My wife and I have a certain policy when it comes to domestic animals. It’s a bit of a bewildering and unexpected rule, but here it is: we will never have a pet that could potentially devour and destroy our kids, us, or even the neighbors.
Crazy, right?
I don’t know what it is about us, but we’ve just got this bias against beasts that could wake up on the wrong side of the kennel and suddenly decide to send one of us to the ICU.
If we’re at an animal shelter looking to adopt, our calculations will go something like this: Animal X, even at his angriest, probably wouldn’t and couldn’t kill the children, while Animal Y could and might. Therefore, we will choose Animal X, or no animal at all.
This is the sort of radical philosophy common among those of us in the “people are more important than animals” school of thought.
And it would seem that our school is quickly losing members.
Indeed, here we are in these days of self destruction. We spay and neuter ourselves, terminate our offspring in the womb, and lament the phantom crisis of human ‘overpopulation.’ It is, tragically, not hyperbole to say that we are the first generation of humans to actually hate humanity itself.
Exhibit A: this story.
Thousands of people around the nation are rallying to save the life of a pit bull in Arizona, after it mauled and nearly killed a 4-year-old boy. While few have come to the aid of the now disfigured boy, Kevin, over 45,000 people have signed a petition to save the man-eating pit bull, Mickey.
In fairness to Mickey, as many of his fans have pointed out, the boy did try to take his bone.
Also, he’s pretty cute. Look:
According to some deranged souls, that photo is enough to make up for this one:
Little Kevin has to eat and breathe through a tube now. His eye is patched up, and there are scars and holes all over his neck and face. He will require months of reconstructive surgeries — surgeries that will cost much more than the 5 or 6 thousand bucks donated from a few good Samaritans.
In an utterly psychotic twist, pit bull lovers have pitched in just about the same amount of money for the dog’s legal defense.
As if it isn’t bad enough that we live in a society that’s forced me to write the phrase ‘the dog’s legal defense,’ it gets worse: Kevin, now suffering from a broken jawbone, fractured eye socket, and broken cheek bone, is not this cute canine’s first victim. Apparently, Mickey killed a smaller dog about a year ago.
If you’re keeping track, that’s one dead dog, one permanently disfigured child, and thousands of maniacs who’d like to keep the mutt responsible for it alive.
You also have pit bull supporters, like Tami from Louisville, saying things like this:
“You people are quick to blame the dog… dogs take up for themselves. If anyone hits a dog…. they deserve to get bit. The boy took his bone. You people weren’t there and need to shut up!!! Pitbulls are not monsters!!!”
And this one, from Theresa in Kansas:
“Sad for the kid, but he should have stayed in his own yard. Period. Save the dog, train the mother how to do her job.”
Make no mistake, you don’t insinuate that a 4-year-old deserves to be gnawed on by a pit bull because you “love animals.” You say these things because you have a depraved indifference towards human life.
It’s one thing to love animals and people, and to put that love in its proper order and context. It’s another to love animals over people. The former is virtuous and admirable, the latter is evil and cowardly.
For my part, I have nothing personal against the pit bull. That said, if Kevin was my child, I’d have already euthanized Mickey with the nearest available blunt object. This dog needs to die, and it is unfathomable that we even need to have this conversation.
I have no anger for the dog itself. It’s a dog. It’s acting instinctively — it has no malicious intentions. Animals are not capable of malice, but some are still capable of biting a child’s face off, which is why we shouldn’t be keeping them as pets.
Nobody is suggesting that the animal be killed out of vengeance or retaliation. We are saying that an animal is a menace and a danger if it can and will brutalize a human being for taking its bone.
Sure, the dog is a strong, aggressive, territorial animal. It’s just doing what strong, aggressive, territorial animals do.
I understand. I even sympathize.
But my sympathy won’t help the next kid when he’s getting chewed on by this beast.
What will help is our collective understanding of this one truth:
Pit bulls ARE dangerous.
Sorry, pit bull owners. No amount of impassioned advocacy can erase the fact that pit bulls are fierce animals capable of inflicting fatal damage on innocent people. I don’t think we should pass laws banning pit bulls. That said, I also don’t quite understand why we aren’t allowed to smoke cigarettes anywhere anymore, but you can still bring a pit bull out in public in most towns.
Pit bull apologists will throw out irrelevant statistics about how poodles bite more people. What they studiously avoid discussing are the figures on dog bite fatalities. Sure, your golden retriever puppy might nibble on your hand when you rub his belly, but nobody has ever been killed by a golden retriever puppy. Poodles are ornery critters — they certainly aren’t my favorite breed — but you rarely hear about a toddler or an elderly man being ripped apart by Puffy the poodle.
Pit bulls and rottweilers get the bad reputation BECAUSE THEY KILL PEOPLE. I don’t know, call me a stickler but I think that’s a pretty good reason to develop a certain wariness around them.
According to this resource, pit bulls and rottweilers accounted for 68 percent of all dog bite fatalities in 2012. If you check out “dog bite fatalities” on Wikipedia, scroll down to incidents in 2013, the list of dogs who killed humans will look like this:
Pit bull, pit bull, pit bull, pit bull, pit bull, pit bull, pit bull, pit bull, pit bull, pit bull, pit bull, German shepherd, pit bull, pit bull, bullmastiff, pit bull, pit bull, Labrador retriever mix, husky mix, pit bull, pit bull, pit bull, pit bull, pit bull, pit bull, pit bull, pit bull, pit bull, shiba inu, pit bull, boxer.
Out of all the hundreds of different sorts of pets you could introduce into your community, and bring into your home around your kids, around your nieces and nephews, around your neighbors kids, why go with the one type whose name appears most often on the ‘fatal maulings’ list?
I’ve heard it said that you shouldn’t blame the dog, blame the owner.
Trust me, I agree.
But not every pit bull attack is the result of an abusive owner. However, they are all the result of reckless owners. Owning a pit bull is reckless on a basic and fundamental level. Owning a pit bull when you have small children is simply beyond the bounds of reason and sanity.
I might not be Dr. Doolittle, but I do know a thing or two about animals. In particular, I know that you can never really know an animal. We can domesticate them, we can love them, we can cuddle and hug them, but they are still animals. They still have instincts. They still have no real capacity for rational thought. Our ability to communicate with them is still limited. Our ability to connect with them is still stymied by the natural barriers between our species.
So when you decide to bring one of these mysterious creatures home, you ought to keep this all in mind.
And maybe think about going with a type that can’t viciously maim the neighborhood children.
The Matt Walsh Blog 
Wow. This is THE MOST IGNORANT article I have ever read. Congradulations on being a complete fucking moron.
Do you eat with that mouth? And btw, it’s “congratulations”. Ignorance takes many forms.
Wow, you are certainly a fine representative for a breed type that kills one person every 9 days on average. Keep up the good work!
I would love to see a legitimate source for your 1 person in every 9 days, especially since most people can’t accurately identify a Pit Bull, making Pit Bull attacks GROSSLY exaggerated, as stated by the Center for Disease Control.
Actually, pit bulls are now killing 1 person every 8 days in the United States. So far this year, 11 people in the US have been killed by pit bulls. This is the 97th day of the year, ergo, 1 person dies every 8 days in the US because of a pit bull.
The reason YOU aren’t able to “accurately identify” a pit bull is because you are too blind to see. The rest of us know a pit bull when we see one!
Stevie Wonder could identify a pit bull…quit with the bullshit.
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/pdf/10.2460/javma.2001.218.1732
where do you get your facts? the HSUSeless or PETA?
Dumb.
A pit bull is named by the ignorant as any large dog with short hair. I would like to see this person’s reference but he has none to show. I would any day walk up to a pit bull that I never met and pet them and hope my face is not destroyed by their licking me. This is coming from a pit bull owner that has NEVER seen a pit bull attack anything … fucking morons
On the contrary, very good article for people with BRAINS.
Get real, I stopped reading when they started bashing, I own Pit Bulls and they would lick your face off, not attack you, morons like you keep the breed sounding bad, vile people (and I use that term lightly people that is) like Michael Vick made headlines and made the breed look bad when it was the trainer not the breed. I would rather see Vick put to death then any Pit Bull he used to fight since it was not their choice but his. Ignorance from idiots will always live. But your first amendment right says you have the right to be stupid when you speak, freaking moron. Take lessons on dog breeds moron.
LUNATIC ALERT
Whoiscolleenlynn.com Spread the word. The more they troll, the more we let people see.
You know who likes brains? ZOMBIES!!!
http://whoiscolleenlynn.com/
And PIT BULLS….PIT BULLS love brains…splashed all over the floor.
Not my pit.
You are exactly right.
IQ less than 100 = pit bull owner aka poor
IQ over 100 = smart enough to not own a pit bull, wild cat, venomous snake, etc
*******EXCEPTION TO THE RULE – MAN WITH A 2 INCH PENIS.
Man with online name Smarterthanyou= no so smart and trying to feel better about that by calling people names
Actually, I find that I’m above average intelligence, not poor (moderately successful small business owner), and my wife works as a medical professional. My penis is 7″. My dog is an American Staffordshire Terrier (pit bull).
I can agree with certain points made, yet I cannot fathom how it is reckless to have a pit bull. It isn’t reckless when you treat the dog like an affectionate wild animal (which is exactly what all dogs are).
The analogy to a golden puppy is absurd. How many deaths were caused by puppies of any breed?
Anyhow, I agree with reckless owners being to blame…even in this case (say what you want about the kid’s babysitter, it’s valid, but…). The dog was chained. Chained dogs of any breed may exhibit “leash aggression”, or hyper-territorial behavior, as they feel cornered, and tend to be exercised with less frequency. The owner knew this, from what I gather, yet took no further precaution to separating his chained dog from children. Surely one cannot make the argument that Kevin would have climbed a fence to attempt to steal the dog’s bone, right?
Should Kevin’s babysitter have kept a better watch on the boy? Yes. Should the owner have been more proactive? Yes. Should THIS dog in THIS situation be put down? Maybe. Is this somehow indicative of all dogs of the same or similar breed being inherently evil killing machines? No. The rehabilitated dogs from Bad Newz Kennels are testament to that.
If you really want to see a moron go look in your mirror. There she is. Smile now.
I see only a sexy beast.
Oh dear, shoot me now: http://foolishfolliestoo.com/
I stopped reading when I seen how ignorant this person was. I own a pitbull and she attacks me everyday with kisses. The ignorant person that wrote this should look into the article then make a report, not use their ignorance to assume how people feel about the issue, since I seen no truth in his post.
