Dog Attacks and the Law

Hello:

I am a new member to this community. My dogs were recently attacked by a pitbull. This dog dragged a ten year old boy 50 feet by a leash to attack my dogs while I was walking them. I fortunately was able to prevent the pitbull from severly biting my dogs. After this incident, the condo association (this happend in a condo complex) is considering banning this breed from the complex. This pitbull was generally well maintained, but then I found out this pitbull was in heat and was being bread out of the owners garage. Add that to the fact a 10 year old boy that could not handle the dog had it outside without the presence of an adult, and the dog was not wearing a muzzle as required by Ohio state law.

From all I've read about Pitbulls recently, they are loyal happy dogs towards people, but can be very agressive towards other dogs. I read message after message explaining why banning dog breed laws do not work. But I guess after this incident I feel I should support this law. I do not see these laws as banning the breed from society, instead I see it as a way to keep a naturaly aggressive dog breed out of the hands of irresponsible owners. People should be allowed to have these dogs, but not in areas that have a high dog population seeing as how they were bread to fight other dogs. Compound that on the higher number of bad owners and this combination makes for a large problem to other local dog owners. I have heard that laws should force owners to be educated on their breeds, but most owners I know are not. Policy makers have a heard enough time making sure people are educated to drive a car, let alone making sure they know how to own a dog. I feel the inconvenince to a few pit bull owners out ways the danger that can be caused by the combination of "dumby + pitbull". I invite any comments about this message. Maybe my thinking is wrong to some of you but I am intersted to find out why you think the way you do.

BTW- The owners put the dog to sleep since it had bitten other area dogs as well. I feel bad for the dog for it is not her fault, it is the owners for not taking proper care of her.

Thanks,
Dakota2004

 

Dakota:
Sorry to hear about your dogs, it is an awful thing to witness first hand.

I am glad you realize it was the owners irresponsibility when it comes to this dog. I have seen dogs in heat do ANYTHING to get to another dog. Going through a fence, going through a window, this also goes for a male trying to get to a bitch in heat.

That being said, and I, of course am bias because I own a Pit Bull, breed ban WILL NOT work. It has been proven time and time again that states who ban Pit Bull do not have a lower bite ratio.

Harley, my female Pit is extremely dog aggressive. My knowledge in accepting this fact allows me to properly control any situation that we are in. A 10 yr. old should not have been walking that dog, and had the owner cared enough about the dog (obviously not if they are breeding her in a garage), this incident probably would not have happened. It is unfortunate that yet one more person has gone against this loving and loyal breed because some ignorant fool decided a dog was a status symbol.

You said you didn't think a ban would keep a dog out of society but out of the hands of irresponsible owners, but let me tell you something, I have seen abused and starved chi's, poodles, and many other "toy" breeds. These monsters are still going to abuse animals, EVEN if the Pit Bull is banned. And, it IS keeping the dog out of Society. Chicago was going to pass a law to ban Pits from the city. If it would have gone through, Pit owners would have has 30 days to remove the dog from the area. How would you find homes for tens of thousands of dogs in under 30 days!!

I understand that this incident scared you, but you have stated many times that you are aware it is not the dog's fault, so why now are you saying you think you will follow the ban? As a responsilbe dog owner, I believe it is EVERYBODY'S responsilbity to care for their dogs, and if you see an abused dog...REPORT IT!! If Pit Bulls get banned in your area, these owners will find a different breed to prey on and take advantage of. It seems as though some dog owners (not meaning you) won't stop until all large breed dogs are out of the picture as they feel they all pose a threat.

I hope that you will reconsider your stance on this decision. I suggest visiting a few of these sites first to see how many Pit lovers there are out there, along with responsible owners tryign to get the scum who own these dogs out of the picture, and how many loving Pits are needlessly dying eveyday because more and more people are wanting them banned, and there are not enough homes for them all. These sites have great info on them, and I hope will help you to start to better understand a wonderful breed of dog that was once considered an icon for the American people because they symbolize loyalty, strength, and determination.

