My aunt and her dog were attacked by a pit bull today.

[Mr. Hyde]

The owner had the dog off the leash in the park across the street from her house and he went straight for her dog (a 15 lb javanese)as she walked her down the sidewalk. My aunt got between the two dogs trying to protect her dog and suffered injuries to her forearm as a result. The owner was apologetic and offered his name and address but she let him off the hook so his dog wouldn't have to be put down or whatever. That's more merciful than I would have been. I guess this must have been another bad owner, huh?

[Taverner]

1. At least everyone is OK

[CreekDog]

2. if someone lets their dog off it's leash and it harms somebody it should be taken from that owner

dogs need to be on leashes except in very specific settings where it's appropriate or legal to be off-leash.

[jobycom]

3. Why'd he have the dog off the leash? Is that legal there?

[Mr. Hyde]

9. Dogs are supposed to be on a leash but it's a smallish town

and things like that slide frequently. I let my border collie run in the parks occasionally and nobody really says anything. I wouldn't let a pit bull off the leash though. that seems like asking for trouble.

[jobycom]

29. Maybe that's your answer, then.

My sister was attacked by a French Poodle once, but he didn't do much damage. I got bit by a German Sheperd, and that was a bit more painful. Owners should be responsible if they want to be responsible for an animal with the power to rip an arm open.

Glad no one was hurt worse. I should have said that first, really. Blame the NCAA Tournament for distracting me. :)

[Critters2]

4. How are they doing? That's a scary thing to go through.

The beagle was once attacked, in a public park, by a dog who came up behind her. I don't think she even knew it was around, and she certainly did nothing to provoke it. I have little sympathy for, and less patience with pitbulls and their owners. Having your own dog attacked changes one's perspective. I hope your aunt and her dog will be okay.

[Mr. Hyde]

10. She had a very thick coat on so there were no lacerations, only contusuions.

The dog is, miraculously, OK too. She intervened and took the bite for her dog.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

25. Honestly, if a decent size dog is seriously attacking there will be lacerations

I got nasty contusions once from making the mistake of using a punching bag around my Border Collie, and he was only 5 months old at the time. He wasn't attacking. He just got riled up and wanted in on the action.

[Arkansas Granny]

47. Not necessarily. When a pit bull type attacked my dog, the only thing

that kept her from serious injury was the thickness of her coat around her neck. He had her on her back and was going for her throat and had shaken her several times before I was able to get hold of his collar and pull him off. Luckily, all he got was a mouthful of hair.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

21. I have no patience with labs and their owners

A lab tore up my dog for no reason.

[EmilyAnne]

55. Petition PETA and the ASPCA to come out with a statement on labs like they have on pit bulls. n/t

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

58. Wow, you totally misread PETA's statement

And, I wasn't aware that the ASPCA had a statement on them.

[Warpy]

5. Unpredictable breeds like that should never be off a leash.

All the pit bulls I've ever met have been lovable goofs. However, owners need to recognize they have been known to turn on a dime, especially around other dogs, and keep them leashed.

So no, that other owner wouldn't have gotten off the hook. S/he would have gotten the medical bills, at the very least, as a reminder to keep the dog on a leash or in a yard.

[Motown_Johnny]

6. she should file a complaint, I know she is trying to be nice but the next person might not be as

lucky as she was.

[DemSigns]

41. File a Complaint! Same story here today.

My stereotypically friendly 9 year old golden retriever was also attacked by a dog on our walk today. It got away on its leash from a kid down the block and across the street. It was a little smaller than my dog and more of a fighter. I had to kick it every time it was trying to bite my dog. I hated to do it in front of the kid, but it was about 30 seconds before I was able to grab its leash at the risk of my face getting bit. The kid was able to get the dog then as his parent finally arrived. My dog has one visible bite wound in his neck/shoulder area. The vet techs took a look as the vet was gone but i am taking him in tomorrow for a more thorough exam and wound cleaning by he vet.

I called the police and he took some notes and visited the dogs home to make a report for animal control to follow up on. Our laws require dog bites by dogs to at least require a rabies shots check of the attacking dog. The owner had the gall to call me later and complain that I didn't tell them first I was filing a report. More of that blame the victim mentality.

Again, file a complaint and get the dog on record, especially a potentially lethal breed like pit bulls.

