Pit Bull Statistics (Crosspost)

I'll cut right to the heart of the matter and pose the question so many people ask on a daily basis...

...Are Pit Bulls dangerous dogs?

Depending on who you ask you will either get a yes or a no answer. If you asked me this question I would say, depends.

Before we get into the rest of this article I would like to make it clear that the American Pit Bull Terrier is a dog or Canine Lupus Familiaris.

Why did I mention this obvious fact? People try to make the Pit Bull out to be some sort of "super animal" or something that is not the same as any other dog you find in our society. While they are super athletic, they are still dogs.

Are Pit Bulls Dangerous Dogs?
Fact: Out of the estimated 53 million dogs in the United States 92 fatal attacks are contributed to Pit Bulls or Pit Bull Mixes (2 were from American Staffordshire Terriers) from 1965-2001.

Source: Fatal Dog Attacks by Karen Delise

Imagine that. 53 million dogs. 92 fatal attacks out of 431 that span a 37 year period (1965-2001). Now I ask you, after looking at the numbers do we have a dangerous dog problem?

During that time period for my state of Kentucky there were 9 fatal dog attacks. Only one was a Pit Bull "type" dog.

Another attack during that time frame for my state was a Dachshund that killed a 14 day old baby after jumping in his crib.

Do we have a dangerous dog problem or is it being sensationalized to sell newspapers and create panic?

Fatal dog attacks by dangerous dogs are almost non-existent. 20 a year out of millions of dogs. The percentages are estimated to be somewhere around .0000004% of dog attacks are fatal.

If Pit Bulls Are Not Dangerous Dogs Why Do We have a Pit Bull Problem?
Personally I think the Pit Bull problem has more to do with people having a problem with Pit Bulls not the other way around.

Pit Bulls are outstanding dogs, like any dog that is well loved, trained, exercised, and cared for properly can be.

However, Pit Bulls are different. They are infectious with their energy and their wiliness to suffer the abuses of society and come back with a big goofy grin and a tongue lying in wait to lick the first face that gets close enough.

I have rescued dogs and I have seen dogs that were abused and neglected hop in my lap, look deep into my eyes and plant a smack of a lick right on my forehead.

Pit Bulls are different for sure. They expose humans for the cruel and inhumane beasts we are and we don't like it.

Pit Bulls are not dangerous dogs. They are however, abused, sold to irresponsible owners, the favorite dogs of drug dealers, and street gangs and this is by far the most damaging part of the problem.

Even with these record numbers of dogs these days the fatal attacks caused by Pit Bulls is nothing compared to the inhumanity we face on a daily basis. We are talking about 20 fatal attacks by dogs a year, most of which are not Pit Bulls, this is not a Pit Bull problem folks.

CDC Stats are out dated
The Center for Disease Control statistics are outdated and often misused in situations like creating a breed specific law.

The problem is not breed specific but people specific. As I mentioned, irresponsible owners, gang members, dog fighters, and others who use the breed to boost their own macho attitudes and cruel intentions are the problem.

However, regulating them would be near impossible or too costly, at least that is the governments excuse for not doing anything other than banning or restricting the breed.

God forbid if we expected people to have to take responsibility for their actions.

CDC stats are outdated and this contributes to the problem as well. Pro-BSL people like PETA and other groups of fanatics use them to skew the picture into the picture they want the public to see.

Uneducated government officials believe these groups and the general public eats their BS with a giant spoon.

As Pit Bull owners around the world suffer from unrealistic expectations and BSL these groups sit on their all knowing thrones and laugh and feel powerful.

New statistics are in order for sure, but figuring out the exact population of dogs is as impossible a task if there ever was one.

What do We Then?
We fight and kick and claw and Scratch and yell from the roof tops, "Listen! We have a voice and we are going to use it!"

We unite and fight back at these groups and the government butt kissing politicians that make these laws by speaking out and being heard before BSL is an issue.

Education of our children is the first step. For they are the future and if that future will include the American Pit Bull Terrier then our children must know and understand what a real Pit Bull is and how to Handle them.

Then we walk to the court house steps and stomp our feet a while and make it known, "We will not lay down and take this anymore!"

Change is only made when many become one and unite under a righteous cause. Saving our Pit Bulls from extinction is a righteous cause don't you think?

Sean

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070508/od ... alsoffbeat

 

You know what? It isn't only pit bulls that creat havoc.
The friggin media makes damm sure that the above story made the news though? You don't think other breeds attack?
Please!!!
Too bad my lab/golden didn't make the news when he detached my finger.
I am soooo dammm sick and tired of the media projecting this breed as killers. The bottom line is everyone has a responsibility to have control of their dogs. Not just pit bull owners. How many times must we show the world that pit bulls in the proper hands make FANTASTIC PETS! It's the losers that own them that create the problems with them. Hitting them up in the wallet when they screw up and enforcing laws already in effect would be a nice start in my opinion.
I love my dogs and would NEVER own another breed in my life.
I just passed 14 pit bulls for their CGC between yesterday and today.
All did wonderful. Most were shelter pit bulls sitting on death row and were lucky enough to get a chance (with our help)
Katie, (Someday) why don't you take a look at the pictures they are on the Little Rhodie Bully Breed Club photo section.
Maybe you can post a few up for me as I don't know how?

