Reading your past posts Britster i never got the impression that you're anything but a geniunely kind hearted person but i find that analogy ignorant, offensive, idiotic and just way out of line, similar to the way PETA uses the holocaust when referring to the slaughter of animals. Statements like that are just plain wrong and yes racist. Thank you for apologizing

The problem is there are now too many PitBulls, and many are in the hands of people who do not accept the fact that they can be lethal. The shelters here are overcrowded with them...many are rehabbed and adopted out. (slightly graphic)
My Feelings on the subject: Something needs to be done. I don't care if it's the government or who or what. I don't care if they are all S/N and/or banned. Train the owners, retrain the dogs, whatever. I realize there are good dogs that may be affected, and I am very sorry about that. There are too many now, because they are a popular breed.

When a breed becomes popular, the incidences of attacks or bites do increase bc the numbers of that breed increase. This happened with Golden Retrievers, GSDs, Rotties, Dobies, etc. even Dalmations. Usually has to do with the winner of the major dog shows.

People get them, and breed them and sell them. The gene pool goes to crap and the dogs become genetically unstable. There are too many PitBulls now, and I'd rather see the good ones suffer a humane death than hear about people, children, and other pets, including PBs, getting chewed up, mangled, or dying from attacks from dogs that are mismanaged.

I don't think the breed should be done away with completely, but some kind of control needs to happen.

More news:

The PitBull who attacked the boy was assessed and found to be agressive was PTS.

An 79 year old lady was attacked, dragged from her porch and mauled. She has her jaw wired shut and will need to be fed through a feeding tube in her stomach for 3 months. The owner requested her 1 year old pup be PTS. Her kids let the dog out.
Pit bull attack "traumatizes" Greektown block - Baltimore Sun

Update: (and pic of the dog)
Elderly Woman Still Hospitalized After Pit Bull Attack CBS Baltimore

This happened in San Diego the following week: another elderly lady with life threatening injuries: (Not here but in California, I post this out of my respect for the elderly... I feel so bad for this poor woman) For those who don't watch videos... She's had two limbs amputated and they are considering amputating a third from damage sustained in an attack from 2 PBs.)
Pit bulls attack elderly woman in San Diego, injuries 'life-threatening' - latimes.com

Husband of Pit Bull Attack Victim Speaks | NBC San Diego

News Videos: (other videos from this site may be graphic)

This is 2 911 tapes (may be hard to listen to):

PitBull attacks TV Reporter (no blood or contact):

PitBull attacks Police Car:

Warning:Graphic link (pics of victims after tx): Pitbull Attacks, Maulings, and Killings

There were two incidences here recently:

A teen was walking her PB on leash. Three boys acoss the street were walking their PB off leash. A fight ensued, one boy ran to get their Dad, who came out and got their dog under control. The girl had dropped her PBs leash, and the dog had the Dad and his kids and dog cornered. He told the girl to pick up the leash and get her dog under control three times, or he would shoot the dog. She could not/ would not comply, and the Dad shot her dog.

A man came out of his house into his yard, where he found his neighbor's PitBull. He went back into the house and came out with a gun. The dog was threatening him, so he shot and killed the dog.

Is this what I need to do: get a gun? (and trained to use it) to stay safe?

Also a man was found dead in his home with his PitBull. Cause of death: the man was mauled by his own dog.

My sister has a big ol byb pit... he is the biggest baby I've ever seen.. I trusted him with my daughter as an infant, and my tiny Kizzie now.. It's not the dogs fault.. Just like many breeds, they can become aggressive if people don't socialize them and pay attention to them.. My sisters dog, and several of her friends who also have pits have never ever even nipped at a human.. Yet my pekingese who was properly socialized as a pup would snap at and bite people when she was irritated.. I've seen a LOT of chihuahuas who are vicious little dogs.. As a rule my daughter is not allowed to approach anyone with a chihuahua, I'm more worried about her getting bit by one of those than a Pit in my area..