I will also post an article that was put on the Pit Bull index yesterday. Hopefully you will see that BSL won't work.

www.pbrc.net
www.badrap.org
www.pitbullpress.com
Here are 3 great sites that will have TONS of info on them.

Below are different rescues that have too many pits waiting to be adopted and some of these sites have great info aswell.
www.spindletoppitbullrefuge.org
www.outofthepits.org
www.pitbullsontheweb.com
www.realpitbull.com

 

Dakota: This is the article I was talking about.
Sorry if I sounded rude, I am jsut a very determined dog owner on a mission to change people's minds about the breed.


This was in the washington DC city paper april 9th 2004

Breeding Trouble
Would-be pit-bull owners trade up.
By Mike DeBonis
Two years ago this month, District Chief of Animal Disease Control Peggy Keller investigated an unusually gruesome dog attack in Manor Park: A 130-pound dog, sicced by its owner on what he thought was a thief, had leapt at a 13-year-old girl. As she tried to run, she fell, and the dog pounced, leaving her with a cracked hip and bites on her face that required 40 stitches.

The offending animal wasn’t the breed usually blamed for such attacks—a pit bull. Instead, it was a rare breed of mastiff called a Cane Corso. The owner had paid $2,600 for it in North Carolina.

Since Keller began investigating animal cases for the Department of Health in 1997, no dog of that breed—a type of mastiff indigenous to Italy, bred for farm work and first imported to the United States in 1983—had ever come before the city’s dangerous-dog review board. But since then, Keller has gotten much more familiar with Corsos and other rare mastiffs. This year, according to D.C. Department of Health statistics, there were 11 impoundments involving mastiff breeds in February and March—up from six two months ago. In the same span, pit-bull impoundments declined from 240 to 150.

The reason, Keller says, is simple: Two years ago, the D.C. Council was amid its second attempt to ban pit bulls, a favorite breed in the District for those looking for protection, status, and dogfights. The owner of the Manor Park Corso told Keller that he got his dog because he thought a pit-bull ban was imminent. Today, for the third time in three two-year sessions, the D.C. Council is again considering a ban, even as authorities in Maryland consider a repeal of theirs, saying other big dogs are just taking their place.

Prince George’s County has had a pit-bull ban in place since 1997, and according to Rodney Taylor, chief of the county’s Animal Management Division, the ban has had a negligible effect on safety, because among other reasons, would-be pit-bull owners are turning to other breeds.

The most pronounced trends are in two once-uncommon breeds: Corsos and Presa Canarios. For many years, says Taylor, a 20-year veteran of the division, those breeds were rarely encountered by animal-control officers. But in the past two years, the Corsos and Canarios have become frequent occupants of the county pound. Today, the division sees as many as a half-dozen of the dogs a month. “We just weren’t seeing these breeds of dogs in our county prior to the ban coming into effect,” Taylor says.

In the back of the agency’s kennel in District Heights, Taylor stands in front of a fenced cell, one of the largest in the facility. Inside, a brown Canario with patches of white lies on the floor, indifferent to his yelping neighbors and the bracing aroma of bleach. He weighs more than 60 pounds, but with his bulky frame, he still looks scrawny.

“He’s small for a Presa,” Taylor says. “He should be another 20 to 30 pounds.” He holds palms about a foot and a half apart. “We’ve had ’em in here that broad across the back.”

Taylor calls this Canario, brought in for a cruelty complaint last month, “pretty laid-back.” But this isn’t necessarily par for the breed: It was a 110-pound Canario that infamously mauled San Francisco lacrosse coach Diane Whipple to death in 2001, sending its owners, Marjorie Knoller and Robert Noel, to prison on involuntary-manslaughter charges.

In January, after a series of neighborhood complaints in Hyattsville, Prince George’s animal-control officers took in four Cane Corsos on viciousness charges. That, Taylor says, was after the dogs attacked the officers. The Corsos were euthanized late last month.