[Mr. Hyde]

46. Maybe it's the spring weather. It looks like there were 3 dog attacks today in this thread alone.

I discipline my dog like a drill sergeant. I have spent countless hours training her and instilling a sense of doggy discipline in her so that she wouldn't end up out of control. When she screws up, she is immediately corrected. If she doesn't stop the behavior, we'll spend 30 minutes playing a game I call "do what I fucking say". It amounts to about 30 minutes of me asserting my utter dominance over her by commanding her to sit, lie down, roll over, sit up, speak,etc over and over and over again. When we're done, she remembers who the boss is and her sense of discipline is restored which is the point of the exercise. All dogs must have discipline and especially so in the case of large or head strong breeds. Under no circumstances is she EVER allowed to not do what I told her to do and, for that matter, she has to do what I tell her to do to the standard. If I tell her to roll over, she rolls all the way over, not just half ways for example. I give her ample love as well of course and she is rewarded frequently throughout the day for doing the right things but at no time is she allowed to break discipline. I understand dogs very well and I understand the pit bull problem very well. The dog is innately vicious to begin with, there's no arguing it. This instinctual aggression can be suppressed if the owner instills the aforementioned discipline into the dog but if he/she fails to do this, the animal will assume the alpha role over the owner and will, do whatever the fuck it wants to do and the owner will be helpless to stop it when it finally attacks someone as was the case with my aunt. The dog ignored the owner and that is unacceptable behavior for any dog.
edit spelling

[sweetpotato]

70. You sound like a good, responsible dog owner

A lot of people treat their dogs as people.

Dogs don't understand that kind of structure - they NEED a pack structure.

My husband and I don't have children, but we have dogs. We have a pack, not a family. 3 dogs and 2 people. We turned around a rescue dog that seemed absolutely hopeless - he had been badly abused, had heartworms, he was a mess.

Today, he is a healthy boy. He knows his place and what is expected of him. He knows he has an alpha to take care of him. He went from wetting himself when you called his name to running up to us smiling. He loves his pack.

[ensho]

79. true

nt

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

84. "The dog is innately vicious to begin with, there's no arguing it."

Sounds like you don't really know pit bulls much, actually.

[MadMaddie]

7. Not only should the dog be on a leash but if the dog

is the least bit aggressive he should have a muzzle on the dog. If your mother sees him again she should insist that he do this.

I like well trained and socialized pitts.

In this case this is a tradgedy waiting to happen.

[cabluedem]

31. The dog attacked a human. Next time it might be a child that is harmed.

it needs to be put down for safetys' sake now.

[MadMaddie]

34. The human put herself in between the dogs

that is an expected (unfortunate)consequence. The dog was not going for her but the smaller dog.(Still bad)

The owner should not have the dog in a dog park if the dog doesn't like other dogs. That makes no sense to me.

This is the Pitt owners fault for putting the dog in the situation.

[Mr. Hyde]

42. It wasn't a dog park. It's a little field where the high school marching band practices.

and, had she not placed herselfbetween the dogs, her $1,500 beloved pet and friend might very well have been killed. Who wouldn't try to save their pet in a similar situation? Me personally, I carry a concealed .357 magnum snub nosed revolver. I would have simply shot the pit bull and sorted it all out in court.

[MadMaddie]

93. Mr. Hyde my apologies I thought this was a dog park

I am not blaming your mom. I would protect my dogs just as your mom protected hers. The one time I jumped in the middle of a dog attacking my dog I got a fingernail pulled off. My point was the dog's initial goal was not your mom it was your moms dog.

Your mom should report this, I am betting it's not the first time this has happened with this particular dog and owner.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

8. Pit bulls may possibly benefit from a little THC in their food now

and again... especially when going off leash.

[safeinOhio]

11. She needs to report it to animal control

to make sure the pit had its shots. If not the dog has to be held for 10 days, for her safety.
Buy her a can of mace, if legal in your state. Always carry mace or a large walking cane when walking your dog on a leash. Buy her one or both.

[Mr. Hyde]

18. She won't/didn't. She didn't take the guys info when he offered it.

Like I said up above, her thick coat prevented lacerations which could have caused the rabies or whatever. She's left with a heavily bruised forerm and a little bit of psychological trauma. And, luckily, her swift intervention stopped the pitbull from seriously hurting her dog. She took the hit for her little girl basically.