Though in my area we do have some small state regulations, it costs $300 a year to register an unaltered bully breed, where as my puppy was only $75. I love the breed but I know I don't have the time an energy to take care of one as they require a LOT of exercise and clean up lol.. I would support holding dog owners responsible from the start, perhaps requiring good citizen training or something for large breed dogs(not just bully breeds but all the large breeds need extra training and love to be safe happy pets) to be registered (unregistered is not allowed in parks, public places, or the lake) I think this would kill two birds with one stone, get the dogs trained requires some amount of socialization and control so they are not likely to be a danger to anyone, but it would also help keep so many large breeds out of shelters as many of them are surrendered because they are unruly or out of control.

Also, in my area animal control goes after allegations of dog fighting seriously as well.. usually responding within hours of a claim that someone is fighting dogs.

Dog ownership is a big responsibility.. large breed dogs are a HUGE responsibility.. :animal-pa

i dont blame the breed i balme the owner i had a pit bull and my 2 year old and him were the best of friends no matter how mean or rough she got with him he never bite her and he always protected her same thing with rotts and k9s i had them growing up and never did they hurt me or anyone! i blame the owners of how they dont take the time to train and soiclize the animals

Love that your post. :thumbup:

dont under this but if you google on attacks on any dogs
there will be a posting.

i blame the owner not the breed and always a leash law!!!!:rolleyes:

statistics
 

Yes, statistics can be skewed to prove anything you want to prove. There are so many breeds of dogs out there ... and any dog can bite, but pits are feared because they can kill ... I would do away with the breed completely, let the existing ones grow old and pass away. I don't believe for one instant that anyone who is a pit bull fan could not be just as happy with another breed.

Jeanette

Have watched it ... didn't change my opinion. It's a TV show! They aren't going to show the failures. It's edited and set up to be just what they want it to be.

I'm 100% against Breed Specific Legislation, and always have been.

Btw, "Pit Bull" is not a breed. The term 'pit bull' refers to 3 different breeds. So, when absorbing stats about 'pit bulls', keep in mind the stats are collecting info about 3 breeds.

When we allow discrimination against one breed, the door will be open to allow it against ALL breeds - and not just for biting, but for anything a collective may want to promote. A law against a breed sets a precedence for laws against all breeds.

It is the same principle that applies to humans. And for proof, just look around the world - for current and historical proof of unwarranted/misplaced discrimination.

Behind every dog attack, there is an irresponsible owner. That is where the focus should be. Instead of labeling a dog 'vicious', why not label the owner 'stupid' and have them subject to criminal charges. Some dogs, due to their upbringing, can be as dangerous as a loaded gun and the owner should be held 100% liable, just as in the case of guns.

If you could somehow do away with Pitties, another breed would just take their place. There are many breeds with the capacity for major harm. The thugs and wannabes (which are the ones behind most of these dogs that attack) would just move on to another breed.

It's a people problem more than a dog problem.

Great post :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:.

This. And all the other breeds that are constantly identified as pitties or pit mixes that aren't anything of the sort. Like my late 135 lb bullmastiff, who never bit anyone. He did slobber on me a lot though. ;) Also, our family pet who ripped my face open as a toddler? A golden retriever!

wonderful post well said:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

It's never the breeds fault! I've seen aggressive yorkies, but it's not their fault! Their owners should have socialized and trained them! I used to not like pit bulls as well, but after taking care of one for my friend, I fell in love with the breed! There's also one that we see at the park. He is so handsome and acts like a baby, so gentle! He thinks he's a small dog and Carmel thinks he's a big dog...it's just too funny!


Great Post!! Can't agree with you more!

:thumbup::thumbup: Brit, I totally agree with you!!


I agree with Crystal, many people who own pit bulls shouldn't even own a fish! I think regulations/restrictions (such as requiring a good citizen test) should be put in place, but not a ban on the breed. It makes me sad how pit bulls are treated in the first place, not how they are treated in the aftermath. It's just plain sad!

your last sentence is like saying, "why do you want a yorkie? Wouldn't you be just as happy with a chihuahua or any other small dog breed?" I like yorkies, not chihuahuas. I know I wouldn't be happy with just any other breed of dog.

And :thumbup: to the following two posts.

I know this is an old thread, but we should be mindful of not saying offensive, racist comments, even if they are in a quote. There are other ways to make your point.

I still don't even know what breeds people want "banned" because pit bull is not a breed.

Are we talking about banning:
American Pit Bull Terriers
American Staffordshire Terriers
Staffordshire Bull Terriers
And anything that resembles one of the avoid (which could include, but is not limited to Boxer mixes, Mastiff mixes, and Bulldog mixes)?