As in virtually all dog breeds, the demeanor of a Corso or a Canario depends largely on its training, says Denyse Winns, owner of Stormy Winns Kennels in Calvert County, Md. Winns’ kennel, which breeds Cane Corsos exclusively, selling puppies for as much as $1,500, caters to a national clientele looking for purebred show dogs and family dogs, not people looking for protection or a 100-plus-pound status symbol. “We don’t get a whole lot of that traffic,” she says.

But Winns says Corsos can look intimidating, particularly if their ears are cropped. And the dogs, which Winns says can be great for families, aren’t necessarily man’s best friend: One guide offering advice to potential Corso owners says the breed “requires heavy socialization and training by an experienced ‘alpha’ owner, as they are not a ‘happy-go lucky’ mastiff—they will not ‘love’ everyone they meet. They are indifferent to other people and dogs and VERY protective of their family and home.”

Taylor says it’s not professional breeders like Winns who are responsible for the current influx. He says the dogs now popular in Prince George’s are from “backyard breeders” who breed the dogs specifically to be aggressive, as was the case with the Hyattsville Corsos.

Keller says her agency is in the process of drafting an alternative to a breed-specific ban that aims to identify dangerous dogs of all breeds, not just pit bulls.

Meanwhile, Taylor is outspoken in his disdain for his county’s ban. About 900 innocent pit bulls are still destroyed in the county per year, he says, while there’s no sign the ban has an effect on breeders of aggressive dogs. “They go underground,” Taylor says. “I truly believe it’s still going on.” CP

 

Of course an outright ban of pit bulls is the simplest solution but that does not mean that it is the best. What if that dog had not been a pit bull but a golden retriever instead? Would you support a ban on all golden retrievers? In my complex, a neighbour's lab bit another dog. I would be outraged if I was then told I could not have my lab. And I would think it was ridiculous that I had to move. Are there other people in the condo complex who have pit bulls? Would they be required to move out?

In my complex, you need permission to get a pet. That is a good solution to what is going on in your complex because those irresponsible owners could be denied permission if they were to want another dog.

 

I used to have a Shepherd/Mal mix who killed 2 dogs. Neither breed is banned. Have no idea what I'm trying to get to here

What I'm trying to say I quess is, IMO, I think municipalities try to take the easy way out to keep angry people happy. Yes I would also be angry if my dog was attacked - but by any dog. I think rather than try to work with people and educating them in regards to any breed cities and towns take the easy way out and ban the breed. I honestly wish they had the time and resources to take each dog's personality (along with the owner's IQ) into consideration but I know they can't do that.

If a person, like the owner of this pitbull, were banned against owning another dog, regardless of breed, due to the conduct of their dog - rather than banning the breed it would probably be better.

 

This pit bull was the only one in our complex. If the assocation bans pit bulls, no one would be forced to move out or give up there dog.

I recognize the fact not all Pit bulls are mean, but the bigger question is- How do you change a person's behavior? This leads to larger societal issues and it is unfortunate these dogs have been singled out. But until a better plan comes about to prevent these types of attacks, something should be done. Doing nothing at all would perpetuate the problem of dumb owners (I am not talking about dog fighting owners either, I am talking about the average person that doesn't want to learn about the breed because they do not care enough) breeding and raising aggresive dogs. At least these laws might cause one or two people to rethink their decision. Maybe a common ground can be formed like- Ban all new Pitbulls from an area, but the old ones may remain (just a suggestion to start more dialogue about this topic).

Thanks for the input, you have given me some food for thought. I think when our association meets, we should have a dog expert there to help our board make an informed decision beyond experience.