If you have a tree that puts out nothing but bad fruit, you chop it down…you don’t chop down the whole orchard. Not every pittbull is like the one you own Bil. Every now and then you find a bad one…and when you do….IT’S GOT TO GO!!
Why don’t you stop by and share your wisdom with Kevin, I’m sure that he’ll be receptive on how he should have left Mickey’s bone alone and really deserved the mauling he got……
Amber, perhaps you could address the numbers for this year alone, 2014, already in the United States a child has been killed by a pit bull or their mixes roughly 1 per week. This doesn’t include dead adults. They have also attacked and maimed on virtually a daily basis. Our animal shelters are over flowing with them. They are being euthanized by the hundreds. There is undeniably a problem with pit bull type dogs. What do you suggest as a viable solution. We don’t need to hear its the owner!s fault. Everyone agrees on that. What are some things a community of people can do to protect joggers, children at the school bus, elderly people sitting on their porches and kids residing in homes where dogs bred to kill are housed. Please leave out the “f” word. That won’t solve any problem.
I’d suggest the problem lies with those who choose the breed because they are ignorant and want an aggressive dog for “street cred” or the like. The ASPCA goes so far as to classify the pit bull breed as extremely social, great with children, and gives them the nickname of “Nanny breed” due to their extreme patience and calm with children and naturally playful spirit. If you want to make the argument that a specific breed of dog is bad, then I would assume you are of the mindset that thinks certain races are better than others, or a member of a ridiculously misleadingly named group that advocates for the banning of guns to stop gun violence. Guns do nothing that a PERSON does not make them do. Race is an imaginary construct of the minds of ignorant PEOPLE, as we all are the same species(much like all dogs are Canis familiaris). Since all dogs are literally the same species, and have only slightly varied personality and physical traits, claiming one breed is superior/inferior to another means by logical deduction, you must also believe that certain racial groups are superior/inferior to another. There is no illogical “jump” in that logic, you made a simplified claim that despite genetic composition being equal, you choose to disregard the upbringing, training, and care given to the animal and judge it based on outward differences. The illogical and ignorant position is that of anyone advocating a breed of dogs should be eliminated or that ownership of said breed is somehow an act in self-endangerment. That somehow, despite proper training and socialization of the animal, it could one day forget all of it and kill…but only if its that specific breed. How about at least qualifying it with this statement first: Only if you are a fool.
I’d suggest the problem lies with those who choose the breed because they are ignorant and want an aggressive dog for “street cred” or the like. The ASPCA goes so far as to classify the pit bull breed as extremely social, great with children, and gives them the nickname of “Nanny breed” due to their extreme patience and calm with children and naturally playful spirit. If you want to make the argument that a specific breed of dog is bad, then I would assume you are of the mindset that thinks certain races are better than others, or a member of a ridiculously misleadingly named group that advocates for the banning of guns to stop gun violence. Guns do nothing that a PERSON does not make them do. Race is an imaginary construct of the minds of ignorant PEOPLE, as we all are the same species(much like all dogs are Canis familiaris). Since all dogs are literally the same species, and have only slightly varied personality and physical traits, claiming one breed is superior/inferior to another means by logical deduction, you must also believe that certain racial groups are superior/inferior to another. There is no illogical “jump” in that logic, you made a simplified claim that despite genetic composition being equal, you choose to disregard the upbringing, training, and care given to the animal and judge it based on outward differences. The illogical and ignorant position is that of anyone advocating a breed of dogs should be eliminated or that ownership of said breed is somehow an act in self-endangerment. That somehow, despite proper training and socialization of the animal, it could one day forget all of it and kill…but only if its that specific breed. How about at least qualifying it with this statement first: Only if you are a fool.
Nice spelling. Who’s the moron?
How about the THOUSANDS of Labrador retrievers that kill people every year? RACIST
FACTUAL evidence, please.
Otherwise, go here for real research into dog bite attack reports,
Dogsbite.org
Dogsbite.org is not a reliable site to use because it only includes bites that have sent people to the hospital or have killed people. Try using a source that looks at all bites.
The problem is not dogs that bite. The problem is dogs that kill or seriously maim. Dogsbite records EVERY DBRF by EVERY breed. Pit breeds are over-represented because they kill more people. You go ahead and find me a DBRF by any breed in recent years that has not been reported by Dogsbite. I’ll be waiting.
Bites that maim and kill and ruin peooples’ lives are exactly what we’re talking about here. Did you not READ the article?
Or you know, just a source with real, unbiased info.
Would you name just ONE person in the US killed by a Labrador retriever in the past five years?
FYI, dogs are animals, therefore, a person cannot be labeled “racist” for perceived discrimination against a specific breed/type dog.
A lab killed a baby in maine with in the last 2 years.
You morons always site cases where newborns or very young infants were killed. Any dog can kill a newborn because they are completely HELPLESS. Get real dumba$$es.
Woah, how does that make her a dumbass, Mary? Is a newborn baby’s life not worth that of an older child? Or dogs who kill little babies are NOT to be held accountable… UNLESS pit bull? Looks like you’re looking for something to prove… Or something to do… But grasping at straws and name calling is really juvenile.
http://foolishfolliestoo.com/
Oh, and it’s “cite”, as in “citation”, not as in “website”. Important distinction for the educated. 🙂
So if that’s the case, Mary, then the “60+ pit bull attacks” that apparently happened this year, would be severely reduced to about 5 or 6, if that, because in your world, “newborns and babies don’t count”.
Then y are some many other blocky bully looking breeds that are not pitbulls identified as pitbulls? Because most people think if it looks like bully breed its a pit
In countries where pit bulls are banned or severely restricted they have no problem with this situation. You may want to educate yourself regarding this because your comment shows a lack of even basic intelligence regarding the subject.
… your comment actually did not make sense. So here’s a fun link for you! Oh wait, of course you know this one! You do this all the time!
http://foolishfolliestoo.com/
http://whoiscolleenlynn.com/
Diana, when it comes to a person who is killed, the breed is identified if the dog is caught. Most of the time the owner is there saying my pit bull never did that before. When it comes to a person who is maimed, the dog is identified. That oerson is likely to reside in the same home as the pit bull or visiting a relative who owns the pit bull or is a neighbor of the pit bull’s owner. It’s not a guessing game. The world, not just a few folks, is trending towards some kind of BSL for pit bulls and their mixes because reasonable people all over the world recognized that dogs bred to fight and kill are a problem.
THOUSANDS??? Are you joking??? There’s seldom a death by Lab. Bites?? Yes. But not deaths. There’s not ever THOUSANDS of deaths by Pits either. Can you say exaggeration at it’s finest??? Racist??? Seriously… dogs are human… they aren’t a race. They are a BREED.
Yes. Three question marks are definitely more questioning than two question marks which are twice the question! Bingo!
Are you that dense hahaha?!?
Racist?
Yeah, right, Amber. bah ha ha ha ha
Ignorance.
Ignorance is just wasting time calling other people ignorant.
Or, as Rousseau says: “Insults are the arguments employed by those who are in the wrong.”
http://whoiscolleenlynn.com/
Racist??? You call someone racist on a debate about pit bulls? The last thing I want to see if I am walking my dog is a pit bull. Am I racist for being wary of a dog bred that is very capable and in too many instances willing to kill other dogs and maim and kill people? I have a good friend that owns a pit bull and she loves the dog. That does not change that fact that they are capable of inflicting massive damage to other dogs and people and unfortunately do so far too often with no provocation. You can talk whatever BS angle you want but calling someone racist makes you appear ignorant.
you forgot to include the elderly man that was killed by his boxer and cocker spaniel, the akita that killed a child, the Labrador that viciously attacked a child and killed their pitbull, the list goes on. the truth is that media loves to cover pitbulls attacks and not other dogs because it grabs headlines. also any time there is a dog attack and the breed hasn’t been determined they always say “pitbull or pitbull mix”. a small dog can kill a child just the same as a bigger dog.
pitbulls are used as therapy dogs, seeing eye dogs, search and rescue dogs. are you saying that all of these people are reckless? do you really think that a company or group would put themselves in a situation for easy lawsuits if they knew that pitbulls are ticking time bombs? you make no sense.
I would like to see some factual accounts to back up your claims. All dogs can bite, but nobody was killed by a lab last year. Ankle biters and fear biters don’t make the news. Dogs that scalp children on their way to school make the news. Where is your lab story? Please post a link or maybe admit you are relying on a fuzzy memory.
Yes, pits are ticking time bombs due to their unstable temperaments. They can and do go postal. That’s why they get more press than labs do.
http://m.nydailynews.com/1.1065711
How about a Golden Retriever? http://www.nbc12.com/story/21752552/chesterfield-woman-hospitalized-after-golden-retriever-attack
And P.S. You should maybe get YOUR facts straight. Pit Bulls are ALWAYS rated in the top five for having the MOST stable temperament by the American Temperament Testing Society
Where are the rest of your examples? Is this the only one you could dig up? Also, you pitters like to say only pit bull attacks are reported in the news. Well, that’s a lie…you just proved it yourself.
Right. Because generalization is a concept totally foreign to DBO BS…
Pit Bulls are rated in the top five by the American Temperament Testing Society for having the MOST stable temperament every, single, year.
Anyway.. Here’s one factual account.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2003849/Boy-3-left-horrific-facial-injuries-Labrador-savages-Poole-Harbour.html
Actually a family dog which was a lab, the owners left their baby playing on the floor with the dog laying there while they left the room and came back and that LAB had bit and suffocated that baby killed it. That happened in Maine with in the last 2 yrs.
ANY dog is capable of killing an infant because they are completely helpless. No one with good sense should leave any helpless infant alone with any dog. That’s asking for trouble..duh.
Never heard a story about a kid getting scalped by a dog on the way to school. Unless u work with dogs all of breeds and sizes everyday ans studied Animal Science/Behavior and genetics then u have no idea what u are talking about. ANY and ALL dogs no matter the breed can snap and cause serious harm and death. I work with an array of breeds everyday. And again I will say ask a vet what breed they like working w the most and they will tell u pitbulls. I have put more muzzles on German Shepherds, Rotties, Labs, Goldens, Poodles, Chesapeake Bay Ret, doodles then on pitbulls. And it isnt because I know how to handle pitbulls and have no fear of them, its because its fact that any dog breed can be bad. Now I also wont hesitate to say while at work if its a pit and if I have a bad feeling about it to muzzle it but that doesnt happen often.
Before you write, please do some research. Pit bulls can get bad press, but now you are giving humans bad press
Amen!