I'm not sure why dogs lovers would want this.

As for people being able to find another breed to love, that is an opinion. I have a Yorkie, but have met some amazing pitties. Someday I hope to have a bully breed dog. I meet different breeds all the time and honestly thte sweetest ones in situation where they could be fearful tend to be the pit bull type dogs. The shih tzus and usually the bostons tend to be pretty cool too.

I did not read the whole thread but thought I would ad that my daughter when she was four on Valentines day was bitten by my brothers Lab mix. This dog had played and was around the kids all the time. But that day she just walked into the home and was bitten for no reason. Of course we are very luck it did not kill her. (it was a face bite and going for the throat) She had to have two plastic surgery's and we are very lucky she can smile. She is a adult now and loves animals even worked in a vets office. But it is not one certain bred that can do this.

Why don't we ban cars, cigaretts, big dogs and guns , they kill people ! Or one can argue irresponsible people kill people. The bad guys still get guns, drive drunk, and breed aggressive dogs. We can pass laws about owning things but, only law abiding citizens will obey the law. UMM ..... We could pass a law any pet over 20 lbs requires a special permit costing $20,000 security bond. We could make it illegal to breed certain dogs with out a special licence and etc... What ? Oh yes, I forgot this is the USA. How do we we realisticly solve this problem ? I don't know, but like many others I am afraid of loose dogs and feel my Yorkies and myself are in danger. I carry pepper spray and a walking stick. Sad :(

Valid points. :thumbup:

Some things I ask myself when thinking of BSL (which I'm against) are the following:

*How would BSL be enforced? How would breeders be found? Would the govt hire a huge team to go out and find breeders? Who would pay for this?

*When the dogs were found, would they be put down or...? How would they determine whether or not a dog should be put down? Many pro-BSL advocates say that temperament testing isn't adequate - so it seems immediate euth would be advocated there.

*What about pittie mixes? First, how would they figure out if it's a truly a mix....genetic testing? Would we only legislate pure-breds or also "mixes"...if yes on mixes, what percentage of purebred would we see as valid in legislating? Who would pay for genetic testing?

*Since 'pit bull' isn't a breed itself....how would the dogs be selected to be outlawed? Genetic testing? If yes, which breed of 'pit bull' would specifically be outlawed via genetic testing?

*What if a pro-BSL 'field team' (or whatev they'd call it) finds a 'pittie' during their searches - and it's a family pet w/ no history of aggression? If the breed is outlawed, would this pet be put down?

Anyway....those are questions that always come to mind for me.

For 420 days 15 hours 54 minutes 31 seconds, Lennox Has Been Locked Up By B.C.C.
 

see that is exactly it. BSL doesn't work.
i have posted a few times about a dog called Lennox.
so to answer your last questio in particular, here is an extract from his site SaveLennox.co.uk


On the 19th May 2010, Lennox, a five year old American Bull dog Labrador cross was wrongfully seized by Belfast City Council Dog Wardens from his loving family home where he lives with his owners and his kennel mates. Lennox committed no crime nor did any member of the public complain about him. Three Belfast City Council Dog Wardens came with the PSNI to his home unannounced. The Dog Wardens then told the Police to leave as there was no need for them at the location. The Belfast City Council Dog Wardens then had tea with his owners, smoked cigarettes, chatted, played with the other family dogs after which the Dog Wardens then measured Lennox’s muzzle and rear legs with a dress maker’s tape measure and decided on those measurements without seeking any professional advice that he was possible “Pit Bull Type Breed” and so he was led from his home to be put to death by the Council. Northern Ireland has yet to fully implement the same dog legislation as mainland UK; if Northern Ireland were to complete the dog legislation here then Lennox could now be at home with his family and they would not now be facing legal prosecution. The USPCA said the law in Northern Ireland could be changed simply and rather quickly by an order in Council.
Lennox’s family have done more than required by the law as responsible dog owners who also foster dogs for various Northern Ireland dog shelters. When Lennox was a puppy his owners had him neutered, licensed, insured, DNA registered, Pet Safe registered and micro chipped and although the Belfast City Council have issued a dog licence for Lennox for the last five years and continue to do so today, the Council now find the need to class him as a Pit Bull type dog and murder him.- and it is murder in this this case(and many others), not euthanasia.

i know it is a long extract, but it proves a point. this is what BSL does. once it gets going its the responsible owners and loyal family pets that suffer. until he was taken over a year ago to be confined to a concrete cell to await death (which his family are Still appealing) he curled up at night with his 12yr old owner- who he worked like an unofficial emotional support dog in the home- and his yorkie sibling.
now there is a dog that deseves to die, right?