[likesmountains 52]

26. The next person/dog might not be so lucky...

[EmilyAnne]

56. My dog would be dead. n/t

[northernlights]

81. saliva on the coat could still cause rabies

it's rare, but not impossible. Doubtless she handled the coat shortly after the incident. Any openings in the skin on her hands -- and cuts caused or cracks from dry skin can be microscopic -- could allow entry of the virus.

[wyldwolf]

12. geez! That happened to my sister-in-law and my wife involving a Doberman

I'm happy your aunt and her dog are ok.

fortunately for my wife, she had our *slightly* larger dog with her.

[xultar]

13. Golden Retrievers attack too. Don't be ignorant where breeds are concerned.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

17. Exactly, but I think the OP is just trying to start a flamewar here

[Mr. Hyde]

20. Hardly. I'm just relating an event that occured today.

[Richard Steele]

53. I agree. nm

[valerief]

36. Pit bulls attack at least a hundred times more and cause more human deaths

and maimings than golden retrievers. Or most other dogs, for that matter, including Dobermans and German Shepherds.

[EmilyAnne]

48. Oh good grief. I will never understand the personal offense people take about criticism about a

particular breed of dog.
What is it to you?
Why do pit bull fans and owners NEED to defend this breed?
You like your dog? Fine. Enjoy it.
Don't get your feelings hurt if other people have a problem with the breed.
Its not a human. Don't humanize its personality.
Dogs aren't "smiling."
Dogs don't have a perfect system of communication with humans, so expecting an owner to interpret its every posture and growl and know exactly how to diffuse a dangerous situation is ridiculous.

Why does PETA and the ASPCA website state that pit bulls were, indeed,
From the ASPCA:
"The pit bull is genetically predisposed to react aggressively to dogs."
"Dogfights between dogs of “average” breeds are usually “ritualized.” The objective is for one dog to walk away the victor with little or no bloodshed. The participants engage in plenty of preliminary behavior designed to intimidate their opponent, such as facial expressions, posturing, circling, growling, and snarling. Bites delivered during a fight are typically inhibited--the point is to cause pain, but not necessarily to inflict serious injuries. Pit bulls, however, have been selected to behave quite differently during fights. They rarely give any warning that they are about to act aggressively (some people call them “stone-faced”), and they seldom back down against an opponent. They are more often involved in fights that end in injury, suggesting that a pit bull’s aggression more closely resembles predatory behavior."
"Their intimidating appearance has made them attractive to the wrong sorts of owner—people who are looking for a macho dog and end up encouraging aggressive behavior. In order to meet the growing demand for pit bulls, unscrupulous and uncaring breeders are producing puppies without maintaining the breed’s typical reliability with people. In fact, pit bulls are now notorious for redirecting aggression from a dog to any person who attempts to break up a fight. It is a shame what has happened to this loyal and affectionate breed."

Yes, "its a shame what has happened to this loyal and affectionate breed." But it happened. Cry me a damn river and then deal with reality.

From PETA
"We also support pit bull bans, as long as they include a grandfather clause allowing all living dogs who are already in good homes and well cared for to live the remainder of their lives safely and peacefully." PETA is extreme and pisses people off, but they are always extreme in regards to the best interest of animals. They piss PEOPLE off, not animals. If you have a problem with their position on pit bulls, then you can just admit that like most people who hate PETA, you take the side of people over animals over this particular issue. The side of people who have some sort of personal investment in the continuation of this breed and refuse to accept reality.

The worst kind of animal owner is one who refuses to accept the reality of the its innate, animal qualities.

[xultar]

57. I do small dog rescue. I love all dogs. My 4lb Chihuahua's girlfriend is a 50lb Chow Chow.

but he was attacked by a Greyhound. I don't hold that against Greyhounds.

I have 5 beautiful Chihuahuas. They are known as mean little dogs who bite. Mine haven't bitten anyone neither have any of my fosters who have been beaten and abused. It isn't the breed but but who raises and how they are raised that counts.

My pet sitter was attacked by a Lab and a Golden in different situations. She doesn't hold it against all retrievers.

Some of the meanest dogs I've met are Pekingese. I was bitten for the first time in my life at 38 by a 12lb Pekingese. She tore my shit up, but I don't hold it against all Pekingese.

BTW Who cares what Peta says. They let have people dress up in fucking kkk uniforms and like to parade naked women around. What fucking credibility do they have?

[QueenOfCalifornia]

69. My dog is a vicious

licker!

Tiki

[xultar]

75. YIKES. Looks like he'd lick the skin right off ya! What's his name? How old.? He's a doll!

Here are my 5 vicious lickers!

[EmilyAnne]

91. My friends have some rescued greyhounds and from the very beginning they told me that they can not

ever play with my dog Lucy, an 11 pound papillon. The rescue organization warned that in their training to race, rabbits were used as bait and that they would see my dog or your chihuahua and it would trigger that chase and capture instinct they were bred and then trained for.

I don't hold animal behavior against any animal. I certainly would be disgusted if pit bulls were treated badly because if their reputation. I don't think its mean to want a breed ban, meaning that there is strict licensing and restriction on the breeding of them.
My friends muzzle their dog in public because it was a four year old rescued stray Chow mix. They decided to never take a chance with it. The dog is not a miserable dog because its muzzled. It has a wonderful life, gets to go on long walks every day, is cared for by a loving family. It is NEVER left out of its crate at night nor allowed to enter their babies room. It will never be allowed to be with the baby unsupervised. It may seem militant, but its the decision they made after deciding to adopt a dog with mysterious past and potentially dangerous breed characteristics. And of course, the dog is neutered so no more little Sammies! I don't see how this is cruel?

You can love your dogs without breeding them for profit or taking risks.

[xultar]

92. I agree with you 100 %. I'm for regulated breeding on all breeds, for their health and safety.

[sweetpotato]

71. They do, but its pretty rare.

some breeds are more aggressive than others - they were intentionally bred that way. Dachshunds are pretty high on the aggression list - they were bred to go down the hole after the badger. And badgers aren't friendly.

A lot of how a dog acts is a combination of its inherent breeding/nature and its owner/trainer. Dogs can learn both good and bad habits.

Some dogs can be sort of insane - one moment nice and next attacking. Those poor animals have actual mental problems. I was bitten by one of those.

[xultar]

78. Maybe the Pit had mental issues. Still not fair though to blame the whole breed.

I think we have to get away from that. There is also the issue with people locking dogs in crates for 9 to 10 hours a day. People not properly exercising their pups, training them to behave, and proper discipline.

[HamdenRice]

90. Sorry, but that's wrong. Dog breeds, unlike human races, really are different. Goldens don't attack

A vet once told me while examining my Golden that in his entire career, he had met only one aggressive Golden, and it had been abused.

Pits were bred to be aggressive killers, and that's just the way it is.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

14. BOUNCE

[Midlodemocrat]

89. +1

[Gman]

15. The Pit's owner didn't know his dog

if he did he would have never taken the dog off the leash. Pure negligence.

[EmilyAnne]

51. My dog could run around off leash all day long. Because she is a papillon, the worst thing she

will do is annoy the hell out of people by yapping. Even if cornered and terrified, her breeding history was controlled against being easily provoked to violence.
Even if she did bite someone, she was not genetically selected to "hang on without releasing" her "grip until the animal became exhausted from fighting and from loss of blood."

"Pit bulls were genetically selected for their fighting prowess."
"Pit bulls can easily be encouraged to be aggressive toward other dogs or, to put it another way, it takes less to arouse a pit bull than many other breeds to be aggressive toward other dogs."

All quotes above are from the ASPCA website.
PETA supports a breed ban.
Are these organizations just assholes? They hate animals so much that they came up with their opinions based on prejudices?
Come on!

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-care-pit-bull-information.html

[flvegan]

16. I'm glad your aunt and dog are okay.

No dog should be off leash except in restricted areas.

[jody]

19. How many times has the dog attacked before? IMO responsible citizens should report such incidents

and let the authorities decide what action to take.

[Mr. Hyde]

24. I agree. She was way too nice about this IMO.

I told her to report it immediately and see what the Police suggest.

[Hekate]

22. The next person might be a small child or an old lady with osteoporosis. Report it. nt

[emilyg]

23. I was at the Vet's yesterday with my cat - 2 dogs

were brought in. Attacked by a pit bull - one will need extensive surgery and might not survive.

[LeftyMom]

27. Leash laws are for everybody's protection.

I think people forget that. The aggressor dog in this circumstance was in danger not just because of potentially being put down after the incident, but also of being run over on the way to your aunt and her dog, and of being injured or killed during the attack (what if your aunt carried a gun?)

Hopefully they learned a lesson, and at least nobody was badly hurt.

[LeftyMom]

28. .