 

As a rescuer of all breeds but a owner and lover of Pit Bulls I must say this. Banning the breed WILL NOT have an effect on these stupid people. It WILL cause good caring knowledgable people to lose their pets. People who breed/fight/ and are just plain idiots WILL find a way to do it, underground, in a different city etc. It is US responsible, LAW ABIDING owners that will be forced to put our dogs down, relocate, or turn our dogs over the the pound to be PTS. This is NOT the solution. I think banning a breed is NEVER the solution. It is not the BREEDS fault they are owned by STUPID people sometime, BUT any and EVERy breed has stupid owners who do stupid things. The owners of this dog should be fined, charged and arrested. It was sorry for the Pit Bull to have to be put down because it was truly not her fault. Who in their right mind would trust a 10 yr old to handle ANY large breed, much less one that seems to DRAW out people who hate the breed. This is a sad incident but I hope you can be smart enough to lay blame where it is deserved, the owners/parents. Banning is NOT the solution, it is the problem. It will cause more people to breed these dogs, fight these dogs and own these dogs to show that they cannot be taken down. We the GOOD people will suffer.



Kim

 

Hi Dakota, You're doing your homework, that's good too see

I think we need stiffer laws against the people who raise ANY dog that does harm to another animal or even worse a human being. I think the biggest problem we have is that the little slap on the wrist or the small fine they get, is not enough to deter these idiots from owning these dogs.

And I know you're not talking about fighting pitbulls, but that's where they need to focus thier attention most. If they would REALLY make these people pay the price for the cruel training and damage that has been done to this breed, then maybe then they wouldn't be bred so much.

I don't know what the anwer is! I wish I did! but I do hate to read the paper or watch the news where pits or mastiffs have killed a child or an adult such as the woman in San Francisco awhile back.

Education is the key, and you have brought up something to think about here....

Susan

 

Susan:
Good post. I too believe that the authorities need to focus more on dog fighting rings. It seems everytime one is broken up, it leads to other charges such as drugs, illegal gambling (obviously), guns, and even prostitution. The criminal world does not care about a petty fine of $1000. They make 3 to 4 times that each time they fight their dog. They walk away from the fine learning to be more discreet and secretive so they don't get caught again.

Stiffer laws need to be put in place BEFORE anything is going to change in the dog world.

Many of the Pit attacks that we hear about in the news are often a mixed breed pit, or a very unsocialized dog. It is almost too bad that the media does not report EVERY major dog attack, regardless of breed so that the public can get a bigger image of the problem. Unsocialization, not Pit bulls.

I can promise you that if Pit Bulls were banned throughout your state or lets even go as far as to say America, these thugs would go to a different dog. Whether it be a Mastiff, Rotweiler, or I have even heard of Husky's being fought. Is it your perogative to go after every dog that has attacked and lobby against it until they too are banned?

QUOTE"I recognize the fact not all Pit bulls are mean, but the bigger question is- How do you change a person's behavior?

Dakota -Sometimes you can't change a person's behaviour. But, by increasing stiffer fines for animal abusers you are showing that person and others that they can not get away with murder and abuse. Just because it is an aniaml does not mean it is acceptable.

We can also educate younger people on responsible ownership and how to properly care for animals. Through community events and workshops you can get through to more people than you may realize. Parents are to blame as well. Many times getting their child an animal as a "gift" only to drop it off at a shelter months later with some dumb excuse. This teaches young people that life is expendable.

By promoting awareness in younger generations, you are helping future animals. This is a long process, but it a great way to secure the future animal population.
Perhaps you could volunteer even 1 hr. a week at your local animal shelter. This may become a secret passion of yours. The more aware people become of how awful some of these animals are treated (not just Pit Bulls) the more people come to treasure their animals, and advocate positively for the animal population as a whole. People will feed off of your enthusiasm to protect animals, and may decide to do something themselves to help as well.

Anyways, sorry for the long posts. I just feel so strongly that BSL is NOT the way to go. And it really saddens me when incidents like what happened to you happen. There's enough hatred in the world against these dogs, we don't need any more.

