No more pit bull threads...

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I'm tired of defending the rights of citizens to go on organized pitbulls hunts so I'm officially retiring from ever posting about the breed again. This is my last statement on the matter because I don't have the time or energy to debate it anymore.

So, my final words regarding pitbulls....


If you want to own one, carefully look at the pedigree of the dogs. For the large breed AKC registered dogs I've owned I've gone through the family tree. Look for things like inbreeding because some lines are inbred every 2nd to 3rd generation with the same family line. Interview the breeder of your litter and for the generations prior to the one you're buying if you can. You can learn a lot from visiting the kennel. A respectable breeder will let you talk to some owners of the litters and give you a reference list. It important to check the history of the stud dog as well, something that a lot of folks don't do a great job of doing because the stud owner can be harder to track down because they're often from another state, etc.

Once the dog is home, keep the dog's food and toys away from your children and closely monitor the dogs whenever you kiddos are in the area. Never leave the dog and the child alone in the same room or outside without being close to them at all times.

If your dog shows any signs of aggressive behavior towards any child, seriously consider getting rid of the animal. Your child's beautiful face and overall health (and life) is a lot more important than an animal, no matter how much the dog means to you.

I've owned several AKC large breed dogs over the years, primarily great danes and mastiff breeds and loved them all. Some of my best friends have owned dobermans, german shepards, pitbulls, chows, and another good friend breeds rotts. I was always drawn to large breed dog owners because we shared a love for these animals and had a lot of commonalities on which to base friendships. I've witnessed the good and the bad in all these dogs and I'm not so naive as to think that all breeds are perfect, because none are.

I realized that getting on my soapbox about pitbulls is really kind of dumb because some people will listen, a lot of people know what is responsible behavior, but the one's who won't ever listen are the ones who you spend most of your efforts rambling with. My bad on that.

The pitbull breed worries me the most because this breed has been the most screwed up by people. I don't blame the dogs. I just know what I've seen. I personally feel this dog is the most aggressive widely-owned breed of dog (rodesian ridgebacks, as an example, are far more aggressive but not as widely owned). Irresponsible dog owners put people at risk and it seems like a lot of pit owners don't care enough about others or themselves to take proper precautionary measures to protect other people.

I used to not care much until my son was born, and now I realize that children are really fragile and need to be protected, and if you own a breed with aggressive tendencies and keep these dogs in neighborhoods around families you're putting people at risk. Your responsibility as a dog owner is immense, but unfortunately people don't always take their dog ownership seriously. And sometimes, no matter how careful you are things can still happen.

I think there are so many other great breeds of dog with zero history of maming or killing people that I don't understand why we need to keep these more aggressive breeds around kids and neighborhoods.

So, in the words of Bob Barker, if you own a dog or cat, have them spayed or neutered; and if you own a pit bull, shoot him in the head.

That is all.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

I thought the pitbull was going to hail a cab with "Fresh" on its license plate.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I thought the pitbull was going to hail a cab with "Fresh" on its license plate.

:lol

[ZStomp]

Starting with this one!

[Fillmoe]

you know this is going to turn into a pitbull thread right?

[E20]

http://img3.imagetitan.com/img1/1/4/owned-dogs.jpg

[Michael Vick]

Great thread! Enough is enough.

[atxrocker]

that sig is classic.

[ALVAREZ6]

So, in the words of Bob Barker, if you own a dog or cat, have them spayed or neutered; and if you own a pit bull, shoot him in the head.

That is all.:lol

[ZStomp]

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2007/jan/11/pit-bull-attacks-mother-daughter/?printer=1/

..and yet another story found online.. tsk, tsk...

courierpress.com
Pit bull attacks mother, daughter

By KATE BRASER
Courier & Press staff writer 464-7622 or [email protected]
Originally published 12:00 a.m., January 11, 2007
Updated 10:51 a.m., January 11, 2007

While a mother and daughter underwent treatment at Deaconess Hospital for wounds inflicted during a vicious attack by their own dog, neighbors couldn't shake images of Wednesday morning's bloody mauling.

