7 Pit Bulls Kill Central Fla. Woman

[Wonk]

Dog's Owner Finds 82-Year-Old Under Biting Dogs

CITRA, Fla. -- Seven pit bulls escaped from their owner's home in Ocala, Fla., Friday night and mauled an 82-year-old neighbor to death, according to Local 6 News.

(snip)

The dogs were seized by county animal control officials. Freeman, who was not immediately charged with a crime, said he told county officers to destroy the dogs.

(snip)

Freeman said his dogs have only escaped from the house once before but neighbors disagree.

"I told him if those dogs get out, some of those kids, they'll kill them," a neighbor told Local 6 News. "He just would not listen," he added.

more...
http://www.local6.com/news/2703554/detail.html

[Lorien]

1. Sad

I live in central Florida, and never, NEVER has animal control showed up when called over a loose an aggresive dog. One year I called daily over a mastiff mix that was hanging out in my backyard and chasing my cat, but I never got any help from animal control. The problem is both in county services and with these selfish, uncaring owners!

[DoctorMyEyes]

2. There was a similar story about a week ago

with a pack of pit bulls terrorizing a neighborhood and killing a woman in her 40's before attacking another neighbor and the son shot the dogs.

And still another story a few days ago of an 18 year old who planned to drown his pit bull that was too old to fight any longer accidentally falling into the well and drowning. (along with his father who tried to rescue him)


I don't have anything against this breed of dog - they are what they are - but I do have something against so many dumb assed people owning them. An asshole with a labrador is not a danger to his community.

I wish we would regulate ownership and breeding of pit bulls. I think people should have to go through a screening or aptitude test, take training, be certified, and then have to take an obedience class with the dog. Plus they shouldn't be allowed (legally) to sell or give the dog away without a new owner going through the same damn process.

[reprobate]

3. It's time we considered the British model.

IIRC in england there is a classification of dogs as dangerous. Don't remember the terminology, but it means that certain breeds are in fact banned from the country. The pit bull is banned and cannot be imported.

It's time that americans realized that the life of a citizen is more important than the property rights of a dog owner. And that dog owner should be charged with at least criminal negligence.

[einbert]

5. ...

I think he should be charged with at least manslaughter, maybe homicide. Why is this case any different than when a drunk driver kills an innocent motorists or when a stupid hunter shoots a seven year old boy while not following gun safety rules?

Remember the huge hyped up case in which a woman killed a person by causing him to plow through the windshield of her car, then leaving him there to die a slow, painful death because she was on all kinds of drugs? She got 20 years in prison. Why should this guy get any less than that? I'm sure being mauled by a family of pit bulls is an incredibly painful way to die.

[rocktivity]

11. Welcome to DU, Einbert!

:hi: :hug: :hi:


rocknation

[teach1st]

12. When pit bulls are outlawed....

...only outlaws will have pit bulls.

First they came for pit bulls and I didn't speak out, because I didn't have a pit bull. Then they came for the labradors and setters, but I didn't have either. Finally, they came for the shih tzus and there was no one left to bark out for me.

Oh, sure, the "government" will love it when all we have are cats and gerbils with which to defend ourselves from their vicious German shepards. Licensing of dogs is the first step in the "One World", humanistic plot to declaw our citizenry. The Constitution specifically gives us the right to bear arms, and any fool can see that our founding fathers meant us to keep dog paws as well as bears.

If they want my poodle, they're going to have to pry her leash from my cold, dead fingers. Never again!

[Kellanved]

17. I take offense

The comparison you draw doesn't exist. Comparing regulations concerning dogs to the holocaust is among the sickest things I've ever seen, even if it's in jest. Please stop doing so in the future.

[teach1st]

19. Actually, my concern about my post...

..was that the jesting might be inappropriate within the context of a story having to do with a gruesome and totally preventable death.

