Friends Dog Killed by Pit Bull in RV Park

[TXiceman]

I have to agree with 450Donn. Some breeds are bred to do one thing and that is what they revert to at any time. I do not trust pit bulls, pit bull mixes or their owners. No one should own an animal that is prone to such actions.

Our standard schnauzer was bred as a ratter. She will go after anything small and furry on the ground. It is part of the breed.

Border collies and orthers are bred ans herding animals. They want to herd any thing or any one...back into a herd.

But these actions can be accepted. Attacking other dogs and people when not provoked is not acceptable.

If you notice, most of the people that own Pit Bulls are actually trying to compensate for their own lack of masculinity.

Ken

[RanCarr]

Originally Posted by mllk3rd

Please read the following, be careful;
Yesterday our little dog Comet was mauled and killed by a pit bill.

I hope they sue for their and their dog's pain and suffering. People say pit bulls are not the problem, that it's the owners.... not so. PBs were never bred or meant to be family dogs. Though some may be trustworthy and gentle, most are not. I would not camp anywhere they allowed this breed.

[henderson]

Originally Posted by 450Donn

Sorry, but I have to disagree with some who have posted. Pit bulls are bred for one thing only. They are simply too unpredictable for anyone to own. There are way too many stories of pit attacks. I am a dog lover, owned and raisied dogs for 60 years. Started with German Shepard's, then Poodles, now Lab's. Any dog can be trained to be mean, but there are some breeds that people should not consider owning. That is one reason I have no problem with CG owners refusing certain breeds of dogs.

Originally Posted by TXiceman

I have to agree with 450Donn. Some breeds are bred to do one thing and that is what they revert to at any time. I do not trust pit bulls, pit bull mixes or their owners. No one should own an animal that is prone to such actions.

Our standard schnauzer was bred as a ratter. She will go after anything small and furry on the ground. It is part of the breed.

Border collies and orthers are bred ans herding animals. They want to herd any thing or any one...back into a herd.

But these actions can be accepted. Attacking other dogs and people when not provoked is not acceptable.

If you notice, most of the people that own Pit Bulls are actually trying to compensate for their own lack of masculinity.

Ken

I'm sorry but I must disagree, it is 100% the owners not the dog. It's true some PB owners use the to appear tough, but they are the minority of owners. PB have a bad rap many breeds have higher incidence of human and pet attacks, I have an American Bulldog a rather large breed, he's been attacked by a Lab, a Golden Retriever a Sheitzu and a Rotty. In every case the owners said their dog had never done it before. I accept part of the responsibility as Zeus is unneutered, all the dogs that attacked him were other unneutered males, I'm aware of the problem and avoid other males that are unneutered although he is never the aggressor. When being approached by another dog I always ask if it is neutered, with the Rotty the owner was saying no just as he pulled awat and attacked Zeus who just stood his ground. Quite frightening trying to separate 220 + lbs of angry dogs. AB's were breed to take down bulls and hunt wild boar, mine would run from either. I guess my point is that dogs are a product of their owners, their breed is irrelevant. Sorry for the rant but I get upset when folks lay things on a breed and not the owner. PS Zeus loves my Grand kids but is not left alone with them because thats beig a responsible owner.

[Benny367]

Originally Posted by mllk3rd

Please read the following, be careful;
Yesterday our little dog Comet was mauled and killed by a pit bill. We were visiting some good friends who were camping in Morro Bay and we had our dog tied up to a table and he was laying in his bed when the pit bull came out from under their trailer and snatched Comet from his bed and ripped him from his harness. Unfortunately our little 8 lb dog died in my arms on the way to the emergency vets... office in Arroyo Grande. The pit bull belonged to a police officer from Taft. When a police officer can not control their own dog...they do not belong out in public. It was the most horrific thing I have ever witnessed. I can only imagine that this could have been a baby or a child. They do not belong in public places. May our dog rest in peace.

OMG! I am so sorry to hear of your loss! As the owner of 4 dogs myself, (one of them a Chihuahua) I can only imagine the heartache you are feeling at this time!