Some wished they could have done more to help 20-year-old Tia Franz, who reportedly screamed for help as she cowered in her back yard while Felony, a white 2-year-old pit bull, relentlessly ripped at the flesh on her arms and chest.
Others let their eyes and concerns wander to other pit bulls on the block. At least three stood nearby: Only one was leashed.

The victims, Susan C. James, 39, and her daughter, Franz, were taken from their home at 1216 Harriet St. to Deaconess Hospital with injuries police described as "extreme."

Police said James has severe injuries to her hands and arms, and Franz has severe injuries to her hands, arms, chest, abdomen and right side.

Medical personnel told police both victims would require surgery, but Deaconess personnel said they could not release information about the women's conditions.

For Miranda Kirby, it all began shortly after 8 a.m., when she heard screams. Kirby stepped outside and saw James bleeding, then called police.

Back outside, Kirby found Franz pleading for help while the dog was "swinging (Franz) around like a rag doll." Kirby tried to throw whatever she could find at the dog, but the canine was not deterred.

Robert Stotlar said he felt helpless. "No matter what, the dog just kept digging in and tearing," said Stotlar. "That dog was determined to do damage."

Police officers had to fire several times before the dog released its grip. It died from the gunshots.

The women told officers the attack started after they got into an argument. The dog lunged at James first. Franz tried to get the dog away from her mother, but it turned on Franz and chased her through three rooms and into the back yard.

Hours after the attack, the porch was spattered with drops of blood as neighbors gathered nearby to talk.

Jennifer Walker said it looked "like a murder scene."

"It looked so bad I had to turn away at one point. I thought I was going to get sick," Walker said.

Stotlar said Felony roamed free at times, but his owners told concerned neighbors Felony was a family pet, a good dog with no previous aggression.

"Something like that I'm not going to forget," Stotlar said, staring into the back yard where he watched Franz trying to fight the dog off. "I wish I could have done something for her. After awhile, I just started getting sick. I had to walk away."

Animal Control Superintendent Tom Hayden said he has received no previous complaints about the dog.

"We had people tell us while we were there that the dog was never vicious or dangerous, but the thing people don't understand is that the dog has a hierarchy of its surroundings and domain," he explained. "It's like if you saw your children fighting. What would you do as a parent? You'd get in the middle and separate them."

Hayden said the attack marked the first this year; but he also gave it a more dubious distinction.

"It's up in the top percentage of (violent dog attacks), based on the severity of the two individuals' injuries," he said.

Evansville's new animal control ordinance, which was recently adopted, does not ban the ownership of pit bulls.

A study cited by the Centers for Disease Control analyzed fatal dog attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. Pit bull-types had the most, 76, followed by Rottweilers, 44, and German shepherds, 27. Some cities, such as Denver, have banned pit bulls.

The number of pit bull attacks is high compared with other breeds simply because there are more of them, breed advocates say.

Nowhere is that more evident than in the city's shelter. Of the 1,500 animals adopted last year, at least 75 percent were pit bulls or a pit bull-mix. But animal advocates say the problem is often irresponsible owners, rather than the dogs.

Whether those dogs became aggressive or a playmate is up to the owner, Kendall Paul, Vanderburgh Humane Society director said last year.

"A gun, in the wrong hands, is lethal," she said.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

You're using a news story from Jan. 11 to make your point.

[ALVAREZ6]

^ January

[ZStomp]

It still happened didn't it?

[ALVAREZ6]

It still happened didn't it?The way you say that, it's a pretty good point.

[ZStomp]

I was just teasing Chopper. I'll say this though: I don't necessarily hate pit bulls but every time I'm around one, I feel uncomfortable. Uneasy.

While I am at work and a pit is around, I'm a little closer to my weapons than when another dog is around.

