Story here:
A 10-year-old boy was in critical condition Sunday after three pit bulls escaped from a home and went on a rampage, attacking six people before police shot and killed the dogs, authorities said.
[...]
Neighbors said the attacks started late Saturday afternoon when children going door-to-door for a fund-raiser arrived at the home of Scott Sword, 41, who owned the dogs.
[...]
"The screams were horrible," she said. The dogs were "relentless, like they were possessed."
The pit bulls attacked the two children, and when the dogs' owner tried to stop them, the dogs turned on him and bit off his thumb, Nygren said. [emphasis mine]
Knowing just how dangerous these animals are, why do so many people insist on owning them? It just seems foolish to me, as well as reckless. Especially to own three of these snarling monsters.
I used to work with a gal not long ago who owned five or six of these dogs. She kept them in her backyard, and they were forever trying to jump the fence or dig under it. I used to tease her about it, telling her that one day she was going to come home and find little pieces of the mailman on her front porch.
But it's really not funny at all. These dogs are ruthless killers, by their very nature. I know that people who are fond of this particular breed of dog will dispute that notion, but there is plenty of evidence available in the news media that shows the dangers of owning these animals.
We, as human beings, have managed to kill off harmless creatures like the dodo, and we have brought benevolent species like the manatee to the brink of extinction. Yet we seem intent upon ensuring the continued existence of the malicious pit bull. Why?
I say: kill 'em all. The extinction of the smallpox virus from the earth was not viewed as a negative thing; the intentional genocide of the pit bull should likewise be seen as a beneficial goal.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Justene
One reason why there is plenty of evidence in the news media is that a dog involved in an attack will often be identified as a pit bull, without any proof of breed. By "nature" the dogs are bred to fight other dogs and to back off when handled by a human.
2 - elsa
A little boy just got mauled here last week. My next door neighbors got a pit bull puppy a month ago. They have three little kids over there, are they crazy? And I realized cocker spaniels are more likely to bite than a pit bull, however they are not strong enough to rip you to shreds. But what can you do? People keep ten guns in a house with children as well. Always thinking, “it ain’t gonna happen to me…”
3 - RJ
"By "nature" the dogs are bred to fight other dogs and to back off when handled by a human."
Well, that sure as hell didn't work in this case!
The dogs attacked human children, and even tore off the thumb of their adult human owner.
Somewhere in Illinois, a little kid who just wanted to raise some money for a good cause, is likely sobbing himself to sleep, in both intense physical pain as well as emotional agony.
And his physical scars may heal, somewhat. But the psychological scars never will...
4 - KYS
Pit Bulls are victims of the genetics we've imposed upon them. Run-away Pit Bulls victims of genetics and their stupid owners who don't have the sense to insure they are properly controlled.
Here's a tip for any dog owner: one dog is a pet. 2+ dogs are a pack, and the behavior can be quite different....
It's tragic what we've done with this breed. They a great house pets under the right circumstances but dog owners usually don't know what the hell they're doing with a breed this powerful (see also: Rotweillers, Mastiffs, German Shepherds_.
The individual dogs will suffer the ultimate price for our foolishness
.
5 - Carol Jawor
The owner of these dogs let them run the neighborhood and left the door open for them to come and go as they pleased. Obviously there is more to this story than is being reported, as usual. These dogs were not being properly taken care of and the owner is the one who should pay the price. If you want these attacks to stop, banning the breed will probably not do it, severe jail time would probably be much more effective.
6 - Susan
I would like to predict the circumstances in the next "Pit Bull Mauling".
The next mauling will occur:
1) By two or more roaming intact dogs that have not been properly trained or socialized
2) A single intact dog that is left with a child unatteded and has not been properly trained or socialized
3)An intact dog that has been abused, not trained and not socialized.
You will be amazed how well I can predict the future.
7 - T A Dodger
Reasons a ban would be ridiculous
1) There is little to no agreement as to what a "Pit Bull" is. The ADBA and the UKC recognize American Pit Bull Terriers as a breed, but the AKC recognizes two dogs that could be classified as PBTs (AmStaffs, Staff. Bull Terriers) but that some consider seperate breeds. Others say that there is no such thing as a Pit Bull breed, but rather the term is just applied to dogs that share certain characteristics.
2) To be effective, the law would have to ban Pit mixes too (most bites are not from pure bred dogs) which would be problamatic because
a) How much pit would a dog have to have before it was considered a "pit mix" and
b) Absent breeding records, how could you determine whether the dog was really a pit mix or not?
3) Other dogs would be bred for fighting / aggression. As has been pointed out on this thread, Pit Bulls were (and most still are) very friendly towards humans and even children (they were sometimes known as "nanny dogs" in the UK). It's only recently that people have been breeding some of them to be human aggressive, which just goes to show how quickly you can breed in such a characteristic. Ban Pit Bulls and get Presa Canario attacks.
8 - gonzo marx
so...commit genocide on an entire breed of dogs because their owners fucked up in the raising/training of the animal...but it ain't the owner who is Responsible, but the dog...
now, take out the word "dog" and insert the word "gun"
kinda puts it all in context eh?
and here i had thought right-wingnuts were all about personal responsibility....but it's all the dogs fault...
oh yes...and how interesting would be a ratio comparison between every one of these dogs in the country versus incidents of unprovoked attacks?
just for the hell of it, then compare that to death by firearm...
not that i am for banning guns or anything like that...i just think it is as silly to blame the dog as it is to blame the gun
your mileage may vary
Excelsior!
9 - TNT
This is not a personal attack, almost three years ago, my fiance and I were in the woods and we came upon a pit bull who must've been hit by a car, he was brindled and scared, growling so loud you would've thought he'd attack us (but low and behold, he didn't), after about half an hour of talking to him, we were able to pick up this bag of bones and through an hour of heaving and hoing, got him home and in our basement; he had a LARGE chain with a very large lock around his neck which we had to pull off. In short, we kept him for almost a year and healed him the best we could, he was so funny and lovable, he didn't even know that he was a dog, he loved sitting in our laps. But like most pit bulls, he wanted all the attention, we had two dogs and two cats who didn't enjoy him too much, my German/Husky female was spayed but that didn't stop Tye from trying. We gave him to an old woman who had owned pit's all her life, about a year later she came to visit us with him, he had certainly grown, she said he wouldn't dare leave her side, stayed in the shower with her, anywhere, kids in her neighborhood loved him and always played with him, but if you came to that gate without her permission, believe me, he made sure you knew that you were going to lose something trying to get over it. A few months later, she came back and told us he had lost use of his back legs, she had bought him a little wheelchair, and he just dragged himself all around the house, and if you came to the gate or front door, you'd think that behind that door in the house was ferocious killer. My experience with pit bulls tells me that it's the owner who decides the fate of the animal.
10 - janet
i know that all of you people are against pittbulls .. but have you ever thought that the owners make them mean .. how do you know if he is not being abuse by his owner... alot of people that own pittbulls hit them so they could listen any dog that has being hit or mistreat it will be mean.. i think is the owners fault is the way you raise them...
11 - Queen Guayama
I myself think dogs are ok. Im not really a dog person for the simple fact that they arent as clean as cats, there are some acceptions. All of the pitbulls I've seen everyday arent vicious. The pitbulls I have seen everyday are sweet dogs and the pitbulls I've seen that are vicious are that way because they used to run wild with other street dogs or their owner trained them to be that way. They have the potential to be vicious but so does EVERYTHING else. My boyfriends pitbull is loving and caring. All I have to say about this is the idea of killing pitbulls is just rediculous and is kind of sick and sounds kind of derranged. Alot of animals are vicious we dont kill all of them lol. When you think about it alot of animals are known for there viciousness and we havent killed all of them.
12 - Sara
Kill all pit bulls? That is disgusting! These are animals that you are talking about. Just try to kill my pit bull while she's licking your toes and begging you to throw her ball. Also..."evidnce in news media"??! Give me a break! Since when did anything the media reports count as evidence? I guess the news in Justene's town is the only unbiased news channel in America.
13 - Anthony Grande
"so...commit genocide on an entire breed of dogs because their owners fucked up in the raising/training of the animal...but it ain't the owner who is Responsible, but the dog..."
Why don't you believe the same for abortion?
14 - KYS
Janet, I think you've misunderstood most of these posts. A great many of these posts blame the breeders/owners for the unfortunate situation of the breed...
15 - Concerned Mom
This is how I feel. People who own pit bulls have the right to do so. This is a free country. (Well, it's supposed to be anyways) However, I have a seven year old beautiful daughter inside and out and I am not taking any chances when it comes to her safety! We have neighbors who own a pit bull. The pit bull is well cared for and does fairly well with the children in their home. Ages 10 and 4. However, he is aggressive no matter how well he is treated by them, and the children always have scratches on them from their pit getting to aggressive when playing. Their pit has escaped 3 times in the past year and one time ran to my house and came into my garage while I was having a garage sale. I was scared. The owner was running after him and got him out of my garage. I felt bad for the owner and the dog. I used to let my daughter have playdates at their house until last week when she came home with scratches all over her face. She told me the dog jumped on her as soon as she entered the home. Which was confirmed by the mother. Needless to say, there are no more playdates at their house and I feel bad for their children because I know I am not the only parent who feels that way. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and everyone should be responsible for their own actions or their pets actions. I am not against anyone owning a pit bull, I just will never let my child be around one again. I don't care what anyone says about how safe they may or may not be. I personally will never take the chance, it's not worth sacraficing my daughter's safety.
16 - KYS
Concerned,
Agreed. The unfortunate circumstances of the breed do not remove the reality of the situation. If you have concerns, you are 100% right to keep your kids away. Though I love the breed, the safety of your kids is priority.
17 - noanchorbabies
If the liberals can tie in gun ownership with this, then I'm goin to tie in something else too.
