This is ridiculous. Patronizing VICK who is the icon of dog fighting will just get more young people to obtain pit bulls for dog fighting purposes. These dogs have been PROVEN to be a vicious breed, and even the US Marine Corps has banned them as well as Home Owner's insurance due to multitudes of dog bite claims which pit bulls rank #1 in the attacks. This country has gone to the PIT BULL DOGS. About 20 million dogs and cats are destroyed in pounds across the country yearly due to people not being able to afford spay/neutering. But they don't mean anything. Everybody get a pit bull and start more dog fighting rings. That's what it's all about. You all have no idea what you are getting yourself into and the liabilities if that dog snaps. Thanks Vick? Yeah for getting America to start their own dog fighting rings. Idiots.

The PA SPCA has gone to the pit bulls-I'm glad I don't donate to them. They completely disregard the multitudes of cats and dogs (other breeds and mutts) that routinely get destroyed in pounds by the millions every year due to people not spay/neutering. That's where the money needs to go. NOT PROMOTE PIT BULLS. I do not believe in "rehab" because these dogs can't talk and can go postal equivalent to Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and when they do snap, an innocent child will get mauled or killed. There is NOTHING HUMANE about this.

"According to the Insurance Information Institute, more than 4.5 million people in the U.S. are bitten annually by dogs, with more than half of them requiring medical care. Those bites make a huge chomp into liability claims, accounting for a third of them in 2008 and costing $387.20 million."

"When the applicant answers the question, "Do you have any pets?" if you have a cat, further questions are unnecessary. However, if you own a dog and it happens to be a rottweiler, pit bull or Doberman pinscher, the odds are good the applicant will not receive any form of homeowners coverage, Bierman said."  
SOURCE: http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/bolingbrooksun/lifestyles/2049482,4_5_JO16_PETINSURE_S1-100216.article

Go ahead-adopt a pit bull-you know, in most cases, people cause their OWN TROUBLE. And this SPCA is promoting a breed PROVEN to be vicious. You can end up BANKRUPT or even thrown in JAIL when it snaps and attacks a child. Bye Bye life savings. Kiss it goodbye. AND YOU CANNOT BANKRUPT A LEGAL JUDGMENT.

Good for the PA SPCA they really are helping the breed which is always villified by the media and apparently brain washed at least one person.  The Marine Corp has not banned all pit bulls if the dog can pass a temperment test the dog can stay.  Funny how I own 3 pit bulls and have home owners insurance and the insurance company knows.  Owned pit bulls for over 12 years now and still am not bankrupt...could Mr Sing possibly be wrong?

Overall I would say pit bulls are a great dog in the hands of the right person.  They must be exercised daily, trained and the owner must be alert for any signs of aggression and correct the behavior. The problem I see with pit bulls is they are over breed and the more aggressive dogs are the ones that are breed.  Dobermans used to be like that until breeding slowed down and breeders stopped breeding the most aggressive.  There are way to many back yard breeders  and punk street fighters.  

There should be a lot more harsh jail penalties for dog fighting.  Mike Vicks just got a slap on the wrist. However he did bring the problem of dog fighting to the public eye. No I do not think he is a bit sorry for killing so many dogs, he is sorry for getting caught

I don't understand the PSPCA. Why don't they raise money for ALL animals not just Pitbulls. Now dont' get me wrong I like all breeds of dogs and cats but the PSPCA would NOT have raised this money if it wasn't for Michael Vick. Here we go again, Michael Vick getting the publicity that he wants. PSPCA help ALL animals PLEASE, don't destroy any.

I agree I do not like hearing about any animal pts.  However pit bulls compose about 40% of all dogs in animal shelters and are put down more than any breed because of over breeding and they are not an easy dog to adopt out.  Most adopters of pit bulls are scrutinized (sp) a lot more than adoptions of other breeds.

I am getting tired of the lie that "pit bulls are vilified by the media."  Where, exactly?   Pit bull people claim that "the media" is against pit bulls because it reports the fact of pit bull maulings and fatal attacks on people.  Sorry, folks, but that is the media doing its job, they aren't there to be flacks for pit bulls.

In fact, there are not one, but TWO hour long prime time television shows running right now whose purpose is to promote pit bulls.  Plus Cesar Milan (who, when he wanted a pit bull himself, did NOT get a poorly bred rescue from a shelter, but instead went to a responsible breeder and chose the most submissive puppy in the litter) shamelessly touts pit bulls as just like other dogs.   (They are not).   

So where is all this supposed media vilification taking place?   All I see is the media failing to tell the real story.  (Massive numbers of pit bulls dying in shelters and disproportionate pit bull dangerousness--both the direct result of the irresponsibility of the pit bull community).

Remember what Cesar says " Animal, dog, pit bull"
If you remember your pit bull is an animal, then a dog, the a pit bull you reduce your problems a lot.

Cesar has a lot more than his new puppy.  Nothing wrong in going to a shelter and adopting a low energy pit bull.. just like Cesar choose a submissive puppy.

There are two good shows concerning pit bulls on the Animal Planet.  Pit Boss and Pit Bulls and Parolees.

The worst thing about the news media is it mis-identifies pit bulls.. any short haired, muscular dog is automatically a pit bull... where there are over 20 breeds that look like a pit bull.

And the pit bull crisis will not be solved at the drain (by urging more and more unqualified people who have no idea what they are getting to adopt more and more poorly bred pit bulls--often dogs bred FOR dangerousness).   It has to be solved at the spigot (stopping the HUGE number of irresponsible pit bull breeders who are breeding the dogs for profit).   

Time for strong, enforced, breed specific regulations requiring the microchipping of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes and the spay/neuter of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes except AKC and UKC-PR registered show dogs.   That law wouldn't hurt even a single responsibly owned pit bull or responsible pit bull owner.  It would stop MASSIVE amounts of pit bull carnage in shelters.   And it would allow animal welfare groups to stop being entirely pit focused, and attend to the needs of ALL animals.

More baloney.  The media doesn't "misidentify" pit bulls, although occasionally it gets facts wrong, because sometimes things aren't completely clear.  For example, the most recent victim of a fatal pit bull mauling (last week) was variously described as five years old and six years old (she was actually apparently about to turn six) and her first name had several different spellings in different media accounts.   

In any case, the VAST majority of people reported as  mauled to death by pit bulls are mauled to death by dogs whose OWNERS identify them as pit bulls.   And it is just baloney to say that there are "20 different breeds" that are pit bulls.    THe VAST majority of dogs anybody who knows anything about  dogs would identify as pit bulls are generic, crappily bred "pit bulls," bred and sold  by some moron who wants to make a buck.   They aren't dogo argentinos.

well I guess you would not get any arguements out of me concerning the spay and nueter and chipping pit bulls.  All mine are chipped and came from a reputable shelter and were "fixed" before they went home.

However I do think pit bulls are mis-identified.  Which one is the pit bull
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

My dogs are probably "mutts" but most people would say they are pit bulls.

SHUT UP Louis - you get a life.....

That's right-get a pit bull-you WILL be denied home owner's insurance due to statistics. I live in Florida and when Hartford Insurance pulled out of FLorida (it's a hurricane State), I had to get new home owner's insurance. The FIRST QUESTION my agent asked, "What kind of pet do you own". Well, I own two cats, a bearded dragon, etc.  "I don't mean that-do you own a dog?" "NOPE!" No problem! said my Agent. "We just worry about what kind of breed of dogs". In other words if you own a pit bull, or rottie-NO COVERAGE. That is the insurance standard. Go ahead and adopt a pit bull. But you are asking for trouble and you may GO TO JAIL if that pittie bites a kid. Far too many reports of pit bulls biting children UNPROVOKED.  There are many attorneys who specialize in dog bites alone. 
The Umansky law firm writes: 

	YOU SHOULD KNOW:
·	Almost every thirty seconds, someone in the United States seeks medical attention for a dog bite related injury. 
·	In the United States, an estimate of one million (1,000,000) people, annually, require medical treatment for injuries related to dog bites. 
·	More than 300,000 victims require hospitalization as a result of their dog bite injuries. 

Did you know MOST cases a pit bull is behind it. They are the #1 cause of thoracic and facial surgery among children. Go ahead and adopt a pit bull-go to JAIL when it bites a kid.

This country has gone to the dogs where pit bulls are more important than the welfare of children.

Dog fighters love you all for fighting for their rights to breed pit bulls!