[ALVAREZ6]

Pits are so small, who cares. If they attack you, you have every right in the world to defend yourself, kill the dog if necessary. An owner who can't control his or her pet is a piece of shit, don't feel sorry for taking a dog's life if it attacked you first. Kick to the face/neck really hard as if you were kicking a JV field goal should knock a small pit pretty good, if it comes back stomp it's head into the ground, American History X style.

[ShoogarBear]

I thought the pitbull was going to hail a cab with "Fresh" on its license plate.I am ashamed to say the first thing I did was read the last line.

I would apologize to him, but I know Chopper will do something, sometime to make up for having a serious post.

[averageusaconsumer]

While I am at work and a pit is around, I'm a little closer to my weapons than when another dog is around.


much like austin pd around a minority.

[E20]

I was just teasing Chopper. I'll say this though: I don't necessarily hate pit bulls but every time I'm around one, I feel uncomfortable. Uneasy.

While I am at work and a pit is around, I'm a little closer to my weapons than when another dog is around.
Zstomp, a former teacher of mine has German Shepards and he says his are REALLY domesticated and won't bite, but normal ones without any care/nurturing will bite a person if it gets near them, so who would win? A German Shepard or a Pit Bull.

I know a Golden Retriever would own all of them, because in that movie Homward Bound, the Golden Retriever beat up a BEAR and the pit bull got pwn3d by a hedgehog.

[ZStomp]

I have no idea.... ?????

[E20]

I have no idea.... ?????
I thought you made dogs fight each other.

[ALVAREZ6]

A german Sheppard would eat a pit bull if it were angry.

[dallaskd]

I could eat a pit bull if i were angry enough.

[ALVAREZ6]

http://files.myopera.com/j.leigh/blog/103_4736-1.JPG

[NorCal510]

Pits are so small, who cares. If they attack you, you have every right in the world to defend yourself, kill the dog if necessary. An owner who can't control his or her pet is a piece of shit, don't feel sorry for taking a dog's life if it attacked you first. Kick to the face/neck really hard as if you were kicking a JV field goal should knock a small pit pretty good, if it comes back stomp it's head into the ground, American History X style.
you talk like you could take a pit

i bet it would tear you apart
you'd panic while its ripping up your skin. trust me, a pit would get you. the only way is to jump on top of a car.

i have experience, i have gotten my share of dog attacks.

[E20]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JSm6siIDj70
Pitbull vs German Shepherd.........vicious.

[dallaskd]

:wtf

[ZStomp]

I thought you made dogs fight each other.


Where did you get that from?

[dallaskd]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IgK7K-NzWRQ

[TxJudsonRocketTx]

you talk like you could take a pit
i have experience, i have gotten my share of dog attacks.

Stop trying to shove your tiny cock in them then you dumbass

[ALVAREZ6]

you talk like you could take a pit

i bet it would tear you apart
you'd panic while its ripping up your skin. trust me, a pit would get you. the only way is to jump on top of a car.

i have experience, i have gotten my share of dog attacks.I could.


When it's running up within reach I'll give it a powerful Argentine futbol kick to the head and continue stomping on it. I'm very aware that once Pit bulls bite they hold on like motherfuckers...if it managed to bite my leg I'd either stomp on it with the other or I'd get down on the floor almost as if I'm kneeling and kneel my whole body onto it's neck while clubbing it with both my arms. Once I have that thing on the ground after a bite, sure it'll hurt but if a dog is biting me I'm sure my adrenaline will kick in and with all my body on it's neck I'll keep it from budging too much so I can rip it's eyes out with my fingers.

Sure, I could take a pit bull.

[E20]

Where did you get that from?
I don't know........


If I harass/mess with a Cop on the internet, can I get arressted in real life?

[ALVAREZ6]

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75488

[ZStomp]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JSm6siIDj70
Pitbull vs German Shepherd.........vicious.


Damn, I was expecting the worse.

