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This really chaps me

8K views 73 replies 24 participants last post by  A girl and her dog 
#1 ·
#36 ·
I used to think that the pitbull issue was owners. But knowing a bit about gsd, temperament, drives, and thresholds. There are a bunch of pitbulls out there that are BAD dogs. theres nothing owners can do to change them and they do attack. its not a pitbull issue but the dummy breeders are breeding the wrong dogs.
 
#38 ·
Well that's certainly giving a whole lot of ignorant irresponsible owners a pass! I've met some of those folks and they are not people you'd want to hang around with!

My first dog was a BullMastiff/APBT mix and he was a sweetheart! He came from BYB's and his temperament was sound! And yes I know it was sound he obeyed my down command while under full attack by my GSD (issues to be worked out still at the time,)he never bit me even under full"duress"!) my GSD did! So I don't believe it's "bad genes" more like ignorant A Holes are the problem! Not really sure why anybody wants to give morones a pass? And at any rate "this" wasn't a pit attack but pits always get thrown in the mix!

If a car falls off jack stands and crushes a guy, someone will say they saw a pitt in the
neighborhood with a car jack!

The "rescue" organization screwed up, they should have never let that lady have the dog "they" should have know better! It's was there job to keep people from being too stupid!
 
#37 ·
I agree. Some of these dogs just aren't wired right.

Reading this article it doesn't appear the dogs were owned by dummies or treated badly. If it is accurate they just turned on her.....she didn't do anything wrong.....as if she would have thought they would savage her to get to the child.......they were her own dogs.
Can't see GSD doing this......If cases like this keep happening of course people will want them banned.

Beyond the Interview: Father of Child Killed by Babysitter's Pit Bulls Speaks Out After Attack - DogsBite.org

Very sad the whole thing:(
 
#39 ·
I think the problem is a lack of knowledge of dog behavior on the side of some owners and rescues.

To say a dog is wired wrong is a bit of a stretch just because a dog doesn't sit nicely into a box which we define as a nice house dog.

Dogs are animals with animal needs. If they are not understood and fulfilled then they can act inappropriately.

Any dog should be supervised with children no matter what.

A dog is more predator than teddy bear and it deserves to be respected. I think a lot of people fail to realize this these days.
 
#51 ·
Agreed....our jack Russell had to be managed!
For the parents to allow the child to be babysit in a home with two dogs...they made the choice to put a child in that situation.
The sitter, allowing the dogs out and in the same room as the child, I would not allow that without parents there...again the child and dogs being thrown into a possible situation.
When guest visited our home, with children or we babysat for others parents for date night swaps....Percy... The devil jack Russell was put into our bedroom and the door was locked from the inside. The door could not be accidentally opened or dog get out with out us knowing. We accepted that Percy was the dog we had in visioned and did not leave the door open to a bad situation. Our shepherds are amazing with children but are never left alone with them. I feel all animals have wild instincts that are hair in them....and you have to respect that instinct with any animal!


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#40 ·
I think for anybody to understand dog fatalities they should compare the following statistics.

Every year over 30,000 people die in road accidents in america.
(Minimum 32,000 in the last 20 years, max 43,000)

Every year over 30 people die in America as a result of a dog attack.
(Minimum 14 and max being 36 in last 10 years)


More than 480,000 deaths annually due to Smoking Tobacco (including deaths from secondhand smoke)

Obesity and related illness is also a huge percentage of premature deaths in America.

List of motor vehicle deaths in U.S. by year - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fatal dog attacks in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

CDC - Fact Sheet - Tobacco-Related Mortality - Smoking & Tobacco Use

http://www.natureworldnews.com/arti...more-americans-previously-estimated-study.htm
 
#41 ·
There are a large # of reported bites though - so we need to do better in this area in general:
Why be concerned about dog bites?


  • About 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year.1
  • Almost one in five of those who are bitten, about 885,000, require medical attention for dog bite-related injuries; half of these are children.1
  • In 2012, more than 27,000 people underwent reconstructive surgery as a result of being bitten by dogs.2
  • CDC | Dog Bites | Home and Recreational Safety | Injury Center
 
#56 ·
There are a large # of reported bites though - so we need to do better in this area in general:
Why be concerned about dog bites?