I did not intend to refer to the Holocaust at all and certainly apologize for that you were offended. I was imagining a reactionary response to the idea of registering dogs and modeled it after some arguments I hear against registering firearms.

[lastliberalintexas]

52. Yes but

the poem you are paraphrasing was actually written by a German cleric about the Holocaust.

They came for the Communists, and I
didn't object - For I wasn't a Communist;
They came for the Socialists, and I
didn't object - For I wasn't a Socialist;
They came for the labor leaders, and I
didn't object - For I wasn't a labor leader;
They came for the Jews, and I didn't
object - For I wasn't a Jew;
Then they came for me -
And there was no one left to object.

Martin Niemoller, German Protestant Pastor, 1892-1984

http://www.remember.org/witness/links.let.niem.html


I don't think you meant offense at all. I just wanted you to understand why some people might take that post the wrong way.

[Occulus]

37. A thicker skin

is needed above. Can someone send one?

[ajacobson]

23. Pitbulls are retricted in Detroit

and there are uncountable number of them. We need more public education!

On a related note-
Fortunately, after years and years of lobbying, the Michigan Humane Society are finally getting cooperation from the Detroit police department in cracking down on dog fighting. Dog fighting is closely related to street gangs and illegal gambling. There is a dog fighting task force and it is starting to have an impact.

[R Hickey]

46. When pitbulls are outlawed...

I bet the person who didn't like "Teach1st's" post, probably owns some sort of Peikanese doggy, that continuously barks and jumps circles, nipping at your ankles.

The only good thing about Pit Bulls that I can think of, is that they seem to give religion to door-to-door bible thumpers.

[Voltaire99]

14. People...more "important"...than property rights?

Heresy, sir, heresy.

Why, by the Gnostic eye upon each greenback, I declare you've got some nerve preaching these seditious ideas. ;-)

[DemExpat]

16. Holland's model too.....I'm much more comfortable walking

in the parks and on the beaches here now that pit bulls have been banned. (Along with a few other similar breeds)

The only pitbulls I used to see here were owned by people who looked like they had them only for intimidation purposes....a power trip to look macho...
They'd have those spiked collars and harnasses on the dogs - like SM gear or something.....:eyes:

The frequent reports of children, innocent victims, and other pets being attacked by these dogs are thankfully non-existant now.

And I know that pit bulls can be wonderful, sweet dogs.

DemEx

[KaraokeKarlton]

32. Actually, those collars and harnesses are not always to look tough

Pits are VERY strong and can chew through a normal collar or harness in a few minutes. They have to be sturdy, and often the only sturdy ones you can find have that kind of look to them. There are plenty of people who get a pitbull just because they want to look tough, though. You really shouldn't judge on the collars and harnesses, though.

[Gore1FL]

41. Pit Bulls get a bad deal

There are violent dogs. Some of them are dangerous. Not all Pit bulls fall into that category.

My dog is part pit bull, and he is as gentle and good wioth people as they come.

It is the owner more than the dog.

[RebelOne]

45. I agree, it is the owner. There are no bad dogs, only bad owners.

I have had pit bulls, and mine were sweethearts. Now I am a Rottweiler owner, and I wouldn't have any other breed.

[reknewcomer]

4. Destroy the dogs, fine and lock up their owner.

There is NO excuse to keep and unleash killer dogs on innocents.

[Rowdyboy]

6. For this woman to have survived 82 years,

The Depression, World War II and everything since, only to be torn to death by vicious, killing machines sickens me. Pit bulls were bred to be canine gladiators-to fight to victory or the death. They do not belong oin society. I don't care how "trained" the one you know is, they're untrainable. Dynamite, waiting to explode at any provocation.

I love dogs, but pitt bulls should be destroyed.

[ozone_man]

10. I agree.

These dogs are killing machines. I'm not too fond of some of the other attack dog breeds, but these seem to be the worst.