[ZStomp]

If you mess/harass ANYONE enough on the internet you can be arrested.

[ALVAREZ6]

Fuck...stop posting these links where I'm expecting to see a blood bash of dogs and end up seeing some pussy shit.

[E20]

If you mess/harass ANYONE enough on the internet you can be arrested.
Hmmmmmmmmmm..................... :lol

Well I was talking about the way E20 harasses people on the net, but I don't wanna get arressted.

[dallaskd]

refer the cops to the midge thread.

[nsrammstein]

I always carry an aluminum baseball bat inside of my car, so if a pit came at me I would knock his ass out with the bat.

[ShoogarBear]

I always carry an aluminum baseball bat inside of my car, so if a pit came at me I would knock his ass out with the bat.Do you always keep your car handy?

[E20]

I always carry an aluminum baseball bat inside of my car, so if a pit came at me I would knock his ass out with the bat.
I'm listening to Reise Reise right now.

[nsrammstein]

Do you always keep your car handy?

Yes, my fatass is too lazy to walk.


I'm listening to Reise Reise right now.

Good song, specially live.

[mavs>spurs2]

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2007/jan/11/pit-bull-attacks-mother-daughter/?printer=1/

..and yet another story found online.. tsk, tsk...

courierpress.com
Pit bull attacks mother, daughter

By KATE BRASER
Courier & Press staff writer 464-7622 or [email protected]
Originally published 12:00 a.m., January 11, 2007
Updated 10:51 a.m., January 11, 2007

While a mother and daughter underwent treatment at Deaconess Hospital for wounds inflicted during a vicious attack by their own dog, neighbors couldn't shake images of Wednesday morning's bloody mauling.

Some wished they could have done more to help 20-year-old Tia Franz, who reportedly screamed for help as she cowered in her back yard while Felony, a white 2-year-old pit bull, relentlessly ripped at the flesh on her arms and chest.
Others let their eyes and concerns wander to other pit bulls on the block. At least three stood nearby: Only one was leashed.

The victims, Susan C. James, 39, and her daughter, Franz, were taken from their home at 1216 Harriet St. to Deaconess Hospital with injuries police described as "extreme."

Police said James has severe injuries to her hands and arms, and Franz has severe injuries to her hands, arms, chest, abdomen and right side.

Medical personnel told police both victims would require surgery, but Deaconess personnel said they could not release information about the women's conditions.

For Miranda Kirby, it all began shortly after 8 a.m., when she heard screams. Kirby stepped outside and saw James bleeding, then called police.

Back outside, Kirby found Franz pleading for help while the dog was "swinging (Franz) around like a rag doll." Kirby tried to throw whatever she could find at the dog, but the canine was not deterred.

Robert Stotlar said he felt helpless. "No matter what, the dog just kept digging in and tearing," said Stotlar. "That dog was determined to do damage."

Police officers had to fire several times before the dog released its grip. It died from the gunshots.

The women told officers the attack started after they got into an argument. The dog lunged at James first. Franz tried to get the dog away from her mother, but it turned on Franz and chased her through three rooms and into the back yard.

Hours after the attack, the porch was spattered with drops of blood as neighbors gathered nearby to talk.

Jennifer Walker said it looked "like a murder scene."

"It looked so bad I had to turn away at one point. I thought I was going to get sick," Walker said.

Stotlar said Felony roamed free at times, but his owners told concerned neighbors Felony was a family pet, a good dog with no previous aggression.

"Something like that I'm not going to forget," Stotlar said, staring into the back yard where he watched Franz trying to fight the dog off. "I wish I could have done something for her. After awhile, I just started getting sick. I had to walk away."

Animal Control Superintendent Tom Hayden said he has received no previous complaints about the dog.

"We had people tell us while we were there that the dog was never vicious or dangerous, but the thing people don't understand is that the dog has a hierarchy of its surroundings and domain," he explained. "It's like if you saw your children fighting. What would you do as a parent? You'd get in the middle and separate them."