  • About 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year.1
  • Almost one in five of those who are bitten, about 885,000, require medical attention for dog bite-related injuries; half of these are children.1
  • In 2012, more than 27,000 people underwent reconstructive surgery as a result of being bitten by dogs.2
  • CDC | Dog Bites | Home and Recreational Safety | Injury Center
It all comes down to insurance. Home owner's insurance will squeeze out as many 'high risk' dogs as they can to avoid costly medical bills. 4.5 million bites. How many of those resulted in a law suit? Medical bills?
 
#42 ·
The last bully mix i saw came fresh off the streets of south oshawa (a not so great part of town) he was unaltered, he should of under the BLS law here been taken right to the vet and been destroyed. Instead a bleeding heart rescue got him and put him in foster care under the name "american bull dog lab mix" he was not, they gave him to a foster family who thought he was "sooooo cute" when he smashed his head into them and demanded attention, well because of the rescue and because of the clueless foster family he went to he ended up putting several stitches in someones arm. Then, because that bite went unreported he was adopted out to someone with small kids. Sorry, thats a big fat bite waiting to happen.
 
#43 · (Edited)
Sorry, thats a big fat bite waiting to happen.
And would it be any different if it was an Akita, Gsd or any mastiff mix, or any other large dog.

That's the thing. Any large breed dog can do damage and need responsible ownership.

Bull breeds will always get singled out due to the stigma surrounding them.

The last bully mix I saw
put him in foster care under the name "american bull dog lab mix" he was not
A bully mix is a bully mix. Whats wrong with it being called a American bull dog lab mix. My female is a lab cross bullmastiff and she is pretty tough. The lab doesn't have much influence at all. Still these dogs shouldn't be given out to people who aren't going to discipline and exercise them.
 
#44 ·
And would it be any different if it was an Akita, Gsd or any mastiff mix, or any other large dog.

That's the thing. Any large breed dog can do damage and need responsible ownership.

Bull breeds will always get singled out due to the stigma surrounding them.
Nope,
It would not have been different, a bite thats causes stitches is a bite that causes stitches no matter what the dog breed is.

He just happened to be a bully breed, the rescue really screwed up by not telling the adopters.
 
#47 ·
This is something that continues to irk me when I see things like that in the news. I'm not ignorant to the fact that a lot of owners have great intentions, and that some dogs, rarely, are honestly wired wrong due to over breeding and a line of mental instability.. I do truly think that rescues and shelters REALLY need to be the ones educated on dog breeds. Not just bully breeds, but dog breeds in general. So when they have a family that wants a certain dog they can properly educate that family on that breed.. and just dog behavior in general.

I can't find the article, I'll try to search more for it later, it was some time ago, but it was an article about a dog attacking their toddler and how it just snapped with no warning. They had videos posted with the article to show how they used to play just fine before the attack, where the dog was laying on the ground, ears back, extreme panting, obviously not thrilled eith the situation, while the child is jumping all over him, pulling his ears and cheeks, getting in the dogs face, jumping on his back. Everyone is "oh that's so cute!" and laughing.. REALLY!!??!! And you wonder why your dog "snapped." It was just waiting to happen. The owners probably didn't research, the people who sold them the dog or rescue that gave them the dog clearly didn't educate them at all about dog behavior of any kind.. Which I know is how society is now a days, but that's exactly the reason these things happen.. the dog wasn't aggressive, it was annoyed.. and had enough.

Sorry that's my rant. Very interesting thread, I like reading people's thoughts since this is such a hot topic now.
 
#48 ·
Also Madlab,

I am not for the BSL law,

I must ask though, what did the rescue and everyone who was involved do to help the BSL law in that situation?

Nothing, they adopted out a banned breed with a bite history to a family with small kids and did not disclose the bite history, if that dog (who just happens to be a bully breed) bites anyone else they can thank themselves for making the BSL law that much tougher.
 
#49 ·
We have working lines, DDR/Czech. While shopping we did decide to go with working line because the parents were much more stable than the "pet-lines"....healthier as well!