To deny that the term "pit bulls" is constantly abused for the hype it generates as some kind of media boogieman is incredibly obtuse. I've seen everything from a 35lb Staffy to a 100lb mastiff mix called a "pit bull". These are all dogs with completely different genetic backgrounds, temperaments, needs... all lumped together in some catch-all phrase, then splashed in the headlines to draw the ignorant masses with hopes of horror-movie quality blood and carnage. So what if the breed is in question, or the dog wasn't specifically involved in any part of the story - nothing brings 'em running like the word PIT BULL.

You'll never solve this pit bull "crisis" (whatever that is) any more than any other impossible to define cause (war on terror?). We have a *dog* problem in this country, and all the misguided breed-specific browbeating won't help one bit.

Good point design4test...

Interesting how my insurance asked me if I owned a Stafford Terrier or Rotti... I sd. no.. because a Stafford Terrier is a specific breed.   I am not sure what I actually own.  I guess I could get a DNA test to find out...

It is very interesting that a lot of people that fight BSL, will get a DNA test or force the local govements to get DNA test..  if the law says pit bull and the DNA indicates Mastiff or Bull Dog is the majority breed then the case is thrown.  Much smarter to have a dangerous dog law.

So, let me get this straight....the SPCA spent money on a PR campaign to convince people to adopt poorly-bred pit bulls from unknown backgrounds, even though virtually all insurance companies won't insure your home if you own one, and MOST landlords won't rent to you if you own one. So how many other breeds of dogs were euthanized so that more pit bulls could live? 

Lets see....we could solve the abuse and overpopulation of pit bulls, and end the suffering of family pets and humans who become victims of pit bull attacks, PLUS save tax-payers the cost of housing, feeding, and caring for these dogs who flood municiple shelters....by passing mandatory spay and neuter laws for pit bulls.

OR we could keep supporting the dog-fighters, drug dealers, and back yard breeders who keep pumping out dangerous, unstable dogs,by taking them into our shelters, and convincing everyone in America to adopt a pit bull by lying to them about the breeds traits! We can even use money for pit bull PR campaigns, instead of using it to help feed, house and provide vet care for other homeless animals.

Brilliant.....Just don't call yourselves animal lovers, OK? The SPCA is full of hypocrits.

People love their pit bulls also... and the last time I looked my pit bull was a dog.  Had 4 legs, long tail and liked giving me kisses.   

Only about 2% of pit bulls cause problems...

The news media only reports bad things about these dogs... Would you read a new head line... like Pit Bull lives 12 years without ever harming anyone ?

Why this sudden interest in Pit Bulls?? Could it be since Michael Vick has gotten and still does get all this publicity??  I volunteered and worked for the PSPCA and not too long ago if a dog even looked like a pitbull it was put down.  How hypocritical are you PSPCA?  What about all the other homeless and neglected animals.  I offered to foster special needs cats oh about four months ago and have heard nothing from the PSPCA. You mean to tell me that there are NO special needs cats or kittens to be fostered. What happens to them?? Come on PSPCA please please spend money on ALL animals. Oh and by the way I know for a fact that the branch of the PSPCA that I am close to they do NOT take the cats/kittens to the vet. They try to take care of it themselves. Ask me how I know well I have taken numerous cats and kittens to the vet and paid for them because the PSPCA said no vet care. I could go on and on and oh but I won't for now.  I love all animals including Pitbulls and I think that help should be for ALL animals that need it not just the Pits.

design4test,

Of course you are right that the term "pit bull" is covers a lot of ground and of course you have seen dogs from 35 pounds to (actually over) 100 pounds called pit bulls.    But it isn't "the media" that is doing this--it is pit bull BREEDERS.  

A few clicks of your mouse will take you to pit bull breeders who market "short 'n wide" pit bulls--deformed dogs with huge heads and short,  bowed legs who make English bulldogs look sound by comparison.     A few more will take you to the "monster" (or "monsta") pit bull breeders--who brag that the dogs THEY market are well over 100 pounds.   Type "gamebred" pit bulls and you will find pit bull  breeders marketing dogs by noting how closely they are related to pit bulls who are known for NOTHING but dog fighting.   Who do you think is attracted to buying THOSE pit bulls?   

ALL these groups market and sell the dogs they breed as "pit bulls."   Since the pit bull community tolerates this (and fights any effort to regulate pit bull breeding) exactly how is the fault of "the media" that you see so many different types of "pit bull?"   

One great side-effect of breed specific legislation regulating pit bull breeders is that it will put the breeder of "short 'n wide" pit bulls out of business as well as the breeder of monster pit bulls, as well as the dog fighters.   With literally thousands of unwanted pit bulls dying every week in shelters, we hardly need lots of people breeding more just to make a buck.

Here is the law I propose:  Mandatory microchipping of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes, mandatory spay/neuter of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes except AKC and UKC-PR registered show dogs.    This breed specific law  works great for responsible pit bull owners, communities and pit bulls themselves. 

So you support it, right?

Dogcentric  I agree with you..no problem. It is just getting people to obey any law.  I mean there are leash laws in almost every community but our shelter gets a lot of stray pit bulls.  People do not care and it seems the animal control officers are stretched way to thin.

Personally I agree with YOUR idea of BSL, dogcentric.  Unfortunately, the majority of BSL that is proposed in government is the banning of all pit bulls and pit bull-like dogs.  I completely agree that pit bulls are over bred, over populated and irresponsibly bred.  There are way too many "breeders" out there who breed for the "monster" pit bulls.  I believe the AKC standards is 50 lbs? (check the facts if you wish, I just know that an actual pit bull is not supposed to be much larger than that).  There is a reason the word terrier is part of the breed name-Pit Bull Terrier.  
I adopted my pibble as a twelve week old, malnourished, unhealthy, abused puppy from the local animal control shelter when I was in college.  He has grown up to be aggressive towards other large breed male dogs (even though he was neutered immediately after adoption), but not smaller breeds, puppies or female dogs.  I will agree that pit bulls were bred for animal aggression-that is the fault of mankind.  However, my pit bull's best friends are my cat, two children (ages four and five) and most recently, a six week old Yorkie puppy.
I think government and non-government agencies should continue to raise money to support awareness and education of the breed-and they should use that money to do mandatory spay/neuter of non-show quality and aggressive dogs.  They should use that money to help shut down irresponsible breeders and do more anti-dog fighting operations.  Unfortunately, animals other than the "vicious pit bulls" suffer because of dog fighting-don't forget that they use "bait animals" to "train" the dogs and make them aggressive (cats, smaller dogs, weaker dogs, other small animals).
Should there be some sort of BSL? Yes.  Should it be the BSL the government has proposed to this point? No.  We should NOT exterminate a breed of animal simply because of the ignorance people display.  Many of the people that have commented on this article are part of the reason we have problems with pit bulls.  Rather than hate the breed and the problems WE have created, turn your misdirected anger towards the people who continue to cause these problems, continue to breed the aggressive bloodlines, and continue to manipulate genes to create the monstrous animals that they call pit bulls.

Don't forget, "teacup" and "designer" dogs are subject to the same breeding flaws as pit bulls-mankind manipulating something for their own enjoyment.  And please correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe the precious Dachshund and Chihuahua were rated higher than larger breeds for both dog and human related aggression in a recent study-these bites just don't get reported because they are not on the same level of severity as those inflicted by larger breeds.  Pit bulls are not the only aggressive breed-they just aren't as cute as the kind you can fit in your purse.

So this was $116k raised by people that wanted to fight against Michael Vick and people like him that engage in dog fighting gambling rings.  This wasn't inspired, managed, coordinated, nor promoted by Michael Vick himself, who seems to have paid lip service through the Humane Society alone giving no money but speeches to teenagers about discipline and second chances after prison.

My own rescued American Pit Bull Terrier was used as a bait dog by her prior owners.  Within 4 months of living and training with me, she aced both her AKC Canine Good Citizen test and the rigorous Therapy Dog test.  As a certified Therapy Dog, she visits 60+ advanced Alzheimer's patients at a hospice facility weekly.  You can see video of her visits here: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/354737.  Daisy Mae is a great illustration of how the same dog can act under different HUMAN ownership. 