Hayden said the attack marked the first this year; but he also gave it a more dubious distinction.

"It's up in the top percentage of (violent dog attacks), based on the severity of the two individuals' injuries," he said.

Evansville's new animal control ordinance, which was recently adopted, does not ban the ownership of pit bulls.

A study cited by the Centers for Disease Control analyzed fatal dog attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. Pit bull-types had the most, 76, followed by Rottweilers, 44, and German shepherds, 27. Some cities, such as Denver, have banned pit bulls.

The number of pit bull attacks is high compared with other breeds simply because there are more of them, breed advocates say.

Nowhere is that more evident than in the city's shelter. Of the 1,500 animals adopted last year, at least 75 percent were pit bulls or a pit bull-mix. But animal advocates say the problem is often irresponsible owners, rather than the dogs.

Whether those dogs became aggressive or a playmate is up to the owner, Kendall Paul, Vanderburgh Humane Society director said last year.

"A gun, in the wrong hands, is lethal," she said.

Aren't you a police officer? And you seriously think pit bulls are more dangerous than the German Shepards you guys use in the force? In my experiences, i've heard of way more unprovoked german shepard attacks than pit bulls. I think the problem is that a pit bull has a much stronger bite and when they attack it can easily become fatal.

[Bigzax]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JSm6siIDj70
Pitbull vs German Shepherd.........vicious.


:lol

[TheSanityAnnex]

Some wished they could have done more to help 20-year-old Tia Franz, who reportedly screamed for help as she cowered in her back yard while Felony, a white 2-year-old pit bull, relentlessly ripped at the flesh on her arms and chest.
:lmao..........Only wonderful responsible dog owners name their dog "Felony".

[TheSanityAnnex]

Whether those dogs became aggressive or a playmate is up to the owner, Kendall Paul, Vanderburgh Humane Society director said last year.

"A gun, in the wrong hands, is lethal," she said.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

We should nuke all pit bulls.

[ZStomp]

"Whether those dogs became aggressive or a playmate is up to the owner, Kendall Paul, Vanderburgh Humane Society director said last year.

If this is true then it should be true to all breeds of dogs, not just pit bulls, right? So why don't we hear more stories of "Doberman pinscher attacks owner and almost kills him."??

[ALVAREZ6]

Dobermans are the shittiest fuckhead breed of all time. Everyone rags on pits, but Dobermans are true asshole motherfucking retards. Let's nuke all dobermans.

[ZStomp]

Or any dog!

[ALVAREZ6]

Well without the German sheps, your department is nothing but a bunch of racist vaginas.

[ZStomp]

uhhh...ok

[ALVAREZ6]

I joke.

[TheSanityAnnex]

"Whether those dogs became aggressive or a playmate is up to the owner, Kendall Paul, Vanderburgh Humane Society director said last year.

If this is true then it should be true to all breeds of dogs, not just pit bulls, right? So why don't we hear more stories of "Doberman pinscher attacks owner and almost kills him."??This is true for all breeds. The reason you don't hear about more attacks is because...........

1. the media is all about the "pitbull" at the moment.
2. the pitbull is the "in" dog for low life fucks at the moment.

Look back 20 years ago when Doberman's were popular and you will see the same. Look even further and you will see the same for German Shepards.

With you being a cop, I'm surprised you haven't heard of the growing amount of American Pitbull Terriers being used to assist your fellow officers.

[ALVAREZ6]

This is true for all breeds. The reason you don't hear about more attacks is because...........

1. the media is all about the "pitbull" at the moment.
2. the pitbull is the "in" dog for low life fucks at the moment.

Look back 20 years ago when Doberman's were popular and you will see the same.Plus, the pit bull movement has significantly impacted the low life fucks' trend of listening to reggaeton. I never used to have to watch out for the "bbrrrrrraaaaaaaattttt!"

[TheSanityAnnex]

reggaeton?



I'm outta here.