[Butch350]

30. Shouldn't this be in the pet section?

[Maru Kitteh]

32. Off the leash = Bad owner of ANY DOG.

[TorchTheWitch]

49. Exactly. NO dog should be off leash

All dogs need to be in the physical control of their owners at all times for everyone's safety including the dog.

[peace13]

33. Your aunt was very lucky.

My sister and her two dogs were walking in a neighborhood and a pit bull crashed through a screen door and grabbed her male Papillion while he was on a leash on the sidewalk. Her dog was ripped to bits in front of her. She let her other dog run free to safety. After unsuccessful attempts to save her dogs, her screams finally brought help. Her dog died two days and two thousand dollars latter. Neither the property owners or the renters insurance paid one dime of the damage. This was over five years ago and she still feels the effects of this attack.

[valerief]

35. I would have gone back stuck a knife in the pit bull's neck. Friggin'

dangerous beasts should be outlawed like they are in civilized countries.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

37. You mean like Italy?

Where 92 breeds of dogs are banned and/or restricted.

[valerief]

39. Yeah and here.

Ontario, Canada
Winnipeg
Australia
France
Norway
Iceland
Singapore
Ecuador
United Kingdom
Denmark
New Zealand
Serbia
Italy

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

59. Deed not breed

BSL doesn't work.

Ban one breed, and people will just find another. Eventually, you will have the absurdity that is Italy. If I lived in Italy, both my dogs would have to be muzzled at all times in public, and they would be taken away if I ever got any type of criminal conviction. I have Border Collies. If you don't recognize the absurdity that BSL can turn into, I can't help you.

[Name removed]

43. Deleted message

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

[Name removed]

60. Deleted message

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

[SOS]

80. Sometimes it gets ugly

One day I was walking my 30 pound dog.
An imbecile had tied his pit pull to a lamp post, wearing a training collar.
While the idiot owner was in Starbucks, the pit backed out of his collar and attacked us.
This attack was so violent that it drew alot of attention.
A man came with a crow bar and beat the pit bull over the head so many times, with such staggering force that he finally let go.
We took my dog to the hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

We then had to sue the owner to get back the $1,000 in vet bills.

I don't consider my good samaritan a "beast". He risked his life to save me and my dog.
I am thankful to him to this day.

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

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

[Luciferous]

38. I'm glad she's okay

We took my son to the playground the other day and there was a lady there with a pit bull. She didn't even have a leash on it and tried to tell us that the dog wasn't going to hurt us. Yeah, I'm not risking my 2 year old's life just cause she says the dog is nice... we turned around and left, as did another woman and her kids. I was so pissed... what a selfish woman. I should have called animal control, because not only is there a leash law in that town, but they also have a law banning pit bulls.

[Mr. Hyde]

40. I would have called animal control right in front of the lady.

And I would have made sure she knew exactly what I was doing. next time, right?

[Luciferous]

45. You can bet if I ever see her there again I will...

I just wanted to get my son away from that dog.

[roody]

52. If she is not disciplined enough to obey a leash law, her dog

is not disciplined, as in trained.

[EmilyAnne]

54. I have had quite a few experiences like this with pit bull owners in the last week.

Spring has sprung and it seems that a giant pit bull egg hatched.
I see them everywhere.
The owners bring them to my local off leash area and they completely change the dynamic.
Just yesterday, I saw two great big female pit bulls who had clearly just been bred. They had giant, drooping nipples and very engorged genitals.
Who knows how many puppies they had and will continue to have over their lifetimes.
I have made a complete 180 degree turn on my opinion about pit bulls,
Their owners seem to be extremely defensive to the point of ignoring reality and even accusing people who are critical of the breed of being ignorant.

PETA supports a pit bull breed ban.
Say what you will about PETA, but the reason they piss people off is not because they treat animals like shit. Its because they always take the side of animals over people regardless of the situation.
It pisses people off to be placed below animals.
Of course, in defense of animals they resort to shock and humiliation. Still, they shock and humiliate humans, not animals.
My point is that its obvious the PETA's position on a pit bull breed ban is not based on their defense of people.
Why would this be the one issue where they switch sides?

Conversely, I think that people who are so quick to dismiss criticism of the breed and defend it at all costs are serving themselves rather than pit bulls. The personalization of anything involving pit bulls is weird.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

61. Pit bulls don't just grow on trees, you know

And the PETA statement believes they should be banned to protect pit bulls. Because idiots abuse them and turn them into dangerous dogs.