Please blame the correct end of the leash when judging.  For any person caught breeding, fighting or abusing a dog, you should prohibit them from ever owning one again. Read Daisy Mae's whole story here: http://www.independent.com/news/2009/mar/26/sb-therapy-dog-survives-fighting-ring-blood-sport-/

Wow ... I'm going to bet that at least 90% of these comments are from uneducated people who have only seen a "pit bull" on tv or in the media.

first, i'd like to introduce to you my pittie. a complete stray who is an AKC Canine Good Citizen (look it up if you don't know what that is, and if you don't know what that is, your comment is completely irrelevant) and he is working towards becoming a therapy dog. that's right, a pit bull that goes to hospitals, visits the sick and elderly, and also helps kids learn to read.

second, according to the American Temperment Test Society (look it up) the American Pit Bull Terrier scores higher than 80% ... for the ignorant out there, that means it's overall temperant is the same if not better than that of the Standard Poodle  or the Golden Retriever.

therefore, i will continue adopting my pit bulls, fighting against Breed Specific Legislation, and going headstrong and educating the ignorant public (all you guys) on why "pit bulls" and other pit mixes (and other large breed dogs, for that matter) are wonderful dogs and make the best pets.

I'll never NOT own another pittie for as long as I live.

almost every single thing Louis SIng said is wrong.

First of all, you certainly can bankrupt a legal judgment.  

Second, almost every homeowners insurance carrier will write a policy with a dog in the house--even a pit bull.  They will just write an exclusion, so that they don't have to cover animal attacks.  

Third, there is more difference within a breed--even within a single litter--than there is between one breed and another.  Anyone who cares to look will find that the native aggression of pit bulls is lower than that of labrador retrievers.  Yup, it's true.  

Facts are stubborn things....

pibblelover,

In one tiny (perverse) way, pit bull dangerousness actually works to the advantage of pit bulls.   Municipalities  don't care a hoot about thousands of pit bulls dying in shelters every week in this country.  Killing those dogs is relatively cheap and happens behind closed doors.   Since pit bull people dont' care enough about this situation to protect pit bulls, it isn't surprising that nobody else does, either.   The dogs have no voice.

But politicians DO care when pictures of toddlers killed by pit bulls appear on the front page of the paper, and people ask what is going to be done about pit bulls.   That is when they start talking about breed specific legislation.  NOBODY talks about laws to protect pit bulls, because (frankly) nobody cares much  about pit bulls. 

So pit bull dangerousness is the impetus to do something about pit bull overpopulation and irresponsible breeding  problems, generally.   Are designer dogs and teacup dogs also problems?   Sort of, but not NEARLY on the level of pit bulls, nationwide.   There is currently  a chihuahua glut in California, but unwanted chihuahuas are airlifted to other parts of the country where they are snatched up by eager adopters.   Pit bulls die in huge numbers everywhere in this country.   Nobody wants them.  

And, maybe chihuahuas are more likely to bite than are pit bulls.  Nobody really  knows, because there are no good studies.  We know that chihuahuas NEVER kill people,  however, and pit bulls do so with some regularity.   Is this because chihuahuas are small and pit bulls are large?  Partly, but labradors are typically bigger than pit bulls and labradors almost never kill people, either.   A deadly level of dangerousness comes more from what is between the ears of a dog than from his absolute size. 

The notion that irresponsible pit bull breeders can keep breeding pit bulls FOR dangerousness (to people, other animals or both) and that it will have no impact on pit bull temperament is a fantasy.   Until the glut of irresponsible pit bull breeders is brought under control, pit bulls will continue to make headlines as the problem escalates.  Pit bulls  will also continue to die in massive numbers in shelters.   And breed bans will continue to be passed.

Pit bull people seem to think that other people CARE if pit bulls cease to exist.    Hint:  Nobody cares but you, pit bull people.  If pit bulls are going to continue to exist, it is up to YOU to figure out and implement the solution to the problems you have created by your failure to police the breed.   If you can't do that, most folks won't shed a tear when pit bulls are banned everywhere, every insurance company excludes pit bull owners and the last pit bull is seized and put down. 

Mandatory microchipping of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes and mandatory spay/neuter of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes except AKC and UKC-PR registered show dogs protects both pit bulls and communities.  If you would rather have a total pit bull breed ban...that's your choice.

Captain Spaulding,

Huh?  Who measured "native aggression" in labradors and found it higher than in pit bulls?   How, exactly would that work, anyway?   

Even assuming we didn't have plenty of stats showing pit bulls kill people on a regular basis and labradors almost never do, we also know that there are plenty of pit bull breeders who are attracted to pit bull ownership and breeding PRECISELY because of pit bull dangerousness (to other aninmals, to people, or to both).  These people breed FOR dangeousness.   While there are lots of irresponsible labrador breeders in this country, I'll bet you can't cite me to a single one who brags about how dangerous  the labradors he breeds are.   Dangerous labs exist, but they weren't intentionally bred to be dangerous.  Pit bulls are frequently intentionally bred to be dangerous.

The notion that pit bulls are somehow immune to the effects of lots of people breeding for dangerousness is just a fantasy.    This is why you can't support your insane proposition that labradors are more aggressive than pit bulls.   Because they aren't.  And ever dog trainer knows it.

whoever,

Yawn.  The ATTS test again.   (It is a favorite of pit bull people, and always comes up in these discussions--often right around the time they say "but PETEY was a pit bull.")  

The American Temperament Test Society Test does not test dogs for stable companion dog temperament.  It tests primarily for boldness.   Pit bulls do tend to be bold, so they tend to do well on the parts of the test that other dogs sometimes fail--reaction to close range gunshots, walking across an x-pen on the ground (kind of weighted against dogs with tiny paws, there), reaction to a stranger wielding a weapon and acting oddly.   Shelties (for example) are far less bold and do horribly on the ATTS test.   

But when is the last time a sheltie killed a person in this country?   (Never...as far as I can tell).   How many people have pit bulls killed so far this year (three, last time I checked...) 

Interestingly, the ATTS test doesn't test at ALL for dog aggression.  Even the relatively lame AKC CGC test tests a tiny bit for that, but a dog can be off the wall wanting to kill every other dog it sees and still pass the ATTS with flying colors.    

Most people would agree that dog aggression is a huge temperament flaw, don't you think?

By the way, I wasn't really addressing all of the comments above to pibblelover.   Pibblelover is one of the very few pit bull people who actually seems to get it that mandatory breed specific regulation of pit bull breeders is the only way to protect pit bulls.   

Time to rally all the other "responsible" pit bull owners out there, pibblelover.   I think you will find that the vast majority of them are so brainwashed by the pit bull breeding establishment that they think anything "breed specific" must be opposed at all costs.   Alas, this probably means that pit bulls are doomed as more and more places pass breed bans and more and more insurance companies refuse to insure pit bull owners.

Some insurance companies may write a rider to allow a homeowner to exclude a pit bull from coverage (for a price, of course).  If you have a mortgage, though, the folks holding your mortgage might have something to say about that.

And renters don't get to choose the insurance companies their landlords deal with.   So more and more landlords will just say "no pit bulls allowed" as more and more insurance companies refuse coverage otherwise.   Be prepared for worse housing and much higher rents if you want a pit bull.  Eventually, you might have to choose between pit bull ownership and any kind of housing at all.

Dogcentric, 

"Mandatory microchipping of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes and mandatory spay/neuter of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes except AKC and UKC-PR registered show dogs protects both pit bulls and communities."

I was agreeing with the above statement.  I realize I rambled a little in my reply haha.  My point was also on par with yours about the smaller dogs-many are just as dangerous, they just don't do the damage that larger dogs do and therefor do not make headlines.  I also agree with you that the majority of pit bulls are aggressive-that is what they were bred to do for a long time.  I love my pibble.  But like I said-he is aggressive towards other male dogs, and I know it was not due to his raising, as I adopted him when he was very young and socialized him very well when he was growing up.
 
I also agree with this statement: "The notion that irresponsible pit bull breeders can keep breeding pit bulls FOR dangerousness (to people, other animals or both) and that it will have no impact on pit bull temperament is a fantasy. Until the glut of irresponsible pit bull breeders is brought under control, pit bulls will continue to make headlines as the problem escalates. Pit bulls will also continue to die in massive numbers in shelters. And breed bans will continue to be passed."
Like I said in my reply, I believe that money raised "for pit bulls" should be put into awareness programs AND the ending of irresponsible breeders.

Unfortunately, many states, cities and countries have already banned pit bulls and pit bull type dogs.  I have no doubt that if people do not continue to fight BSL, it will pass in the US as well (I mean BSL in the sense that it already is-a complete and utter ban and extermination on the entire breed).  Like I said-I agree with BSL, in the extent to which you suggested. That is, required spay/neuter of non-show quality AND aggressive dogs.  I think pit bulls should be temperament tested and only those passing the test should be even considered for breeding (as well as passing all other tests and requirements to be a breeding quality dog).  We, as humans, have created the mess the pit bull is today and only we can fix it.  I do not agree that we should just 'give up' on the entire breed and exterminate it-that is on the same level as genocide of an entire race of humans.  We all disagree with the Nazi treatment and attempted extermination of Jewish residents in Germany during WWII, correct? What makes the treatment of and persecution of a specific breed of animal any different?
(I realize this statement can, and probably will, begin an argument on the differences between humans and animals, their capacity of life/thought/feeling/etc, so lets all just agree to disagree)

Pibblelover, there's a big difference between people and dogs, get real. Temperament tests won't work on pits because they are much too unpredictable. www.pitattacksbystate.blogspot.com pretty well shows how unpredictable they are.