[Gore1FL]

42. You are wrong --

Dogs are as good/bad as they are trained to be. Pit Bulls are excitable -- that is their trait -- excitability can lead to violence. It can also lead to playing harder, running more, etc.

The only time my Part-PB touches his teeth to my skin is when we are playing tug-of-war and he tries to get a better grip. If he gets my fingers he lets me pul;l them out w/o injury.

Blaming a breed of Dogs for their owner's ineptness is unreasonable.

Sure Pit Bulls make fine fighting dgos because of their excitability. Their excitability doesn;t make them inherently dangeours or violent.

By the logic you presnet, I can make this argument.

Most accidents happen in Sports Cars. Therefore if we ban sports cars, there will be less accidents.

Clearly that example is full of fallacy. The bad drivers would simply buy other cars to abuse.

If you utilize genocide to rid the world of one breed of dog, the people who fight dogs will simply find another breed. The people who want a tough looking dog (but not one to love as a pet) will simply find another breed.

[FlaGranny]

48. Something just occurred to me.

Why are we so hung up on "breeds." Dogs are dogs. Many pit bulls are probably sweet. Many dog owners, though, are not so smart. Even if they don't want a pit bull to fight and/or kill, they don't know how to train such an animal. How many dogs of all breeds have we seen without good training? A poorly trained dog is a nuisance, but not necessarily dangerous. There are a handful of dogs, though, that are bred to be aggressive. When one of these dogs gets an owner who doesn't know how to handle it, trouble is sure to follow. The only reason I can think of for breeding big aggressive animals is that it somehow makes the breeder/buyer feel important or tough to have such an animal. I know I'll make some of you angry, but I think, for many owners, it is the same mentality that makes someone go out and buy a Hummer - a desire to be feared and feel important and respected.

[JPace]

7. Pit bull attack here in Asheville, NC...

http://cgi.citizen-times.com/cgi-bin/story/news/46599

todays story is an update on a little boy and his mom
that was attacked two months ago. The pit bull bit off
the child's mouth and part of his nose. It damaged the
mom's breast so bad it had to be removed.
There have since been laws passed to leash all dogs
off your property and now mandatory sterilization unless
you buy a special permit for breeding.

Pit bulls can be dangerous dogs.

[rocktivity]

13. My niece showed me a pic of her new puppy

I joked that it looked a little like a pit bull, and she said it was a pit bull/lab mix. Oh, and did I mention she has a two-month old son?


rocknation

[Cheswick2.0]

15. If I were you I would take the dog and refuse to give it back

for the sake of that baby. Pitbulls aren't evil, they don't have to be abused or trained to be violent. It is in their nature and they can't help it. People always say "oh my dog is so affectionate and sweet. He would never hurt anyone". ............ until he sees a small or helpless person and rips it's face off. It is what they are bread for. It is their instinct.

[alphafemale]

20. The problem is in their extreme jaw strength. They can deflate auto tires.

A bite from a bit bull does not result in the puncture wounds seen in a typical dog bite but a chunk of flesh being ripped out.

No way that should be around children.

[KaraokeKarlton]

34. You're only half right Cheswick

Pitbulls' "gameness" that you're referring to applies only to other animals, especially livestock, but other animals too. It's NOT in a pitbulls nature to be aggressive towards people. Of all pitbulls, the ones with the most prominent "gameness" are the red noses. (Pits with a reddish nose)

If a pitbull puppy is raised around kids there is nothing to worry about as long as the owner is responsible and takes the time to understand what the dog needs. That's not the case if you get an adult pitbull and bring it into a home with kids. It depends on the dog's previous experience with kids. The last pitbull I had I got as an adult. She took to my youngest son as if he was her puppy. She stuck to him like glue. My youngest was 4 months old and the dog started to show some signs of jealousy towards the baby, trying to get in between her and I and little things like that. I got rid of her because I just felt like she wasn't stable around little children. An experienced owner can spot potential problems before they happen and will do things to make sure they don't become a problem. If you do it right, pitbulls are the best dogs you could ever own.

