to stop owning dogs for the wrong reasons. people aren't going to become smarter because we outlawed x breed.

i don't know what to do anymore except hug my dogs and mourn.

 

[Miakoda]

After reading this thread and a couple of others on this topic I see the same things brought up again and again by the anti-ban folks.

1. People defending Pit Bulls will try everything imaginable to discredit any reports of Pit Bull attacks, by trying to shoot both the messenger and the message.
2. They don't seem to realize that these events are happening all over the country on a frequent basis, otherwise we wouldn't even be having this discussion.
Dogs of every size, shape, color, & breed are biting, attacking, & maiming people all over the country & all over the world. But instead of focusing on the overall problem, you & people like yourself would like to single out a breed, exterminate, & say "Wa-la! The problem's fixed!" Do you honestly think that if all "pit bull" dogs & "pit bull' type dogs (which include over 20 breeds & God only knows how many mixes that all of a sudden there wouldn't be one more dog bite or fatality in the world? If so, that must also be where there is no more poverty, no more discrimination, no more murders, no more deaths by drownings..................
3. They come up with all kinds of excuses as to why the dogs attack but no solutions as to how to prevent these attacks.
We are trying to! Hell, I make visits to preschools & elementary schools with Sukari & discuss with kids how to act around dogs--how to properly pet a dog, what not to do when a dog is eating, how to approach & ask someone before you pet their leashed dog, how to ignore & walk away from loose dogs, etc. We are speaking out about actually enforcing leash laws & about holding owners accountable for their dog's actions. We don't even have a leash law in the parish I live in..just a nuisance law which AC could care less about. Personally, I would like to see any dog that bites be PTS. There should be no second chances in my book. ANY breed of dog that bites/attacks should be declared dangerous & (if not euthanized) should have very very very strict requirements placed upon it. If the owners cannot accomodate, then nighty night doggie.
4. Very little sympathy seems to be directed at the victim(s). ( if you disagree with me on this one, count the sympathy posts in this thread vs the bashing posts of the TV talk show host)
I feel absolutely horrible about what happened to this little boy. I cannot even imagine what he went through. If it were my child, I would do anything to change places with him. But I also feel symptahy for EVER dog attack victim regardless of what breed did the attacking. "Pit bull" attack victims at least have sensationalists fighting on their side to ban all the "evil pit bulls" while victims of other breed attacks are told "Too bad it was a lab/collie/poodle/etc. that bit you because we know the truth that they are really nice dogs & you must've done something to provoke it to bite you or kill your child. Not only will we NOT try to ban the breed, the owner of the dog that bit you has the right to keep his dog. Now have a good day & leave us alone." If this isn't true, then how come their aren't people fighting on their side to rid the world of the breeds that have attacked them? My oldest brother was mauled in the face by a Bloodhound when he was younger. He had 3 plastic surgeries to fix his eye socket & lips. But the people who owned the dog, got a fine & was instructed to keep their dog confined & that was it. They didn't even have to pay my brother's medical expenses. Not only that, as a vet tech I come across dogs of all breeds with horrible temperaments. Regardless of your illogical reasoning, it's not a "pit bull" problem, it's a dog problem AND a human problem.
5. They say that the bad owners should be punished, but offer no workable way to do this until a tragedy has already occurred.
What do you suggest? Profiling people? How do you prevent murderers from killing people & punishing them beforehand? What about pedofiles? Although it sounds like a nice idea, it's completely unattainable & completely irrational. You can't punish them for what a dog "might" do. Hell, ANY dog "might" bite....it's got teeth doesn't it? And for example, I'm a 27 yr old white woman. How would you go abouts profiling me? I'm not thug, I'm not a drug dealer, I'm not crackhead murderer, I have no police record (not even a speeding ticket), I'm married, I have a 4 mo. old son............how would profile me? I'd like an answer b/c it seems YOU can't even provide an asnwer to the same question/idea you want everyone else to acknowledge & answer.
6. If you copy links to posts about recent Pit Bull attacks you get accused of trying to slander the breed unfairly.
Posting an article isn't what is getting you replied to. It's your "Pit Bulls are ALL human aggressive, evil, & violent creatures & we must ban them & kill them all" statments that are rubbing people the wrong way. And I can promise you this, for every "pit bull" attack article you post, I can counter it with another breed or mutt one.
7. There is no doubt in most people's minds that when one or more Pit Bulls attack a dog or a person, death or a very severe injury is the probably result. I realize that the Pit Bull defenders hate to deal with this as a reality, but it is a reality never the less. If it's not your kid or family member or dog, it is considered "bad luck". I remember talking the young man, at the Vet Emergency Hospital, out of going home and getting his .357 and going over to his neighbor's house and blowing his dogs head off after it crippled his dog... If it had attacked his kid, there is no telling what this guy would have done.

In my opinion, there is no reason to discuss this topic any further, because the people defending the breed and against any regulation of the breed would stick to their ideas no matter what anyone says, or no matter how bad or numerous the attacks get. The local governments both in the US and worldwide are instituting bans on a more and more frequent basis, and I think that will continue. Maybe by making these dogs more difficult to obtain, the problem will at least be minimized. I'm all for bybs & peddler to move on & find another money making scheme and/or breed. As an APBT owner, there are MANY of us fighting against other "pit bull" owners to get the dogs out of their hands. We don't want to see the streetthugs, "gangstas", drug dealers, streetfighters, bybs, peddlers, & those with an obvious manhood problem, with these dogs any more than you do. But telling me that the government should have the right to storm my home & shoot my dogs all because of the breed they are & not because of anything they've done completely pisses me off. Hell, I own a sports car too & we all know sports cars are given more speedking tickets than any other type so maybe they should have the right to haul off my car too. Whaddya think?

Some of y'all don't get it. I'm NOT defending these 4 dogs involved in the attack. But I AM defending the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier, and American Bulldog as breeds. And I won't EVER stop.

And for those that don't think those breeds won't be next, you have a rude awakening ahead of you.

 

[Miakoda]

but none of them will solve the dog bite problem, because as long as people live in close contact with dogs, as long as people own dogs as ornaments and "bling", as long as people own dogs but don't bother to train them or socialize them or care for them properly, as long as people continue to breed them indiscriminantly and people continue to buy them without demanding proper temperament, the dog bite problem will continue.

:hail: