I'm no longer on the fence about pit bulls.
By bonbon664
@bonbon664 (3466)
Canada
July 28, 2007 8:26pm CST
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20070728/LOCAL/707280336/-1/news
I used to be on the fence about pit bulls, and was against banning any breed, but this story has made up my mind. If a dog like this can turn on it's on family without warning, and in an instant, it's not a dog a family should own. This girl got 900 stitches. This is a bite like no other dog. Not many other dogs would shake this girl like this girl was shaken, and had to be pried off it's own owner. So, don't tell me this dog was provoked into it, or it was the fault of the owner. This is something inherently instinctual with the dog, and not one I would ever own.
What do you think?
3 people like this
9 responses
@wiccania (3360)
• United States
29 Jul 07
I knew someone in high school who's mother had to have plastic surgery to have her entire face reconstructed when her shi-tzu turned on her. Any dog can turn on its owner at any time and for any reason.
Pit bulls are the media favorites for "oh look what this horrible breed does" right now. Several years ago it was rotweilers, before that it was german shepherds and dobermans. All of which have been trained and used for fighting and for protection.
2 people like this
@nickspinky (198)
• United States
1 Aug 07
I think your comment sums it up the world always has to have one type of breed look like the "bad" one for that time. If you go back through history and read many countries have done this where they will turn on a breed all of a sudden and show how they are so bad and end up banning that breed. Media tends to cover the bad things pit bulls do but on some of the stories they cover up if the animal was ever mistreated or harmed in anyway which plays a big role. Today it is the pit bull after the pit bulls are gone there will be another dog that they question and so on.
@emma412 (1156)
• United States
29 Jul 07
I'm sorry but that makes me really mad. It's not the breed. These kinds of things are not breed specific but when something happens with an aggressive breed it gets blown up and said it's because they're a "pit bull" or a "rottwiler" or wahtever other breed people see as aggressive. Any dog can be aggressive and any dog can be the nicest dog you've ever met. There's a black lab across the street that dug into another neighbors yard and attacked their dog and bit off his paw. Labs are supposed to be the nicest breeds but here's an instance and it happened in my neighborhood. I have a large dog and she is the sweetest thing but I will NEVER leave her alone with my daughter. That's my responsibility as a pet owner and a parent.
1 person likes this
@bonbon664 (3466)
• Canada
29 Jul 07
I agree, all dogs can be vicious if the right set of circumstances are there. But,according to the animal bite stats, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks,68% of the attacks upon children, 82% of the attacks upon adults, 65% of the deaths, and 68% of the maimings. To me, those are pretty alarming stats. (which I got from the CDC website)
1 person likes this
@Galena (9110)
•
22 Jan 08
and how many jack russel or toy poodle bites get reported?
because me, my cousin, my mum, my auntie, and most other people I've ever known that spend any time around dogs have been bitten by a jack russel, and still carry scars.
outside of that, my cousin was also bitten by a Rottweiller (one that was known to be mistreated) and I've been bitten by a Rough Collie (that's right, good old heroic lassie) and a Lurcher.
so in my own social group the statistics are higher for jack russels. just as they are small dogs, and stitches are not often needed, they go unreported.
@Gwatson (58)
• United States
22 Aug 07
Those bite statistics aren't entirely accurate. Many will argue that Pit Bulls are responsible for X% of all dog bites. How many dogs are mistaken for an American Pit Bull Terrier (I'm assuming that's the breed you're referring to) every day? Also, Pit Bulls aren't a breed, rather a classification for dogs who share a similar appearance.
@pendragon (3350)
• United States
29 Jul 07
Sensationalized prejudice.Any dog attacks, shakes etc.People who fall for devil/God words shouldnt read the paper.The news is about dictating our fears, not much else these days.We get what we ask for, and what we ask for is to find monsters around every corner in this world, cause we're so bored with life.Pit bulls look different,thry are jackyl descendants so they are shaped differently than wolf descendants,and what looks different has to be guilty, right?Guilty of whatever we see fit in our tainted eye.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
31 Jul 07
I still don't think just because that dog was a pit bull that all pit bulls are to be blamed....any animal can and could suddenly becomes aggressive and vicious at a moments notice...a person could just as easily be attacked and mauled by a poodle if that dog suddenly took it into its head to turn aggressive...I'm pretty sure that somewhere out there are horrendous stories of dogs mauling people that are of a different breed, it just seems that pit bulls get all the notice and attention due to their bad reputation to begin with
@mindyja25 (180)
• United States
29 Jul 07
This will always be a debate I think. I have owned a pit bull for years and he has allways been loving with that being said I do watch his actions and just keep a close eye on him. He's allways been loving and listens well, on the other hand I do not let him get around my son. My son is only 1 years old and I think that's just to young to be around a big dog. I'm not so worried about him bitting him but he's just big and he can lean on the baby and he will fall over. He does play with older kids in the family.
@UnselfishShellfish (1306)
• United States
29 Dec 07
ANY dog can be trained to be vicious or attack or even kill.
The breed alone is not enough to be violent. My neighbor had a chow/lab mix that was violent and had to be put down after it killed 2 cats.
I have recently gotten a 6 month old pit bull puppy. Not a mean bone in his body. Not every pit bull is a dangrous, mean, violent dog. Any dog from a poodle to a lab to a chihuahua can be trained to fight. People just use pits as they are muscular and they are strong and energetic.
Pits get bad names because of stories like this. So do rotties and dobies.
@mari61960 (4893)
• United States
29 Jul 07
Wow that's pretty scary. It could have been any dog and done the same thing but the pit bull has such a powerful jaw... I have always been leary of them..not because I think they are all vicious but because of what can happen if they become that way. I really don't know if it's because of breeding that they have become so aggressive but it sure seems like it.
@tumalty1980 (256)
•
29 Jul 07
This is all hype any dog irrespective of bread can turn on people I grew up in a big house in the country side and we had guard dogs which where german shepards and we had an English Pit bull as a pet, It was the German shepard that were dangerous. It is all how they are brought up and how they are treated my Uncle has a jack russel thats only a tiny dog but its a visous little sod, I have a Staff Bit bull now that alright has never gone for anyone and is alway playing with my kids.
@UnicornDancer (91)
• United States
29 Jul 07
I have read several different stories about pit bulls turning on their owners for no reason. I do believe that a big part of it is in the breeding and don't think I could ever trust one.