It’s like a disease. They don’t know any better (the people, I mean). There are only a few, but they troll the internet CONSTANTLY.
Educate yourself: http://whoiscolleenlynn.com/ 🙂
F.c. big applause! !! Great statement. But dont forgot, they “pitbull haters” will call us pitbull lovers crazy, antisocial and wacky because we defend our breed. Oh ya also one of my pits was attacked by a neighbors Eng Springer spaniel and my dog did nothing..and ive had 3 labs try to jump one of my pits and 2 goldens charge me and one of my pits. And there are 2 aggressive goldens in my neighborhood that have gone after my mom while she was walking on the public street.
The media loves to cover any dog attack that is gruesome and that would certainly include pit bulls. Pit bull attacks are comparable to shark attacks in their severity. Why wouldn’t the news report this?? Do you seriously believe the media don’t report other vicious dog attacks? Do you seriously think that it’s some kind of huge media conspiracy? Give me a break!
As a former owner of an American bulldog mix I have to say I agree with most of what you’ve said. People think of dogs as cute cuddly pets who exist to bring joy and piece to the world and it’s NOT TRUE. No matter what breed you have that dig was selectively bred and designed to WORK. Pit bulls have their place, it’s wrestling bulls. That it’s what they were bred and designed to do. Not to sit in a yard and chew bones. When we remove these dogs from the environment they were designed to work in them we see behavior issues developing. Pit bulls belong on a farm or ranch helping corral cattle NOT in the city widdling their days away.
Pit breeds are fighting dogs. They were purpose bred to fight. Put them on a ranch and they will attack the livestock. They do this regularly. That’s why ranchers and horse people generally hate pit breeds.
Our pit bulls love to fight each other. But they also know the difference between fighting in playing around, and needing to actually attack something. We keep them around my few day old daughter, our 2 cats, my collie, our rabbits, our chickens, and our goat and they do just fine.
Please tell me you never exit a room and leave your kid around any kind of pets alone. If you did, that would be too sad.
@HS YOU NEVER no matter how much you trust your dog/cat/animal, how old or crippled it is leave a small child ALONE with them without supervision. Even I know that, cats have killed little ones just as much as dogs have. When she can properly walk around and talk and all that I’ll let her do whatever with them as she’ll be old enough to understand and know what she can and can’t do to aggravate the dogs.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9937894/Dogs-on-bloody-rampage
So far, so good, huh, Kaitlin?
http://foolishfolliestoo.com/
AGAIN PITBULLS WERE NOT BRED TO FIGHT originally. Stupid people do that now. Im also a horse person and I dont hate them. Againnu want to think u know all about this breed and u dont u have already quoted a statement and then contradicted yourself.
You need to do some homework.
They were bred for bull baiting, a bloodsport that was outlawed in the mid 1800’s because it was deemed animal cruelty..imagine that. After bull baiting was outlawed the sport of “pit” fighting took hold. These dogs came about when it was decided that it would be a good idea to add terrier to the bulldog “mix” so that the resulting animal would have the strength of the bulldog AND the tenacity and relentless energy of the terrier. YOU get educated, Diana, you sound, well……………………….dumb.
Correct, Chris.
“we will never have a pet that could potentially devour and destroy our kids, us, or even the neighbors.”
That brings your pet selection down to a goldfish and a pet rock.
Goldfish and pet rocks and Labradors and Goldens and Chihuahuas haven’t killed anyone lately.
Oh yeah?
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/dog-killed-2-month-old-baby-ripped-child-legs-father-slept-room-police-article-1.1065711
This happened 2 year ago. Did you see the date? How often do labs or other breeds attack and kill? Very rarely. How often do pit breeds attack and kill? Once every 6 days so far this year. You are going to reference one death by Golden 2 year ago or by Pomeranian 50 years ago but you just ignore the carnage pits cause almost every day???
Or how about a Labrador http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2003849/Boy-3-left-horrific-facial-injuries-Labrador-savages-Poole-Harbour.html
Ignorant post.
Again. All you do is call people ignorant, Miss.
“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.” ~Oscar Wilde
I’m guessing you’re the latter: http://foolishfolliestoo.com/
I agree with previous posters in that maybe you shouldn’t own any dogs at all. Pit Bull attacks are grossly exaggerated. Most people don’t even really know what a Pit Bull really is. They see a dog attacking someone and assume it was a Pit Bull. Also, the media loves covering Pit Bull attacks. Dogs of all breeds attack people but it’s only news when it’s a Pit Bull.
“Pit Bull attacks are grossly exaggerated.”
How are pit bull attacks “grossly exaggerated”? Are you saying the people (mostly children) attacked by these land sharks aren’t as badly injured or “dead” as the news media claims they are?
“Most people don’t even really know what a Pit Bull really is.”
We ALL know what a pit bull “really is.” The only ones who have difficulty identifying pit bulls are the pit bull advocates who are too blind to see!
“Dogs of all breeds attack people but it’s only news when its a Pit Bull.”
No, it’s “only NEWS” when someone ends up scalped, dismembered, otherwise badly injured and maimed/scarred for life or DEAD! When was the last time a poodle killed someone? When was the last time any dog other than a pit bull scalped or dismembered a person above the age of 1-year in the United States? Last year, of the 33 people in the US killed by dogs, pit bulls were responsible for 28 (85%) of the deaths.
Scalped, thats a new one. No its true that unless its a pitbull attack u never hear about it. Its true no matter what breed, ANY dog large dog can inflict serious harm. Yes its true there are breeds that have a “pitbull” look and isnt a pitbull but people still say OMG a pitbull attacked. Its actually a proven fact. Asked any animal control officer, or veterinary professional or police. Again, people u hate this breed only hear what they want because thats what the media puts out there. Try looking up hero dogs, u will find more hero pitbulls then any other breed.
U hit that statement right on the nose natnattynatalie. But we can state facts till we are blue in the face and the pitbull haters wont see the truth, just what they want to believe.
Pit bull attacks are not grossly exaggerated…the attacks that are reported are the severest , newsworthy type. If anything, their bites are underreported. We know a pit bull when we see one, natnattynatalie. We understand that the term “pit bull” is a rather generic descriptive term used to identify several almost identical breeds of dog. You people love to say that only pit bull attacks are reported, then you search high and low to find the few NEWS REPORTS of other dogs who attack. Make up your minds…do they only report pit bull attacks or what?
Hyperbole is a foreign concept to you, isn’t it? http://foolishfolliestoo.com/
The idea is that the media is much more likely to call something a pitbull when it’s not. Not that they NEVER EVER IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EVER report another attack. For one who does a LOT of generalizing, I’d think you’d get this. Nah, you’re too busy to think. http://whoiscolleenlynn.com/
I have read this article as well as read over the comments and responses given to such comments. Chris Balduc, I am assuming you are the man who wrote this article and you demand true facts about vicious dogs.
First let me start by saying this, yes large dogs (such as pit bulls) are CONSTANTLY covered by the media for attacks. Why is this? Because Large dogs actually do MORE damage than smaller dogs. Now looking at one of your responses to people you placed Labradors and Golden Retrievers as great pets, oh lets not forget Chihuahuas.
Now before I hit on those, lets go back to the coverage of Large dogs. You posted a link to a place that has “Reported” dog attacks. What falls under the idea of “Reported” dog attacks are those that send people to the hospital. Lets take a look at places that actually have TESTED the many breeds and have collected information on Dog attacks that go unreported due to the fact they are not AS major as those caused by certain dogs. There is more than enough proof showing that Pit bulls and other “Bully dogs” are actually not as dangerous as people think and that it is INDEED the training of the owners that make them dangerous as it would ANY other breed. Here are a couple of links to support that, now note that THESE groups do not base their “findings” on bite fatalities but on how many dogs have ACTUALLY attacked whether it was fatal or not.
http://notesfromthefunnyfarm.wordpress.com/2010/06/24/which-dog-breed-is-most-likely-to-bite-you-might-be-surprised-at-the-answer/
http://listverse.com/2012/05/04/top-10-deceptively-dangerous-dog-breeds/ – this one actually notes your “Chihuahua” as one of the tops!
Now to move on lets talk about Dog Temperament. The temperament of a dog is important. This helps figure out which ones are prone to be more vicious. First lets look at the temperament of the three you deem safe. (Information gathered from http://atts.org/breed-statistics/statistics-page1/)
DOG BREED TESTED PASSED FAILED PERCENTAGE
LABRADOR RETRIEVER 805 741 64 92.0% – very well chosen obviously a very temperamental dog
GOLDEN RETRIEVER 785 669 116 85.2% -Again a very well chosen dog
Now lets Examine the Chihuahua
CHIHUAHUA 43 30 13 69.8% – oops that’s a little close to half and half isn’t it?
So those are your three… now lets examine the “Bully Dogs” starting of course with who your article was mostly about, PIT BULLS.
AMERICAN PIT BULL
TERRIER 870 755 115 86.8% -Well now that’s quite high isn’t it and higher than the golden retriever too!
AMERICAN STAFFORDSHIRE
TERRIER 657 555 102 84.5% – wow another high one, interesting no?
BULL TERRIER 79 72 7 91.1% – holy god that’s high!
STAFFORDSHIRE BULL
TERRIER 129 117 12 90.7% -Oh damn another high one!
And Finally
ROTTWEILER 5652 4,751 901 84.1% – don’t you just hate statistics?
Feel free to actually look on the site and look at every single breed to see which ones got the worst temperament. Most of them are the smaller dogs, but as I said they don’t do as much damage as the larger breeds, but that does not mean the larger breeds should be put down because they have more powerful jaws.
Here as well are plenty of links to MANY stories that show that Pit bulls are actually very protective and do just as much heroic acts as any other dog.
First this is my favorite because it’s of my own dog who recently passed! She was inducted into the hall of fame for heroism. http://pbrc.net/petbull/articles/dixie.html
http://thechive.com/2013/12/20/true-heroic-stories-of-pit-bulls-that-saved-the-day-7-photos/
http://bslnews.org/pit-bull-heroes-hall-of-fame/ – this one is a LARGE list
http://www.fallendogs.com/story.php?dogID=85
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/pit-bull-hailed-as-hero-after-protecting-owner-from-home-invasion-1.1542502
http://www.dogheirs.com/tamara/posts/2787-heroic-pit-bull-saves-her-family-and-runs-back-into-burning-home-to-rescue-5-dogs
There are so many more beyond that, you wanted your proof, enjoy the plethora of it right here in this post.