If you vote not to ban ownership of these vicious dogs, in spite of the fact that some few people might be seriously hurt and/or killed by them, then vote as well not to ban herbal supplements (like Ephedra), in spite of the fact that some few people might get seriously ill and/or die from overdosing on them.
Surely the right to be able to be in control of one's own health is at least equally as worthy of being respected and protected as is the right to be able to own a killer dog!
18 - Julie Paul
I own a Pitbull Terrier. The funny thing is, they are rated one of the lowest in bite ratings and one of the highest in temperment ratings. That's just a fact. Why is it they always blame the dogs? I mean why isn't it ever why isn't the dog on a leash or where was the owner? Yes, pitbulls are strong. That's why when they bite, it is in the news. I'm sure many dogs bite everyday. They just don't have the power to do what pitbulls do. But, if treated and trained correctly, this won't happen. Many dogs "turn" on their owners. But you don't always hear about it. Pitbulls were bred to be animal aggressive. That is true, but most who are socialized correctly, can be fine with other animals of any species. My pitbull lives with 7 cats and other than the normal playful chasing, she has not once, become aggressive with them or any other animal she has played with. When she's around puppies, she lays down and lets them jump all over her. It's all in the way they are raised. My dog is always on a leash and when in the front yard, which is fenced by the way, she is always supervised. That should go for any dog. I've come in contact with many aggressive dogs and not one was a pit. I work at a shelter and all of the pits that come in, even the ones that have been fought, were sweet as pie. I wish people would do the research.
19 - KYS
Noan,
It's apples and oranges. Pills in a bottle are predictable whereas unsupervised animals are not.
20 - noanchorbabies
KYS,
Wrong. It's apples and apples.
It is not predictable how people are going to use the pills in the bottle, any more than it is predictable how the owners of the dogs are going to handle them.
Some dog owners are going to be responsible enough to keep a dog on a leash, if they know it's capable of attacking poeple. Others are not. Likewise some users of an herbal supplement are going to be responsible enough to follow the dosage directions, consult with a nutritional specialist or doctor if they are immunocompromised, not in good health, etc. Others will choose not to exercise reasonable caution.
There is one respect though in which it IS apples and oranges. And that is, that in case of pit bulls, it is not just the owner of the dog who is liable to get mauled - other people are endangered, as for example neighborhood children whose parents have chosen NOT to keep dangerous animals. In the case of nutritional supplements, on the other hand, it is only the person who ingests them unwisely who stands to get sick or die.
All of which leads me to be much more sympathetic to the idea of banning pit bulls, than to banning Ephedra.
21 - isabel gaudiosi
I have a pit-bull myself and it is unfair how bad people think that they are. Before a got this breed i did a lot of research, they are very much friendly, they are bad if their owner makes them that way. My is the sweetest thing in the world wouldn't ever hurt a fly, the only thing he always wants to do is play.
please lets speak up for this breed!
22 - Ron
you people do not understand a pitt bull. They are a breed of hunting dogs. Start opening you eyes. It the owner that makes the dog attack or be nice.
23 - josh
i own a purebred american staffordshire he is very loveable, but he is a pitt bull and its in his nature to be agressive but he knows who to be aggressive towards. its all how the owner brings up the dog. if someone comes up to me he will sit and watch if i dont acknowledge the person and the person comes closer hell snapp. if he sees im not in danger and im talking to the person he wont do anything. i think its crazy that people can get sued if a dog bites somebody breaking into ur home. my dog knows the difference from danger and no danger but you always have to remember that they are animals and theres only so much u can accredit them with so its always good to be on the safe side and make sure theyre always undercontrol. either on a leash chain or in ur home
24 - american staffordshire
well i wouldnt have let my ten year old go knock door to door by him or herself i wouldve been there and atleast i wouldve got mauled intstead of my kid and people always wanna blame somebody for others misfortunes things happen u cant blame all foreigners for sept 11 even though somepeople do jus like u cant blame all pitt bulls for wut others do and how they were brought up thats jus crazy it doesnt make sense
25 - kenny philbeck in Illinois
well I own a pitt bull, he is 3 months old and he has never showed bad attitude. Plus a few of my friends have them also. One is 3 and same thing, no aggression, never. My brother owns a briddle female pit and all she does is lick you all the time. Thats all she wants to do. So, I think to kill them or ban them is not fair to the people who are not raising them to fight or to be mean. They are like anything else, for exanple, you can make any dog vicious. You can take a collie and make the dog just as mean as a pitt bull. Dogs are what their owners train them to be. If the owner trains them to be cruel or has been treated cruely, you can expect a down right nasty dog. There are many Pits that are not anywhere near as bad as what media portrays them to be. But then again, that's all the media seems to care about. Making something look much worse then what it really is. There are plans for many more Pit bulls in my household. It isn't fair that people blame the dogs for the owners they have. They didn't chose their owners. Before you judge a pit bull, you should own one. They are just like any other dog you could own. Once again it goes back to.. It's all the way the dog is raised and trained.