Wow!  When I read the article my thought was how great it is that the PSPCA is saving the lives of one of the more common shelter dogs. And while I still do, I feel compelled to lend my voice to the discussion.  As the owner of an American Staffordshire Terrier I am against BSL because most will lump my responsibly bred, AKC registered, CGC awarded dog with other breeds that are erroneously labeled "pit bulls".  I have seen firsthand what ignorance combined with a strong willed dog can produce, and that is what it is, ignorance.  Until we educate prospective dog owners about responsible breeding, proper socialization and training AND abolish the notion that these dogs are a status symbol, a weapon, a watchdog or  disposable goods, we will continue to see aggressive "pit bulls".  Humans caused the problem and we need to fix it.  The PSPCA's campaign is perhaps a band-aid but a start nonetheless.  I agree with pibblelover that the next step is awareness and education.

PitsR4Fools,

I honestly have a hard time considering the validity of the information on that website when I read the first article.  The article says that the woman's dogs were in a frenzy, barking at (and therefore provoking) the "pit bull", and even worked themselves up enough to wrap themselves around a tree.  Then she "wonders if she did anything to provoke the dog"?
Then there is also this quote at the end: "Although many people believe pit bull breeds are more likely than others to bite, the American Veterinary Medical Association says there is little scientific evidence to support the claim."
Your argument that ALL pit bulls are too unpredictable for temperament testing is unstable, at best.
You should not cite something as a valid source of information without first applying a bit of critical thinking to your evaluation of its validity.  
As for your...spectacular disagreement with me on human vs animal thought/emotion/life/spirit/differences-please do not forget the plain truth that we, humans, ARE animals.  Most of the time I would agree that we are of a higher thought process than all others (other animals), but sometimes people make me wonder...

Let me clarify my reply to PitsR4Fools-

I am NOT arguing that ALL pit bulls are inherently good, that it is all in how you raise them, that they are only aggressive because that is how they were raised/trained.  Aggression traits have A LOT to do with genetics, combined with sociocultural developmental influences-just as they do with humans, believe it or not!
Are ALL pit bulls/bully breed dogs mean? No.  Are they ALL "unpredictable"? No.  Are my HORSES unpredictable? Why yes, yes they are.  Is my cat unpredictable? As a matter of fact, he left a nasty scratch on my arm just the other day.
Is MY pit bull unpredictable? Sure.  Some days he covers me in drool, other days he doesn't want any kisses.  Is my German Shepherd unpredictable?  She sure is!  Is my BOYFRIEND unpredictable? Damn, some holidays he gets me a card and some he gets me jewelry-I never know! I think that is unpredictable...how about the wild hogs we are currently feeding out for slaughter? Holy crap, sometimes they are semi-friendly and other days they charge and try to tear us up through the fence.

My point? ALL animals (yes, including humans) are unpredictable.  ALL animals act according to genetic and sociocultural norms, stressful situations, provocation, among MANY other influences.  Do all animals cause the type of damage a large dog can cause? No.  Which is why these types of attacks get the attention they do.  Unfortunately, MANY dogs are mistakenly identified as 'pit bulls' simply because of a basic body build or coloring.  I once saw a Australian Cattle Dog start a fight with another dog (some unidentifiable mutt) at a dog park,and not ten minutes later everyone was talking about the "vicious pit bull" that attacked the other dog!  I think that is a pretty extreme case of mistaken identity, wouldn't you?
I know my pit bull personally is capable of thought processes much higher than I would ever expect from a dog.  He knows many more "commands" and statements than I would have ever thought possible from an animal.  He can recognize my emotions, my moods and many of my specific behaviors.  Is this true of all dogs? No.  But mine, specifically, makes it worth my time to fight to keep the pit bull breed around.  I had a year long legal fight with my ex to get my dog back after he was stolen from me, and I will not give up my right to own him without one hell of a fight.  And I will not give up on fighting for the good of the breed, fighting basic human ignorance, fear and greed to better the breed, increase the education about the breed or protect it from the type of maltreatment it is subject to today (i.e., irresponsible breeding).
(Sorry for my rambling...)

pibblelover,

I have no desire to engage in a discussion about the "differences in capacity of feeling" between dogs and humans.   Because there is a much more basic reason why your analogy to Hitler (when it comes to breed bans) is completely flawed:   Dogs aren't humans and we do LOTS of things to dogs that would be unacceptable if we did them to people.

For example, we think it is okay (and even praiseworthy) to surgically sterilize dogs against their will.   Why is THAT okay if it wasn't okay when Hitler did it to humans?   (Answer:  Dogs aren't humans).   

As to whether or not pit bulls should go on as a breed, it probably won't be possible (or good for either pit bulls or communities)  unless one of two things happens:   Basic changes in breed type and breeder philosophy OR pit bulls become rare, owned only by a select few HIGHLY responsible people who can police the breed and keep it from falling into the hands of bad people.   

I don't foresee the first happening, but you are welcome to try to make it happen.   Start lobbying for a disqualification for dog aggression in the breed standards of bully breeds, for example, and see how far you get.   (Hint:  You won't get very far--too many pit bull breeders LIKE dog aggression in a dog).  The second would absolutely take breed specific  laws to accomplish, but it is theoretically possible, albeit unlikely to occur. 

Having a dog that is really, truly "not for everybody" but which is kept rare and diligently kept out of the hands of "everybody" has worked okay for breeds such as filas, which are probably more dangerous per capita, than pit bulls.    What pit bull breeders fail to understand is that can't simultaneously breed a dog they acknowledge is "not for everybody" but breed so many of them that they are available for $50 on every street corner.  Because, then, "everybody" will have one and we can see the consequences both in headlines and in shelter death rows.  

Mandatory microchipping of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes and mandatory spay/neuter of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes except AKC and UKC-PR registered show dogs would make pit bulls rare (and would eliminate the worst pit bull breeders from the mix).   This would be good for both pit bulls and people.

Sid's Mom,

How would the breed specific law I propose (mandatory microchipping of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes, mandatory spay/neuter of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes except AKC and UKC-PR registered show dogs) affect you or your dog negatively even the tiniest bit?   

Please be specific.   If you can't answer, then I assume that you understand it wouldn't affect you negatively, and it would start to curb the horrific glut of pit bull overpopulation caused by irresponsible pit bull breeders and you would support such a law.   Right?   

In the meantime, feel free to "educate" irresponsible pit bull breeders.  You won't get far.  (It hasn't worked so far, has it?  The pit bull crisis continues to escalate).    They aren't breeding pit bulls for profit because they don't know it hurts dogs and communities.   They are doing it because they don't CARE that it hurts dogs and communities.

Even if BSL is passed against pit bulls...who is going to enforce it?   Like I sd. before almost every town in the US has a leash law but I see loose dogs all the time.  Where I live you must register all dogs and pay 17.00 per dog.. I bet about 10% of all dogs are registered.   Why have a law if you cannot enforce it.  Also if BSL were to occur I would pay the 100.00 per dog to get them DNA tested.  More than likely they would come back as mastiff, bulldog mix.

Incidently Pit bulls come from a mastiff background.  How the heck terrier got in the name bets me.  Read " The Working Pit Bull"  Diane Jesup.   She beleives tethering is ok and likes to use spring poles for exercise !!!   Spring poles really drain a pitties energy!

Gosh, why is it that all pit bull people run into so many people who can't tell a pit bull from a labrador but ONLY misidentify labradors (or australian cattle dogs) as pit bulls when things go bad, not the other way around?   

Yes, some people can't tell a pit bull from a labrador from a cattle dog.  (I can, but I can't tell one model car from another).   But if these ignorant people are really in charge of breed identification when it counts (which they aren't--that would be homicide investigators who are trained to get the facts right) isn't it odd that all the supposed misidentification only goes one way? 

We actually KNOW that pit bulls are consistently (and, alas, intentionally)  misidentified as "boxer mixes" or "hound mixes" or "vizsla mixes" by well-meaning shelters who are eager to get people to adopt them, don't we?   So we know that there are lots of people lying about pit bulls not being pit bulls and telling gullible adopters that pit bulls aren't really pit bulls.    

