9:18 PM Sun, Oct 21, 2007 | Permalink |
Even though it seems like we've covered a lot of these stories lately, it is never easy to report on a pit bull attack. A Seattle man's two dogs were jumped on Sunday, during their morning walk. He says two unleashed pit bulls approached them -- calmly at first -- and then inexplicably, they attacked. His female dog was seriously hurt, and he earned himself a shattered finger trying to break up the struggle. Despite his $2,200 vet bill, he admitted to feeling compassion for the pit bulls. He's an animal lover... and while he doesn't want anyone else hurt, he seemed to feel guilty about even discussing whether the pit bulls should be put down.
On the flip side, neighbors say the animals have been involved in other attacks. Seattle Animal Control confirms at least one of the dogs has a "record." But the previous attack was against another animal -- not a human -- so the city wasn't required to quarantine the pit bull in that case. Now that a person has been injured, both pit bulls are in the Seattle Animal Shelter, pending the outcome of the investigation.
So what's the solution? Seattle municipal code does allow for dogs to be seized if they're repeat offenders, or if an attack results in grave injuries. But should neighbors have to wait that long? If a dog exhibits threatening or aggressive behavior just once, should the city be able to remove the dog from the community? Or should the rights of the dog's owners be paramount?
we need a one bite your out law, state wide, nation wide would be even better. a dog that bites ONE time any human or dometic animal, while OFF of its property whether on leash or roaming free should be put to death.
it is ridiculous how our laws make the distinction between human aggression and animal aggression. it seems that most of the pit bull attacks on people result from them trying to protect their dogs.
Geez, schultz, funny thing that - making a distinction between animal aggression and human aggression. Apparently the common sense fact that humans can REASON (and therefore channel their aggression constructively) has escaped you. I guess you'd like to go back to the days when animals were put on trial? Assuming they would be tried by a jury of their peers you'd certainly be picked as jury foreman.
Are pit bulls just naturaly more aggressive than other dogs? It seems like they are the ones that are always harming the children and other dogs in packs. Are they trained that way or is in the blood? Just a helpful answer would be nice from a K9 knowledgable person.
Thanks.
Pit Bull. Does anyone think or wonder why a dog breed is called a Pit Bull? What attracts people to own one and not own a pomeranian? Does anyone wonder the potential connection between the Micheal Vick situation and the increasing popularity of having a Pit Bull as a "pet"? And if we own animals out of the desire to promote danger to others then aren't we getting away from the concept of pet all together? Did Vick see his animals as pets?
Maybe this is too complicated for some people. OK? Pit Bulls are bred to attack other dogs! Pit Bulls are bred to win! They were not bred to be good pets.
Pit Bull owners know this and have this breed specifically because of the reputation of being aggressive, upredictable and dangerous! If owning a pit bull (especially in desnly populated urban areas) is not a problem and somehow not reflective of a certain level of anti-social behaviour someone shoud walk around the streets with a Bengal Tiger. Hey tigers are nice sweethearts, most of the time. Anyhow it makes the owner look dangerous and cool.
I Feel for the man and his dogs.This should have NEVER happened.What frustrates me is the fact that so much publicity is focused on the Specific breed of the dog.ALL BREEDS have been known to attack.What scares me is that this is adding feul to the "BEED SPECIFIC lEGISLTN" fire.We DONT need "BSL".What we do need is to create laws that protect peoples(& animals) from dogs who attack unprovoked.As well as holding the OWNERS responsible.Due to the fact that on some level they caused the behavior in the dog by either abusing/fighting them or just having a complete lack of common sense when raising the dog and failing to notice unprovoked aggression.I have 2 large dogs if I noticed behavior like this (and there are some warning signs)I would do something long before a person fell prey to them.WE need to start going after dog owners more aggressivley which will force people to start using common sense and caution.Which is a far better weapon against violent dogs than "BSL"
Chris Your blog is ignorant.What happened to that man should NOT have happened.You need to blame the OWNERS first.Who do you think made them that way?The actual AKC name for your so called "Pit Bulls" is American Staffordshire Terriers"
Yes Chris, Terriers.They are terriers.Not every person who owns an American Staff terrier does so to "Look CooL"
I cant believe you know absolutley nobody who owns a similiar breed.When owned by a kind family these are very good dogs with an amazing temperment.comparing them to "Bangle tigers"is like comparing a cat to a lion.Come on educate yourself b4 you publicly say things that are not just a little wrong but wrong.Pick up a book any book that lists the breed and its temperment before condemning an entire breed along with their owners.Not all of us are mike Vicks.Who do you think pushed so strongly to have him convicted?
