[News] American Bulldog Kills Yorkie and Injures Girl

[patg]

My experience with a pitbull is not positive. My previous Yorkie, Pasha, was attacked by one and I thought for sure he was dead. The owner happened to be standing close by and grabbed his dog. Luckily, Pasha was just shaken up and not hurt. Needless to say, I am very, very wary of pitbulls.

In this instance, the owner needs to be fined, heavily, and barred from owning a dog. The dog, having killed once, will do it again. It should be put down.

[lisap1850]

I lived in a town. My neighborhood had pit bulls in a couple of homes. My dogs were attacked twice while I was walking them, leashed. When I was walking two to them, I had one on each side sitting, while a young pit bull pup was barking and threatening them to their face. (My dogs were Aussies.)

When I was walking Dusty, one of the neighbors mature pits, male and female, attacked him in typical pit bull fashion, leaving 5 puncture marks in Dusty's throat and costing $100.00 in vet bills. (They paid)

Having said all that, I realized it wasn't the dogs' fault. I destested pits, even loathed them till moving out here to the country. Out here in Lake Co. Florida, pits are used to hunt hogs right beside other breeds of dogs. In the frenzy of the hunt, with blood, squealing, danger, etc. you don't hear of pits turning on other dogs or people. Why? Because of how they are raised. These pits out here are bred for stable temperment, working abilitiies, and trained. They have a job and they do it well. They are doing what they were bred to do, assist humans.

I was open-minded enough to realize it isn't the dog that is the problem, but the humans involved. Can you small breed dog owners be as open-minded?

[patg]

No, I can't and I won't be open minded when my or anyone else's dog is attacked.

[becasherwood]

Although many of you don't understand bull dogs(pit bulls) and don't want to understand them for whatever reasons, I understand that the breed is a target for negative attention, not because of it's owners and not because of how they were raised. Yes, these dogs were bred to be dog aggressive and in many cases have proven it because they weren't raised to know better. In my case, I have had three bulldogs(pit bulls) and never had a single problem with biting or even jumping on people. My family never had reason to not want to visit, my son has never even gotten a scratch. So for people to blame the entire breed is unrealistic, unfair and unjust.

[GeorgiesMomma]

I hope that little girl is okay, and I feel terrible they lost their doggie. I will say one thing and I hope no one thinks I am terrible, but I would never let a 13 year old walk Georgie. There are way too many risks out there, and I am just really paranoid anyways. Honestly, my fiance' and I are the only 2 that will walk him. I also will say that it's the owners fault not the dog, I know dogs of all breeds that can be aggressive. We have a boxer and people run when she comes up to them, and she is the sweetest baby ever. However, having said that I don't think we should bash each other on our opinions anyways, if people disagree with me that's okay I can handle it.

[lisap1850]

There is none so blind as he who won't see.

It is not that fact that we disagree, but the Breed Specific Legislation that comes from such ignorant blindness. Ignorance in itself is not a bad thing; I myself was ignorant of the wonderful side of pit bulls and bully breeds in general, till I owned an American Bulldog. Being deliberatly ignorant is a bad thing. Are all small dog owners deliberately ignorant? Nope, and I would not condemn all of you based on the words of the few.

For that one who said; when someone's dog is attacked....my dog was attacked, TWICE! The second time, I got him away alived despite one of my neighbors screaming he was being killed! I put my arm under the throat of the pit bull with my face very much in the danger zone. That pit could have ripped my throat out if he had a mind too, but he didn't; pits, like all bully breeds, love people and I knew I was safe. I should have as much a right to be blindly ignorant as anyone, but I am not.

Another point....American Bulldogs are not pit bulls. They are two very different breeds. Yes, both are of the bully breed type (and prone to dog aggression) but so is an Old English Bulldog, Boxer and Bullmastiff! I have met a mean Bullmastiff, that was a scary dog, but I would not condemn the whole breed because of him.

I have met a very, very, very nasty Golden that would make some of the meanest pit bulls look like pussy cats. (No he wasn't abused either. The woman who owned him had had him since he was 6-weeks-old and said he had always been mean.) It is repeated over and over that any dog can be dog aggressive and that not all pits are bad dogs, but some want to live in ignorance of what pit bulls can really be.

Was it a tragedy? You bet. She the owner be punished? You bet. Should the dog be taken away? Hmm, instead of that, maybe the owner should attend mandatory obedience class and if the owner doesn't show that she can handle a dog like that, then it should be taken away. They require a DUI driver to attend traffic school, why not owner be made to attend obedience school?

[jware13]

Originally Posted by Laur

While I agree that the owner should be held responsible, the dog is at fault too. Even if the dog is off the leash and the owner is not nearby, he/she should still behave without the owner. I know pit bulls are aggressive but that doesn't give them the right to injure other dogs. I know a lot of people who have pit bulls as pets and they would never attack another dog because I have seen them off the leash plenty of times. That dog deserves to be kept until they can come to a decision as to what they are going to do. He could easily hurt another dog.