I do hope that you would file a police report and see to it that the pitbull is euthanized before it attacks, (murders!), another dog!

[Sky_Boss]

I've been trying to bite my tongue on this subject but I'm failing.

Who will be the arbiter of determining if my GSDs are vicious or not? I'm not naive to say insurance companies and CGs and such don't do that but based on what? Statistics have meaning but are often abused.

I can tell you from personal observation that I have been attacked and challenged by more small-medium and "friendly" dogs than big "vicious" dogs. Even that is a tainted statistic because I see more small dogs than big ones. I've never been bit by a big dog but had my fingers chewed on by a few small ones.

Small dog owners tend to think small dog, small problem. I've seen them vicious little buggers growl and snap more menacingly than my GSDs have ever done. Again, statistically, what does that mean?

Granted, no doubt, a big dog can do more damage than a little dog but how does that play? I can make an argument that small dogs by sheer numbers represent a larger threat to people for many reasons.

Then there are the medium size dogs and large "friendly" breeds. The most serious encounter I had on my bicycle (average 3000 miles a year) was with a black Lab. I thought I was gonna die either of a heart attack racing away from it or by it's teeth.

I get freaking tired of this move towards breed specific legislation! I've owned GSDs all my life and never have I had one attack anyone...that didn't deserve it. Yes, they will bark at strangers entering my home domain unannounced. I want that! Yes, they will make you think twice about making an uninvited visit to my home if you are someone with criminal tendency that has been in my home to work on my furnace, water heater or other things.

I also get tired of beating on "pit bulls" without merit. I'm not gonna argue dog behavior tendencies for specific breeds, I do accept that there are tendencies. That being said, has anyone followed the history of the Michael Vic dogs? If you haven't then you have missed a great story of "dog redemption".

As to the statement of one poster that says most folks that own pit bulls are compensating for lack of masculinity...BS! Sorry buddy but that is Texas sized, grandiose hyperbole. What if I made the same statement about gun owners...the longer/bigger the gun...the shorter/smaller the manhood?

Listen, I'm not trying to justify bad owners nor dogs that are truly dangerous. I'll use the gun analogy...I don't have anything against law abiding citizens bearing arms but I GUARANTEE that the NRA will also defend that right until it is proven they are a criminal too. Give dogs the same respect.

Finally, I have always said (here I go again with gun analogies) that owners of big, powerful dogs MUST treat them like loaded guns! Train the dogs, train the owners, respect the power and control the danger. Know your dog and know it isn't perfect. If they don't like small kids...adjust. If they don't like other dogs...adjust.

To law makers...take your breed specific legislation and shove it!

Sorry for my rant. I'll play nice in the sand box next time.

[450Donn]

And yet, here are the statistics from just one county!
Between 2009 and 2010, there were 233 reported incidents involving pit bull attacks against people and other dogs in Anne Arundel County. In that same time frame, the next closest breeds, German shepherds and Labrador retrievers, caused just 93 incidents combined.
According to Lt. Glenn Shanahan of Anne Arundel County Animal Control, pit bull terriers lead all other breeds in the county by at least two to one when it comes to attacks over the last five years.
“The numbers say what they say. We’re not making it up,” Shanahan said. “It’s demonstrably overwhelming.”

[Benny367]

Originally Posted by athuddriver

I've been trying to bite my tongue on this subject but I'm failing.

Who will be the arbiter of determining if my GSDs are vicious or not? I'm not naive to say insurance companies and CGs and such don't do that but based on what? Statistics have meaning but are often abused.

I can tell you from personal observation that I have been attacked and challenged by more small-medium and "friendly" dogs than big "vicious" dogs. Even that is a tainted statistic because I see more small dogs than big ones. I've never been bit by a big dog but had my fingers chewed on by a few small ones.

Small dog owners tend to think small dog, small problem. I've seen them vicious little buggers growl and snap more menacingly than my GSDs have ever done. Again, statistically, what does that mean?