Fixing the show of the temperaments…
DOG BREED –TESTED– PASSED– FAILED –PERCENTAGE
LABRADOR RETRIEVER– 805– 741– 64– 92.0% – very well chosen obviously a very temperamental dog
GOLDEN RETRIEVER– 785 — 669 — 116 — 85.2% -Again a very well chosen dog
Now lets Examine the Chihuahua
CHIHUAHUA– 43 — 30 — 13 –69.8% – oops that’s a little close to half and half isn’t it?
So those are your three… now lets examine the “Bully Dogs” starting of course with who your article was mostly about, PIT BULLS.
AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER– 870– 755– 115– 86.8% -Well now that’s quite high isn’t it and higher than the golden retriever too!
AMERICAN STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER– 657– 555 — 102– 84.5% – wow another high one, interesting no?
BULL TERRIER– 79– 72– 7– 91.1% – holy god that’s high!
STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER– 129– 117– 12– 90.7% -Oh damn another high one!
And Finally
ROTTWEILER– 5652– 4,751– 901– 84.1% – don’t you just hate statistics?
I suggest you go read back through the earlier comments regarding the ATTS, and you will learn the test was invented to test working dogs, it was NOT created to test pet suitability. Additionally, it favors bold animals over timid ones, so of course, pit bulls are going to score highly on a test favoring aggressive breeds! BTW, collies, one of the most gentle of dog breeds, habitually fail the ATTS.
Actually the comments have been that pitbulls have passed with flying colors for temperament making them a great family dog. There are way more dogs that are truly aggressive, but because the media only reports about pitbulls u only attack pitbulls. I worked on a golden once that literally had its throat torn out by a st. Bernard, ive worked on a small breed dog that was attacked by 4 GOLDENS, and it was torn apart. Any dog can attack, any dog can cause severe harm no matter what breed or size. And to set the record straight I myself has been bit 2 times by pitbulls and I still love the breed. This breed isnt for everyone, just like not all small dogs are for everyone or hunting dogs not for everyone.
I own both pits and a collie. My collie is actually MUCH more aggressive than the pits are, especially to anyone he doesn’t trust to not harm me. He’s snapped at and bared teeth at just about anyone who has come close to me, where as my pitbulls all welcome them happily and only offer licks.
The thing people do not understand is that dogs are much like PEOPLE. There are multiple factors that come into play on how a dog acts. It has nothing to do with the breed. That is basically like looking at people and using RACIAL discrimination (Blacks only know how to steal, hillbillies are all idiots, etc etc). For dogs just like for us the factors come into play that are simple as
1. upbringing/training
2. personality (Every dog has it’s own personality)
3. Family history
You can’t look at ONE breed of dog and judge the WHOLE breed based on a few. If we did that to humans than half the world would be fucked.
Also, ATTS doesn’t just do working dogs. Other peoples comments does not matter, the fact you are using the COMMENTS rather than the acutal explanation of the creation of it is quite sad really.
The American Temperament Test Society, Inc. (ATTS) is a national not-for-profit organization (registered in the state of Missouri) for the promotion of uniform temperament evaluation of purebred and spayed/neutered mixed-breed dogs.
ATTS was established to:
Provide for a uniform national program of temperament testing of purebred and spayed/neutered mixed-breed dogs.
Conduct seminars to disseminate information to dog owners, dog breeders and evaluators (testers) concerning dog psychology, motivation, reaction and other aspects of temperament testing.
Recognize and award certificates to dogs that pass the requirements of the temperament evaluation.
Work for the betterment of all breeds of dogs.
Select, train, prepare and register temperament evaluators.
Our motto says all:
“A SOUND MIND IN A SOUND BODY”
They do not just do working dogs… I suggest you RESEARCH things ourself rather than looking into what the rest of the world has to say
Also, ATTS doesn’t just do working dogs. Other peoples comments does not matter, the fact you are using the COMMENTS rather than the acutal explanation of the creation of it is quite sad really.
The American Temperament Test Society, Inc. (ATTS) is a national not-for-profit organization (registered in the state of Missouri) for the promotion of uniform temperament evaluation of purebred and spayed/neutered mixed-breed dogs.
ATTS was established to:
Provide for a uniform national program of temperament testing of purebred and spayed/neutered mixed-breed dogs.
Conduct seminars to disseminate information to dog owners, dog breeders and evaluators (testers) concerning dog psychology, motivation, reaction and other aspects of temperament testing.
Recognize and award certificates to dogs that pass the requirements of the temperament evaluation.
Work for the betterment of all breeds of dogs.
Select, train, prepare and register temperament evaluators.
Our motto says all:
“A SOUND MIND IN A SOUND BODY”
They do not just do working dogs… I suggest you RESEARCH things yourself rather than looking into what the rest of the world has to say
A couple more to add, for background:
http://whoiscolleenlynn.com/
http://foolishfolliestoo.com/
Welcome to the truth.
And, for real information for real grown-ups. The AVMA has a good opinion on the issue:
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/pdf/10.2460/javma.2001.218.1732
Kaitlin…great info. And sorry to hear about your pittie girl, and so glad to hear a POSITIVE story. These people who think they know all about the breed have never owned one or been around good ones and are really uneducated about this breed. And truth is there are far more HERO pitbulls then any other breed. Like the story from Boston a couple of years ago, and police officer adopted a pitbull for his mother that was an alcoholic and going through recovery and wanted her to have a reason to get up every day and dog things. Walking home from a friends house one night, his mom, the pitbullz owner collapsed unconscious on railroad tracks and a train was coming that PITBULL put its own life in harms way to save her owner. That pitbull had serious injuries, but saved her owner and that PITBULL survived. She is a hero in Boston. Bet u didnt hear about that one for the people who think all pits are bad.
Kaitlin again thank you for sharing your pitties story, sorry to hear of her passing. But I thank u for having a true ambassador to this breed.
ATTS is a test that is scored differently depending on breed and individual training type of the dog; it cannot be used to compare breeds. Further, it only tests trained dogs whose owner or rescue pays for it to take the test – it tells us nothing of how the average dog acts, much less an untrained, un-socialized or mistreated dog. Plus it was created to test for boldness and aggression for police work, not a test for suitable family pets.
I have research this test, understand how it is conducted and scored, and how pit bull advocates are using it to promote pit bulls. It is not hard to find discussions on pit bull chat boards explaining how to train your pit to the test (such as hot dog bits on the spokes of umbrellas) sometimes for months in order to get as many passing as possible, to intentionally inflate the scores.
Probably wasting your time with these pitheads Chris. They’ve been using this “temperament” argument for years and will never admit to the meaningless of it regarding family pets.
Namecalling count: Exceeded capacity!
You tried so hard to come off looking intelligent, but you failed miserably. You worked so hard on the above only to come off looking exactly like what you are: a foaming at the mouth, no holds barred pit loving idiot. You see what you want to see and believe what you want to believe because it makes you feel better about your choices…you probably still believe in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny. You people literally make me sick to my stomach.
Why the ad hominem attacks?
You don’t try to discuss things sensibly with someone who just might disagree with you… you’re just really vile, and resort to personal assault. Says a lot about you as a person. Then again, the fact that it seems that you’ve commented on this OLD blog nonstop says a lot, too. Way to help your victims… arguing on the internet. I can see it’s the people you really care about… not just, you know, an internet fight to distract you.
Hey Pot! Meet Kettle!
Nah, you like it. 🙂 Otherwise, who would you argue with? How would you spend your day in fear and hate?
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/pdf/10.2460/javma.2001.218.1732
Being an owner of a pit/great dane mix. We got him when our youngest was 6 months old and our dog protects him.Our sons lay on him, bounce on him, and even ride him like a horse.
But he takes it and when he’s done he walks away and lays in his bed. He is their protector. He’s a good dog. We found him in a pound. I feel for both sides. As a pit owner and as a parent.
Now if our dog ripped my sons face off because he went for the dog’s bone. My dog would no longer be alive. That’s not a good animal, period. I feel the breed shouldn’t be the first thing thrown up. All dogs have the potential to attack. Just a week ago a pomeranian on the beach turned and bit my son’s arm which drew blood and left teeth imprints on his cheek because the owner said it was safe to pet. My pit bull mix has never left a mark on my children. It’s all in the dog and how it’s raised.
Awesome comment, great evidence, if Chris has the slightest bit of common sense he would end his parade of ignorant and close minded comments. My two puts have NEVER shown even the slightest bit of aggression in the 3 years I’ve had them. Don’t abuse them or train them to fight, and they won’t bite you
Most people’s “pits” have never “shown even the slightest bit of aggression” until the day they decide to attack and kill someone. Tina Marie Canterbury had two huge pit bulls she called her “bully babies.” They were both altered, exceptionally well-trained and so gentle she would sometimes hold visiting toddlers on their backs and let them ride the monsters like ponies. She had raised both dogs from 8-week-old puppies and neither had ever “shown even the slightest bit of aggression” until one morning in October 2007 when she bent down to hug her bully babies goodbye as she was about to leave for work — as she always did — and they attacked and literally ripped her to pieces. Even though the attack lasted only a few minutes, one of the EMTs said what they put on the stretcher that morning wasn’t even recognizable as a human being.
Never heard that story. And how much proof that they were actually pitbulls. Diane Whipple was killed by her dogs that were first claimed to be pitbulls then that statement was retracted because they were Cane Corsos. There is alot of mistaken identity for breeds. People have destroyed true pitbull genes to breed these huge deformed dogs called American Bullys…and they are still confused for short and fat pitbulls. I had 6 pitbulls and 1 rotti all sleep with me 3 intact male pits, 1 intact male rotti and 3 intact female pits and they also lived with 4 cats, (all the dogs were adults when I brought the kittens home) and they all slept with the cats and I had a parrot that opened his doors and roamed with my dogs and cats. I would come home and see my parrot sitting on the couch w my 2 pits that were loose. I only left 1 male and 1 female pit loose in my house when I wasnt home, and sometimes just my older male. I shared ownership of my males son w a friend, that dog was raised with his 2 young boys ( one was a 6mth old baby when the dog was born) and that dog was their best friend for 9.5yrs till he got sick and passed away. So ive proved points over and over that not all pitbulls are bad.
it is possible for ANY breed. Dogs are decendants of wolves. ANY dog can suddenly turn against it’s owner it’s the risk you take. Hell CATS are known for killing BABIES, doesn’t make them horrible animals it’s just certain things suddenly snap in all animals because they are all in the end WILD THINGS no matter how domesticated you think they are.
http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/100307/met_204816739.shtml
A link to the article about Tina Marie Canterbury ‘s tragic death.