 

I don't understand why, no matter the breed, if a dog is trained to be vicious and attacks, they aren't considered a weapon and the OWNER charged accordingly! The sad thing is the focus is always on the dog that attacked, not how they were treated to end up at that point. I will admit that I was very wary of pit bulls until I visited the pit bull board here, but I now have a great respect for responsible pit bull owners and the strength they need to put up with the discrimination they face daily! And, like you guys have already said, ban the pit bull and it only punishes the good, loving people who adore this breed...the people that have them to attack only will quickly find a replacement breed.
As for this particular incident, thankfully you and your dogs were not badly injured. I can't imagine how frightening it must have been for all of you! A 10 yr old walking a pit bull is just so sadly irresponsible. My dogs are lab x and either one of them could pull free from a child that age without the proper training collar. Sad that simple common sense on the parents part could have prevented the whole ordeal for all of you, but if they are breeding out of their garage, that shows how much sense they have to begin with.

 

Wow, this is an interesting topic. I can honestly see the Cane Corsos and Presa Canarios as the worlds next pit bulls. Banning a breed will not help with anything, in fact it could make things worse. So lets say we ban pit bulls, irresponsible people arejust going to find a bigger, meaner looking breed. I adore pit bulls, and I would much rather have a 70 pound pit bull around than a 130pound corso. Just my opinion, if bans are placed on this breed those people will just target and ruin another breed.

Oh, and while we are talking about bans, think about this for a moment. If we are going to ban pit bulls for some of them being biters, why dont we ban chihuahuas, poodles, terriers, poms, etc. NO offense to anyone who has these breeds, just trying to make my point that there are biters in every breed, large or small.

sorry if i am coming off as rude, but like bullylove1 said, i feel VERY strongly about this topic. I am positive i will be joining a pit bull rescue very soon, if i can find one around my area

 

I want to thank everyone on this message board for replying to my posting. I like the approach of having the residents in my complex apply for pet permits instead of banning Pit bulls. In a small community like what I live in, everyone knows everyone, and we as a community can decide who is capable of handling a dog. I admit some of my thoughts were a bit short sighted. I also feel it is important to have the people in my area become educated on caring for and handling dogs. I think by offering ideas to my neighbors, sending out flyers on handling dogs, and sharing my experience of what can happen to a mishandled dog will help people directly around me to understand that this is an important issue to consider, not only for a dog's sake, but also for everyone's sake.

Thanks!

Dakota 2004

 

good for you for changing your mind. there are alot of aggressive dogs out there that arent pit bulls. it all depends on how they are brought up. i have an akita and they are dog aggressive, but mine isnt. but because they have a dominant streak in them they wont back down if a dog attacks THEM, they will defend themselves and finish the fight. this has given them a bad name when it comes to dog aggression. little dog starts fight with big dog, big dog finishes it, big dog gets blame because of size/strength. if someone were to ban akitas id probably stab them, no joke. as said, this boy obviously couldnt handle a dog that strong. the parents must be bonkers to let the kid walk such a strong dog and ON HEAT as well. being on heat can make all dogs really cranky and weird, if they had half a brain they would know all of this. i say we ban stupid people from owning pets. please follow up with what youve said and spread the word on proper handling! its amazing how many people dont know how to look after their pets properly.

 