People/families who own "Pit Bulls" and know they are so much more that just "killers" You can train a goldren retriever to kill somebody if you beat it, neglect it and basically say "your gonna fight in that pit or Im gonna break your neck" what options do they have when there at the mercy of the devil?You cannot "breed" evil into something.when a baby human or otherwise comes into the world they are atthe mercy of the owners or parents.Pshycotics who rape and kill have mommy issues.Do you really think they were"bred" to be like that?They werent exactly nurtured as pups or as human kids.Pull your head out of your...
again, as with several of these awful cases...where were the freakin' owners of these dogs? i own 2 large dogs and they are never not in my range of sight. also, without a leash? we have a leash law people, for a reason! as much of a dog lover as i am, it is PAST time to do something about these maulings that are out of hand! there have been so many attacks in the news lately. People, be good owners and take care of your dogs. if you want to own a dangerous breed, you need to spend extra money in training and ALOT of time to make these breeds secure. wake up seattle dog people....you can make a difference! i feel so sad for this guy and his 2 dogs. i have no idea what i would have done in the same situation, as i do have 2 dogs that are VERY well trained but i am only 5 feet tall! please love your animals and wake up.....
Regarding chris' comment: how many of those owners are going to look dangerous & cool carrying the remains of their pet home after it was put down?
Anthony Romaro got the scare of his life Wednesday night
when two Akita dogs, each weighing about 100 pounds,
attacked him near his best friend's home in Coral Springs. But
another kind of dog -- a type also known for vicious attacks --
may have saved the boy from more serious injuries.
Witnesses said a 2-year-old pit bull named Missy played the part of hero during the attack.
Missy, witnesses say, pulled the two Akitas -- Cella and Baci -- off Anthony after several
struggles during a 15-minute span.
Anthony, a 7-year-old Hunt Elementary School second-grader, is recovering after surgery at
Coral Springs Medical Center. The dogs ripped much of Anthony's left ear and bit his skull
before Missy fought them off of him, said Anthony's mother, Stephanie McGuire. ''He's doing
better today,'' McGuire said on Friday.
Missy suffered scrapes and cuts on the shoulders and buttocks, received a few stitches, and is
back home. ''Missy saved the day,'' said her owner, Scott , who asked that The Herald not
publish his last name. ``She just went out there and broke the fight up.''
Anthony Romaro got the scare of his life Wednesday night
when two Akita dogs, each weighing about 100 pounds,
attacked him near his best friend's home in Coral Springs. But
another kind of dog -- a type also known for vicious attacks --
may have saved the boy from more serious injuries.
Witnesses said a 2-year-old pit bull named Missy played the part of hero during the attack.
Missy, witnesses say, pulled the two Akitas -- Cella and Baci -- off Anthony after several
struggles during a 15-minute span.
Anthony, a 7-year-old Hunt Elementary School second-grader, is recovering after surgery at
Coral Springs Medical Center. The dogs ripped much of Anthony's left ear and bit his skull
before Missy fought them off of him, said Anthony's mother, Stephanie McGuire. ''He's doing
better today,'' McGuire said on Friday.
Missy suffered scrapes and cuts on the shoulders and buttocks, received a few stitches, and is
back home. ''Missy saved the day,'' said her owner, Scott , who asked that The Herald not
publish his last name. ``She just went out there and broke the fight up.''