John u are right, but we cant change someones mind who thinks they know it all. My current oldest pit is going to b 15 yrs old next mth, has never hurt a fly and I have another one that just turned 4. All my dogs have lived into their teens and never hurt another dog or person. But u cant change the minds of ignorant people who claim to know all about this breed even though they actually know nothing but what the media states and have never been around good pits.
To quote John: “Don’t abuse them or train them to fight, and they won’t bite you”. John is apparently clairvoyant regarding the entire pit bull population. If you don’t mind, John, regarding your advice…..I won’t bet the rent on it.
Apparently you are too! His generalization actually has more foundation than your own… speaking by numbers.
http://whoiscolleenlynn.com/
He doesn’t and won’t. It gives him something to do…
http://whoiscolleenlynn.com/
I agree 100 percent with you!!! Everybody says their pit is so nice until the day their pit up and kills a kid!!!
Why is it that all you people fight so for the pit and not the kid? IF ONE CHILD DIES from a pit it one to many!!! When did it become more inportant to have a dog then a CHILD?
I simply do not understand. I am totally freaked by people’s comments here. Did you see the child? He is a young child who only took the dog’s bone??? My God in heaven what have we become?
/SMH The bone story was fiction. There was no bone. The usual MO comes from the Pit Owner’s Playbook. “IF YOUR DOG BITES, MAKE UP SOMETHING TO BLAME THE VICTIM. You can see it time and again, even when the story is totally unbelievable. Watch closely as the deaths of 2014 unfold…. Victim blaming. Usually its ‘the parents should have been watching the child” but these days instead of “stranger danger” it has become “Doggie danger”. Sad world we live in today.
They are right though. Children should be taught not to just randomly walk up to any dog. My collie, notorious for being a gentle breed, is much more likely to bite off a few fingers for a kid or a person randomly walking up to ME than my pits are. That’s his personality, he is over protective of me. Doesn’t make him a bad dog
It’s good common sense to make sure your child is safe and aware of different dogs. A responsible dog owner and parent wouldn’t even think of having a temperamentally unstable dog breed around their children. 12 people, 8 of them children, have been killed by pits and mastiffs so far this year. It’s only April. Collies haven’t killed anyone lately. They bite, but they don’t maul, which is what we should all be really concerned about.
Kaitlin: Yes….yes, it DOES make him a bad dog. If you know your collie is likely to “bite off a few fingers” and do not muzzle your dog when you’re in public then you are a part of the problem we are discussing here. Any dog you own that you are aware has violent tendencies should be on leash and muzzled when you take them in public. Shame on you. I can’t even believe you admitted to this kind of irresponsibility.
Admitted to WHAT kind of irresponsibility? Knowing that her collie bites? What else did she ‘admit to’?
I dont disagree that this was not a great dog. Im a pit lover 100%, but if the dog clearly has serious aggression issues and cant be corrected or attacks for no reason, I dont disagree with putting that dog down. I dont like how everyone thinks all pits are bad, because the good pits by far out weigh the bad pits. And that is fact. And still, there were how many adults in the next room and had a vision on the kid and dog, again I dont care what kind of dog u have and how far in the other room u are u NEVER leave a dog (even labs) and child alone unsupervised. PERIOD. That is just common sense.
I do not think any dog deserves to be put down even for a show of aggression to anyone outside of their family. It is up to the owners to tell people that the dog does not like others, lock the dog up so it can’t harm someone when they have guests, and so forth.
It is EQUALLY the responsibility of parents to teach their kids that they can’t just walk up to any dog and pet it and assume it’s alright. As I mentioned about my collie he does not like other people near me. Now once you come around ALOT he will get used to you and realize you aren’t a threat but if you are some random stranger you are bound to get snapped at and growled at. Now as a responsible owner I’ve warned my guests, do not look him straight on in the eyes, and do not try to pet him until he gets to know you and approaches you first.
People need to learn to ASK to touch animals rather than just outright approaching them
Ridiculous. What kind of world do YOU live in?
What type of world do YOU live in that all the blame goes to the animal itself for doing what comes naturally. Some dogs have a strong protective instinct, you CAN NOT just let your child think it’s okay to pet just anyone’s animals. If you or your child does and gets injured it is as much YOUR fault as it is mine. Yours for not ASKING first or asking for your child, and mine for stopping neither of you.
You’re an idiot…I call it as I see it. No sugar coated. You are a died in the wool, bonafide idiot.
Bet you don’t get many “guests”, huh;, Katekate? BTW, I not only think pit bulls need to be put down when they show aggression, it’s my most fervent desire that the entire demented breed be allowed to go back where they came from…that is, Nonexistent.
Right… you’ve probably got more important things to worry about than hosting a bunch of hateful paranoiacs, anyway. http://whoiscolleenlynn.com/
Self-centered, me, me, me, what I want, I couldn’t care less about anyone else or their kid or their grandma, just me, me, me………………that’s my answer to Cheryl’s question. Sad, huh?
Haha, this is so far removed from the original comment it’s hilarious. You look very silly!
http://whoiscolleenlynn.com/
Unfortunately no, yet again pits were not originally bred to fight other dogs. I bet u believe the lock jaw myth too. U have no idea about what u are talking about. And yes I know what game bred is..and no its not because they latch on and kill, gamebred is a dog that will do anything u ask it too and keeps going no matter what is happening. Eventually they were bred and trained to b dog aggressive, they were trained and beat to b dog and human aggressive. Properly bred and trained pitbulls thrive off of human affection. Again to prove a point that just because the background now is fighting doesnt mean the dog is aggressive: Adams’ GrCH Zebo one of the greatest fighting dogs ever bred, my male that I had 12.5 yrs was a double inbred Zebo on his moms side. That dog NEVER hurt another dog or person ever. He lived w 2 other intact males and all 3 of them slept in bed with me. So before u go spouting off info, maybe u should get some experience with properly bred, raised and trained pitbulls and stop listening to the media. And again, its a proven fact that attacks claimed to be done by a pitbull are actually NOT a pitbull because some people believe that if the dog looks like it even if its a Dogo, Presa or Cane Corso that its still a pitbull. And that sir is uneducated people giving incorrect information.
And yes other breeds BRED for fighting like Chows, Tosa’s, Shiba Inu, Shar Pei, Dogo, French Mastiff etc were bred for fighting and can inflict just as much damage. And tell me if all pitbulls are bad, then why are they SARS dogs, bomb dogs, police dogs etc. Hardly ever have to muzzle a pitbull in a vet clinic. Ive handle pits in the work place that the other employees were scared of because those dogs growled at them, and yet those dogd would be cuddling w me. Its about how they sense you. 9 out of 10 small breed dogs have to be muzzled and 9 out of ever 10 big dogs muzzled are NOT pitbulls. Try experiencing a good pit and get off the all pits are bad banwagon.
SOS alert
**Update: The dog wasn’t euthanized**
I think the pit bull’s owner should be entirely liable for damages and hospital costs. However, I didn’t blame protestors for their efforts to save it. There isn’t anywhere near enough information about this story. If the dog was kept as a security measure, then it probably wasn’t raised to show empathy or tenderness to trespassers. And it wasn’t the boy’s family pet – the child wandered into someone else’s yard – it’s hard to ask an adult to take somebody else’s child into consideration when buying a dog.
And not for nothing, but as someone who grew up in family with dogs, one of the first pre-adoption lessons we received was not to badger them. Children and animals can only follow the rules we give them.
“Children and animals can only follow the rules we give them” Are you FREAKING SERIOUS?! Holy sh*t!!! Why didn’t you tell us this sooner?!?!?!
May I have everybody’s attn please: If all pit bull owners would kindly instruct their dogs NOT to bite any more children that would be great!
Excellent…..even in the face of this sad, sad occurrence I just had to laugh. Catherine’s entire comment made my eyes BUG OUT. Such ignorance is beyond my ability to comprehend.
http://foolishfolliestoo.com/
Did you ever hear of the story of andra grace?? Google that! Pitbulls are being euthanized daily at an alarming rate all because of this wrong and stupid fear people have. They are one of the most loyal and loving breeds you could ever own! Sorry that child died, but to stereotype this breed is wrong. It is the owners responsibilities and I’m sure there are a few bad seeds in the pitbull mix like any other dog. There are more evil and bad HUMANS than there are dogs, that’s a fact
Nutter.
Seriously. Is that all you do, Redfern? Troll the internet all day calling people … “nutters”? How juvenile. What a laughable insult! At least come up with a good name!
As of 4/11/14
14 dead by dog attack so far in 2014. 12 killed by Pit Bull Type dogs:
Child fatalities by dogs (9):
Kara Hartrich – 4 – Bloomington IL [Jan 17 – Pit Bull]
Je’vaeh Mayes – 2 – Temple TX [Feb 17 – Pit Bull]
Braelynn Coulter – 3 – High Point NC [Feb 25 – Pit Bull]
Summer Sears – 4 – Tallassee AL [Feb 26 – Shepherd Mix & Lab Mix]
Kenneth Santillan – 13 – Patterson NJ [28 Feb – Pit Bull Mastiff]
Raymane Robinson Jr. – 2 – Killeen TX [1 March – Pit Bull Mastiff]
Mia DeRouen – 4 – Houma La – [March 25 – Pit Bull]
Christopher Malone – 3 – Thornton MS [Mar 31 – Pit Bull]
John Harvard – 5 – Riverside AL [Apr 6 – Pit Bull]
Adult fatalities by dogs (5):
Christina Bell-Burleson – 43 – Houston TX [Jan 5 – Pit Bull]
Annabell Martin – 80 – Corona CA [Jan 26 – 3 Rottweilers]
Klonda Richey – 57 – Dayton OH [Feb 7 – Pit Bull Mastiff mixes]
Nancy Newberry – 77 – Phoenix AZ [Mar 15 – Pit Bull]
Dorothy Hamilton – 85 -Kaufman TX [Mar 31 – Pit Bull]
http://www.wbtw.com/story/25196553/darlington-county-woman-charged-after-3-dogs-attack-2-women-sending-1-to-icu#.U0SWVSO57tY.twitter
… she will probably say they were perfect sweethearts right up until the attack. Pit owners are in a league with climate change deniers and young earth creationists when it comes to denial, coverup or just plain ignorance of facts they don’t agree with.
please don’t lump in people who see global warming for the propaganda that it is with pitbull worshippers. global warming is global communism.
Fruitcake.
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/apr/10/spokane-police-shoot-pit-bull-after-attack-on/
The dog’s owner was the first victim. “It sounds like the owner was outside playing with the dog and it bit him,” Hill said. “Maybe the dog somehow got overexcited.”