This really hits home because I am right near VA Beach and while it could happen anywhere, it's scary to think that it happened not even 30 minutes from me. I can't even imagine what the owner is feeling right now.

I understand all the uproar about the accidental attack of on the Yorkie but the article was incorrect and did not tell the whole story!! First of all, I was the owner of the Amer. Bulldog. We bought him from a known breeder in the Virginia Beach area. He was a wonderful pet. We had previously owned 2 other dogs (boxer and dalmation) who passed away at the ages of 10 and 13. Both were wonderful loving dogs and obedience trained as was our Amer. B-dog. We are a typical middle-class family that lives in a very nice neighborhood with three children
What the story did not tell was that our 2 young kids did not close the garage door all the way and our 9 month old bulldog squeezed through the door during the afternoon and saw the 13 yr old girl walking her Yorkie. The young girl got scared and picked up her dog up. As most puppies do, our bulldog was very excited to see another dog. The young girl dropped her dog and ran away. Our bulldog went to play with the Yorkie and when he did he accidently punctured the little dogs lung. He did not maul the dog! The girl did NOT get bit which she lied about. Her arm was scratch possibly by toe nail or her own dog's studded collar. We took the Yorkie to our vet because the Yorkie owner did not have a vet. The Yorkie was not registered with the city or have any papers etc... As a matter of fact, the owner of the Yorkie did not even want to go to a vet. After the incident, we had agreed to pay the owner 2 thousand dollars immediately out of our own pocket. The next day, we were informed we were getting sued. Long story short, it went to court and the court awarded the Yorkie owner 8 hundred dollars. BUT, we had to find another residence outside the city which is where our Bulldog now lives with another wonderful family and their pets.
Now, for the interesting part. The Yorkie owner was soon evicted from her house along with her live in boyfriend with a possible criminal record!
Our family was devistated with losing our dog as well as the Yorkie owner for losing their dog. We are a gigantic pet loving family and felt awful about the whole incident. SO, for people bad mouthing our family DON'T ALWAYS BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ UNLESS YOU ARE SURE ON THE DETAILS!!!!

[bchgirl]

Originally Posted by jware13

I understand all the uproar about the accidental attack of on the Yorkie but the article was incorrect and did not tell the whole story!! First of all, I was the owner of the Amer. Bulldog. We bought him from a known breeder in the Virginia Beach area. He was a wonderful pet. We had previously owned 2 other dogs (boxer and dalmation) who passed away at the ages of 10 and 13. Both were wonderful loving dogs and obedience trained as was our Amer. B-dog. We are a typical middle-class family that lives in a very nice neighborhood with three children
What the story did not tell was that our 2 young kids did not close the garage door all the way and our 9 month old bulldog squeezed through the door during the afternoon and saw the 13 yr old girl walking her Yorkie. The young girl got scared and picked up her dog up. As most puppies do, our bulldog was very excited to see another dog. The young girl dropped her dog and ran away. Our bulldog went to play with the Yorkie and when he did he accidently punctured the little dogs lung. He did not maul the dog! The girl did NOT get bit which she lied about. Her arm was scratch possibly by toe nail or her own dog's studded collar. We took the Yorkie to our vet because the Yorkie owner did not have a vet. The Yorkie was not registered with the city or have any papers etc... As a matter of fact, the owner of the Yorkie did not even want to go to a vet. After the incident, we had agreed to pay the owner 2 thousand dollars immediately out of our own pocket. The next day, we were informed we were getting sued. Long story short, it went to court and the court awarded the Yorkie owner 8 hundred dollars. BUT, we had to find another residence outside the city which is where our Bulldog now lives with another wonderful family and their pets.
Now, for the interesting part. The Yorkie owner was soon evicted from her house along with her live in boyfriend with a possible criminal record!
Our family was devistated with losing our dog as well as the Yorkie owner for losing their dog. We are a gigantic pet loving family and felt awful about the whole incident. SO, for people bad mouthing our family DON'T ALWAYS BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ UNLESS YOU ARE SURE ON THE DETAILS!!!!

So you witnessed the attack?

[ARCHIE]

How the heck did she know to come to this forum and post?
Happens everytime. It's her first post.

Whatever the story, a dog was killed by another dog. The dog
killed was an innocent one minding it's own business.
I feel for the girl, if she ran she was scared. I am sure she didn't
throw her dog down on purpose to be bitten and killed by the bull
dog! Whatever, you are responsible for your dog and it's actions.
I am glad it's life was spared tho being a puppy but I wouldn't
trust it again, ever. Why was it in the garage and not in the house
or yard? Could it have needed socialization?
One will never know. Sad story all around.