The truth is that breed misindentification of dogs involved in serious or fatal attacks is not a big issue.   If it happens, it probably tends to BENEFIT pit bulls in the statistics, not work to make them look more dangerous.

By the way, if the AVMA really, truly believes that "Although many people believe pit bull breeds are more likely than others to bite, the American Veterinary Medical Association says there is little scientific evidence to support the claim," they need to go back to vet school to learn about how genetics affect dog temperament.   Take the following quick dog quiz, AVMA:  

Are many  people breeding pit bulls for dangerousness toward other dogs, and some people also breeding pit bulls for  dangerousness toward people?   

Are the vast majority of pit bull breeders grossly  irresponsible and do almost all say "dog aggression is part of the breed" and excuse it in breeding animals?     

Does the traits dog breeders breed dogs for affect  dog behavior?

I don't support any breed-specific laws; I think they are driven more by emotion and prejudice than logic and reason; moreover I question their overall effectiveness.

I would like to see stronger laws overall, and especially more effective enforcement. I'm still baffeled when a dog (of any breed) goes on a rampage, and is RETURNED to the owner, who gets slapped with a loose-dog TICKET or something equally ridiculous.

And yes, I've seen those websites offering the 32" head blue hippos, calling them not just pit bulls but "American Pit Bull Terriers" (on the rare occasions they can spell correctly at all). Luckily, the "American Bully" breed title is catching on and all those crossbred curs are starting to be lumped into that category. Part of the problem is the APBT being a working dog (hey, pit fighting was a job...), bred for ability and temperament (gameness) vs any sort of specific look. The American Staffordshire Terrier is the only version bred for that kind of physical conformation, and it shows; they all have a certain classic look, and are all similar size.

Variation between individuals within a breed will always be larger than the variation between the breeds themselves, so I think trying to target specific breeds (especially a moving target like a "pit bull") is the wrong approach. Even if the "pit bull problem" were somehow magically defined and solved, there are plenty of other dogs that could take their place. Laws that don't deal with ALL dogs just have us chasing our tails. I'd hate to see something as dangerous as a German Shepherd (a 90-120lb, powerful, wary, intelligent dog) become the next backyard breeding fad. Of course, that would be harder to do than with what was healthy, abundant APBT stock; show (in)breeders have pretty much ruined the GSD from the hips up.

dogcentric,

Unfortunately you are correct when it comes to misidentification of pit bulls and other bully breed dogs.  It goes both ways, but (in my opinion) one way is positive and one is negative.  Like it or not, media is run by money.  Whatever report will bring in the most viewers/readers/attention will bring in more money, so they have (and will continue to) misidentify other dogs/mutts as pit bulls, even if they do know the difference.  This statement does not come from my blind denial that pit bulls are aggresive-I know the majority of them are, I know MY pit bull has aggression issues.  It comes from the plain truth that media is dominated by the dollar.
As for shelters purposely misidentifying pit bulls as other breeds in order to adopt them out-that is a double edged sword.  On one side, it has a seemingly positive effect and they have all good intentions when they do it.  There are way too many pit bulls in shelters and rescues, due to the blind and irresponsible overbreeding that is done to make a quick buck.  On the other side, someone without basic breed identification knowledge can very easily go to a shelter and adopt what they have labeled as a "lab mix" or "hound mix", expecting exactly that-a lab, or a hound-type dog, and end up with a pit bull that they are ill-equipped to handle.  I personally believe that the misidentification of dogs in shelters is a TERRIBLE idea.  Not everyone going into a shelter has the knowledge they need to adopt certain breeds, and if they end up with a dog they don't expect bad situations arise.
I know that the Dallas (TX) SPCA shelter has strict adoption requirements for pit bulls-not as strict as they should be, but they are trying.  They temperment test all dogs that come into the shelter and those that fail are PTS-of any breed, not just bully breeds.  To adopt a pit bull, you must offer references, including at least one vet reference, and they do complete a home visit.  Any renters MUST persent a copy of their lease agreement as well as a letter from their landlord giving them permission to have a bully breed dog.  Everyone needs to do their part, and I stay firm with my statement that NOTHING will ever be accomplished until we can somehow get the backyard breeders under control.

Design4test,

"Even if the “pit bull problem” were somehow magically defined and solved, there are plenty of other dogs that could take their place. Laws that don't deal with ALL dogs just have us chasing our tails."

I love this statement.  It is unfortunate, but even if we DO exterminate pit bulls/staffys/etc, people will just pick yet another breed and this cycle will start all over again.  When I was a child, it was Rottweilers that were the "dangerous dog" fad.  Everyone hated them.  A man that lived down the street from me had one, and from all my experiences it was a sweet dog.  But he was forced by the people in our neighborhood and local law enforcement to put up an 8 foot privacy fence AND keep the dog on a chain-even though it never did anything to any person or animal.
Try as hard as we may, irresponsible people are still always going to exist and they are always going to do ignorant, irresponsible things.  If we exterminate one breed, they will move on to another.
Hell, people even fight chickens for 'sport'!  It is an endless cycle that will never end, not without the permanent extermination of ALL dogs.  I'm sure if we rid the world of all large breeds, they will move on to fighting Chihuahuas! ;)

Nice statistics mixed in with misinformation. ANY dog bite is serious. My daughter was bit on the hand by one of those Disney shaggy dog types and wound up in the hospital for five days. And this was "just" a puncture wound which was treated at the ER. We live in Florida but will never live in Miami because it has BSL. An aggressive dog can be ANY dog. It just so happens my daughter has a non-aggressive, rescued pit mix

Nice statistics mixed in with misinformation. ANY dog bite is serious. My daughter was bit on the hand by one of those Disney shaggy dog types and wound up in the hospital for five days. And this was "just" a puncture wound which was treated at the ER. We live in Florida but will never live in Miami because it has BSL. An aggressive dog can be ANY dog. It just so happens my daughter has a non-aggressive, rescued pit mix.

Can somebody show me some examples of the supposed media conspiracy against pit bulls?  Not just a stray comment that you think is unfair, but a concerted effort that would be enough to counter what you have to admit is a gigantic media blitz to PROMOTE pit bulls (for example, two hour long primetime tv shows every week, lots and lots of media coverage of the Vick dogs, etc.)  

Because, frankly, I don't see it.   Even articles covering fatal attacks by pit bulls usually have the obligatory quote by some animal control person saying "it's not the breed" (even though it is, largely, the breed) and saying all dogs are dangerous.   There are rarely articles covering the hugely disproportionate numbers of pit bulls who kill people.   

But even if it were true that the media has some kind of vendetta against pit bulls, so what?   GET OVER IT.   "The media" doesn't breed pit bulls who glut shelters, PIT BULL PEOPLE DO.   And "the media" isn't going to change, so I guess if you want to protect pit bulls and communities, you have to stop WHINING and lobby for the kinds of breed specific laws that are necessary to do that.

Or, alternatively, just keep whining while pit bulls keep dying.

Your choice.

design4test,

Why wouldn't the law I suggest (mandatory microchipping of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes, mandatory spay/neuter of all pit bulls and all pit bull mixes except AKC and UKC-PR registered show dogs) be "effective?"  Let's agree that it probably wouldn't be enforced 100%.  (What law is?) So what?   Would at least some pit bull people obey the law and get their pit bulls spayed/neutered just because it is the law?   You don't believe EVERY pit bull breeder is an outright criminal, do you? 

So, without any enforcement at all, you would have a reduction  in pit bull breeding, right?     And such a law would mean that nobody could advertise pit bulls (except from AKC or UKC-PR registered lines) for sale.  So (again, without meaningful enforcement), there would be a drop in the profit margins of pit bull breeders. 

And, especially as the number of pit bulls glutting shelters started to drop, animal control officers could spend less time catching, caring for and killing unwanted pit bulls and more time preventing pit bull suffering by ticketing irresponsible pit bull breeders.   The AC officers I know would like that a lot.

Whenever pit bull people are confronted with the idea that they should protect pit bulls from irresponsible breeders, they inevitably get around to the notion that they would, except then the irresponsible breeders would just move on to other breeds.   Pit bull people want us to believe that they are so selfless that they will sacrifice THEIR breed to save ours.   

Uh huh.

