Pit bull vs Bear

[uppityperson]

Poll question: Pit bull vs Bear

If it kills a person, should it be killed? Why?

[baldguy]

1. Yes, and yes.

But the death sentence shouldn't be extended to all Pit Bulls and all bears, as some would wish. And comparing a domesticated animal to a wild one is mixing apples & oranges. The dog must be []trained - by a human - to view other humans as a threat, while the bear does so naturally. The breed of animal shouldn't even be singled out. If an individual animal proves to be dangerous, then that individual should be dealt with.

[TorchTheWitch]

6. huh?

Dogs view humans as a threat instinctively... they certainly don't require training to be threatening to people. They're animals, and all animals instinctively attack to protect themselves and what they percieve as their family. Dogs are preditors that can integrate so well with humans because they can be trained NOT to see humans generally as a threat.

ANY animal (including humans) will attack under certain circumstances... even those loving pets who have never harmed anyone ever and has always been friendly to everyone. No animal attacks for no reason even though that reason may not be clear to those people that don't understand normal animal behavior. Animals only attack when they percieve a threat to themselves, their family, their food or their territory unless they are the more rare species that percieves humans as food.

I don't believe any dog should be put down if it attacks because with dogs even the worst behavior can be changed as long as there is someone capable and knowledgeable enough to do it and can put the time into it. When we integrate dogs with humans we take on the responsibility of their behavior, and that means never allowing the dog to percieve themselves as the pack leader... dogs always look to the dog or human they percieve as the pack leader for permission to do anything. They will also protect their leader and anyone else in their percieved pack from what they percieve as a threat if the leader can't or won't protect themselves and the other pack members.

Dogs are able to integrate with humans so well because of their natural adaptability as well as the similar pack structure they have with humans which is why their behavior can be changed as long as the dog is taught that they are not the pack leader. Dogs are natural born followers, but unlike humans will not follow an unstable leader and will put themselves in the position of leader when they percieve nobody else is stepping up to that plate because the survival of the pack depends on having a stable leader.

Bears are not able to be integrated as well with humans because they don't have a similar pack structure and lack a similar adaptability. They are wild preditors totally unsuited to integrate with humans. I don't believe a bear that attacks should be killed either as long as they can be relocated to an area where there would no longer be a threat to people like a bear sanctuary, but I'd rather see a bear mercifully put down then spend the rest of it's life in a zoo that doesn't have a large and comfortable atmosphere for the bear to be able to live like a normal bear life.

[undeterred]

2. I thought you were going to ask which I'd rather be bitten by.

Bear, please.

[flvegan]

3. Depends on the circumstances.

I'm not going to broad brush that any human death should result in the subsequent execution of the animal that caused it. Example (and I have several pit bulls)...some shitwit crim breaks into my house willing to do me/mine harm and he gets himself demised by my dogs protecting their home and owner, those dogs are getting steak dinners not a date with death.

[xchrom]

4. I don't have a 'people first' hysterical agenda.

Everything depends on the circumstance.

And on principal I am anti-capital punishment
For humans -- exercising some of that
For animals doesn't seem unreasonable.

[petronius]

5. If the kill was clumsy or inartistic then the animal should certainly be punished

On the other hand, if the kill is particularly well done, in the judgment of the audience of other animals, then the bear or dog should be awarded an ear (or ears) and tail of the person. Likewise, if the person puts up a particularly noble fight, then the other animals should call for a vuelta, in which the human is dragged once around the ring to an ovation...

In other words, it really depends on the circumstances. :)