[peace13]

62. Please listen to your instincts.

See my post 33. That was a female who had a litter of puppies inside the house. These females are very dangerous. Peace, Kim

[guitar man]

83. question

When you say these pregnant dogs you saw were "great big" approximatey how big were they?

thanks

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

85. Probably way too big to be a pit bull

[guitar man]

86. That's what I'm thinking

If they were really big, it's more likely they were something like a Presa Canario, Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino or some large mutts that had the "pit look" about them. "Boxadors" (lab-boxer mixes) are getting popular around here and a lot of them look a scary lot like a great big "pitbull".

[EmilyAnne]

88. No. They were pits. I asked. "Great big" was not the best description, but they seemed big with

growling and baring teeth thing. My dog is eleven pounds and loves to play with everyone, has even played with many pit bulls, but there is definitely a big problem here in Pittsburgh.
I walk through the closest shelter and there have been times that all the available dogs are at least part pit bulls.
I had nothing but positive ideas about pit bulls until very recently and I began reading a bit more. A lot of the alleged rumors about the breed that the defenders deny are actually accepted as fact by many vets, the ASPCA and PETA. The Humane Society and the AKC so not seem to agree with them, however.

Still, I don't understand the outrage about criticism or breed bans. No one would suggest confiscating or killing the pit bulls that are living in people's homes.
There needs to be a crack down on the breeding that is being done to make a quick buck. Its irresponsible, cruel and dangerous.
I love my dog, but she is spayed. It doesn't bother me at all that she will be the last of her genetically messed up line.
She was rescued out of a puppy mill that finally got shot down and when she came to me she was a filthy, scrawny, patchy haired, mangy mess with rotten teeth who no longer had the instinct to not pee right next to her food.
She has every genetic defect that can happen with bad papillon breeding. Bad eye sight at the age of three, luxated patellas that occasionally make her yelp out in pain and stop walking, she's nervous to the point of having a constant digestive problem. I have to give her prilosec every day. otherwise she vomits literally every day. She is also now on prozac.
Yes, she's a mess. Thanks to the breeders that treat animals like shit.

I support all sorts of breeding bans. There needs to be far greater oversight and restriction on dog breeding, as far as I am concerned. The AKC is complicit in this BS because they make money by issuing papers. In fact, if you can believe it, my freak of nature dog is purebred. The AKC registered all the dogs at that puppy mill. La di da! Lucy is a pedigreed princess.

I don't HATE any dogs. I don't HATE pit bulls. I love all animals. I believe that they should be respected. Pit bulls are being abused, overbred, badly bred and consequently abandoned when they just don't act a certain way. Why allow this to continue? I don't get it at all.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

94. I agree that the AKC is evil

Their bread and butter are puppy mill dogs. And, breeding for conformation results in unhealthy, unstable dogs in my opinion. I have two rescued Border Collies from working lines. The AKC has recognized Border Collies for only about 15 years, but they are already an entirely different breed than the working bred ones. Stockier, EXTREMELY HIGH STRUNG, hip/eye problems, no real herding instinct, etc. One of my dogs comes from top (working) lines, and people usually don't even believe he's a border collie. That's how different they can look. My dogs were bred to work, and an ill-tempered, unhealthy dog can't work.

The thing about breed bans is they do often want to confiscate dogs from their owners, and the "pit bull" title is used for any dog that even remotely looks like it may contain some pit (or not, in many cases). That is one reason why they will never work, not to mention that people will just move onto another breed of dog. Hell, in Italy, 92 breeds are now either banned or restricted, including some ridiculous ones like Border Collies.

Personally, I think the US needs to get laws like Germany when it comes to breed dogs. They are very stringent on who they allow to breed dogs. That's why German Shepherds from Germany are much healthier, more stable, and even look a lot different than the deformed, nervous wrecks that the AKC wants.

On edit: If you want to check out a good book about the problems with the AKC, check out "Dog Wars" by Donald McCaig. It's mostly focused on Border Collies, but it gets into other breeds as well. It's very enlightening on how they operate.

[burning rain]

50. Glad it didn't end in complete tragedy...

but really, I think I'd try and persuade her to reconsider, because there could be a next person to encounter that pit bull, who will end up worse.

[raccoon]

63. More merciful than I'd have been too. I'd have got me a good lawyer. nt

[leftchick]

64. if her dog had been injured or died

she may not have been so generous.

[LWolf]

65. What a coincidence.

There was a pit bull lurking around my trash can when I went to pull it in from the street last evening.