The truth is that places where absolute pit bull bans have been in place for decades do NOT seem to see an increase in the numbers of other "muscle" breeds.  Go to the "found" section of the website for the Denver  Dumb Friends League, for example, and you see FAR fewer pit bulls than in other large urban areas (as would be expected, because pit bulls are completely banned in Denver) but also (generally)  fewer other "muscle" breeds.  It is sort of like once the easy availability of pit bulls is reduced, the population that had pit bulls as a macho status symbol moved on to other, (inanimate, we hope) status symbols.

And this makes sense when you look at the worst kind of pit bull owner.  They don't research a breed, contact a responsible breeder three states away, fill out an application, place a deposit and wait nine months for the perfect puppy.  They buy a pit bull puppy on the street because they happen to have $50 in their pocket when somebody is selling puppies  and the breeder promises that this puppy will be tougher than the other dogs on the block.   In short, it is an impulse buy.   Take away the easy availability and MOST of these people will likely  not buy dogs at all.   

It is also hilarious how pit bull people say (on the one hand) that  "the media" is responsible for virtually everything bad that happens to pit bulls and (on the other hand) that if you remove easy access to  pit bulls from the equation, bad people will move right on over to german shepherds.  Wait...I thought that the only reason they wanted pit bulls in the first place was because of some Sports Illustrated cover?   If "the media" doesn't start on German shepherds, why would these folks want them? 

Get your excuses straight, pit bull people.

Dogcentric,

I do not mean to imply that the media has a vendetta of any sort against anything-including pit bulls.  Just that they have a desire to make money, so they put more coverage into stories that will bring in higher ratings.  The higher ratings they get, the more viewers they get.  The more viewers they get, the more advertisers they get, and as a result, the more money they get.  The media covers whatever story comes across their table that will get attention, and misidentification of pit bulls is not the first and will not be the last mistake (purposeful or accidental) made in reporting.  Especially in our country, where media outlets like to bend the truth a little to fit the political views of the people running the station/paper/outlet.  Again-it is not just about dog bites/pit bulls.  Mistakes are made in reporting every day.

design4test,

You are joking when you talk about "healthy" pit bull stock, right?   Because pit bulls are pretty much of a genetic mess.   I won't quibble with your comment about German shepherd hips, because German shepherds have a high hip dysplasia rate of 19.1%.  However, American Pit Bull Terriers have a much WORSE rate, at 23.5%.   (Source:  Orthopedic Foundation for Animals).

And pit bulls do worse that German shepherds in rates of cardiac disease and (especially) thyroid disease, too.    

Pit bulls are also quite well known for having a high susceptibility to skin problems, particularly mange.  And many vets say that their weaker immune system makes pit bull puppies especially prone to parvo.   Weakened  immune systems also probably mean more cancer in later life, too, although I haven't seen any studies that prove this.   

In short, the tough guy look of pit bulls is purely cosmetic.   They are not a healthy type of dog.  This should be no surprise because the vast majority of  pit bull breeders don't care about the dogs, they only care about profits.

The Marine Corp has banned all pit bulls, if the dog can pass a temperament test the dog can stay. The rest of this story is; the waivers expire Sept. 30, 2012. After that date, Marines can move off base with their dogs or give them up. If a soldier whose dog has passed the waiver is transferred to another base, that animal will not be allowed in according the order. This essentially means that by the time the waiver period ends in 2012, there will be no pit bulls or Rottweillers on military installations anywhere in the world. The Marines Pit Bull Owners at Parrish Island used the ASPCA and the SAFER test on the pits there. The problem with the ASPSA running the test is that ASPCA is opposed to breed bans. The test was supposed to test for "aggressive tendencies". The SAFER test (now known as the MYM Safer Test) states, "The assessment does not measure the dog's temperament or internal character". There were approximately 80-85 dogs tested of the 130 pits registered on the base. That leaves 45 pits that the owners felt would fail and removed them before the required testing.

Wow, what is everyones problem? Shelters around here are OVERWHELMED with pits with them being atleast %50 of the dogs we get in. You act like the PSPCA is forcing people to adopt the pits while they are in the back slaughtering fluffy puppies.


I would rather deal with all pits if I had a choice. They are generally much easier to deal with. Even with an aggressive one.. I'd rather go up against an aggressive pit then an aggressive small dog.


If ANY dogs need to go on watch lists it's chihuahua's and other small breed dogs. I deal with hundreds of dogs a week at both my jobs - a shelter and a pet supply store... I can tell you little dogs are the NASTIEST, most HORRIBLE dogs ever. And the worst thing is their owners let their little ankle biters get away with it.

I have never even come close to getting injured by a pit.. I've nearly lost fingers to little shih tzus and other yappy little mutts.

Kathryn; You nailed the problem right on the head. 50% of the dog in your shelter are pit bulls. This is why there needs to be controls put in place to prevent the steady uptick of over breeding pits, and then turning them over to a shelter. A little dog will bite, a pit bull will "attack". If a yappy little mutt is able to knock you down and rip you apart, you really should consider a different line of work.

Katheryn,

Other than saying that it is WAY past time for you to be looking for another line of work (Think how awful it must be for the small dogs in the shelter you work at to be cared for by a person who thinks that they are "the NASTIEST, most HORRIBLE dogs ever"), I am not sure what point you think you are making.   

Are you saying that there are way, way, way too many pit bulls?   (Over 50% of the dogs in shelters are pit bulls in your experience).   Yes.    Where do you think those pit bulls come from?   The pit bull fairy?   Nope, the pit bulls in your shelter nearly all had an irresponsible breeder, usually a grossly irresponsible breeder.  

So, what is YOUR suggestion to stop those grossly irresponsible pit bull breeders from breeding more pit bulls?    

My suggestion:  a breed specific law requiring the microchipping of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes and the spay/neuter of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes except AKC and UKC-PR registered show dogs.    Nobody on this board has given a single example of how such a law would hurt even a single responsible pit bull owner.  And it would put virtually all the worst pit bull breeders out of the pit bull breeding business.

Think how great it would be if 50% of the dog runs at your shelter were empty.

Once again, to many dogs!

Posted: Saturday, 20 February 2010 10:01AM

Philadelphia Woman Killed in Pit Bull Attack
by KYW's Michelle Durham

Philadelphia Police are investigating the death of a woman who was apparently killed by pit bulls just after 7am. Philadelphia police, fire fighters and paramedics responded to a call of a woman screaming in a home in the 1400 block of East Oxford Avenue.

Philadelphia Police Spokesperson Lieutenant Frank Vanore says they walked in on an attack:

"They observed approximately 6 pit bulls attacking a woman inside the property. Both officers did discharge their fire arms in an attempt to free the woman from being attacked."

Two of the pit bulls were killed at the scene. One was injured and the other three were secured. Paramedics tried to resuscitate the woman, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her identity has not yet been released.

http://www.kyw1060.com/Philadelphia-Woman-Killed-in-Pit-Bull-Attack/6404290

The death count cause by dogs just went up to 6 for 2010. A 10 day old baby was just kill by the family pet husky and Sat. Feb. 20 a lady from Philadelphia was killed by approximately 6 pit bulls inside her property. "http://www.kyw1060.com/Philadelphia-Woman-Killed-in-Pit-Bull-Attack/6404290". Count 4-pits, 1-rot, 1-husky. The problem is that a lot of pit owners normally do not have insurance to cover the victims medical costs. Just about all pro-pit bull organizations and sites state that pit bulls are animal aggressive. This means all pet dogs, cats, sheep, ect. are at risk of being killed. If a child is in the proximity of a pit attack, they are at equal risk of being attacked and killed. Of the four deaths caused by pits this year (2010) there was no other animals being attacked, just humans (2 of them being children). A pit bull can have any wheres from 8-18 puppies per litter, times four equals 32 to 72 per year. The sale of these puppies will draw good owners as well as dog fighters and drug dealers. Memphis, Tn is being over ran with pits and is considering mandatory spay/neutering laws. It doesn't matter how good of a containment a person has, all dogs will get out occasionally. When a pit gets out there is a increased likelihood of a serious injury.

Uh, mutt, female domestic dogs normally come into season (and are thus able to be bred)  twice a year, not four times.   And pit bulls do have big litters, but 18 is a really big litter, even for a pit bull.   Otherwise, good post.   

I hadn't heard about the latest Philadelphia pit bull  fatality.   That sounds really, really horrific.

"Huskies" rank higher than one might expect (far below pit bulls and rottweilers, of course), in dog bite fatalities.   This is because of two distinct kinds of fatalities:

A.  Mushers keep sled dogs (alaskan huskies) tied up in yards, usually in Alaska.    The dogs are often completely unsocialized and village kids wander in and are mauled to death.