[KaraokeKarlton]

33. It will be fine since it's a puppy

But she needs to know how to take care of the dog. I had a pit/lab mix before too. She was a total pain. She was the weirdest dog I ever had. Great with the kids, very affectionate, not rough or aggressive at all. I had chickens at the time and she killed every damn one of them. She wasn't aggressive towards any other animals, though. In fact, our neighbor's cat had kittens outside and wouldn't take care of them. That dumb damn dog carried all the kittens into the house in her bed and let them nurse on her! Funniest thing I ever saw.

[DemVet]

8. ...and my neighbor wonders why...

...I have my 4 year old come in when his pit bull is out on only a thin leash.

[bluestateguy]

9. Charge the owner with murder, and off with the dogs' heads!

any questions?

[hippiechick]

18. SEVEN Pit Bulls ?

:wtf: WTF is one person doing with SEVEN pit bulls ??

I think they should turn them loose on HIM as punishment.
Jail's too good.


:hippie:

[LiberalFighter]

22. Our city council passed an ordinance regarding pets.

Not more than 5 dogs.
Hybrid wolfs are also banned but they are considering modifying that for current owners.
All exotic pets that are generally considered dangerous are also banned in the city.

Don't believe they have anything regarding pit-bulls.

[KaraokeKarlton]

35. Probably fighting them, unfortunately

That's one of the things that give the dogs such a bad name. People who fight pitbulls will half starve them, feed them speed and abuse and neglect them. Those are the things that will make a pitbull aggressive towards people. It's not in their nature to be mean. That's something caused by a bad owner.

[RamboLiberal]

21. What I'm sick of is the stupid 'fad' to own these dogs

and their dumbass want to be macho owners. I'm sick of reading the tragedies this breed in particular and some others have caused to innocent children and adults.

But I don't blame the breed in particular.

I don't know the answer. First I'd love to see this stupid fad go away. I personally live in a poor to lower middle-class neighborhood. Unfortunately in our particular area a lot of these poor dogs are bred for illicit dog-fighting. It's heartbreaking seeing some of the stories of the abuse the dogs go through.

Then we have the idiots who want to own these dogs as some kind of macho image. Here in my neighborhood it's both adults and young teens, mostly young male teens. I don't have a clue what the hell is in their idiot parents heads. I know I'm swearing under my breath every time I see these young men swaggering around the neighborhood with their 'macho' dogs. And when I walk my mutt I make sure I've strapped on my pistol and have a big pepper spray on me.

I don't have anything against the breed. I think there are some responsible owners. In fact I have a neighbor 2 doors down who raises pit bulls and I hardly know they are there. They are no threat to anyone.

But we do have too many people who raise pit bulls, rottweilers, or whatever the hot "macho" breed is and then have inadequate security to contain these animals or even let them run loose. It happens in just about all neighborhoods these days.

I'd have no problem with anyone wanting these animals to have to go through classes, be licensed, have to prove all their dogs be good citizens, etc. Maybe we could pay the humane society trainers to do this work. Be a good way to help provide extra money to shelters.

Unfortunately these idiots also cost the reponsible dog owner. I know when I was changing home insurance I ran in to a couple of companies who wanted to charge me more money cause I have a shepherd husky mix even though my dog is in a 5 foot high fenced in yard, never goes out off leash, and is a sweetheart.

Wish we could outlaw idiot owners. It breaks my heart to read of people killed and horribly maimed by idiots like this case in Florida, the recent case in Colorado, the idiot lawyers in San Francisco whose neighbor Diane Whipple was killed, the youngster last year in Oakland, the woman jogging in a park in Chicago earlier this year, the child last month in NYC, the mother and son in North Carolina who now have $60,000 in medical bills and lifelong scars, etc.