Only 2 trash cans, mine and my neighbors. Only 3 houses on the road, and I'm at the dead end. No other homes within a mile or so.

There she was; a half-grown pit with a pink collar. Her head and her body were hanging low as she watched me suspiciously. I crouched down about 6 feet away and spoke softly; she rushed up eagerly to receive scratches and to huddle against me.

I examined the collar; no tag. My neighbor has a lab, which was not in evidence. Their front gate, as always, was open. I've never seen this little pit before, so I wondered if they'd gotten a new dog, or if she'd strayed.

I gave the dog a final pat and grabbed my trash can, ready to drag it the 100 yards down the driveway back to it's accustomed spot. She trotted along behind. That concerned me, because waiting behind a gate at the end of my driveway is my own dog, an aussie. A very territorial, possessive aussie when it comes to other dogs taking her mom's attention. I didn't want a brawl, especially with a dog with jaws the size of that pit. So I tried to discourage her following. Nothing worked, so I went back to the street. I started up my neighbor's drive, and she raced along happily ahead. No one was home, but I saw the open gate on the empty dog run. She ran ahead and sat by the door, waiting for me. I praised her for going home, gave her a final pat, and she watched me head back to my own place.

Notice that, while I was concerned about the damage the pit's jaws could do my dog, I was more concerned about aggressive behavior from MY dog. She's never bitten another dog. She generally just "herds" them away from me, letting them know that she's open to playing with them as long as they keep their distance from me. A young, insecure dog looking to me for safety was not a great match for a playmate.

Any dog can be aggressive. Many dogs are inherently territorial, and many will hunt or chase other dogs. All dogs need extensive socialization with adults, children, and other animals, and to be on leash in populated places.

My dog is often off-leash in public, out on the trail with me. We very rarely see other people. When we hear voices or sight others, I leash her. She is non-aggressive towards people, but will not stand by my side, or by my horse's side. She is compelled to be in front of us, keeping herself between us and others, and "pushing" them back (tail wagging, nudging) if she thinks they are too close. So I leash her.

Since you asked, I don't think the pit owner in your story was "bad." Irresponsible in taking off the leash, but not "bad."

[Bigmack]

66. Leash laws aren't enough...

Big dogs can pull the leash out of the hands of even the biggest owner. "Choke" collars won't stop them... the neck of most big breeds is strong enough to keep from being choked in those situations.

Had a dog pull away from its owner and head toward my smallish dog. I intercepted it before it got there. No harm, but it points out that leashes aren't an assurance of safety.

[WillieW]

68. Leash laws are not effective if not enforced.

By the time animal services comes, the dogs will be gone.

[WillieW]

67. That is why I always carry Pepper Spray when I take my dog out.

There always stray dogs, pit bulls or not and I will protect myself and my dog always.

[Bigmack]

72. I've heard that it won't stop dogs fast enough...nt

[WillieW]

76. It did when I was attacked by a Rottie

[Howler]

73. Oh Man!!!! That really sucks!!!

I'm so glad everyone is alright!!!!!
At the risk of taking some heat here..... My husband and I carry a taser wand when out walking our pups.We have a pug and two mixed breeds. We have seen alot of pits running around lose in our neighborhood and had an instance where three medium size strays tried to pick a fight with our leashed dogs!My dogs have no frame of reference for that. They are not aggressive.
We decided on a taser to stop any trouble or injury to our animals.Sorry people but if it comes down to our dogs and another aggressive dog.........!!!

BTW we are not allergic to using it on the owner either!!! Snort!!!

[WillieW]

77. Good for you!

[guitar man]

74. I'm glad everyone is ok

She probably should have reported the incident, if there is a vicious dog in the community, no matter what the breed it needs to be addressed.

I would encourage anybody to report such incidents and in the process, try to gather as much information about the dog's breed(s), the owner and the "breeder" if applicable. Remember the term "pitbull" or "pit bull" is NOT a breed of dog, it is a very loose description that has been applied to dog breeds and mutts that happen to look a certain way. The more facts we find out about the lineage, breeder's intent and owner's desires and intents for their particular dogs the better we can address the problem.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

82. Yes, It Was.

Dogs of MANY breeds will go after other dogs, DUH. The dog should never have been off the leash; period. Case closed.

[WyLoochka]

87. Dog woulda' gotten a snout full of

pepper spray and a complaint woulda' been filed had that been me. NO dog should be off leash. Period.