Granted, no doubt, a big dog can do more damage than a little dog but how does that play? I can make an argument that small dogs by sheer numbers represent a larger threat to people for many reasons.

Then there are the medium size dogs and large "friendly" breeds. The most serious encounter I had on my bicycle (average 3000 miles a year) was with a black Lab. I thought I was gonna die either of a heart attack racing away from it or by it's teeth.

I get freaking tired of this move towards breed specific legislation! I've owned GSDs all my life and never have I had one attack anyone...that didn't deserve it. Yes, they will bark at strangers entering my home domain unannounced. I want that! Yes, they will make you think twice about making an uninvited visit to my home if you are someone with criminal tendency that has been in my home to work on my furnace, water heater or other things.

I also get tired of beating on "pit bulls" without merit. I'm not gonna argue dog behavior tendencies for specific breeds, I do accept that there are tendencies. That being said, has anyone followed the history of the Michael Vic dogs? If you haven't then you have missed a great story of "dog redemption".

As to the statement of one poster that says most folks that own pit bulls are compensating for lack of masculinity...BS! Sorry buddy but that is Texas sized, grandiose hyperbole. What if I made the same statement about gun owners...the longer/bigger the gun...the shorter/smaller the manhood?

Listen, I'm not trying to justify bad owners nor dogs that are truly dangerous. I'll use the gun analogy...I don't have anything against law abiding citizens bearing arms but I GUARANTEE that the NRA will also defend that right until it is proven they are a criminal too. Give dogs the same respect.

Finally, I have always said (here I go again with gun analogies) that owners of big, powerful dogs MUST treat them like loaded guns! Train the dogs, train the owners, respect the power and control the danger. Know your dog and know it isn't perfect. If they don't like small kids...adjust. If they don't like other dogs...adjust.

To law makers...take your breed specific legislation and shove it!

Sorry for my rant. I'll play nice in the sand box next time.

Well here is the data on dog attacks for 2011, and PIT BULLS ARE THE PROBLEM:
DogsBite.org recorded 31 fatal dog attacks in 2011.1 Citations of each victim's story are located on the Fatality Citations page. The last year the CDC released data about dog bite-related fatalities was 1998. Likely due to pressures from animal advocacy groups, the CDC stopped studying these deaths by dog breed. Since 1998, pit bulls alone have killed 181 U. S. citizens. The only other known entity, in addition to DogsBite.org, that tracks this vital data publicly is Animal People.2
§ 31 U.S. fatal dog attacks occurred in 2011. Despite being regulated in Military Housing areas and over 650 U.S. cities, pit bulls led these attacks accounting for 71% (22). Pit bulls make up less than 5% of the total U.S. dog population.3
§ Notably in 2011, adult victims of fatal pit bull attacks more than doubled the number of child victims. Of the 22 total pit bull victims, 68% (15) fell between the ages of 32 to 76, and 32% (7) were ages 5 years and younger.
§ The year 2011 also marks an increase in pet pit bulls killing their owners. Of the 8 total instances this year in which a family dog inflicted fatal injury to its primary caretaker, the dog's owner, 88% (7) involved pet pit bulls.
§ Together, pit bulls (22) and rottweilers (4), the number two lethal dog breed, accounted for 84% of all fatal attacks in 2011. In the 7-year period from 2005 to 2011, this same combination accounted for 74% (157) of the total recorded deaths (213).
§ The breakdown between pit bulls and rottweilers is substantial over this 7-year period. From 2005 to 2011, pit bulls killed 128 Americans, about one citizen every 20 days, versus rottweilers, which killed 29; about one citizen every 88 days.
§ Annual data from 2011 shows that 58% (18) of the attacks occurred to adults (21 years and older) and 42% (13) occurred to children (11 years and younger). Of the children, 62% (8) occurred to ages 1 and younger.
§ 2011 data also shows that 39% (12) of the fatal incidents involved more than one dog; 26% (8) involved breeding on the dog owner's property either actively or in the recent past, and 6% (2) involved tethered dogs, down from 9% in 2010 and 19% in 2009.
§ Dog ownership information for 2011 shows that family dogs comprised 65% (20) of the attacks that resulted in death; 74% (23) of all incidents occurred on the dog owner's property and 29% (9) resulted in criminal charges, up from 15% in 2010.
§ The states of California and Texas led fatalities in 2011, each with 4 deaths; pit bulls and their mixes contributed to 88% (7) of the 8 deaths. North Carolina, New Mexico, South Carolina and Virginia each incurred 2 deaths.
§ See: Full news release.
1At least five additional victims died due to dog bite-related injuries in 2011. These deaths involved non-dog bite injury, minor dog bite injury or lacked a "reasonably clear" determination of death due to dog bite injury and are not included in the DogsBite.org statistical fatality data: Howard James Paul, 76-years old (Socorro, TX); Cary Grant Sr., 56-years old (Sullivan, OH); Robert Walker, 53-years old (Jackson, MS), David Shahda, 47-years old (New York, NY) and Keith Trout, 60-years old (York City, PA). Additionally, Chelsea Brigman and Nelson Camerino were scheduled to be in court January 3rd regarding the death of Addyson Camerino. New information about the total number of dog breeds involved in her death may be available soon. As of January 4, we have included all four dog breeds seized by authorities as contributing to her death.
2Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, by Merritt Clifton, Animal People.
32011 data from Animal People (More Adoptions Will Not End Shelter Killing of Pit Bulls, by Merritt Clifton, Animal People, October 2011) scales back the total population of pit bulls from 5% (Decade of Adoption Focus Fails to Reduce Shelter Killing