I don't know if outright bans are the answer, but certainly I'd like to see more funding in controlling the problem. And the money should be coming from those who want to own these breeds. And yes, big time jail time if your dog horribly injures or kills someone.

And law enforcement need to take these cases as seriously as someone owning illegal guns. Time after time in these cases you read that neighbors had made repeated complaints, but nothing was done.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[reknewcomer]

25. Mad dogs are much worse than "illegal" guns

I've never heard of an "illegal" gun attacking any person, place or thing. Dogs on the other hand have a mind of their own and I agree that if they are a threat they should be kept in a lockbox of not breed at all.

[Cheswick2.0]

26. no , it really is the breed that is dangerous

None of them are ever dangerous....untill they are. The problem is not bad owners, that is a myth. If it was bad owners and bad training you wouldn't keep hearing stories about the family pet who everyone adored ripping the face off of a three year old.
They have been bred for hundreds of years to be killing machine. It is in their blood. When one attacks it is not because it is a bad dog, it is because of instinct.

Why not ban them? There are so many breeds of dog to choose from, why keep these things around?

[RamboLiberal]

27. I still think it's not specifically a breed problem

Most dogs are not safe with small children unless supervised.

Actually I've listened to a lot of dog experts who work with pit bulls, and they say the breed is more aggressive to other dogs than to humans. If these dogs were bred by responsible breeders who would not breed the aggressive ones and bred out the meaness I don't think there'd be problems. But what we have is a lot of irresponsible backyard breeders who are breeding for agressiveness and in a lot of neighborhoods (urban and rural) a lot of underground dogfighting where big and small money betting still occurs.

I've read of children severely mauled as well by Rottweilers, German Shepherds and other breeds. My neighbor was bitten severely as a child by a German Shepherd. I have another neighbor who had a collie who was not vicious to kids but just tore in to neighbor dogs including my own when I was young and tore my dogs chest open severely (my dog lived). The same neighbor has had several Alaskan Malamutes, 2 have been big teddy bears, 2 have been vicious b*stards. I knew a St. Bernard in my neighborhood who was mean.

I'm not for breed bans, cause if you ban one breed I think the macho owners will soon be breeding the next vicious breed be they Rottys, Presa Canarios, or some mix.

I would back reasonable limits on number of dogs allowed to be owned, sterilization, and licenses to breed dogs with checks by Humane societys.

Anyone here ever watch Animal Cops on Animal Planet? And I thought Emergency Vets was hard to watch. I get sickened by what people do to animals. Glad to see law enforcement go after these scum of the earth.

From the web:
The Centers for Disease Control study dog bite incidents, including the types of dogs most likely to bite. The breeds that the CDC considers highest risk are pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Doberman pinschers, chows, Great Danes, St. Bernards and Akitas.

Although pit bull mixes and Rottweillers are most likely to kill and seriously maim, fatal attacks since 1975 have been attributed to dogs from at least 30 breeds.

The most horrifying example of the lack of breed predictibility is the October 2000 death of a 6-week-old baby, which was killed by her family's Pomeranian dog. The average weight of a Pomeranian is about 4 pounds, and they are not thought of as a dangerous breed. Note, however, that they were bred to be watchdogs! The baby's uncle left the infant and the dog on a bed while the uncle prepared her bottle in the kitchen. Upon his return, the dog was mauling the baby, who died shortly afterwards. ("Baby Girl Killed by Family Dog," Los Angeles Times, Monday, October 9, 2000, Home Edition, Metro Section, Page B-5.)

In all fairness, therefore, it must be noted that:
Any dog, treated harshly or trained to attack, may bite a person. Any dog can be turned into a dangerous dog. The owner most often is responsible -- not the breed, and not the dog.

An irresponsible owner or dog handler might create a situation that places another person in danger by a dog, without the dog itself being dangerous, as in the case of the Pomeranian that killed the infant (see above).