So he let his dog get overexcited and it tried to kill him. What a bad owner!
Chris, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your posted incident. Two pit bulls were shot and, for me, that is always a happy ending. 🙂
http://www.kvoa.com/news/woman-s-chihuahua-killed-in-dog-attack/
Oh yea… Chihuahuas always bite more. I guess that makes them more deadly, huh? I guess the noble wigglebutt was doing the right thing here. That Chi could have bitten someone’s ankles.
Doesn’t change the fact that the chi still attacked. Oh yay it’s tiny it doesn’t do as much damage but it is more likely to attack than larger dogs just cause larger dogs do more damage doesn’t mean that they should be hated
The chi did not attack. The pit did.
This is not about hating dogs that do damage. Pits do what they are gonna do. It’s also not about comparing chis to pits, which makes as much sense as comparing a pea shooter to a shotgun.
It’s just about using your rational brain, which is warning you that a dog that slaughters another dog and has a reputation for killing kids is “probably not a good family dog”. I am praying for a “DUH” moment when the light turns on for Fur Mommas. Otherwise we are on track to lose 50 people to dog attacks this year. The majority of attacks WILL be from pits, and most of the victims WILL be children.
Pitters have hard heads and very hard hearts. I can almost understand them not giving a shit about people they don’t know, buuut their own children….chilling. You can sling statistics and stories and personal examples until your friggin’ fingers BLEED from typing, but you CANNOT say with absolute sureness that your pit bull terrier will never hurt anyone. No one can say with sureness their dog won’t “bite”. But when a pitbull loses control the consequences are so far beyond what a “normal” dog will do that there is no real way to even make a comparison. I don’t understand why you boneheads can’t see the difference. If your pittie DOES snap, it won’t be the same consequences as if you’d had, say, a Chihuahua or a cocker spaniel or even a larger breed who will usually respond to a brick to the head or a hard kick in the ribs. Nope. If your pittie attacks you or your children police and ambulances (and possibly a hearse) will be called. Some pittie mommies have had to attend their childrens’ funerals with bandages over wounds they got in trying to save said child. Some aren’t able to attend their child’s funeral because they themselves are still in the hospital recuperating from the same attack. If it’s worth the risk to your REAL HUMAN BABIES to keep such an animal………..God help you.
http://www.khou.com/news/health/Toddler-mauled-by-pit-bull-undergoes-second-surgery-fund-set-up-for-medical-bills–254255061.html
The pit bull had the victims cornered in a bathroom when police arrived. An officer shot the dog and it was later euthanized.
Maybe a Chi taught this poor misunderstood pibble to scare the sh*t out of folks after attacking them. Somehow this is not the pit’s fault.
PIT MAULER DEFENSE 101
Pestered by facts? You can’t go wrong if you follow these simple guidelines. Keep repeating ad-nauseum:
1) Always blame the owner.
2) “It’s all how you raise them”
3) Sanctify the breed. (My Sweetheart would just lick you to death!)
4) Point the finger at another breed. (Chihuahuas are killers!)
5) “Pit bulls are just like any other dog.”
6) Blame the victim: “They shouldn’t have left the kid alone with the dog!”
7) “They used to be nanny dogs!” (don’t use with #6)
8) “The media only covers pit bull attacks.”
9) “We don’t know the whole story.” (don’t use with #8)
10) Cloud the issue: “Most people can’t identify a pit anyway.” (don’t use with #8)
11) “The (child, toddler, grandparent, babysitter, neighbor etc.) probably provoked it!”
12) “It used to be breed X, then breed Y, then breed Z. NOW it’s the pit bull! (don’t use with #2, #5 or #10)
13) “He was just playing!”
Well said, I think you have covered them all.
Exactly, Chris. Hit the nail on the head. I have read so many of these pitter posts and you could almost swear these are brainwash victims. It’s mind boggling and would be laughable if it wasn’t for the seriousness of the issue.
You just managed to put nearly everything I’ve wanted to say into one blog. One word for you…BRILLIANT. Thank you!!!
So a white guy killed someone the orher day. We need to outlaw white guys. A woman poisoned a man a few days ago. Outlaw all women. Some teenage kid killed someone last week. Outlaw teenagers too. Idiot
Stupid, stupid analogy and the race one is even worse. STOP IT. Robots. Zombies. Brainwash victims. You people need to keep in mind when you post your drivel that there are seriously injured and hospitalized or even DEAD victims involved. Show some human decency and respect, would you?
Show some sensibility and rationality, would you? Foolishfolliestoo.com
Hey, Ding-Dong! Do the victims of the humans not suffer? I think the point is valid.
The dog is a mere beast, and should be treated as such. God even said that man is above animals.
And so killing a human should go unpunished? No. The dog should be punished.
Don’t even TRY to bring you God into this conversation. How much of a bigot do you have to be to toss your religion out there in terms of pets? Seriously?
I don’t think anyone made you the BOSS of this….you comment according to your beliefs and we will comment according to ours. That’s the way it works, Katekate, and if you don’t like it pick up your marbles, stick out your lip in a pout and go play by yourself, brat.
Jesus Christ, that Redfern Lady is wicked annoying. Like a witch, seriously. Vile.
“May your day be as pleasant as you are”.
Ummm you do realize pit bull isn’t even a breed. The term pit bull is a generic term used to describe dogs with similar physical characteristics. Usually a “pit bull” is considered one of several breeds including the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, or any mix thereof. In some parts of the world, the American Bulldog and Dogo Argentino are also classified as a “Pit Bull-type” dog, despite major genetic differences. Any dog that is mixed with a “bully breed”[citation needed] may also be called a “pit bull” including those that are descended from the English Bulldog, French Bulldog, Boston Terrier and Cane Corso.[2] The pit bull is not a distinct breed which may make it difficult for experts to identify
You are correct.
You are correct genetically, however in most countries where aggressive dogs are banned or rigorously restricted the dogs you mentioned and any mix with the dogs you mentioned are also banned or restricted. This is fact. Pit bull ban is sometimes used as shorthand for all dogs in the pit bull family or near family and these dogs also are targets of BSL.
This is the funny part… When calculating fatalities “pit bull” is all-encompassing. (Including, apparently, bull mastiffs), yet, in contradiction to the claims of a pit-fear-monger below (who states that there are more bully breed dogs, aka “pit bulls” than any other), apparently when calculating population, a more stringent definition (single breed) is used? Well now shocker that the numbers look funny… You can’t use different standards for relative comparison!
Either have your cake, or eat it, DBO. Whoiscolleenlynn.com
I agree with this article and this author’s views. Bully breeds can cause serious injury, and are/were bred to fight. It is their natural instinct, and it is encoded in their DNA. When these dogs attack they cause serious injuries, many life threatening. It is a weak defensive to say other types of dogs bite also. Most of the time it does not cause permanent loss of a limb, disfigurement, or loss of movement or mobility. Bully breeds also have a strong pack drive, several pit type dogs escape they cause death to children, adults, pets and live stalk. Their attacks are the equivalent to a wild animal attack such as a bear or a cougar. The difference is usually wild animals are weary of humans while pits are not. Also, this breed is the most abused of any other. This dogs are forced into dog fighting, given steroids, trained to destroy other animals, for the entertainment of sadistic narcissistic sickos. If these dogs become loose they are a menace to society. Hybrid animals are controlled, even the breeding of Savannahs and Bengals and wolf hybrids. While pit breeds cause more death of children, adults and pets then any hybrid. Laws need to be in effect to protect the public from these dogs because they are dangerous and have the potential to seriously hurt someone. What person in their right mind would have a bully breed around young children? I think Federal laws should be in effect to protect the public, mandatory spay and neutering, harsher punishment for dog fighting, participation, training, or attending. I truly believe it should be against the law to own a pit if you have small children. If you choose to own a pit, you should have to have home owner’s insurance, proof that your dog is contained, and if your dog gets out and hurts or kills someone the owner should be sent to jail for manslaughter. The bully breeds should be microchipped, gps, and vaccinations need to be up to date. The breed is like owning a weapon and should be treated accordingly. Owners should not get away with not taking responsibility for the actions of their dogs. If you choose to own a dog that destroys someone’s life, then your freedom should also be take..
I agree with every word you wrote and, in fact, was thinking I could have written it myself it sounds so much like the way I think and feel. Maybe I’ll retire to Miami or Denver, haha.
Before anyone says I do not know what I am talking about. I worked with a variety of dogs professionally. I have seen the aftermath that bully breeds can do to each other, and to people. The biggest population of any breed is bully breed. The most aggressive and in quarantine is bully breeds. I worked in a ghetto animal shelter, so unfortunately I have seen the abused, the aggressive, and all inbetween. I would not want to be attacked by a bully breed. Are you defenders not aware that they wrip your skin open? Have none of you witnessed a pit bulls devour a small dog, or a full on fight. It took four people to break up a couple of pits. Imagine if that was a child! You pit crazed people are crazy!
This is the problem with bully breeds. This breed was used for fighting in the past and currently, it is the most negkected and abused animal, in the United States. Due to popularity, this breed has had an influx of inbreeding, breeding for fighting abilities, and it is a powerful muscular dog, with huge jaws that can cause serious damage. These dogs are popular in underground dog fighting, and are given steroids and other performing enhancing drugs. Peoplr involved in dog fighting breed indiscriminately, and these animals often escape, causing death and destruction of pets, live stalk, children and adults. There as been four attacks in LA, by bully breeds, and one involving a friend of my son’s whom was hospitalized for two weeks for his injuries. Luckily, a good Samaritan scared the dogs off. The second problem with pit bulls is they have a strong pack mantanlity. Bully breeds are dangerous, and when you get a pack of them attacking people and pets it is harmful for the community and results in serious injuries or death.
Bully breeds are goofy, and usually are friendly. When they snap, they can maim, injure or kill. How is it fair that my son’s friend, who was walking minding his own business, gets attacked on the street by a pack of pits? Why should I or anyonr else worry about being attacked when we walk out the door by this breed? It happens over and over again, this breed attacks innocent people minding their own business. Maybe there are some responsible pit owners, but there are far to many that are not.
Pit attacks are equivalent to being attacked by a bear or a cougar, but those are rare, because usually wild animals perfer to stay away from people. There are many laws protecting the public from hybrid pets. I have hybrid Bengals, and in some states I could not legally own them because they are early generation, which I find ironic considering I could own a pit in pretty much every state, that could kill me and my family! There are laws concerning hybrid wolves, but I really do not understand why there is not more federal regulations on this breed.