Our two are so stable and so well balanced....a kid running, screaming, jumping, dropping things....never phases them. They do start licking and sniffing if a toddler starts crying...but it seems they are looking for the source of pain or irritation.

I don't think they understand the breed to well...by suggesting " pet-line"....if they understood the breed better...they would suggest mental stability and pups who's family have balanced temperament....

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The dogs are very suited for family's and other pets if the proper structure had been taught (responsible pet owner will do this)....
None of the infants and toddlers are our kids...they are friends kids. Our girls are 14 and 16....the toddlers can take toys, food, treats, from the dogs just like we can and our daughters can. The toddlers can walk them on leads, never get pulled and the pups will take the same commands from toddlers that they do from us or our girls. Strangers never get bad reactions....and we have play dates with other dogs. The foster cat in the last pic...uses the puppy's as scratching/rubbing post....never chases or attacks. They go to the apple orchard and petting farm....no one is attacked or eaten, many other dogs visit this place as well....


Basically....it is irritating to have ALL shepherds and pits along with all the other "bully breeds" put into the same judged box....but that is what closed minded people do! They can see their part in the situation and blame the animals instead of the humans that cause the situation. I don't know the story for the child that died....but it is usually human error.
We had a jack Russell terroir....14 years old when he died. He was the same age as my youngest daughter. He was NEVER left alone with any child, even our own! He had been purchased from a "pet-family" dog breeder! He was nervy. He was obnoxious. He was a toy hoarder. He was good aggressive. He did not like cats, would chase them and corner them. He did not like kids of any age. It was adults or nothing. Even with hundreds of hours of training....I never trusted him with any child, mine, friends or strangers. We trained him to walk to our room and stay there until kids left our home. He was trained to avoid our kids. And he knew that he was only to interact with ours in certain places in the house.
It took the first 3 years of his life to teach this, but as a responsible pet owner...it was our job! If people asked to pet him...it was NO! We knew what kind of dog we ended up with, we knew that if we dumped him at the shelter, he would be put down or someone else's problem and a bad situation could happen!
It ALL comes back to responsible dog owners and human error. When looking at shepherds, we researched for a year, we have training, socializing, and adult supervision in every situation!
I am the type of person who trust my shepherds! But know that ALL animals are instinctual and will do what comes naturally to them! It is not the dogs fault, just as it is not a sharks fault or a horses fault....it is human error...and irresponsible pet owners.
My children would never be allowed to interact with any animal without supervision. Our cat and foster cat are not allowed to be alone with them. The girls also have very in depth lessons of how to deal with and respect other animals space. They (from toddler size) have been taught to always give animals their space and never push the animals.

I hate that children and animals tend to be the corona and targets but until dooy adults understand they are part of the problem...this "bully breed" nonsense will continue!


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#53 ·
We have working lines, DDR/Czech. While shopping we did decide to go with working line because the parents were much more stable than the "pet-lines"....healthier as well!

Our two are so stable and so well balanced....a kid running, screaming, jumping, dropping things....never phases them. They do start licking and sniffing if a toddler starts crying...but it seems they are looking for the source of pain or irritation.

I don't think they understand the breed to well...by suggesting " pet-line"....if they understood the breed better...they would suggest mental stability and pups who's family have balanced temperament....

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The dogs are very suited for family's and other pets if the proper structure had been taught (responsible pet owner will do this)....
None of the infants and toddlers are our kids...they are friends kids. Our girls are 14 and 16....the toddlers can take toys, food, treats, from the dogs just like we can and our daughters can. The toddlers can walk them on leads, never get pulled and the pups will take the same commands from toddlers that they do from us or our girls. Strangers never get bad reactions....and we have play dates with other dogs. The foster cat in the last pic...uses the puppy's as scratching/rubbing post....never chases or attacks. They go to the apple orchard and petting farm....no one is attacked or eaten, many other dogs visit this place as well....


Basically....it is irritating to have ALL shepherds and pits along with all the other "bully breeds" put into the same judged box....but that is what closed minded people do! They can see their part in the situation and blame the animals instead of the humans that cause the situation. I don't know the story for the child that died....but it is usually human error.
We had a jack Russell terroir....14 years old when he died. He was the same age as my youngest daughter. He was NEVER left alone with any child, even our own! He had been purchased from a "pet-family" dog breeder! He was nervy. He was obnoxious. He was a toy hoarder. He was good aggressive. He did not like cats, would chase them and corner them. He did not like kids of any age. It was adults or nothing. Even with hundreds of hours of training....I never trusted him with any child, mine, friends or strangers. We trained him to walk to our room and stay there until kids left our home. He was trained to avoid our kids. And he knew that he was only to interact with ours in certain places in the house.
It took the first 3 years of his life to teach this, but as a responsible pet owner...it was our job! If people asked to pet him...it was NO! We knew what kind of dog we ended up with, we knew that if we dumped him at the shelter, he would be put down or someone else's problem and a bad situation could happen!
It ALL comes back to responsible dog owners and human error. When looking at shepherds, we researched for a year, we have training, socializing, and adult supervision in every situation!
I am the type of person who trust my shepherds! But know that ALL animals are instinctual and will do what comes naturally to them! It is not the dogs fault, just as it is not a sharks fault or a horses fault....it is human error...and irresponsible pet owners.
My children would never be allowed to interact with any animal without supervision. Our cat and foster cat are not allowed to be alone with them. The girls also have very in depth lessons of how to deal with and respect other animals space. They (from toddler size) have been taught to always give animals their space and never push the animals.

I hate that children and animals tend to be the corona and targets but until dooy adults understand they are part of the problem...this "bully breed" nonsense will continue!


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Sorry...misspells...and auto correct errors...

We rescued the jack Russell but he was purchased originally from a breeder. Obviously not a good one. We got him when he was 12 weeks old. The purchasers did not keep him longer than 2 weeks..even as cute puppy they regretted their decision.
Not sure for their reason, but we did rescue him. We were told he would be great for our family. Needless to say, most shelters need to be better educated.




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#55 ·
Nah, Mine hasn't found her flippers yet. She jumped/fell in by accident and sometimes got booted in by myself. She can swim as any dog can and at 3 is now showing more sign that she is gonna start. Going in up to her neck and starting to float a bit.

She retrieves a bit. She'd rather run for something and grab it and lie down with it. She doesn't do happy unless she knows people.

Very skittish and aggressive as a pup, but nice and stable and aware as an adult. Took a lot of work to get her to where she is and I'm prowd of her and happy she grew into a nice dog. I was seriously worried from 6 to 12 months due to human aggression.

Not really dog aggressive but uses aggression to guard herself or let dogs know not to touch her or take anything from her. Trained to not fight and I seen her try avoid a scrap with another female bullmastiff around 5-6 times before she gave her a lesson.

Regarding breeds. If I mix any terrier into her they are gonna be lab bull terriers without any pit blood, yet would be called pit bulls. Pit bull is a tag for the look of a dog with bull blood which is crossed with anything.

I guess American pit bull is a composite breed any ways of bull dogs and mastiffs and labs and terriers so it's ahrd to say what is pure.
 
#58 ·
Volcano
I used to think that the pitbull issue was owners.
Sparra
I agree. Some of these dogs just aren't wired right.
Sounds like your generalizing pit bulls rather than speaking about a particular dog or case.

From the article:
the two pit bulls turned from playful and "nippy" into a violent frenzy. We've since learned more about what occurred before and after the attack. The agreement between Susan and the boy's parents was that Dax was always to be kept away from the two pit bulls and the dogs kenneled. March 6th had started that way.

Human error is usually at play when a dog attacks a child.

The signs can be there but nobody realizes or is in control and so accidents happen.
 
#59 ·
Volcano

Sparra

Sounds like your generalizing pit bulls rather than speaking about a particular dog or case.

From the article:
the two pit bulls turned from playful and "nippy" into a violent frenzy. We've since learned more about what occurred before and after the attack. The agreement between Susan and the boy's parents was that Dax was always to be kept away from the two pit bulls and the dogs kenneled. March 6th had started that way.

Human error is usually at play when a dog attacks a child.