B.  In the lower forty-eight, most deaths attributed to "huskies" are because of unattended INFANTS and dogs with very high prey drive that don't recognize the infants as people, but rather see them as squirmy prey.   (This seems to be the cause of the latest tragedy).   Fatal attacks by sibes on toddlers are rare, and I can't remember any fatal attacks by sibes on adults.

A pit bull can have any wheres from 8-18 puppies per litter, times four equals 32 to 72 per year. Sometime I don't make my self clear, sorry. I meant that if four dogs had a litter of 8 puppies each, the total number of puppies for all 4 dogs would be 32 (4 dogs X 18 puppies=72 puppies). The normal reported size of a pit litter is 5-10 (averaged;8). I did hear of a 16 & 18 pup litter locally (though rare).  

Update on Philadelphia pit bull fatality; FISHTOWN - February 20, 2010  -- A family is in mourning after a confrontation between a mother and daughter went tragically wrong. The incident happened just before 7:00 a.m.

"What happened was, she came home high again, her daughter, she went to attack my wife, and her own dog attacked her Jade, and they had to shoot the dog because the dog wouldn't release her," said Thomas Fowler, the stepfather of 37-year-old Christine Staab, who died after being mauled by their pet pit-bull.

Fowler says the pit named Jade was doing what comes naturally to a dog; she was protecting his wife, who was trying to take the keys to their home on East Oxford Street in Fishtown away from his drug addicted stepdaughter. According to Fowler, Staab lived at the home when she wasn't in rehab or jail.

"She swung around, knocking a mirror over and a lamp on her daughter, and the dog reacted to it and unfortunately it ended the way it did," Fowler said.

Fowler says the family owns six pit-bulls, all of whom he says were friendly, nonaggressive pets.

Police shot two, Jade and Jade's offspring, when police arrived at the scene after Fowler's wife frantically called for help because Jade had locked her powerful jaws around Christine's neck.

"She wasn't a bad person, she was just messed up and we tried helping her," Fowler said.

Four other pit-bulls are in SPCA custody and the family hopes to have them returned..  

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=7288723 

Story leaves a person wondering. Investigation is still underway.

3 days in a row, 3 deaths, Wake up people!!!!!!!!!
5 by pits, 1 by rot, 1 by husky for 2010. This is only the 2nd month of the year. That's 1 per week, please talk to dog owners that you know about being safe owners!!! 

CALA, Fla. --February 20, 2010

3-Year-Old Mauled To Death By Pit Bull

Marion County police said a dog mauled to death a 3-year-old child on Saturday.

The incident happened around 5:30 PM at 6540 NE 25th Ave. in Ocala.

Jenifer Fisher, of the Marion County Sheriff's Office, said Pit bull Breeder, Lori Haaker, was in her yard with her daughter, cleaning out the pen where the family keeps four American pit bulls chained to trees.

Haaker went into the house, police said, and when she returned outside, she didn't see her daughter. She started searching the property and found the girl had entered the pen and was being mauled by one of the dogs. Fisher said the mom had to wrestle the child away from the dog and that it was difficult because the girl was wrapped in the dog's chain.

Fire Rescue crews arrived but could not save the girl who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Animal Services was at the home Saturday night to seize the four dogs from the pen. They believe only one dog was responsible for the attack but took all of them as a precaution. They will investigate to determine which of the dogs should be deemed vicious.

An investigator was also questioning the mother and father, as well as a renter who lives on the property. It's not clear whether the parents of the victim will face any charges. There are four other children who live at the home and DCF was called in to investigate their welfare.

Haaker has a sign at the entrance to her ranch promoting her business, "Haaker's Dream Bulldog Ranch". She reportedly breeds and raises American Pitbulls for competition in dog shows. Her website boasts that one of her dogs has won awards at shows around the country.

It appears to me that Ms. Haaker breeds American Bulldogs, not American Pit Bull Terriers (although I couldn't get the website to work--it appears to have been taken down).    They are similar, but not the same thing. 

Any breed specific law that affects pit bulls should include american bulldogs in the definition of "pit bull" , by the way.   Otherwise, anybody wanting to get around the law will just claim the dogs are American Bulldogs.   

For example, mandatory microchipping of all pit bulls and mandatory spay/neuter of all pit bulls except AKC and UKC-PR registered show dogs should define "pit bulls" as including American Bulldogs. 

Three people killed by dogs in three days is extremely discouraging.

Go here to see the webpage of one of Ms. Haaker's dogs:  http://www.dreambulldogranch.com/pedigrees/uno.html

News reports say that the dog that killed the toddler was male and Ms. Haaker says on this page that Uno was her only male American Bulldog.  So it seems at least possible that Uno is the dog who killed Ms. Haager's daughter.      

Note that other places, Ms. Haager says that her American Bulldogs are socialized with small animals and children, and there is a picture of a small child hugging Uno.   I wonder if this child ("Violet") is the victim.

This is all incredibly sad.

Photo of Uno and other Haaker dogs for sale.
http://www.domesticsale.com/Classifieds/336613.html
http://www.domesticsale.com/user_242971_lori+haaker/

Rachael Ray's pit bull was bought from CandiLand Limited in Florida, who hawks UKC/ADBA registered pit bull puppies for $100 bucks. No titles, no health screenings, no OFA numbers. Koko is the dam (mother) of Isaboo. RR stated that Isaboo was a rescued Pit Bull (she bought it from the breeder). RR testimonial on Candi's web site; "We found the newest member of our family at Candi Land Pit Bull Kennel. Isaboo was delivered healthy and cute as a button. She is only four months old but is growing up to be a gentle, loyal, and well adjusted young dog. She gets along with all people and especially loves children and other dogs. If Candi's other puppies are even half as good as our Isaboo, then they are superstars"! Isaboo has attacked "5" other dogs. As a dog buyer I would like to know about the the dogs pedigree and the temperament associated with it. The breeders that are in it just for the money need to be regulated so deaths will cease. 
candilandkennel.webs.com/testimonials.htm and www.fetchdog.com/blogs/livelylicks/QandA/q_a_with_rachael_ray

Bully Bob: You keep forgetting to add; "Marine Corp has banned all pit bulls, if the dog can pass a temperament test the dog can stay. The rest of this story is; the waivers expire Sept. 30, 2012. After that date, Marines can move off base with their dogs or give them up. If a soldier whose dog has passed the waiver is transferred to another base, that animal will not be allowed in according the order. This essentially means that by the time the waiver period ends in 2012, there will be no pit bulls or Rottweillers on military installations anywhere in the world". I do agree with "The problem I see with pit bulls is they are over breed and the more aggressive dogs are the ones that are breed".

 One example of this is the death of 3 year old Violet by a dog owned by her mother. The mother owns Haaker's Dream Bulldog Ranch. The following is the comment I post on the story; 

The state should not allow any foster children from returning. The death of their own child Violet has to be hard on the parents but to endanger other children is out of the question. Haaker's home page states, "We are not breeding for sale to the general public". All their dogs are trained for hogging. With this type of training, the dog will not let go of its prey. This type of training reinforces the natural prey instinct in this breed. Comments about their dogs on Kaaker's site; BUTTERCUP, a single-mindedly animal aggressive 3-year-old Alpha, Buttercup will catch anything and hold till the sun goes down! CHANCY is very protective and wary of strangers. Chancy will catch anything (or anybody) & releases easily for "me". BLACK JACK, He is training with the hogs and likes bite work. TUGBOAT, At 135lbs the largest hybrid we ever produced. Jack & Joanne Hall's Loco Ocho "Wild Bill" of DBR our best reproduction of Uno so far, a very dominant male. It appears that their breeding program has been geared to develop dogs that have aggressive traits and trained for hog dogging. Although hog dogging is used in competition, they are also used in the cruel bloody sport of hog dogging. Marion County commissioners, under a revised ordinance enacted two weeks ago, would be empowered to make a recommendation on whether a dog should be labeled a threat to public safety. Its breeder like this, that are creating dogs that destroy the breed by selectively creating hybrids and ruining the breed. As soon as Violet came close to Uno, she had no chance to escape. By leaving her unattended with the gate open is pure negligent on Lori's part. The dogs should be destroyed because of the genetic breeding program used. http://www.wesh.com/news/22622332/detail.html

Mutt, 

Are you saying that Ms. Haaker was a foster parent?  And do you know for a fact that Violet (the child pictured on the website hugging Uno) was the child killed and that Uno (apparently the foundation of their entire breeding program) was the dog who killed her?   

What a  tragic mess.

dogcentric: This is the information that I had come up with. I did have something, that someone had said/reported, that named the dog. Lost it in space somewhere.