Breed Specific Legislation is not the answer. I am the pround owners of two rottweilers who have received the same problems that pit bulls have just not to the same degree. I have no problem with dangerous dog laws which I think is the answer where the dog owner is the one held responsible for the actions of having a vicious dog. But labeling pitbulls or rottweilers, or german shephards, akitas, chows, staffordshire terriers, bulldogs, great danes, and boxers as vicious dogs based on the breed alone is wrong. People are starting to wake up because more breeds are being added to the lists of dogs being labeled vicious because government officials get a complaing about one dog of one breed. All the above named breeds are banned somewhere in the united states or have laws saying that that the dog has to be muzzled whenever outside, cannot go out in public, and more rediculous laws. I know many of you own one of the above named breeds. What breed specific legislation does is punish a whole breed based on what a few bad ones do. And as far as pitublls being used for fighting which iw one of the reasons that their are problems with bsl now. Now dog fighters are starting to use other breed because pit bulls are becoming more and more outlawed. What needs to happen is for the few dangerous dogs out there for their owners to be punished which is what dangerous dog laws do which is they go by a case by case decision not punishing the whole breed. I am the owner of 2 rottweilers and I would bet my life that my dogs would never hurt anyone. I know people that own pitbulls. I know ones that own multiple dogs and have no problems.. I know dog friendly pit bulls. Due to this exact hysteria with bsl and the hysteria associated with rottweilers and pibulls a big part of it due to the media. My mail will not be delivered if my dogs are outside. And my dogs are in a fenced in area behind my house. But my mail will not be delivered because I own 2 rottweilers. My dogs have never bitten anyone, never attacked anyone, never gone after anyone. But I own rottweilers so therefore I am punished because of it. In many states I wouldnt be able to get homeowners insurance because I own rottweilers. Luckily PA is one of the few states who have outlawed insurance companies from doing that. But I know many of you own german shephards, boxers, Am Staffs, bull dogs, danes, akitas, chows, they have already started banning these breeds. If people dont wake up and realize what is going on this will continue, and more and more dogs will be put to death because they are simply a specific breed. In Ohio for example any pit bul that comes into a shelter is automatically put to death. Even if it comes in there wagging its tail and licking everyone it meets to death it will die. WHy because it is a pit bull. If anyone thinks this is right than you really need to wake up. Cuz your breed is next. I can guarantee you this will continue with other breeds. The way they go by how many dogs have bitten they dont compare how many dogs of that breed are out there. Bad breeding and poor ownership is the major cause of why dogs do what they do. Labs and Golden Retrievers biting and being vicious is rising. WHy because they are the popular dogs that everyone wants right now. So in about 5 years you will hear about the number of dog bites occuring in these breeds simply because they are popular so more backyard breeders and puppymills sell them. I rescued for 3 years mostly rottweilers. But the most vicious dog I ever had to try to place was a golden retriever. WHo lived in the same home all its life. Was not abused but one day just turned became aggressive towards children, men, and other animals. I would not even foster that dog because of the safety to both my fiance and my other dogs. I found a home for him though. To a lady that had recently lost her golden and was willing to give it a shot. She was not married, had no children, and had no other pets. That dog is doing fine today. But it just goes to show. It doesnt matter what breed it is. Because that dog had attacked another dog and snapped at a kid does that mean that all golden retrievers should be put to death and outlawed? NO!! But its ok with pitbulls. I dont think so. Just my thoughts on a matter I have done alot of investigating on and have seen the repurcussions for myself. BSL is not the answer. All it will do is turn another breed into the problem breed. So to speak.

 

RottyMommy,
that was a great post. We need more open minded people like you out there advocating for all dogs!

Dakota,
I am so happy to hear you are going to take an active role in your community to educate people. Responsible ownership is the only way to stop this rein of terror among breeds. The more people who open their eyes and start to report acts of abuse or neglect, the less dogs are going to suffer.

Thank you for not shunning this breed after such a horrible experience. Most people would have turned their back. I hope you stick around this board for a while, there's some great people on here.

 

Pitbull are not the problem, people are

Over 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year; maybe we should ban ball point pens.

Horses account for over 200 human fatalities every year maybe we should ban them.

30,000 people die from guns in this country every year, maybe that is something that is worth taking a look at and focusing legislation around.

42,000 people per year are killed by automobiles; let’s ban them from everyone so the idiots who can't drive can be saved.

Pitbulls, on average account for about 4-6 deaths per year. Statistically you are more likely to be killed by a Chow, Doberman, German Sheppard or a Rottweiler a horse or a ball point pen. In fact, most of the 12-14 deaths from dogs are from Rottweiler attacks yet Pitbulls outnumber Rottweilers 5 to 1.

Back yard breeders and dog fighting is the real crime; we should enforce the illegality of dog fighting instead of treating it like it's no big deal. What do you think makes a dog aggressive? Being fought, being kept around for breeding purposes only, chaining it in a back yard only to throw food at it occasionally or responsibly owning a dog, obeying leash laws and only allow loving responsible owners to have dogs?