The signs can be there but nobody realizes or is in control and so accidents happen.
You didn't read to the end.....the playful and nippy was what the media made up......if you read on the owner clears this up saying that this is not what happened at all.
Surely carrying a child on your hip to let a dog out to pee is not irresponsible......something she had done many times.......I get tired of people making excuses for horrible dogs such as these......I am talking about this particular case NOT ALL pitbulls BTW......
 
#60 · (Edited)
Suppose this is what your talking about

Susan wanted to clarify an aspect that is stated earlier in this piece, "the two pit bulls turned from playful and 'nippy' that day into a violent frenzy." The "nippy" terminology was taken from police reports released to the media on April 1st. She doesn't believe she ever said the term "nippy" while being interviewed by police in her hospital room. The word implies bad ownership. Her two dogs were "never nippy," she said. Further, "batting dogs away is not playful,"
The article states an agreement was made between the babysitter and the parents that the child was not to be exposed to the dogs?
The agreement between Susan and the boy's parents was that Dax was always to be kept away from the two pit bulls and the dogs kenneled.
If this is true the baby sitter broke the agreement and exposed the child to the dogs. The child was not acquainted with the dog as they were kept separated.

I'm not making excuses for the dogs. It is a terrible case. But as i said it is usually human negligence at work. Somebody doesn't realize the predator nature of the dog and hasn't control over their dog. Not any dog can act like this but many breeds can exhibit this preying behavior sometime. If the humans supposedly in charge of the dog, don't notice and deal with the issue they are negligent imo. If people actually research dog behavior these kind of situations can be avoided.
 
#61 · (Edited)
I'm not making excuses for the dogs. It is a terrible case. But as i said it is usually human negligence at work. Somebody doesn't realize the predator nature of the dog and hasn't control over their dog. Not any dog can act like this but many breeds can exhibit this preying behavior sometime. If the humans supposedly in charge of the dog, don't notice and deal with the issue they are negligent imo. If people actually research dog behavior these kind of situations can be avoided.
Look I agree with you but you have to admit this is a pretty extreme case.....this was not just a quick bite this was a sustained 15 minute mauling of not only the child but the owner.....not many dog owners would accept the possibility of this happening beforehand.
If these dogs do require such stringent ownership then why are they being offered in rescues and such to just the every day dog owner?
If what you are saying is true and that this type of situation can be a normal consequence of just not reading the dogs correctly then really they should not be owned by the average Joe should they??.... which in essence is what BSL is trying to prevent.....breeds that when in the hands of the uneducated can be lethal.
 
#63 ·
breeds that when in the hands of the uneducated can be lethal.
As can cars, machinery, etcetc.

If these dogs do require such stringent ownership then why are they being offered in rescues and such to just the every day dog owner?
Do GSD's, Akitas, Mastiffs, malamutes, boxers etcetc need a less stringent owner?

All of these dogs need need strict control and management or else the owner is being irresponsible.

If what you are saying is true and that this type of situation can be a normal consequence of just not reading the dogs correctly
I do not think this is a normal situation and nor did I imply it was. There are millions of pit bull in the states and very few actually try to kill people.

If an owner can't control their dog they shouldn't have it. I believe the owner of the pits was seriously at fault for not having her dogs under control. She broke a rule with the owner and the child suffered needlessly. It is a tragic accident but one which could have been avoided with proper management.

then really they should not be owned by the average Joe should they??.... which in essence is what BSL is trying to prevent
No generally BSL is breed specific legislation aimed at banning pit bull type dogs from certain areas. It doesn't matter if a person is an experienced handler and trainer. It doesn't matter what the temperament of the pit bull type dog is. The dog is banned because it looks a certain way.
 
#64 · (Edited)
What happened to the breed in general, one of the best war hero dogs was a APBT, the breed was Americas sweetheart at one point.
In some sense i believe that image is a cliche.

People say the pit bull was a nanny breed and totally non human aggressive. But I find this hard to believe. It is romanticizing a dog to be something it is not.

I think a dogs behavior is relevant on it's temperament, living conditions, training and socializing.

Many pit bulls are great pets when looked after properly and understood in depth. Problem is today too many dogs and not enough responsible owners so some are bound to cause issues.

There is a general lack of education out there as to how to look after any dog.
 