Thanks,

Sue
CGC Evaluator, professional Pit bull dog trainer.
Also, President of The Little Rhodie Bully Breed Club

 

certainly..
here's a few photos of the CGC test..I just picked a couple. Didn't know which ones you wanted..there's a lot!

 

Thank you sooo much Katie.
Just look at those VICIOUS KILLERS!!!

 

no problem sue.
Here's a few of my killers. I can't get away without showing them off.

 

I don't even read those dumb articles anymore. You can't even be sure they're pit bulls who did the damage. No way to tell for sure and that's the worst part of the whole issue...

If you think you can tell by looking...just take the test:

http://members.aol.com/radogz/find.html

Sara

 

Katie, I LOVE THOSE PICTURES!!!

I don't bother to read those articles either. The problem is that many people do and read them as they read the bible.

Some people just make me ill with their comments and thoughts about pit bulls.
I will give you an example of what happened to me last week. Made me so upset.
I was helping out a friend who just purchased a puppy and wants it to do pet therapy work. We were down by her house and her friend came by to meet her. They got talking about what a great dog her puppy is becoming with his new training skills. We then began talking about dog training and my friend said to her friend Do you know what type of dogs Sue specializes in training? "Pit Bulls" The woman just looked at me and I said I QUOTE "How can you even look at those horrific beasts in the face"???
Nice, Really Nice. I won't even go on and on with my lecture to her. She got an earful, unfortunatly narrow minded people like that are not going to change their minds because they are too narrow minded in the first place.
She did have a few valid points though, she said that S and I QUOTE THAT "She only knows what she see's on TV/newspaper. She also said "She only see's punks walking their dogs and the breed seems to be owned by just that punk"s. unfortunatly, all to true.
Guess you don't see as many people projecting their breed in a positive image. Well, I try my best to change that image each and every day of my life.
Its too bad people are so negative and can't be more open minded about pit bulls.

 

Hi,
I do think the amount of bad press they get is awful, and from what I can gather, I don't think it's half as bad over here as it is in other countries.

I have to admit to avoiding certain breeds though, mainly Pits, Staffs and Rotties.

The thing is, my boy isn't great around other dogs. He's fearful (after an attack, for those who weren't around the boards at the time to hear about it) so he will growl a dog off if it comes bounding over to him. I can't take the risk of a strong breed dog taking offence to Floobs growl and fighting back.
I was helpless when the rottie was attacking Floob, so I know how powerful they are, and I can't let it happen again.

I see it in the owners eyes when I call Floob back to me and put his lead on, then take a wide birth, but I usually say to them "it's my dog that's not good with others, that's why I'm keeping my distance".

I've seen 2 Staffys tear a springer to peices at the park, and it's hard to look at them in the same light when you've seen them in fighting mode.
I love rotties, they were my favourite dog, but I just can't look at one now without seeing what they're capable of.

I'm probably not explaining myself very well, but what I'm trying to say is that it's hard not to fear certain breeds when you've seen for yourself the damage they can do.

Before anyone says "any dog can do that amount of damage"... I know, it's just that I've never seen an attack by a dog other than a strong breed dog, so I'm just talking about my experiences.

I won't put breeds down, and will defend them in an argument about 'dangerous dogs' in everyday life, I only told you all about my fears as you all have dogs so as an owner could maybe understand.

 

Well. I've certaninly taken scrutany for having "vicious Pits!' HA! And mine are Boerboels!!!

shows ya how much people "really" know.

I have seen pits in their "fighting" mood. Scary, Definatly. I've seen retrievers in their "fetching" mood, scary too!!!! I mean... all dogs with "drives" have them to an extent. Wether is ballaholicism, or dog agression, or strong prey drives. Its wether or not those dogs OWNERS handle it in a proper manner. A responcible owner would condition his dog in a manner appropriate for public outtings or simply not take them out!

Our pit is VERY dog agressive. So, we don't allow him near others. Simple as that!

 

Nik
The amount of press these dogs get is horrific. ALWAYS INTENSIFIED!!!!!!!!Yes, they can cause damage when they attack. Hence the reasons for the Vicious dog laws that should be enforced.
As far as your dog getting attacked by another dog, it would be helpful it you went to a behaviorist/trainer that specializes in desensitizing.
Your fear will project into your dog and probably is making his fear more intensified. There are training methods that can help him and you overcome your fear. Dogs should not be bouncing over to him, they should all be on leash. Another issue with irresponsible dog owners.
I work at a hospital and have been working at that same hospital for 23 years. I can tell you about MANY DIFFERNT DOG BITES!!!!