[Jeri Cunningham]

Originally Posted by becasherwood

All in all, no dog is to blame in any case. People can be very irresponsible and don't take time to handle their dogs properly. Like I have said, anyone who blames a dog for it's actions shouldn't have a dog. Sorry for those who lose a pet to accidents like such as this one, that doesn't give you the right to target a specific breed or group of people for that matter. The owner/s and the owner/s solely is the responsible party/s for a dogs' actions.

I agree with this 100%. ANY dog can be trained to obey commands. I had a Rotwiller/ Newfinland mix and at 140 lbs he would never hurt a fly due to training. The owners is responsible for a dog training period.

The poor little girl may never get over what happen and the dogs owner should be charged with crimminal neglect.

[BaxtersMommy]

I have a friend and she had a pit. She treated him like a baby, he went everywhere with her. No one could have been a better owner to him. He was the sweetest thing, he would sleep with her and when I would visit, he was crazy about me and always found his way to my bed. That was before he turned 4 years old. Something snapped in him & he got really aggressive bit a couple family members, so they asked the Vet what to do. They tried a trainer and nothing helped. They put him down because they didnt want him to get out and hurt anyone. They were all heartbroken. They had birthday and christmas presents for this dog. I will never forget how terrible it was. But, they didnt want something like this to happen. I dont think they are bad people for doing what they did. I happen to believe that something can happen with this dogs to make them snap. I know some people disagree, but look at their track record. All these owners can't be ALL bad. If so, its kinda strange that the "bad owners" would mostly own pits/bulldogs. ???


www.healthyhappypets.biz

[jware13]

Originally Posted by ARCHIE

How the heck did she know to come to this forum and post?
Happens everytime. It's her first post.

Whatever the story, a dog was killed by another dog. The dog
killed was an innocent one minding it's own business.
I feel for the girl, if she ran she was scared. I am sure she didn't
throw her dog down on purpose to be bitten and killed by the bull
dog! Whatever, you are responsible for your dog and it's actions.
I am glad it's life was spared tho being a puppy but I wouldn't
trust it again, ever. Why was it in the garage and not in the house
or yard? Could it have needed socialization?
One will never know. Sad story all around.

We were totally reponsible for the accident and we know that. We were very upset about the lies that were told and about how they handled the situation . It was the door that went into the garage that was slightly open as well as the big garage door being open.Yes the dog was socialized. We r not angry at all just frustrated about the lies especially after everything we offered to the owner. We still feel very bad.

[nichole18705]

Hi have a 4.5lb Yorkie and an American Bulldog. I would have never got the American Bulldog if I thought that it would harm my yorkie. The problem does not lie with the breed its with the owners. My bulldog would never just attack another dog. And American Bulldogs are not pitbulls.....lol although I have owned pit bulls who were sweet as pie! Again its the owners who determine how a dog reacts towards other animals. But I am sorry to hear about what happened to this yorkie its a shame and it is so unnecessary My yorkie and American bulldog love each other!

[valeriejsmyth]

I had the same thing happen to me and my yorkie. An American bull dog attacked us because she was not on a leash. I picked her up and held her tight to my chest and turned away from her and she ripped her right out of my arms. She had my dog pinned to the ground with her head in her mouth. Animal control came and took the dog, I had the choice to have her put down. The owner told me I would never see that dog again walking in the neighborhood and I never did. He kept the dog but never walked her where I walked my dogs. The owners are responsible for the actions of their dogs. I am so sorry for the girl and the loss of her dog. Tragedy, really. Mine survived with a couple of puncture wounds. I was lucky. It should be made universal to have a required leash law. It would so prevent tragedies like this from happening.
It's just a matter of RESPECT for one another.

[Oddsock]

I'll be hated for my view but haters are gonna hate.

To me Pitbulls and their type are like owning a Lion. We've seen videos of owners of Lions that cuddle, kiss and are so gentle with their owners. A lot of people will say, ohh one day that Lion could kill that owner, if they aren't careful and they'd be right. Their owners would say, we have to know our Lion and be careful but he/she wouldn't kill us. That's their choice to have a lion, they shouldn't ever expose anyone else to their lion and put others in danger.
That's how I see Pit-bulls, most are probably great dogs...but if one decides for whatever reason (even if it's not it's fault, bad training etc..) it's going to kill you, then it's very likely you are going to be badly hurt if not killed.
If a Yorkie decides it's going to kill you.........

Personally I don't think anyone should have an animal in their home they can't control, if it's decides to attack. A lot of large dogs, can be controlled, their mouths can be pried open. A pitbull and some similar types have a jaw that once it locks, you can't remove it, till it lets you.
There is a big difference between a german shepherd (and similar big dogs) attack and a pit bull. Both can be softies, loveable, well trained. I'd rather be attacked by a german shepherd than a pit bull. The power of a pit bull is too great. Their breeding needs to be controlled and owners need to be licensed, the way a lion owner would be.
I get tired of hearing how someone has or knows of someone who has one and it's wonderful and a softy. They problem is when the breed is owned by a twit. The world is full of twits.