I truly think that penalties for dog fighting, participation in dog fighting, breeding for this, or viewing this should land you in jail for a long time. I think there should be mandatory spay and neuter laws concerning these bully breeds. Nobody has any business owning a pit if you have a young child, and it should be against the law. Owners should have mandated microchip, gps, and have insurance on the dog. If the dog attacks someone off their property, because the dog escaped at it killed or maimed someone, the owner should be charged with manslaughter. I do not think it is fair to charge someone if it is on your property especially if the person was not supposed to be there. Bully breeds are like owning a weapon, you are responsible for it’s behavior.
Yes, I have worked with animals, which most people use as a defense. I have not personally been attacked. But since I worked with so many dog breeds I do not have a fear of dogs. I have seen the damage they can inflict. Pits can just go off for no reason when in loving homes. A couple learned that the hard way, and the pit bull was nuetered. He was a beautiful blue pit. The wife dropped him off was heartbroken, even though the dog had ripped open het leg, thigh, and arm. Her husband was still in the hospital, and she still cried when she had to have him euthanized at the shelter. Her husband was feeding him, and the dog attacked him, and the wife intervened, and he also attacked her. They loved their dog. He was not abused, and he was very much loved. There are pits that escape their yard and attack random people, and their owners are shocked their pits attacked and killedmaimed someone. How is that not in their nature?
If you want a pit bull, make sure you secure it, and your animal does not become a mence. Train your dog, neuter and spay your dog, socialize your dog, and make sure it does not kill or maul another innocent child, pet, or adult. You may have a right to own a bully breed, but I have the right to walk down my street without being attacked by a pit bull because some irresponsible owner cannot bother to secure their dog.
Thank you. But don’t hold your breath that they’ll listen to you.
A bear attacks a person and people recoil in horror and kill it. Pits kill people many times more often than bears do, yet fur mommas defend them as perfectly safe nanny dogs. WTF?
http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/05/us/florida-bear-attack/index.html
There are no bad dogs, just bad owners. I’ve personally seen many sweet pit bulls, taken good care of by responsible owners. ANY DOG has the propensity to attack, not just pits.
You’re forgetting one tiny little undeniable fact….IF a pit attacks the results will be disastrous, no ifs, no ands, no buts. I feel 0 pity for this breed. They are reaping what they have sown. And if the lovey, dovey, oosey, woosey, sweetie, mushy family dogs have to be lumped in to get the “killers” off the street (breed restrictions) so be it. Didn’t your momma tell you life isn’t always fair? Grow up, quit obsessing about your friggin’ dog and get over it, crybabies.
Your comments are shameful. An honest dog lover would never say they “feel zero pity” for a breed that humans helped create. Regardless of what you believe or may be true, these breeds were shaped by us humans and if anything humans are the ones to blame. Judging by all the posts you’ve made, you clearly lack education and really should not own any type of dogs. Pitbull owners always mention how no child should be left unsupervised, not because they blame the victim but because it’s logical and responsible dog ownership. In this particular case, the dog exercised toy possessives. Now does it justify the damage done to an innocent child? Absolutely not. However, for you to want to ban the entire breed is ludicrous. Don’t own one for your own sake and the dog’s. Become educated on dogs in general and read some unbiased, reputable literature about dog breeds.
As an ER nurse, I’d estimate that 99% of serious dog bites we treat are from pit bulls. I love dogs, but this breed seems to unpredictable compared to other breeds. If a chihuahua bites, it is NOT going to kill somebody. Pit Bulls kill one person every 18 days on average….
“The Pit Bull bites to kill without signal. Starkey v. Township of Chester (1986) … the American Pit Bull Terrier breed possesses inherent characteristics of aggression, strength, viciousness and unpredictability not found in any other breeds of dog … pit bulls are especially dangerous due to their unpredictability … American Pit Bull Terriers have been known to be friendly and docile at one moment, willing to sit on your lap and lick your face, and at the next moment to attack in a frenzied rage … Such frenzies can occur at any time and for no apparent reason. Garcia v. Village of Tijeras (1988) … to increase its effectiveness as a fighter, certain pit bull traits have been selected and maximized by controlled breeding, including … an extraordinary directness in their method of attack that does not include the common warning signs such as barking or growling displayed by other breeds; American Dog Owners Ass’n v. Dade County (1989) … Pit Bulls have the following distinctive behavioral characteristics … undying tenacity and courage and they are highly unpredictable. Vanater v. Village of South Point (1989) … Pit bull dogs possess a strongly developed “kill instinct” not shared by other breeds of dogs. This testimony indicated that pit bull dogs are unique in their “savageness and unpredictability.” Hearn v. City of Overland (1989)” http://www.dogsbite.org
As of this year so far, pit breeds kill one person every 6.5 days on average.
Aw, come on, Chris… Even you know that’s a false stat. That’s even more than DB’s claiming… Funny how there have been no more deaths, more time, and yet, the frequency increases with each of your posts! Are you sure you’re not inverting your ratios? 😉
Matt – I love that you have written about pit bulls. I will never understand why people are allowed to own these animals that have such a propensity for violence. These crazy dog lovers are just that – crazy. Time and time again you hear about a pit bull killing or mauling an innocent child or killing another dog and every time – the idiot pit bull defenders are out in droves. It is hard to understand how people value a dog’s life above a human but it is true. God help us all.
Yes, indeed, pit bull terriers have a really good “poker face”. You won’t know anything is wrong until you’re looking up at the ceiling with your arm, or head, or leg in their unrelenting jaws.
If any of you morons want to debate with me the good vs. the bad side of a Pit Bull contact me, but have facts with links, not just opinions I have facts with links on how good they are. Freaking morons like this author put a bad name on pit bulls if others believe his biased lies!!!
Yes, they do. But they’re not looking for enlightenment, Bil. They’re trolls. They wake up every morning and head straight to google, hoping in some twisted way that a child has died, because it will give them something to go off about, to distract them from their weak, meaningless, and otherwise disappointing lives. They say things like “on track for XX deaths this year” (like they’re excited). It amps them up; they’re addicted to the adrenaline. Don’t give them their dose.
If they really “cared about victims”, perhaps you wouldn’t find them in lengthy and overtly rude argument with strangers on the internet, but rather, out doing something productive to help those in need. Plenty of people do. Nah, they’re not interested in thinking. Just having something to say!
It’s easy to get worked up. Don’t let it bug you. They are the “vast minority”. We’re here, and more and more people realize actuality on their own every day. Thank you for what you do. There are many trolls on the internet, and once they find a cave (cough, cough), but all around you, real people offer you real support. We are the strong majority.
You sir, are an idiot. To say that people would wake up hoping in ANY kind of twisted way that a child has died so that they can go on a rant about it ONLY to distract them from WHAT???? “their weak, meaningless, and otherwise disappointing lives” Please can someone with half a brain make any kind of sense out of this for me. I believe it is totally opposite. I wish there was a day that went by where a child DID NOT die from a pit bull. I would love that! Then I could just keep being disappointed about my meaningless life and not have to add to it the heart felt anguish for the families of these innocent people who should not have died in the jaws of a breed that proves its purpose day in… and day out…. over….. and over…. and over….. you get the point
Nah, you live for it!
You obsess over a single issue. It has become your life. It’s not the loss of life itself that gets you going, it’s having a campaign. That may be tough to understand, I know. Nobody really needs to explain it. People with half a brain can see it for themselves and will generally avoid explaining much of anything to your kind. It will always fall on deaf ears.
Peace.
foolishfolliestoo.com
Awww, did someone get called out as a troll? Funny how these people can’t see the bigger picture behind their own (totally negative, freaked out, nanny-style) worldview. I pity these folks.
But, let me clarify… this guy knows what he does. This isn’t his first comment or only article. He SEEKS this BS out. All day, internet arguing. Lunch. Internet name-calling. Snack… YELL AND SCREAM AND CAPS!
Not everyone who disagrees is bad. Those with closed minds are. Always.
http://whoiscolleenlynn.com/
Not that defending myself is worth the time or effort…. but for once I feel compelled to do so. I do not comment on anything, no matter the subject, but this time it was different. This subject just hits very close to home.And for the record I did not seek this out, my wife showed me this story and I am very glad she did. I have a niece who was attacked in her own neighborhood by two pit bulls roaming the street. They were not provoked, she was not in their territory, this girl did absolutely nothing but walk down her own damn street and these 2 animals simply ran up and attacked. If it were not for a neighbor who heard her screams she would be dead. If one of the 4 inch gashes had been an inch or two over, it would have torn her jugular and she would have bleed to death. So, please tell me, who’s life is more important?? How many more statistics do there need to be before something is done? I guess these dogs were “raised wrong” as well?? False… I can tell you, and this is fact not hearsay…. 1 was a family pet that got out its backyard. It was loved, cared for, never mistreated but when the opportunity arose, when instinct kicked in, it tried to tear my niece apart. I do not troll the internet and look for fights because I know that against the stupidity of the human race as a whole, there is no winning, so I keep to myself. But on this subject, I will stick it out to the end and voice my opinion wherever and whenever I feel it is valid and I would say the ones on here calling me a “troll” and having nothing valid to say about the issue at hand are the REAL trolls.
Obviously nobody wants that kind of thing to happen, and I’m sorry anyone had to suffer like that, especially a loved one. I feel for you. I myself had to get multiple stitches when attacked by a Chow-chow. But to me, the fact that the dog was out running loose is an immediate indicator that the dog in question was NOT properly controlled (obviously). As with any large breed, Pit Bulls are not the dog for everyone, and even the well-intentioned must be educated and proactive in ensuring the safety of their pets and society. But come ON… Doesn’t it seem a little silly to claim that the breed as a whole is bad? You ran into a shitty dog, yes, a pitbull (but hey, that’s really several breeds), but the logic doesn’t follow. Hating a breed is not a rational, sensible, and effective answer to a problem of related injury… It’s just finger-pointing at ONE factor and making super generalizations. All that said, My heart goes out to you. Glad she made it through. Bless her heart…that must have really been awful.
A neighbor recently asked my husband if we would breed our 140lb Bull Mastiff to his (self-described) blue nose pit. He started showing my husband the “awesome” pictures of the 70lb pit that came out of the last litter. THESE are the owners that are ruining the breed for everyone else. THESE are the people ruining the super-gentle Bull Mastiff breed by crossing it with a known aggressive breed. The only reasons Bull Mastiffs show up on the fatality list is because some pit owners list their dog as a Bull Mastiff to get around anti-pit zoning laws, or because some moron thought it would be funny to breed the Bull Mastiff size into the Pit aggression. I work in insurance and insurance rates are based on statistical FACTS. The vast majority of insurance liability claims related to dog bites are from the various pit breeds. That is why most homeowner carriers won’t insure if you own a pit, because statistically, that dog is way more likely to cause a dog bite claim than other breeds.
