Letters to the Editor
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Fabulous article.
Thank you.
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Thanks.
It is so very rare to find a sane, smart, well-written article on Pits.
Thank you, Ken Foster, and thank you, Salon.
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I'm all for effective laws...
but BSL isn't effective.
Someone earlier mentioned that with so many abused pit bulls, pit bull lovers should want laws in place that would stop this from happening.
We do. And in many places the laws are in place, but not enforced.
I don't think any dogs should be off leash in public areas--except dog parks, and then only if they are well-behaved and supervised. I don't think any dogs should be left unsupervised in a yard, even its own yard. I don't think dogs should be tied out for hours at a time. And I don't think most people should be allowed to breed dogs of any breed, unless they are somehow regulated. This applies to all dogs, of all sizes.
I love pit bulls, but I hate irresponsible owners and breeders.
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Domini
I think your ideas are very wise. I'm sorry you have to live in fear in your neighborhood.
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all breeds can attack people
For those of you who keep writing: 'have you ever heard of a golden retriever or a lab attacking a person?' the answer is "yes--of course!". Labs and goldens do attack people--but it's the pit bull attacks that get the media attention. Americans have millions of pet dogs--even if less than 0.01% turn on their owners, occasionally an attack will happen. Pit bulls and other bully breeds have been bred to be LESS human aggressive than most other breeds. Banning them makes no more sense than banning golden retrievers.
Here are a few recent examples:
Lab: "Published on SavannahNow.com (http://savannahnow.com)
Labrador bites city worker, attacks officer
By Savannah Morning News Created 2007-06-25 23:30
A dog that bit a city worker in the Wilshire Estates neighborhood later went on to attack a Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police officer and was shot twice, said Sgt. Mike Wilson, police
spokesman. It happened about 2 p.m. Monday. Police received reports that an aggressive mixed-breed Labrador
was roaming the neighborhood and had attacked the worker as she exited her vehicle in the 500 block of Woodley Road. The worker, whose name and department were not provided Monday, was bitten on the legs, police said. When Star Corp. Paul Rivers and paramedics arrived, the dog charged the officer as paramedics were preparing the city worker for transport. Rivers managed to fire several shots, striking the dog twice before incapacitating it. "
Pet quarantined after attack
(http://www.post-trib.com/news/467188,baddog.article) July 13, 2007
By Jane Huh Post-Tribune staff writer
Shadow has cast a pall on two Crown Point neighbors' relationship: Scott Angel and Thomas Borders, who live one house away from each other. Shadow, a 2-year-old retriever/spaniel mix, is under a 10-day quarantine that expires Sunday for biting Borders' 7-year-old son on July 5..."
Spaniel:
By Charles Keeshan ckeeshan@dailyherald.com
Posted Friday, June 15, 2007 "In a first for McHenry County, a judge this week declared a Cary couple's dog a vicious animal, a finding that dooms the Brittany spaniel mix to a life of confinement.... Bianchi's office filed a court action last year to have Buck declared vicious because of a June 2005 incident in which he attacked Raven Harriott, a 3-year-old girl visiting the Anderson home. The attack, authorities said, left the girl with bite wounds to her cheek and neck that required surgery."
Border collie: "Girl has nose bitten off by dog Thursday, June 7, 2007
A six-year-old girl had part of her nose bitten off by a dog as she was feeding it an ice cream, police said today. Piper Delaney, of Calton Avenue, Salford, Greater Manchester, was feeding her next-
door neighbour's border collie yesterday afternoon when it lunged at her.
The missing piece of nose was found on the floor by another child."
And yes, a golden retriever killed her owner: "The Daily News Published March 29, 2007 FRIENDSWOOD — A golden retriever, one of two dogs seized by authorities after the March 17 mauling death of owner Pamela Rushing, must be put to death"
Another golden: "Toddler mauled by neighbor's dog
06:41 PM CDT on Thursday, March 22, 2007 By BOB GREENE / WFAA-TV
Three-year-old Breanna Webster may have scars for the rest of her life.
Her neighbor's dog attacked her, Tuesday evening. Little Breanna Webster was playing with a dog most people would consider family-
friendly, a golden retriever. "This dog has destroyed this little girl's life," said Eve Melend, Breanna's aunt. ...The attack took off most of Breanna's upper lip."
Australian Shepherd tries to kill owner: "Oneida woman mauled by family pet Doctors use 1,000 stitches to close wounds Saturday, March 17, 2007 BY TOM LOEWY THE REGISTER-MAIL
Gayla Holmes set her cell phone down at 8:25 p.m. Monday night
and grabbed a few treats for Captain. It was the start of a ritual that took place almost every day between the 60-year-old Oneida resident and the Australian shepherd. But something was wrong with the dog who was, according to Gayla, a "beloved member of our family" for three years.
The next time Gayla picked up the cell phone, it was 8:46 p.m. She was covered in her own blood and barely conscious. ...Captain's teeth shredded Gayla's arms and lower legs. Two doctors worked for 2 1/2 hours and used 1,000 stitches to close approximately 100 wound sites."
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Yes...
all dog breeds have the potential to go bad, however the fact still remain that pit bull/pit bull mixes/and rotts cause the majority of fatalities.