2011 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Statistics - DogsBite.org - DogsBite.org

[UFO Pilot]

You can read about the pit bull attack on my dog here: http://www.irv2.com/forums/f97/dog-attack-109759.html
Another pit who had never attacked before, was a big ***** cat and never trained to attack and never mistreated. The owner is a 21 year old unemployed girl and I am out $13,000.

If I meet another aggressive dog, it and his owner will get a huge dose of bear spray.

[Muddypaws]

Unfortunately, the people who are drawn to Pits are usually the people who should not be allowed to have them. Pits seem to do OK is a good environment where they get exercized and socialized, at least that's been my recent experience with the one across the street from me. She's a sweet lovable goofball.

But there is another one in the neighborhood that only gets out when he escapes and he is one pissed off canine. His owner is an idiot ex-hood rat who kicks & beats him. The dog is afraid of all men and seems to think that any man near him is going to strike. Ghetto mentality/Ghetto dog.

From 'The Dog Bite Law Center':

Among the deadliest and most vicious of all dog breeds with killer instincts, originally bred to fight and kill other dogs, Pit Bulls are now widely popular as companion dogs, especially in American cities. Their popularly is strange given their homicidal history and aggressive in-bred traits, but that is seemingly part of the appeal. With its powerful jaws, thick skull and muscular legs the American Pit Bull Terrier (and related breeds) makes short work of children and adults it attacks often maiming them for life. The very name "pit bull" is used in our language to signify a singularly tenacious state of being.

This breed is variously cited as being responsible for nearly a third of all fatal dog attacks in the United States, in part due to its tenacity in a fight. Pit bulls cause one-third of dog-bite related fatalities while only make up less than 2% of the dog population. Because of the deaths, maulings and serious injuries inflicted by Pit Bulls, many countries worldwide ban these dogs altogether or require licenses for ownership of them. In response to many high profile maulings and fatal attacks by Pit Bulls, many US cities and towns have specifically targeted the breed with legislation restricting ownership and increasing penalties on owners for attacks made by their Pit Bulls. Pit Bulls are often responsible for attacking and killing other dog breeds as well as cats and small pets. Police officers often need to shoot and kill this breed in order to subdue it after attacks on humans or other animals in US cities. In recent years several owners of these dogs in the United States have been criminally prosecuted in homicide cases. Sadly, many of the owners of these deadly dogs do not possess insurance and the maimed victims go uncompensated. Apologists for these vicious dogs abound online, but facts are facts. These dogs have little or no business being pets in anyone's household they are simply too aggressive and dangerous.