#67 ·
People may be quick to pull the trigger, while jogging with a lady I did not know well ( jogging group) we were approached by a rather large black and tan dog, looked like a hound mix. He circle barked us before he headed on his way , his bum was in full wiggle mode and his bark suggested hey!!!!! Hellllo !!!! Rather then being aggressive. Well, she froze up, teared up, and went on a tangent about "just being attacked by a big german shepherd " , I ensured her that it was no attack and that dog was the furthest thing from GSD but she was hysterical at that point yelling about animal control and putting the vicious GSD to sleep. At that point the bubbly hound looking mix was long gone, I can just imagine how many of her friends and family got to hear about "the vicious GSD " that day, how many of her friends and family were left with a bad taste in their mouths about GSD s?,

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#69 ·
Like others who have posted on this thread, I oppose breed bans and other forms of breed-specific legislation.

I really don’t think we are going to see breed bans spread. In fact, I think that we are going to see a lot of municipalities and states repeal bans they currently have in place.

This paper has a lot of good information.
“Pit Bull Bans: The State of Breed-Specific Legislation”
Pit Bull Bans: The State of Breed–Specific Legislation

Re: State of Breed-Ban Legislation
Quote:
“Hundreds of municipalities of all sizes and geographic locations throughout the country have adopted BSL. (One of the most comprehensive, up–to–date lists of BSL jurisdictions can be found at www.understand–a–bull.com.) Still other towns are repealing existing bans, such as Edwardsville, Kansas, which removed its pit bull ban after the nearby Niko case ended.

In 2009 new statewide BSL bills were introduced in Hawaii, Montana, and Oregon, where there are two BSL bills pending. One would ban “pit bulls” from Oregon unless a person has obtained a permit within 90 days of the bill’s passage; the other would require minimum liability insurance coverage of $1 million for pit bull owners..."

"Interestingly, 12 states have passed laws prohibiting the passage of BSL by local governments: Florida and Pennsylvania (although bills are currently pending to repeal this prohibition in both states), California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia. Like the other 11 states, California has ruled that no specific dog breed mix shall be declared potentially dangerous or vicious as a matter of breed, but it does allow BSL related to mandatory spay/neuter programs, meaning it requires dogs of certain breeds to be “fixed.” The city of Denver has perhaps the most tortured history with BSL Denver passed BSL in 1989, but the Colorado State Legislature outlawed BSL in 2004. Denver later reinstated BSL after the city challenged the state’s BSL prohibition, and a judge ruled that Denver’s BSL could be allowed to stand as a home rule exception..."

Re: Who opposes Breed Bans and BSL?
“Quote:
“National animal organizations such as the American Veterinary Medical Association, Humane Society of the United States, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Best Friends Animal Society, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the American Kennel Club, and the National Animal Control Association all oppose BSL. Otto sums up their position this way: “If the goal is dog–bite prevention, then dogs should be treated as individuals under effective dangerous dog laws and not as part of a breed painted with certain traits that may not be applicable to each dog. By doing so, owners of well–trained, gentle dogs are not punished by a breed ban, while dangerous dogs of all breeds are regulated and may have their day in court to be proven dangerous.”

Note: This has to be one of the few issues in dogdom where all of these groups are in agreement with each other… LOL!

Re: Is BSL effective?
Quote:
“Extensive studies of the effectiveness of BSL in reducing the number of persons harmed by dog attacks were done in Spain and Great Britain. Both studies concluded that their “dangerous animals acts,” which included pit bull bans, had no effect at all on stopping dog attacks. The Spanish study further found that the breeds most responsible for bites—both before and after the breed bans—were those breeds not covered by it, primarily German Shepherds and mixed breeds.”

One of the few known instances in which a breed ban’s effectiveness was examined and reported on in the United States occurred in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where a task force was formed in 2003 to look at the effectiveness of its pit bull ban. The task force concluded that the public’s safety had not improved as a result of the ban, despite the fact that the county had spent more than $250,000 per year to round up and destroy banned dogs. Finding that other, non–breed–specific laws already on the books covered vicious animal, nuisance, leash, and other public health and safety concerns, the task force recommended repealing the ban.”