Oh my God. This is deplorable :mad:. So, Lennox is STILL in a concrete cell, awaiting his fate? That is just sick. His family must be livid, not to mention heartbroken.

This is EXACTLY what I was getting to in my last post. BSL does not and will not ever work, in my opinion.

I just started to read this thread and wanted to put my two cents in! :)

I have two dogs; Lucy a 6lb Yorkie and Tubby a 60lb Black Lab, Springer mix.

I grew up with Black Labs and German Shepards as a kid and they were the most trustworthy, loyal, protective, lovable dogs that were not dangerous at all.

The Black lab that we had when I was quite young (Teddy) would play with us and run like the wind, catch balls in his mouth and jump so high in the air it was amazing. When he got older he had arthritis and one of my nephews were outside playing and decided to poke Teddy with a stick, Teddy grabbed him by the leg and put a decent sized puncture wound in his leg, when my brothers and I were playing outside my brother was on a wooden swing twisting and when he came around one time he hit Teddy in the side and Teddy grabbed my brother in the belly area which required stitches. Teddy NEVER hurt anyone unless he was either provoked or hurt he NEVER just ran after and attacked for no reason.
I would trust a Black Lab with my life!!! I would also trust a German Shepard with my life I believe that if another dog or person tried to attack me Teddy would have spared his life to protect me and the same goes with the German Shepard we had.

One of our friends have a Rotty who is the biggest, sweetest lap dog too and would not hurt a fly and they have an English Bulldog too which is the sweetest dog as well BUT if the two dogs are in the same room the EB goes after the Rotty and she is out for blood~the Rotty tries to protect himself from her and gets hurt at times but he never attacks.
The two dogs remain in the same house but are kept in separate rooms, let out separately, etc. they have three kids in the house, two teens and a 2 yr old. If this was my house I would have to take the EB to a rescue and get her out of my house because she is dangerous. They have had her since she was a pup and have never did anything to warrant the violence she is capable of.

Our previous neighbors have an American Bulldog who was so so so sweet, and she and my lab springer Tubby would have play dates, she was so graceful and would leap through the snow like a deer and chase Tubby who would run like the wind...beautiful and fun to watch. She is the sweetest, most gentle dog and I don't think she would hurt a flee!

I myself as a child was at my aunts house and they had a german shepard, my cousins and I were playing and chasing each other and I happened to be at the end of the line ~ the GS I believe thought i was chasing and trying to hurt the others as we were all screaming and he came after me and chomped down on my butt....that was not fun but I still LOVE GS dogs!!

My Tubby is the sweetest, most gentle, kindest dog ever whom I can put a treat in my mouth and he will somehow get it into his mouth without even touching my lips. Lucy is his boss, she barks at him to get away from her toy and he looks away from her and gently walks away but then I have also caught them playing a chasing game around the house and he is very gentle. The only time he is not so gentle is when his tail is wagging :) but that is not his fault of course. Again, I would trust Tubby with anyone and anything, he is the type of dog that would offer a treat to the burglar as long as the burglar gave him some attention and a little pat on the head!
I am more leery of Lucy around children and adults than I am of Tubby. Lucy is getting better but I think her previous owner had kids that taunted her because she can be aggressive around kids and some adults.

I am torn because there are dogs that just snap and do horrible, unthinkable things to people but I just can't fathom someone taking my dog away from me just because of the breed. The violence has to stop somehow but banning them may not be the best way to go about it.
I don't know if there is a good solution to this issue. I do know that people that train them to kill should be jailed for a long time!! I can't stand how people think it is okay to train a dog to attack and kill...it is heartbreaking!!

There are people that leave pets and babies in cars during the summer and let them bake....I have come to the conclusion that sadly there are just way too many human people out there that lack common sense and it is very, very SAD!!