Holy $!!! Batman. What the heck is it going to take. I firmly believe that animals live how they are raised, but I also know that certain traits are bred into a dog or other animal. Look at horse racing or even dog champions, you pick the best sire and damn. This is total bullshit though. Enough with the pitbull shit and make anyone owning them subject to licensing and extra insurance. Anyone caught without, not only are they fined, but the animal destroyed. No questions, no second chances, no I forgot, I thought, I lost my job, no whining License, Insurance or death!
It is sad to say but you should not be walking your dog nowadays without carrying bear mace or an ax handle. If I was approached by loose pit bulls on the street I would spray it/them with mace and ask questions later. A $20 dollar can of bear mace sure beats $2400 in vet bills.
The dog, who's lived with her more than two years, helped save both Tollison and her sister from a fire that erupted early last Wednesday in her Pine Ridge Road home.
Tollison says she calls Buddy her "56-pound Chihuahua" because he acts more like timid lap dog than a dog that's known as a fighting breed. The morning of the fire, Tollison says, she woke up at 4:30 a.m. to see off Pete Blount, who shares the house with her, as he headed for work. Then she went back to bed.
Barely half an hour later, she says, she awoke and smelled smoke. She quickly explored the house and discovered the fire already ablaze in Blount's bedroom. She ran to wake up her sister, Jane Ellol, who was visiting from Connecticut, and ran outside.
Buddy followed her. Then, Buddy ran back inside and straight to Ellol's bedroom, where she was still struggling to get out. Tollison says Ellol has arthritis and can't move very quickly when she first gets up. Then, she became disoriented in the unfamiliar house, in the smoke.
"He was whining real loud in her room for her. He was with her the whole time. I ran back in and when I got a hold of her, I pulled her out the door. She said she felt like a wet noodle. He came out right behind her," Tollison says.
While she says she doesn't remember exactly what woke her up and saved their lives that morning, she's convinced it was Buddy because there was no other noise in the house.
"He kind of aroused me, that's the only thing I can think of that got me up," she says.
Once he'd gotten the family out, Tollison said, Buddy ran down the road, clearly terrified, and disappeared.
She called Blount, who returned from work as the firemen were dousing the fire in the house and they both frantically looked for Buddy, but they couldn't find him.
About five hours later, she recalls, a sheriff's car approached and she somehow knew Buddy was inside before she could even see the dog.
Volusia County sheriff's deputy Richard Hansard had searched for the dog in the neighborhood and then driven to the Halifax Humane Society to look for the animal. As it happens, someone in the area had picked up Buddy and taken him to the shelter. Because Buddy had the required license and tags, the shelter was able to identify the dog they had in custody and turn him over to Hansard, who took Buddy back home to his very grateful family, Tollison said.
Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said Hansard has been recommended for a citation for going beyond the call of duty in finding and returning Buddy.
Tollison said it will take 10 weeks to make the house livable again. Meanwhile, she's living in an apartment and Buddy is living in an Ormond Beach boarding kennel. And, she says, when they do get back home, Buddy will be treated like the hero she's sure he is.
"I'm going to get him a jeweled collar and just treat him like royalty," she said.
Positve Press
I've seen PitBulls in households that were as loving and tame as any other.
Just as with children, how they are treated and raised will be reflected on how they act around others.
Add a pitbull with a redneck or 'urban' family that has them as an accessory to the Camaro on blocks in the front yard and gap-toothed delinquint children and raise the dogs for the purpose of being aggressive -- well.. that's just what we'll see, as in this news story.