I also am a private dog trainer and volunteer my time at 6 different shelters. I can personally say, ANY Breed can cause damage. When you get your own finger taken off by your own lab/golden and your son gets bitten in the back by a large shepherd, taking a huge hunk out of his back causing him to get plastic surgery you being to realize that its not just "Pits, rotties etc.... than can cause extreme amounts of damage. Last summer in my state, a husky killed a 6 day old baby. The list goes on and on.
Tonight the state of Mass had a hearing on BSL. Overall, reports have it that the meeting went well. Over 200 people showed.
Here is a bit of the e-mail that I have

I attended the BSL hearing today at the State
House in Boston. I wanted to update everyone on what happened there
because I know the outcome will effect all of us, even those who
live in RI.
"There were several "expert" witnesses that testified, including a
cruelty investigtor with the MSPCA, an attorney for the ASPCA, and a
behaviorist working for the Animal Rescue League. They all had
excellent points against any type of BSL. One that sticks out in my
head was that last June, a pit bull attack took place in another
state and the story was reported over 90,000 times over TV,
newspapers,etc nationwide! On the same day, a little girl was
attacked by another breed (a golden retriever,I think), causing her
to need 300 stitches and she is still undergoing surgeries. This
story was reported by 2 local newspapers only! He had several
examples of this...wow. 90,000 reports vs. 2! That's amazing! He
pointed out that the media hype is creating a false reality and
causing unnecessary fear in the public".
"In my opinion,the best witness was a Vet./behavioral specialist
from Tuft's Vet. School. He came across as extremely educated and
dry, which was a good thing. He stated the facts without any hint
of bias. He was against any kind of breed specific legisation and
dispelled many myths, such as the lock jaw theory and that once the
dog tastes blood it will be dangerous".
In fact, the only person in support of the BSL was a coucilman
from the town of Canton, where they recently passed a law allowing
only 1 pit bull per household. In my opinion, he was unprepared and
uneducated. He had only one (flawed) study to support his argument.

"As a whole, I was very encouraged by the day. There were so many
supporters of the breed at the hearing who listened politely to all
arguments, no matter how absurd".

Well guess what the 11pm RI news showed? NOT THE ABOVE E-MAIL But rather:
First clip two dogs pit bull fighting and a bunch of clips of shelter dogs barking at the camera, shaking and scared to death in their cages. Jezzz why didn't they interview me??? I could show them stable pit bulls living in harmony with a family that loves them dearly!!! They added
More stories of how dangerous these dogs can be and a report from an ACO that HATES the breed and has BSL in his own RI town. He was going on and on about the dangers of the breed. And since he enacted BSL there has been no more pit bull bites, He forgot to mention that his city is now flooded with WOLF HYBRIDES and Presa Canario's LOL Just a matter of time before he begins having major issues with those breeds.
The funny thing is I personally know this animal control officer and he DOES adopt out pit bulls out of his own city??? If he truly thought they were dangerous beasts don't you think he would not allow this breed to be adopted out??? Wouldn't that be a liablity issue to him???
Think about that??? The media NEVER MENTIONED THAT THOUGH NOR DID HE IN HIS FRIGGIN INTERVIEW THE DAMM HYPOCRIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am doing a BIG CGC Graduation day for BULLY BREEDS this coming Saturday, Lets see how many reporters come to it!!
MIND YOU THEY WILL ALL BE INVITED!!!
BUT THAT WON'T MAKE THE NEWS NOW WILL IT???

 

Nik,

I am afraid of all dogs I do not know because as a small child I was attacked by some mutt. The first dog to ever bite me was a red healer and the second dog to ever bite me was a Westie terrier...15lb dog at the most. I wouldn't go over to my friends house and generally if I saw a dog that was not mine at large, I would run screaming back home in complete and utter Terror.

When you are afraid of a dog or a breed of dog to the extent that you are describing it really does make you a little more susceptable to an attack because you don't think logically about the dog you are encountering, not in a manner that will keep you FROM becoming the screaming, running target. I would recommend you get into some doggy classes or contact a behaviorist that will help you AND your dog get over this fear so that you can begin to manage your own behavior in a fearfull situation. I now, rather than screaming and running, take deep breaths and if I need to hand my own dog over to my husband because I can't keep my own self relaxed so that my dog isn't feeling my fear I do.

I hope this post wasn't offensive or didn't assume too much, I just know that as a kid, I was a prime mauling victim not because of the dogs I encountered, but because of my behavior towards those dogs...Doberman, GSD's and what I thought to be none other than what I thought was a pit bull in one instance. Poor dog, I probably scared him more than he scared me. He was headed to my kitchen door and when I came face to face I screamed and headed to the house. my dad came right out to see the dog and he was long gone by then. I actually feel sorry for that dog, probably just wanted a warm bite to eat and a soft couch to lay on or something.

