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A pit bull...again Date published: 10/2/2009
ANOTHER vicious pit-bull In May, a 3-year-old Culpeper boy and his grandmother were mauled by two pit bulls loose in their neighborhood. In 2008, a Fairview Beach toddler sustained serious facial wounds when he approached a neighbor's chained pit bull. In 2005, 86-year-old Dorothy Sullivan of Partlow was killed in her own yard, along with her little dog, by a neighbor's pit bulls. Serious charges, these, against a type of dog many claim is loyal, calm, and an excellent family pet. What's a responsible society to do? Is it time to ban the breed? "Pit bull" is a generic term that refers to a dog type rather than to a recognized breed. Of late, they have been overbred, in many cases by people involved in dog-fighting. The result is poor temperaments in some pits; when combined with irresponsible owners and/or a general ignorance of canine behavior the consequences can be devastating. For many people, the answer is simple: Ban the breed. But one of the problems with that is in defining terms. Is it fair to ban any short-coated, stocky, broad-headed, short-muzzled, pit-bull-type dog, regardless of temperament or history? Denver has tried. So have Prince George's County, Md., and the United Kingdom. Denver's 20-year-old ban on pit bulls has had no impact on dog bites, according to the National Canine Research Council. Prince George's County spends more than half a million dollars every two years on its pit bull ban, says the American Bar Association, with little effect. Likewise, the 18-year proscription against pit bulls in the UK has failed to reduce dog attacks, leading the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to call for an end to the ban in favor of more effective legislation. What might that be? The NCRC studied fatal dog attacks in 2006 and found these commonalities:
It's unfortunate to hear this things happen. What is even MORE unfortunate is that people point the blame in the wrong place.. it is NOT the pitbull's fault that it's owners were sooo irresaponsible. I have a beautiful 3 yr 7 month old pitbull and she is the best thing to ever happen to me. She is very sweet, and has never displayed any type of agression And I would NEVER leave her UNMONITORED with any child. NO dog should be...COMMON SENSE. if you have never owned a pitbul you cannot speak on their behalf
Nate, you can try to justify this all you want.. the bottom line is that pit bulls attack quite frequently, and usually when they do.... they kill *something*. Period.
Maybe it's because I socialize him with all types of animals that I can. Ferrets, rabbits, birds, mice, hamsters, cats, dogs, turtles, and cows. My cocker-mix was taught to kill mice, rabbits, and groundhogs, but is fine otherwise with animal. If I have an opportunity to show my pit right and wrong I jump on it. He's hyper-active. I give him activities to use his energy, ie.. playing fetch, tug, playing with a boomerball, running, walking. When no one is home he stays in his crate to keep him out of trouble
My cocker-mix grabbed something from my cat and was tearing at it. My Pit Bull shoved my other dog away, grabbed it and ran as fast as he could to me. It was a half grown rabbit. He dropped it at my feet, nudged it with his nose and began licking it in the face. He sat there while I checked out the rabbits injuries. Never once did he try to kill it or maul it. He saw that it was hurt and brought it to me. That's it. Is that genetic? Is that behavioral? cont...
That is unfortunate. Once again though, this is another case of the owners error not the breed. Why were these two Pits running free? Someone gave them the opportunity. Why did they attack another dog? Lack of socialization? Neglect? Mistreatment? Sounds genetic not behavioral huh? Last night my cat was out in the backyard chasing something. I didn't think anything of it. She's always killing mice, moles, or birds. I let my two dogs out to pee and my dogs both barrel down to where my cat is. Cont...
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