One other point. What type of an idiot who owns, not just one, but two pit bulls allow them to be in a situation were they can get out of their property. That is like loading a hand gun and placing it on a table in a kindergarten class and wondering if a kid will actually pick it up and pull the trigger. Contrary to Kitty's naive and myopic opinion, a pit bull who is loose that approaches another canine will try and establish it's dominance over the other animal. It will establish itself as the Alpha dominant individual. It is instinctual and inherent in it's make up. And yes Kitty, I have read many books about breed dispositions and character traits and all of them say that "Pit Bulls" or "American Stratfordshire Terriers" as you put it are loyal to an owner but can not be trusted 100% around unfamiliar animals either in cohabitation or not.
It's scary how people react to mass hysteria so well.Yes, pit bulls are most commonly in the news for biting.did you ever ask yourself why?
It doesnt make for a very exciting story to say that a black lab bit someone.news channels know that when peole hear the story it might upset them momentarily but then they'll go on and say "oh but black labs dont bite that much"
I'm not trying to start controversy,however,Look through the internet and type in:Dog attacks and/or Dog Bites and I gaurantee you there will me MANY other breeds, some more so than Pitt Bulls.Thay have bad reputations because they have not been given the oportunity to be shown in a diffent light.they are using Amercan staffordshire terriers(Pit Bulls) as Rescue Dogs,Seeing eye dogs,Drug/Bomb Sniffing Work.Attacks on people are terrible, But feeding the hysteria isn;t helping anything.We've got people ATTACKING dogs on the street just because they MiGHT bite or just because they are a certain breed.Not all Races of people fit into a stereotype,Not all Black labs are Docile and not all pit bulls are violent.It;s easy to say"Well not all of them are bad but most are."I guarantee you the only people saying that are not experts and they are only going off of what few stories they have exposed themselves to.look around read more.random attacks are not quite as common as you may think.Yes they need to be taken VERY seriously.We need ONE Law concering biting that Affects ALL Breeds.Hold the Owners responsible.You get rid of violent,Negletful owners and your going to get rid of most violent dogs.they dont come into the world with a taste for blood in there mouths.ask yourselves what is causing this.We're getting to a point where we are actually discussing a form of ethnic cleansing for dogs.Please educate yourselves and realize what that really means to get rid of an entire breed.And is it deserved by the Dogs or the owners.Punish individual Dogs /owners for the crime not an entire Breed of dog.
Belive me nothing would pleaase me more than to see every dog fighter put in prison.Violent people produce violent dogs.We are not all ignorant people/owners
Some people need to educate themselves. No one is calling for the mass annihilation or breedocide of the entire bull dog breed. What we are asking for is that they only be allowed in homes who are capable, accountable and responsible enough to take care of them and answer for themselves if something does go wrong. I want a Bengal tiger but I do not think the city of Seattle will allow me to get one just because I want one.
You may have a different opinion than mine.But rest assured im not a tree hugging idiot that doesnt know what im talking about.I own 2 dogs one of which is a "pit Bull''
What is miopic to you sir or maam' is common damn sense to a lot of people.You beat a dog,feed it ONLY when it fights well it is going to learn tha you have to fight to survive.Now Im telling you that The MAJORITY of dog owners own pit bulls as pets.I dont consider someone who breeds and fights dogs for money an owner thats a criminal setup.I 'll be damned if im going to be grouped with the same people that do that.
By the way Seattle nill I didnt say that A loose dog on the street is safe there is no excuse for not having control of your ANIMALS. MY POINT IS not every pit bull is violent. i own them ,i work with and train them.Dont you type at me like im an idiot. there is no need to insult people when giving an opinion.Not all dogs try to establish dominance. establishing dominace is not the same as a dog approaching a man and his dogs and ripping the shit out of them thats just an out right violent animal.I think you read my article and assumed i was saying that we can all live in peace blah blah.My point is Why take my dog from me when the number of dogs that attack and the # that are registered in city limits are vastly different .Breed specific legilation would remove my dog from my care.For what?She has been in numerous training classes is around children and has been professionally tested for temperment(by the way her temp. is excellent)So my overall point was tha it is ignorant to Condemn an entire breed.If you disagree and think they should all burn then yes sir,You seem ignorant, and if not than i guess i miss read your article. maybe i got caught up on the my miopic ideals and the idiot phrasing.How is my theory against condemning my dog and countless others that i have seen be very gentle and trustworthy(as well as tested for temperment)wrong.Do you expect me to throw my hands in the air and be A-okay with you saying that all owners of this breed lack common sense and that none of them are trustworthy.The estblishment of dominance is a male trait in dogs-all breeds of males.We need a biting law that covers all breeds not just pitts.How is that a miopic idea or idiotic.