Any individual dog may be a good, loving pet, even though its breed is considered to be likely to bite. A responsible owner can win the love and respect of a dog, no matter its breed. One cannot look at an individual dog, recognize its breed, and then state whether or not it is going to attack.

http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html#Thedogsmostlikelytobite

[Cheswick2.0]

29. I used to breed, raise and show dogs

specific breeds have specific ingrained behaviors. Our collies were herders. Never having seen a single sheep or received any training, they never the less would herd my brothers and all of us children when we were all outside. It was amazing to watch them try to round us all up and keep us together. They also had a protective instinct that would cause them to stay between my brothers as babies and anyone except my mother.
You can find all the single stories about different dogs that have killed. Sure, that happens on occasion. But pitt bulls are bred to kill other dogs and small animals. It's what they do.

[Gore1FL]

44. It is excitabilty -- not killing

You hear about Pit Bulls, because that is what they report. a Pit Bull is news. A poodle is not.

They wer enot bred to kill other dogs. They were chosen by dog fighters for their excitabilty trait.

That is a big difference.

And by the way -- put any dog witha small animal and they'll likely hunt it. The instinct to eat and hunt is trait of all dogs.

[xchrom]

47. huskies?!?!

i've never met a husky who cared enough about anything to bite it -- except a cookie.
i've also never met a mean dog who had a good owner -- regardless of breed. and i've known a lot of dogs -- and yes i've been bitten -- just not by any on the ''list''.

[ConsAreLiars]

30. Lucy the Gentle Pit Bull

It is a fallacy to think that breed/genetics and environment do not interact. This particular dog, rescued from the streets and ID'd by the vet as an American Staffordshire Terrier (a pit bull variant), and recognized on the street as a fearsome "brindle," will not bite - period. Not when food was taken from her mouth as a puppy or adult or even when attacked by an actually vicious dog. Classifying the whole breed, especially when good numbers of them are trained to be aggressive, as dangerous is no more reasonable than typecasting asians as studious or whites as venal or blacks as musical. For those interested there's a nice FAQ on the history of the breed that begins with part one here: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/dogs-faq/breeds/apbt/part1/

This dog, this Lucy, is the smartest, most gentle and sensitive dog I have ever known. She has worked with mentally ill and occasionally assaultive residents in a facility providing transitional housing for ths city's homeless population, and made a difference. She has powerful jaws and neck muscles - a stick that is less than 3-4 inches in diameter and a few feet long isn't worth much, but when she discovers that we are driving toward an especially favored destination I get not only a lick but a canine bite in the right nostril than is no more dangerous than a kiss.

To condemn a whole breed because some are trained to be agressive makes no more sense than condemning all humans because some are murderous. Even less.

[KaraokeKarlton]

36. It's not their instinct to go after people

It IS their instinct to go after other animals. In every case of a pitbull hurting someone that I've ever heard about, I could always point out exactly what the owner did wrong. That's not saying the owner intentionally did something wrong. Often times it's a case of the owner no knowing the proper care a pitbull requires. If you have the knowledge, do things properly and know what signs to look for that could indicate a problem developing you won't have any problems at all.

[Kinkistyle]

40. Er.. Humans are animals too.

Dogs are bred from wolves, these lupine instincts tend to resurface when dogs are allowed to roam in packs, because they're alpha-male-figure which should be a person, gets replaced by another dog. ]

Like most predators, they will go after easy kills, like an old sickly deer, or a little old lady. Humans are animals too, just really smart animals.

[KaraokeKarlton]

54. In a pack, any breed of dog will behave that way

pitbull or poodle, it doesn't matter.

I'm talking about the pitbull breed itself. It has never been in a pitbull's nature to be aggressive towards people. The only way they will become aggressive towards people is if the owner is doing something wrong, intentionally or not. The most common mistake pitbull owners make is tying the dog out or restraining them when people come around. These dogs NEED to be socialized with people and other dogs early and often. If a pit is tied up or kept away from visitors the owner is basically treating them like a watch dog and encouraging them to be territorial. Not good with this breed.