[Note: In addition to these studies, it is also interesting to note that the Netherlands and the Province of Ontario have repealed their breed bans because the legislation was found to be ineffective. [See the NCRC link below for the source of that information]

Re: Options beyond BSL?
Quote:
“The National Canine Research Council has identified the most common factors found in fatal dog attacks occurring in 2006:
  • 97 percent of the dogs involved were not spayed or neutered.
  • 84 percent of the attacks involved owners who had abused or neglected their dogs, failed to contain their dogs, or failed to properly chain their dogs.
  • 78 percent of the dogs were not kept as pets but as guard, breeding, or yard dogs.”
Quote:
"The ASPCA has proposed a list of solutions for inclusion in breed–neutral laws that hold reckless dog owners accountable for their aggressive animals:
  • Enhanced enforcement of dog license laws with adequate fees to augment animal control budgets and surcharges on ownership of unaltered dogs to help fund low–cost pet- sterilization programs. High–penalty fees should be imposed on those who fail to license a dog.
  • Enhanced enforcement of leash/dog–at–large laws, with adequate penalties to supplement animal control funding and to ensure the law is taken seriously.
  • Dangerous dog laws that are breed neutral and focus on the behavior of the individual dog, with mandated sterilization and microchipping of dogs deemed dangerous and options for mandating muzzling, confinement, adult supervision, training, owner education, and a hearings process with gradually increasing penalties, including euthanasia, in aggravated circumstances such as when a dog causes unjustified injury or simply cannot be controlled. (“Unjustified” typically is taken to mean the dog was not being harmed or provoked by anyone when the attack occurred.)
  • Laws that hold dog owners financially accountable for failure to adhere to animal control laws, and also hold them civilly and criminally liable for unjustified injuries or damage caused by their dogs.
  • Laws that prohibit chaining or tethering, coupled with enhanced enforcement of animal cruelty and fighting laws. Studies have shown that chained dogs are an attractive nuisance to children and others who approach them.
  • Laws that mandate the sterilization of shelter animals and make low–cost sterilization services widely available.
"

[Note: The AVMA paper and the CDC have made similar community-based recommendations, I posted links to those below]


Other interesting sources of information:
From the AVMA via the CDC site:
https://www.avma.org/public/Health/Documents/dogbite.pdf
From the NCRC
Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) FAQ I NCRC
From the ASPCA:
Breed Specific Legislation | ASPCA
From the HSUS
Why Breed-Specific Legislation Doesn?t Work : The Humane Society of the United States
 
#70 ·
I guarantee there are far less pit bulls in the US than people think. Pit bull means American Pit Bull Terrier, nothing else. The fact it describes a type of dog infuriates me. It is not a "type"... It's a BREED. Same as a GSD. Can we go around calling any dog with pointy ears and a double coat a GSD? Say that "type" of dog started attacking. Would everyone who loves the breed stand around and let the media twist people's thinking to that a GSD can be any any old dog that kind of looks like one? People talk about all of the pit bulls in shelters, but I'd bet money most, almost all of those dogs are mixed and a good portion probably don't have pit bull in them at all. Real pit bulls, papered ones (when the papers are actually legit) are not nearly as easy to get ahold of as the dogs most accept to be pit bulls. American Staffordshire Terriers are not pit bulls.

I try to tell people unless they have papers not to call their dog a pit bull even if it looks like one, because there are a lot of breeds that when mixed with some other breeds look just like a pit. But it isn't. Then the dog bites.... One more dangerous "pit bull" to add to the list. No one says anything about it because it is just accepted that pit bulls are short coated dogs with a brick-like head.

I think I saw a dogsbite.org link in this thread somewhere, that site is garbage and full of misinformation, so I would take anything from there with a grain of salt... They like to make up their own facts and statistics.

I can't stand BSL, I don't agree that GSDs won't be targeted in the future. If "pit bulls" eventually get banned, maybe not immediately but eventually GSDs, rotties, Dobes... they will be next. The same people that couldn't handle their "pit bull" will get another dog they can't handle (like a GSD) and we will have another dog attack pandemic. PEOPLE are the problem!
 
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