You'll Let me know if Ignorance really is Bliss afterall wont you.
Thanks
ok i have one thing to say. i own a pit bull as the news or ignorant non dog owners would call them and my dog on my property got attacked by a black lab, the police, the animal control and everyone else we contacted had nothing to say to us, other than dogs will be dogs but yet when a "pit bull" attacks its a horrific event. its breaking news, police are making arrests and things are being done. why is this? why did i as a pit bull owner not get the same justice as this black lab owner? my dog had 2 1/2 inch long cuts which were more than 2cm deep in his neck but no justice was surved. no news cameras where present. i'm tired of the news and ignorant uneducated individuals in our society which stand for this Prejudices i see here. if we can at some point beat it in our society why must we submit our animals to such cruelty by not allowing them to also have a prejudice free world. oh and another quick note i've been attacked by more ankle biters than i have ever by any other bread hummmm...hence the name ankle biters!!
All - Dog attacks will never change until we decide that backyard breeders need to be outlawed, that individuals need a license to breed responsibly & humanely and that individuals who own dogs have the financial means to care for them. In the mean time, here is some contact info to help Alex take care of Indigo:
Northwest Veterinary Hospital @ 50th and Stone Way (206)545-4255. I'm donating $100 so Indigo can get better. Pay it forward....
Pam:
so cool of you to post a way for us to help Indigo, rather than just bitch & moan. the ballard guy's post was great. as were many of them. i personally find it very cool that this many people felt "affected" by this story. we need to all ban together and get the word out that some good dogs are still out here!! i own 2 large dogs as mentioned before and my rottweiler gets so many "labels", while, she is actually one of the sweetest, gentlest dogs many people have ever met! thanks for taking the time to care about this guy and his dogs, i am sure he would really dig it.
Why the focus on the type of dog? Why not focus on the owner? Why not tell us the owner's name? I'd much rather know THAT. I don't care if a pit bull lives next door, but I don't want that IDIOT living next to me. He'll probably just go get more dogs and people like him can make a lab, springer, rottweiler or any dog look bad.
So, what is this cheeseballs name?
The bottom line is that the owner (that's the human with the so-called brain) should be responsible. Period. If you own a dog you are responsible for it's care or you loose it and should be fined.
I really wonder how many of you people spouting your "facts" and truths have actually been the victim of a dog attack. I was attacked in the face by a baby "non fighting" pitbull and happen to be a relative of Alex, the human victim of this article. I have done extensive research, none of which omits pitbulls as the most aggressive and dangerous breed. If you do the research of their breeding history you will understand why these dogs have more potential for aggression. Their bodies usually all muscle, their swiftness, extreme high tolerance for pain and breeding coupled with the owners they attract are a dangerous combination. While I have learned that their supposed lock jaw is a misnomer, and have met "friendly" in the not attacking someone way, they are loose canons, and if not why have they been banned in the UK, Canada, France, Denmark, Florida, Utah, Kentucky with several more countries and states in proposal? I hardly doubt it's from the unbiased media that neglected to report the black lab maulings. Seriously think about it regardless if you have a pit or not, the facts are there and although you've never encountered an attack you may want to consider it as well as the victims. That being said I do not believe that animals are born "evil" but with such a penchant for the fight physically and mentally and usually attractive to the unsavory types these dogs have become weapons and should have the same inspection/laws/restrictions/ and insurance as a registered gun.
my 5 cents!