[Corgigal]

28. Chows

are the mostly like dog to bite however I'm sure Pit Bulls are the most like to kill. I've read that Pit Bulls can just "click" on and they become a more violent animal. Again as mentioned before it depends on the breeding. However when you or I am walking down the street we don't know which dogs "clicked" on by sight.

Edit:spelling

[KaraokeKarlton]

31. I hate irresponsible Pitbull owners

I have owned several Pitbulls and they are great dogs that are NOT normally aggressive towards people, but DO tend to be aggressive towards other animals. These really are great dogs, but no one should own them who isn't VERY knowledgeable about the breed. In fact, it should be mandatory that anyone who wants to own a pitbull should have to take a special training course. These dogs require more responsibility and care than any other breed. They are so strong and can get loose under circumstances other breeds can't. Here are some guidelines on Pitbull care that anyone who owns one should follow if you don't want your dog to get into trouble. It's YOUR job and responsibility to keep your dog out of trouble.

1) Don't EVER use a pitbull as a guard or watch dog. They WILL NOT be friendly to anyone or anything if you do this.

2) Don't put your pitbull outside unattended. It doesn't matter if you have a 6 foot fence or tie them up. They will eventually get loose and get into trouble. If you are going to tie your pitbull outside at all you NEED to consult someone knowledgeable of the breed to find out exactly what you need to secure your dog. Even then, DON'T leave home and leave the dog out.

3) If you have other pets in the house, especially other dogs you NEED to crate your pitbull to prevent them from fighting. A pitbull that gets into a dog fight WILL kill the other dog if there is no one there to break up the fight. Have a breakstick on hand to release any bites. Pit bulls get hold with one bite and shake, so you have to be able to pry open their jaws if they bite.

4) ALWAYS use a leash when walking your pitbull. ALWAYS.

5) Make sure your pitbull gets plenty of exercise and play time. They need it.

6) Obedience classes are a MUST.

7) DON'T HIT ANYONE IN FROMT OF YOUR PITBULL. Don't spank a child or act aggressive towards another person. Pitbulls are loyal and protective. If you spank your child and the dog is closest to your child, you are likely to get bitten. If the dog is closes to you and you spank your child, your child is likely to get bit.

8) If your pitbull EVER gets a taste of blood from biting someone or fighting with another dog/animal...you may as well put it to sleep because it will become aggressive after that and eventually be likely to become unmanageable.

With all this being said, Pitbulls are GREAT dogs...IF you are willing to be a good, responsible pitbull owner. They are great with kids, too...but with younger children you should only get a puppy pitbull so they grow up used to the kids.

It really upsets me when I hear stories like the one posted here. In every case where a pitbull has killed someone that I have read about I have been able to pinpoint exactly what the owner did wrong. In this case, the owner SHOULD have had those dogs individually crated in his absence. They should not have been tied out or in a fenced in yard. They WILL get over or under a fence eventually. That many pitbulls unsupervised in a fenced in yard will either fight with each other or find something to fight with. Clearly the man wasn't even responsible enough to own ONE pitbull, let alone that many.

Try not to blame the breed...blame BAD owners.

[Cheswick2.0]

50. no they don't sound dangerous at all...lol

come on, look at all the precations you had to take. And no you can't pin point what the owners did wrong. What they did wrong was own a dog whos natural instinct is too kill small animals...which by the way includes human children.

[KaraokeKarlton]

56. The precautions are not always necessary, but a good idea

Once you get in the habit of following them it's very easy to do. Yes, a person who understands the breed can always point to what the owner did wrong. In the case cited the owner either tied these dogs outside and left them or he left them in a fenced yard untied. Doing either of these things is just asking for the dogs to get loose and get into trouble.