Lori Haaker was in her yard with her daughter,

There are four "other" children who live at the home, and the Department of Children and Families was called to investigate their welfare.
www.wesh.com/news/22622332/detail.html

comment;
hello let me first say who cares what the breed was!!!!!!! i personally know this family and have never agreed with the care of the children as far as the mother lori the father is a great father. all the children in the household are fostered and adopted children. I could never understand how the state allowed her to foster children with dogs on the list as dangerous dogs. the dogs are always chained up they were not chained to clean the arena they don't come off the chains. when ever we were at the house lori relied on the other children or her husband to look after the baby she would repeatedly walk away from her and one of the children or the father would pick her up. Lori needs to be charged and go to jail!!!!!! 
Feb. 22, 2010 9:38am EST | from gsdluver001
www.wesh.com/news/22622332/detail.html 



All the news articles on 2-20-2010 put the girl's age at 3 years old. This birth announcement was on Haaker's dreambulldogranch web site.
  
ANNOUNCEMENT!
OUR DAUGHTER, VIOLET SERENITY WAS BORN 1 27-07 web.archive.org/web/20070806200537/www.dreambulldogranch.com/puppies.html 

View video; Viscous Dog will be euthanized (2nd one in side bar). It shows the dog that was involved in the attack.    
www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2010/2/20/toddler_mauled_to_death_by_dog.html?refresh=1

Photo of Uno, same dog as in the video.
Grand Champion Haaker's Uno of OHK GTT2 
web.archive.org/web/20070806200551/www.dreambulldogranch.com/index.html

If this information is not correct, I apologize to anyone that I may have offended.

Haaker's Uno named as dog responsible for death of 3 year old.
February 23, 2010
http://www.ocala.com/article/20100223/ARTICLES/2231008/1402/NEWS?p=1&tc=pg

Thanks for the information.   Uno is the same dog that was shown on Haaker's webpage being hugged by a toddler with a caption "Uno loves Violet."   Uh huh.  Until he kills her.   Uno has apparently sired MANY puppies.   What a nightmare.

I have one of Lori's male bulldog puppies.  He will be a year old soon.  He is the most loving, gentle dog.  I visited Lori's home and met this child as well as all 4 dogs.  I only saw one on a chain(female) the rest were in a fenced in yard at the back of the home.  This was my puppies mom and another female. This child was everywheres on the property.  Even my dog as a puppy knocked her over a few times while I was looking at him and she just got up and walked away laughing.  Would I leave my dog unattended with a child no more then I would my 2 lb Pomeranian.  Accidents happen all the time and there is always a lesson to learn from each and everyone of them.     
For the pitbull comments as quoted""Pit bull" is not a breed, but a "type" that encompasses several registered breeds and crossbreeds. Therefore, statistics that claim "Pit bulls" are responsible for some percentage of attacks are lumping many breeds together, then comparing that to other dogs that are counted as individual breeds." Check out the true breed statistics at the following link and be surprise how well the American Pitbull ranks:  http://www.atts.org/statistics.html

man ... i'm impressed at how this dogcentric guy (or lady) can carry on an internet conversation practically with himself!! applause to you, dogcentric, for being able to stay on your soap box as long as you like bc you're on a freaken computer where no one can kick you off. yet, he also refuses to cite any credible source as to where he seems to be getting his findings, research and statistics. oh wait, that's because it's his opinion ... he is on a lil soap box and all. i stopped reading his crap on like the 817th post of his, ps.

if you guys want to carry on back and forth about who's right/wrong and bicker like a bunch of high school kids ... exchange emails and screen names and chat about it. bc clearly you guys don't get out all that often.

until then, let's keep raising money towards Pit Bull awareness and responsible ownership. gotta love those CGC and Therapy working pitties! Keep it up!

Rydge: APBT Group, Pit Bull Group and Terrier Group all have some of the same Pit bull breeds in them. Some people say that the other "dogs" are not pit bulls, while at the same time they use the ATT test to justify the temperament. dogcentric has offered one way to help with the multi-faceted pit bull problem. What do "you suggest to stop the over breeding of them and preventing deaths and injuries, that is workable? Looking forward to your solution.

This is the ATT test format (as you can see it is geared for vindicating pits);
http://www.adbadog.com/uploads/pdf%20forms/DowdAPBTbehaviormanuscriptV4.pdf

I will be the first to admit that I am anti-pit but I am not narrow minded enough to not try work for fair laws for both sides of the kennel. There is no denying that there is an over breeding of flawed or poorly trained dogs, the shelters are over flowing with them. Pit owners have to eat a little crow like I have and try solve the pit crises.

Rydge,

I'm sorry that you purchased a puppy sired by a dog who killed a child he knew well.  I hope, at a bare minimum, that have neutered your dog.  If not, time to make that call to the vet NOW.  

This wasn't an "accident."  The dog killed the child.   I don't particularly blame the dog, I blame the folks who bred a dog for the kinds of temperament that make this dog into a killer.    And, remember, your dog has the same genes.   It appears that Uno was well socialized and at least minimally trained.    His behavior can't be blamed on abuse or lack of training/socialization.    What else is there but genes.

Re the idea that "many" breeds are considered "pit bulls," actually only Amstaffs (a relatively rare AKC breed), stafforshire bull terriers (an even rarer AKC breed) and generic "pit bulls" (a minority of whom are registered with any registry that is not a joke as "american pit bull terriers") are identified as pit bulls by anybody who knows anything about dogs.  I advocate lumping american bulldogs into the definition of pit bull crosses for the purpose of regulating breeders because otherwise people will CLAIM their pit bulls are "american bulldogs," and, besides, as this case demonstrates, ABs have the potential to be plenty dangerous on their own and kill a disproportionate number of people.

me,

I don't know precisely what you mean by "pit bull awareness" (and why you need to "raise money" for it).    Are you talking about spreading the word that yet another infant  has died following a pit bull attack?  This was a five day old baby (born a month premature) whose skull was crushed by the family pit bull.   So we have had how many pit bull/bully breed fatalities this year?  I think it is four, but maybe I am forgetting one.    Plus one rottweiler fatality and a husky fatality (similar to this one--a dog who likely responded to prey drive and killed an unattened infant). 

Why aren't labradors killing people?   Any theories on that?  Are pit bull owners just really, really, really bad parents?  If they are too irresponsible to protect their own children on a breed specific basis, maybe we should worry about letting them have dogs who are genetically programmed for dangerousness, huh?

So, let's review the pit bull fatalities so far this year.     We had a toddler killed by the family pit bull when his father went inside to retrieve a toy, a man killed by his daughter's pit bulls when he was alone, a woman killed by her parents' pit bulls and now an infant killed by his family pit bull.  Plus, of course, there is the American bulldog who killed the three year old.   Am I missing any?   Of note, ALL these dogs killed people they knew (although it could be argued that in  the most recent tragedy, it isn't likely the pit bull saw the infant as a family member--it was more likely prey drive, similar to what triggered one of the only two other fatal attacks so far this year).

So, pit bull people, why so many pit bulls killing so many people when (so far this year) NO labs or goldens or standard poodles have killed people?   Give us your theories.

Oh dear, I seem to be a victim of a lack of "pit bull awareness."  I forgot to list the fifth (at least) victim of a fatal pit bull attack  so far this year:  The five year old child playing in the snow.

Here is the breed specific  law I advocate:  

Mandatory microchipping of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes (including all American Bulldogs) and mandatory spay/neuter of all pit bulls and pit bull mixes except AKC and UKC-PR registered show dogs.  

Nobody has yet suggested how a single responsible pit bull owner or responsibly owned pit bull would be hurt by this law.  In fact they would be HELPED by it.   So, if we raise money for "pit bull awareness," are we in agreement that we need to spend that money to lobby for this kind of breed specific law?

Of the 88 fatal dog attacks recorded by DogsBite.org from 2006-2009, pit bull type dogs were responsible for 59% (52). This is equivalent to a pit bull killing a U.S. citizen every 21 days during this 3-year period. The data also shows that pit bulls commit the vast majority of off-property attacks that result in death. Only 18% (16) of the attacks occurred off owner property, yet pit bulls were responsible for 81% (13).
Dog bite deaths and maimings U.S. and Canada (1982-2009)
Compiling U.S. and Canadian press accounts between 1982 and 2009, determined the breeds most responsible for serious injury and death:
The combination of pit bulls, rottweilers, presa canarios, and their mixes:
	80% of attacks that induce bodily harm
	69% of attacks to children
	83% of attack to adults
	68% of attacks that result in fatalities
	74% that result in maiming

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