ok well my dog has been attacked by a black lab, i've been as a human been attacked by a golden retriever so yes i dont care what the dog it is the owner. with that said you cannot say that pitbulls should be regulated or had restrictions enforeced upon them if this was the case why not put restriction on humans which can lift more than 200lbs or bodybuilders, the fact that the dogs are full of muscle and have a tolerance to pain should not dictate a breed specific law!!! One law fits all i dont care if a dog can rip my arm off or barely draw blood an attack is an attack and anyone ignorant about that i pitty you!!! are we going to say you can't own trucks now too becuase when they get into accidents they cause more damage? if any law is necessary it should not be enacted on specific dogs but on specific owners such as those with bad ownership history. all of this is a joke. its an animal, if you raise it to be a trained loving dog it will be, if you train it to be a killer it will be regardless of the breed. oh and for Victim#? you say you have read reports and done your research.....where did you find this research online readly available by associations which support these proposed dog laws. i'm pretty sure dog attacks, regardless of severity are all in all the same if not more for other breeds.
The Pit-Bulls are doing exactly what they were bread to do. Exactly the same reason the breed should be exticntified. Right along with the one my own son has. More and more towns and cities are outlawing the breed or the breeding of these naturally aggressive dogs. It's called public safety. If your local leaders aren't doing this, they are not looking out for you. Sorry about the cold hard facts.
ummm yea the whole only pitt bulls attack is total bullshit.. like for real its NOT just pittbulls its on how the owner raised them... any dog can attack at any time... so yea tlk shit on that bitchessszzzz... _ deen Ya digg
Huh?
Pitt Bull owners should be REQUIRED to post a half million dollar bond and there should be a tracking chip to assure who's wandering pitt bull is loose. whats wrong with this? if you cant afford the bond, you surely cannot afford to repay anyone injured in an aggressive attack by these murdering dogs
i strongly disagree with people who think aggression is "bred into" pitbulls. i was attacked 3 months ago by two pitbulls and a sheppard. its the lack of socializing, unaltering and proper training by irresponsible owners that these animals get out of control. i work in a vet clinic and see aggressive dogs/cats all day long and you'd be surprised at the breeds that are actually aggressive with us. many pitbulls are just huge lapdogs. while i dont own a pitbull, i love the breed. even after being chomped on by a couple, i'm just a little more cautious of my surroundings. every dog has the ability to attack. Pitbulls are smart dogs - they love humans and most like other dogs. the media plays a huge role in the negativity of this breed.
i have been raiseing pits for four years.pits are very loveing and smart dogs! pepole make them aggressive not the breed
Waggin Tails - You should really do your homework. Let me help you. Try this link and read about them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Pitbull_Terrier
It will tell you a lot about the bread.
i thought we were supposed to give our opinion - since everyone else did. and I'm sorry, Daler, do you work with different dog breeds all day long? I didnt catch that.
On Mon, 11/19/07, my cat was attacked & killed on my front lawn by my neighbor's "friendly" pit bull. A little history: this neighbor moved in earlier this year. For the past 20 years, there's been many cats on my street. Most are now spayed/neutered & shots given by my niece who works for a vet. Now that my cat was killed, the neighbor contacted animal control to complain about the cats...and she just so happened to forget to tell them that her pit bull killed my cat. I don't think this is fair ... my cat was attacked & killed on MY property. And I'm being treated like I'm the guilty party. Strange!!!!!!
why are people allowed to let their cats roam the streets but dog owners get fined when their dogs are out of the yard - regardless of the breed..? i'm sorry but if i'm stupid enough to leave my cat outside knowing there are other animals/people out that could possibly attact/kill my cat, then its my own fault. DLC, i'm sorry for your loss, that could NOT have been easy to deal with and yes, the dog owners should be held responsible, but where were you when this took place? did you report your incident to the police and animal control? in my opinion, animals who have owners should not be left outside unattended because there IS that possibility that somehow they can become injured. how would you feel had your cat been attacked by a raccoon instead of a pitbull?