I heard a Pomeranian killed a baby in California; are we going to ban Pomeranians now?

People need to teach their kids how to act, treat and behave around and raise dogs. If we spent as much time educating kids about how gay marriage is bad as we did about how to act when you encounter a stray or chained dog we wouldn't have these types of problems.

Allowing a 10 year old to walk a full grown Pitbull is not responsible; the owners should be put to sleep not the dog.

 

Dakota- You seem to have a very open mind concerning pit bulls and I applaud you for that. They are truely a wonderful dog and are excellent family members, as I'm sure your dogs are for you. Being a pit bull owner, I am of course against BSL. However, irresponsible dog ownership, of any breed, drives me crazy. Having a known dog agressive pit bull walked by a 10 year old that could not control it is grossly irresponsible. Even though many pit bulls are dog agressive, it doesn't mean they cannot live around other dogs. My dog is very dog agressive and we used to live in an apartment complex with many dogs. We never had a problem as she was not allowed off leash and was very well behaved on leash because she had been to an obedience class and worked with a trainer regarding her agression issues. She even passed her Canine Good Citizen Test. I find it very sad that the dog was put down for doing what it was bred to do. What an unfortunate situation, and a situation that dog did not belong in. Perhaps your condo association can come up with some rules that penalize owners for not being responsible. Or even prevent irresponsible owners, such as an adult must be present walking any dog...or the child must have passed an obedience class with the dog to be allowed out alone, since I know many families depend on an older child to take their dog out several times a day. There are many other good rules for ALL dogs that can be put in place to prevent situations such as these. I hope you can educate people on pit bulls as they truely are a wonderful breed in the right hands, and hope that you can prevent further unrest in your condo association!

 

Hello Dakota:
First, I am sorry for your dogs heart ache.
Its so true that it is the morons that own pit bulls that create all the concerns for the rest of us.
I have so much to say, I can't possibly type it all tonight. I just worked a 12 hour shift so the words won't come out as I would like them to if I sit down and ponder over the subject. But believe me, I shall post more on this topic!

You see, pit bulls are my life. I own 5 of them! All live in harmony too with my lab and my cats by the way!
All rescue's from pounds.(except the lab)
I began many years ago getting a pit bull by accident by a "Oh my goodness back yard breeder" I did not know any better.
Long story but she ended up passing away from kideny failure at the tender age of 3.
It broke my heart. I did go to a shelter and adopt another pit bull 3 days later. That dog changed my life. She is a registered pet therapy dog. She has her CGC. She had done fashion shows, has gotten married for a fund raiser, has gone to hospitals, nursing homes, schools, animal control officer seminars etc...
She is a PERFECT AMBASSADOR to the breed. She does not have animal aggression. My white pit bull Annabelle has the best doggie skills that I hav ever seen. She loves to play with other dogs and also sleeps with my cats!
Because of Ginger my dog, I became a professional dog trainer that specializes in pit bull obedience training.
I am personally around 300 or more pit bulls per year and have only gotten bitten once by a lab.
(that was my own by the way)
He put me in the hospital for 2 days. It was dominance aggression. Do I hate all labs? NO OF COURSE NOT!!! Judge each dog as an individual.

We all have a responsiblilty to be responsible. Just this morning my husband and I had our dog Cairo at the local park (he went to McDonalds for his sausage egg and cheese McGriddle) LOL here comes a person giving us a filthy dirty look at OUR PIT BULL ON LEASH BY THE WAY because they had fluffy out for a morning stroll OFF LEASH! God Forbid We were in their way of ignorance!

We all have to take responsibliity for our animals. Not just the pit bull owners!!!!!

You honestly seem like an intellegent person who honestly is trying to make a difference. I commend you for your intellegence.

I shall post more when I am awake.

Sincerely,

Sue & the dog pack!