Nothing empties a dog park like the arrival of a Pit.

[RustyJC]

Originally Posted by henderson

PB have a bad rap many breeds have higher incidence of human and pet attacks.....

Why is it, then, when I Google "frequency of dog attacks by breed", I come up with data such as:

In the 3-year period from 2006 to 2008, pit bull type dogs killed 52 Americans and accounted for 59% of all fatal attacks.

Source - DogsBite.org

or:

In recent years, the dogs responsible for the bulk of the homicides are pit bulls and Rottweilers:
"Studies indicate that pit bull-type dogs were involved in approximately a third of human DBRF (i.e., dog bite related fatalities) reported during the 12-year period from 1981 through1992, and Rottweilers were responsible for about half of human DBRF reported during the 4 years from 1993 through 1996....[T]he data indicate that Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67% of human DBRF in the United States between 1997 and 1998. It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities." (Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R. Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. JAVMA [Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association] 2000;217:836-840.)

Source: dogbitelaw.com

I agree with Ken - dogs have inbred behavioral tendencies. I see it in our Shetland Sheepdogs (we've owned 7) and their herding traits. These dogs are literally born with these traits - with absolutely no training, Sheltie pups on a farm will herd chickens, ducks or anything that's available, including each other. Unfortunately, Pit Bulls appear to have inbred traits as well.....

Rusty

[Sky_Boss]

Benny, bless your heart but what does that all mean?

Do owners that properly control their dogs get painted in the same broad brushstroke you try to paint?

UFO...ya gonna bear spray both me and my GSDs on sight? Tell me where you are camping so I can avoid you. By definition GSDs are considered aggressive by many CGs. Is that your definition thus justifications to bear spray me and my dogs? That is what it sounds like.

450donn...I'm totally confused of your point by that dump of data. LOL

[TXiceman]

And how come the statistics all point to Pits as the worst offender????

Pit owners claim that small ankle biters are worse about attacking. So how come you never see in the paper that a person was attacked and mauled or killed by a schnauzer or a Lhasa?

I cannot see lumping GSD in with pits and such. The GSD can be trained as a guard dog, but it is a herding dog by nature.

Anytime someone shows up with a pit or pit mix, I take my dog and leave.

Ken

[Sky_Boss]

Originally Posted by TXiceman

And how come the statistics all point to Pits as the worst offender????

Pit owners claim that small ankle biters are worse about attacking. So how come you never see in the paper that a person was attacked and mauled or killed by a schnauzer or a Lhasa?

I cannot see lumping GSD in with pits and such. The GSD can be trained as a guard dog, but it is a herding dog by nature.

Anytime someone shows up with a pit or pit mix, I take my dog and leave.

Ken

Statistics say handguns kill more people blah blah blah...ready to have them outlawed? I think not.

Clearly you don't know much about GSDs. Training them to be "guard" dogs does not even come close to proper use in modern terms. When you say "guard dogs" I think vicious, behind the fence protectors. GSDs versatility (along with other well know working dogs.) is not pinned to simply guarding. These are dogs that fit a lot of WMD and WPD functions without need of "guard dog" mentality. As a formerly active Schutzhund club member I can attest to how temperament and training can make someone think a dog is vicious when they are not. I could play a "bad guy" during training and be on the receiving end of a bite. After the exercise I could play ball with that same dog without fear.

Listen, I'm not trying to say breeding isn't a factor. I totally agree with that. But is a factor not a condemnation. I also acknowledge that everyone has a right to determine what they are comfortable with. Just don't legislate my life by condemning my dogs (often lumped into the "vicious" category) to not being acceptable members of my family in a CG. Is that too much to ask?

[hellojohnny]

I am sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. You must be devastated. Pit bulls should be banned period. There are many good breeds of dogs to choose from without the need for Pit bulls. I always question the intelligence of anyone that would consider getting one.