Pitbulls don't have the natural instinct to kill small animals. They have a natural instinct to bait bulls or large livestock. Pitbulls that go after small animals are actually "playing", and if the owner is making sure the dog has enough play time and exercise it won't typically go after small animals. Pitbulls are very rough and play hard. They need to do this and owners have to make sure they get that exercise and playtime.

No one should get a pitbull if they aren't willing to do the things I outlined. They are my favorite breed of dog, the smartest, most loyal and the best with kids, in my experience. But they are a lot of work to make and keep that way. The effort is definitely worth it because they really are great dogs. But again, no one should own one unless they are prepared to care for them properly. My kids and I have had 5 different pitbulls. None of them ever bit a person. One of them bit a copperhead snake and could have saved my ex husband's life because he would have stepped on it and we were out on an Island about 45 minutes from the boat landing on Lake Lanier in Georgia and another 45 minutes to the nearest hospital. Another one did accidentally break my son's arm, but only because she was running to catch up with him on loose crushed shells and couldn't stop and ended up crashing into him and sending him about 6 feet into the air. When he hit the ground she laid beside him, rested her head beside his and a tear actually came out of her eye and ran down her face. They're great dogs for very responsible and well informed owners. They're a bad choice for anyone else.

[lebkuchen]

38. What is it about America's love of possessing things that kill?

Dogs in Germany are so well trained, that they can be brought into restaurants. There is a law against possessing pitbulls, rotweilers, and other dogs of equal temperament unless strict standards have been met.

Most German dog owners have small (and docile) dogs, all leashed.

[slackmaster]

51. A lot of dogs in the US are trained well enough to go to a restaurant

However most states prohibit dogs in eating establishments, with an exception for guide dogs for blind people.

I think the main reason you hear about more far-out crap coming out of the USA than from most other countries is simply that the US is much bigger than most other countries. Our bell curves are all taller and therefore the ends are farther from the norm.

[BiggJawn]

39. This is almost ludicrous.

"Po' widdle dawgs can't help that they're owned by morans who can't restrain them from their nature"

But we're supposed to be DEATH on GUNS, aren't we? I mean, "Guns KILL people!" I need a license and a set of my fingerprints on file to carry a handgun in public, but as long as I have a current dog tax and rabies tag, I can walk my 4-legged killing machine down the street on a piece of string.

Kill the god-damn animals. They have no useful purpose, and the cost to society FAR outweighs any benefit. The Brits have the right idea concerning pit bulls.

[Gore1FL]

43. Great logic

An I suppose since Roy was attracked by a tiger we shoudl kill all tigers? Only White Tigers? Maybe we should just kill all cats.

How about People? should we kill the whole human race because some murder others? Perhaps we should restrict it to certain races?

I am sorry, but genocide against people or animals is just fucking sick.

[FlaGranny]

49. Tigers should be well regulated and

only professionals should be allowed to keep them.

But pit bulls are just a type of dog. If there were no pit bulls there would still be dogs, but, I still don't believe we should destroy all pit bulls. I believe potentially dangerous animials of all kinds should be regulated and handled only by professionals.

I believe animals that have the potential to kill should be closely regulated. All dog breeds can bite, but most of them have little inclination to kill. I've seen very bad dog bites, especially by german shepherds, but you almost never hear of someone being killed by german shepherds, not that it can't happen.

Edit: added a few words to end.

[slackmaster]

53. Any animal bite has the potential to result in death of the bitee

From bacterial infections or worse, e.g. rabies.

One of my pet cats bit my finger several years ago. It got badly infected very quickly. I spent two days in the hospital then 10 more on intravenous antibiotics at home.

Without prompt medical treatment I very well could have died.

[FlaGranny]

55. Maybe so, but did you know

that the most dangerous bite of all is a human bite?

My husband just had cellulitis in his leg from a small abrasion on his shin. It also could have killed him without prompt medical treatment. I'll bet your cat didn't set out to kill you, either, but just to teach you a lesson. ;-)