Nobody can fix ignorant and this article and most of the comments are just that…propaganda and nonsense. I am off to go snuggle and be licked to death by my pibble…
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There really is no right or wrong side here. It is ALL a matter of OPINION. I am quite certain that there are TONS of Pitbulls that are as sweet as sugar. As many people who own Pitbulls stated in response to this article. No one is attacking your sweet Pitbull. And yes any animal at all; be it cat, dog, monkey, horse, etc. can kill a human being. Why? Because they are animals and whether or not they are domesticated does not matter – they are animals and ALL animals are unpredictable. Hell for that reason – so aren’t human beings. So I end with this – in MY opinion and for the well being of my family – when choosing a pet I am going to go the route of the least risk. So I chose a cat. My cat is as sweet as can be – BUT he can still be unpredictable, he has never scratched anyone in my family in his 6 years on this planet – but I wouldn’t rule it out. And I personally would not feel comfortable, mainly b/c I have a young child, owning a Pitbull. Because you can’t watch your children or your animals 100% of the time. My brother has a HUGE German Shepard who is for the most part sweet, but I would never leave my son alone in the room with his dog. The dog has unpredictably been aggressive towards certain people coming into the house. So – I think people should just chill out and do what is best for you and your family. I think the guy who wrote this article – was stating just that; That a Pitbull was not something he would choose for his family. Because let’s just face it, out of all the breeds they are 1 of the ones that can do the most harm (notice I said ONE of the many) – I would think that anyone, Pitbull lover or Pitbull hater would agree with that. I mean their instinct is to lock on to their prey or victim and hold on until death. Does that make ALL Pitbulls killers – no but again, as I stated before they are unpredictable, as ALL animals are. Peace out!
I like you, Karney! 🙂 Very level-headed.
I have a pitbull it seems to have not killed anyone and I have 3 younger children living here and they all seem to be alive and well, its not about the breed of dog! Any dog could kill a child, animals have feelings and they need to be respected we all have our territorys and to be quite frank with you all the kid did try take the dogs bone and he got upset. I say let the dog live, let him be trained and live with a respectable person who will treat him well and teach him right from wrong and you assholes shut your gobs
I couldn’t even finish reading this stupid article. I own and rescue pit bulls. They are not monsters like people say they are. You only hear about when a pit bull bites someone and not when a small dog does because when a big dog bites obviously they leave more damage. Small dogs are more likely to bite. Dog bites are not breed specific. Any breed can and will bite. Pit bull are not inherently mean and vicious. It’s how people treat and train them. Get the facts straight.
This article is very well written and spot on accurate. It’s not even malicious it just truthful. Only idiots own pit bulls, only idiots would rather stick up for a dangerous animal instead of feel great remorse for someone’s precious baby who is not only in pain but disfigured for LIFE. You know why you can’t fix stupid? Because they are too stupid to know they are sooooooooo stupid. I hate them because every time I see one in MY yard they don’t come up kissing and wagging their tail, they come up growling and in attack mode. I don’t live in a trailer park or the ghetto, nice communities in nice towns. All I have to say this, when your dog attacks, enjoy your crow and if it comes into my yard it will for sure be leaving with a mag emptied in it. Also, how many of you have insurance to cover it? Does your home owners insurance company know that you have it. I bet for most of you NOT.
What a dumb ass that said if my pit bull was to come into his yard it would be leaving with a mag in it. Well so would you. Your a piece of shit for saying that.
Don’t give him a voice. 😉 He makes himself sound ridiculous enough!
Very good article using very simple language, I an surprised at the number of arguing comments here. It’s a given in my experience (25 years working with animals in different professional settings) that their (pitt owners) veiws are not rational. That said, if they were and had any respect for life of humans or other dogs/cats they would not own pitts. Nuff said. I refuse argument with them.Not worth the breath..save it for rational, caring, remorseful human beings.
I feel for this family but I don’t think that bashing a whole breed for the misdeeds of Mickey is fair. I have had pits for twenty plus years and not one of my Pibble’s has ever hurt anyone or anything. I currently have a female Pibble and she would allow anyone to rob me blind if they pet her. I also have a full blooded Labrador that will only allow a few people around me. I can’t even take him to the vet, my husband has to, because he’s too overprotective over me. Most people, even those who should know what the breed looks like, cannot properly identify a true pit bull. I’m a firm believer in punish the deed not the breed.
You can easily get insurance to cover your pit on your home or rental insurance and it’s cheap. Mine covers $100,000 if one of my dogs attacks someone or something.
I’m an insurance agent in California and can say that most carriers not only exclude coverage for a list of breeds (pit or pit mixes, Germany shepherds, rottweilers, dobermans, etc) but they flat out won’t insure you if you own one of those breeds. Obviously there are a few carriers out there that don’t have that rule but it’s rare to find one. Chances are that most people don’t volunteer to their insurance agent that they own a breed they know likely won’t be covered. And you know why the carriers don’t want those breeds? It’s because those are the breeds that they pay out the most in dog bite claims. That’s not opinion, it’s statistical fact.
Interesting. I had no trouble finding insurance that was fine with my dog!
They probably do pay out the most in dog bite claims for the category of breeds labeled (and mislabeled) as pit bulls, relative to other, specific breeds. But as an insurance agent, you know statistics are subject to MANY MANY factors, right? Confounding variables, anyone? I suppose I’ll keep to those business that are cool with that. Seem prevalent enough to me! Best wishes in your work.
http://whoiscolleenlynn.com/
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On this logic, we should go through and euthanize every person that could be considered dangerous. Go start reading articles that have a factual basis and don’t come from Fox News. A lot of the statistical reports have so much gaps in the data, like people not reporting incidents, that they’re useless anyways. Pitbull temperament is not much different from any other large breed. Their behavior is part genetics, part environmentally influenced.
Honestly, I’d rather rid civilization of ignorant people like you. Maybe society would eventually begin improving after a couple generations.
Some actual reputable sources:
“Media coverage and the tallies of dog violence based on them say otherwise, including a compilation of news reports by DogsBite.org, a dog bite victims’ organization, which found that pits were responsible for 52 of the 88 U.S. deaths from dog attacks from 2006 to 2008. Yet in controlled studies, pits have never been identified as “disproportionately dangerous,” according to a 2012 American Veterinary Medical Association paper that advised against banning the breed.”
Pit bull laws are actually starting to lessen up in their strictness, since 2012. You’ll see a lot of bans lifted soon.
Thank you for your facts- with a balanced basis (e.g. not misinterpreted, taken out of context, unfairly reported, etc). Very well-considered. Those of us who can think appreciate it. 🙂
I’ve read several comments on this blog today, both good and bad about pit bulls and their owners. I myself own two, sweet caring dogs. But what both sides lack too see is the dogs are like humans. One negative action leaves a trace of hatred and fear for these dogs. I will refuse too take up for any side. Yes I love my dogs, but if one of them was too ever attack a human, the live of that human is more important than theirs. With that said though I do believe these dogs do get bad wraps for what they are. Yes they was originally bred too hunt, but years of bad breeding have got the breed where they are today. These dogs are beast in our world. But also aren’t humans a beast too. Don’t get me wrong a humans live can never be replaced or mended by a dog attack, but it also goes the same for human actions toward other humans. These animals are over bred, neglected, etc. But being a responsible owner isn’t it our obligation too treat this breed with respect and with responsibility. My dogs run loose a lot with strict supervision and don’t harm anyone or thing. My oldest has been attacked by a Rottweiler and didn’t attack back but ran and hid for safety. That does say a lot for a animal who has dog fighting and aggression in his blood. But also these dogs can’t be treated lightly, you must know the risk when owning not only a pit bull but any bully breed for any matter. My dogs are people lovers, they love going for walks and netting new humans. But will I let them just run anywhere? No I won’t. Not only pit bulls but all dogs must be treated like any potential danger could provoke them. I saved one dog I found laying in my shop parking lot, no specific breed she’s just a mix. But she is very territorial and aggressive toward other dogs. My pit bulls aren’t, they love dogs like my 15 pound yorkie who is my oldest. She’s the dominant dog and both know that and respect her and her territory and belongings. Could that change? Of course, but who’s too say my yorkie couldn’t either. The point is no dog is worth a human life, but also not too be prejudice with pit bull owners and lovers. There are respectful pit lovers with awareness about this breed. Not all of us owners or dogs are mean and cruel. Any animal lover as a specific species or breed they love. Mine just so happens too be the one that is criticized by people. That’s fine by me because the criticizing is well deserved for in non responsible actions. I just pray one day people can see what this breed truly is in true state of form I see everyday. I know not everyone will ever agree. But why blame someone like me who is responsible for ones who aren’t? That’s not fair too me or the dogs.
Pomeranians, have killed more the 5 infants and children in the past 2 yrs and chawaias are around 1000* more likely to bite someone per the department of agriculture which is were all bite information is reported to. DOA also estimates 7 out of 10 bits involving small dogs are not reported while they belive that the number is closer to 3 out of 10 for medium to large breed dogs. To all the supposedly highly educated bully breed haters is The scientific community formulate their theories with the collection of support of valid facts for those theories. All most every animal behaviorist, especially those who specialize in the area of canine behavior have proven the PIT BULLS innate non aggression toward humans. So complain about the.individual owners arrest, and hold them accountable for their teachings on the animals that do as they are trains. If that were the case every politician and journalists would be in prison the politicians for theft, imbesilment, and impersonating real Americans that care about this country. And people like.you for posting opinions riddled with false information, and yes slander is illegal and you and your kind slander the pit.bull breed every chance.you get .
The author asks us to “trust him” when he uses spurious facts from an internet site that gathers data – or as the author see it, “facts” exclusively from the media. Yes, Mr. Walsh really should learn how to analyze data before drawing conclusions, though I pretty much bet he’s just got an agenda and will manipulate media stories to fit that agenda. Hope you feel better – you and all the shills on this site.
sounds to me like you have a vagina
Thank you for writing this article.
I am a mother to a 2.5 year old child and it’s a constant struggle for me to take my child to the public parks. People don’t always keep their dogs on leashes and there have been times where dogs of different breeds have come running up to my small child and scaring him and myself. I am not against dogs or dog owners. I am against the indifference people seem to have in regards to human life.