Anyway...

Sara

 

YES! Let the subjects be heard

Mass. show of support for pit bulls: The Boston Globe


http://www.boston.com/news/local/articl ... t_for_pit_



Dog trainer Ken Buzzell made his support for pit bulls clear. (David L. Ryan/ Globe Staff)


Mass. show of support for pit bulls
Specialists put burden on breeders, owners
By Lisa Wangsness, Globe Staff | May 15, 2007
Pit bull supporters vastly outnumbered opponents at a State House hearing yesterday on whether the Legislature should consider a statewide ban on the breed.
About 150 dog owners, trainers, and animal advocates, many sporting T-shirts and jackets emblazoned with images of pit bulls, made for a sometimes raucous crowd, grousing at what they saw as antagonistic questioning from members of the committee considering the ban after a seriesof highly publicized attacks on children and others.
Most of the veterinarians and animal behavior specialists who testified said a pit bull ban would not protect people from attacks. Instead of focusing on the breed, they said, the state should hold breeders and owners more accountable for vicious dogs.
Dr. Nicholas H. Dodman, director of the animal behavior clinic at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, also said that pit bulls were difficult to identify and therefore difficult for a law to target and that other big, strong dogs can be as dangerous as pit bulls if improperly cared for or bred.
"I think breed-specific legislation is odious," he said. "It's fraught with all kinds of problems."
Should the state ban pit bulls?

No legislation banning pit bulls has been filed, but Representative Vincent A. Pedone, House chairman of the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, has expressed interest in the idea and scheduled the hearing to explore ways to control vicious dogs.
Yesterday he repeatedly asked witnesses whether they would prefer to be bitten by a German shepherd or a pit bull, and he grilled those with veterinary exper tise on the pit bull's infamous temperament.
Such questioning infuriated people who sat for hours waiting for their chance to shower the committee with pit bull testimonials. JulieRembrandt Seeley, corresponding secretary of the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners, left the hearing without testifying after 3 1/2 hours, saying she was convinced that Pedone was "basically on a pit bull witch hunt.' "
After the hearing, however, Pedone said that a statewide ban would be difficult to enforce, but that "everything was still being looked at," including restrictions for specific breeds. "The committee is going to continue to look at different ideas relative to how we can update our dog laws and possible breed-specific legislation," said the Worcester Democrat.
Two children were attacked by pit bulls in separate incidents last week in Boston.
One of them was Zayre Morant, 7, of Dorchester, who lost a chunk of his right arm when a neighbor's dog mauled him. The dog was put to sleep, said April Shearrion, 32, the boy's mother, but she said that Zayre's arm is infected and that he is in pain.
"Ithink they should ban them not only in Massachusetts, but in the US, period," she said. "Some family's going to experience worse than what I've experienced."

While some have also debated the issue, no Legislature has placed statewide restrictions on pit bulls, according to Marcy Setter of Milford, who runs a website, understand-a-bull.com, which tracks such legislation. Some municipalities have bans, includ ing Denver and Prince George's County, Md., near Washington, D.C., according to the website. Many municipalities in Massachusetts and across the country have adopted restrictions on pit bull ownership.
Since 2004, Boston has required pit bull owners to muzzle their dogs in public, to spay or neuter them, display warning signs on their property, and if they rent, to obtain a permission letter from their landlords, according to the city'swebsite.
In April, Canton approved a new bylaw that prohibits households from owning multiple pit bulls, said Paul R. DeRensis, the town counsel.
Dodman said butchers once used pit bulls to restrain large bulls about to be slaughtered: The dogs would attach themselves to the bulls' noses "like a living nose ring," he said. Later, he said, they were bred to fight in pits. The term pit bull now encompasses a number of different breeds, he said. A relative of the pit bull, the Boston terrier, is the state's official dog.
Pit bulls are strong, powerful animals with a high pain threshold, Dodman said, and when they bite, they often clamp their jaws and refuse to let go. He told the committee that fatal pit bull attacks are relatively rare, and that pit bulls tend to be more aggressive toward other dogs than toward people. Most attacks on humans, he said, are the result of careless breeding that produces antisocial dogs or of owners encour agingtheir dogs to be aggressive. Most dogs that bite are males that are not neutered.
"When you count all the things that maleness brings with it -- roaming and mounting and aggression and leg-lifting, urine marking -- there's nothing, really, that a family needs," he said.
Rather than ban pit bulls, Dodman suggested later that the panel consider other tactics to curb problem dogs, including requir ing owners to take a test on dog care before they buy a dog and getting rid of puppy mills and unscrupulous breeders.
Lisa Wangsness can be reached at lwangsness@globe.com.

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