[ZStomp]

This is true for all breeds. The reason you don't hear about more attacks is because...........

1. the media is all about the "pitbull" at the moment.
2. the pitbull is the "in" dog for low life fucks at the moment.

Look back 20 years ago when Doberman's were popular and you will see the same. Look even further and you will see the same for German Shepards.

With you being a cop, I'm surprised you haven't heard of the growing amount of American Pitbull Terriers being used to assist your fellow officers.

I have yet to see a pitbull assisting our K9 unit. I don't think they have one.

[sabar]

rottweilers kill more people that pitbulls. Pitbulls are the "in" dog, the media child. You're blind if you can't look at the stats and see it. I don't care what anyone personally thinks or what their biased media-fed eyes see, facts are facts. German shepards are right behind in 3rd for most fatal attacks.

Who the hell cares anyways. An average of 25 people die a year from dogs while thousands are murdered by humans. I'm more paranoid about random people on the street than someone's pet.

[lebomb]

rottweilers kill more people that pitbulls. Pitbulls are the "in" dog, the media child. You're blind if you can't look at the stats and see it. I don't care what anyone personally thinks or what their biased media-fed eyes see, facts are facts. German shepards are right behind in 3rd for most fatal attacks.

Who the hell cares anyways. An average of 25 people die a year from dogs while thousands are murdered by humans. I'm more paranoid about random people on the street than someone's pet.


Fatal Dog Attacks

This pie chart shows the number of fatal dog attacks from
1979 to 1998. The number of attacks, by breed, is in red;
the percentage of the total number is in black.

Other breeds 55 (23%)
Malamute 15 (6.3%)
Husky type 21 (8.8%)
German shepherd 27 (11.4%)
Rottweiler 44 (18.5%)
Pit bull 76 (32%)

Number of fatal dog attacks from 1979 to 1988: 238

Note: Table made from pie chart.

Source: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association,
USA Today


The chances of dying of fatal dog bites is less likely than it is to be killed by lightning, according to federal statistics. Despite this factor, dog bites are an unrecognized public health problem that affects an estimated five million people every year. Of the five million people attacked by dogs annually, most of the victims are children.

Between five and 20 people a year will suffer from fatal dog bites, but just because the mortality rate for the injury is not high does not mean injuries suffered do not have severe consequences. Even nonfatal dog bites can leave a lasting impact.

In some communities, the high frequency of dog bites has alarmed residents and struck fear in many. According to The American Veterinary Medical Association, which compiles statistics nationwide, they expect about 4.7 million dog bites in the United States throughout 2005, indicating the number of nonfatal and fatal dog bites is not declining. Of those estimated to suffer from nonfatal dog bites, about 800,000 require medical attention.

Between 1979 and 1996, there were 199 reported fatal dog bites in the U.S., with the leading breed causing the deaths being the pit bull, accounting for 60 of the deaths. In a 1994 case control study of risk factors seeking to determine dog-specific factors independently associated with a dog biting a non-household member, the authors concluded pediatricians should advise parents that failure to neuter a dog and selection of male dogs and certain breeds may increase the risk of a nonfatal or fatal dog bite. Even though the study was over a decade ago, the same high number of Americans is suffering from nonfatal and fatal dog bites today.



...............I couldnt find a dayum thing in the last 10yrs about dog attacks....but what I found showed that Pitbulls kill far more than any other breed of dog.

Also, here in San Antonio........the only breed of dog Ive seen in the last few years that has KILLED people has been the Pitbull period. :rolleyes

[samikeyp]

FWIW, I took my wife's car to have the transmission looked at on Saturday and the owner of the garage had a pit bull walking around the place. One of the nicest, friendliest dogs I have seen.

All animals can be violent, but its what their dumbass owners do to them that brings it out.

[lebomb]

FWIW, I took my wife's car to have the transmission looked at on Saturday and the owner of the garage had a pit bull walking around the place. One of the nicest, friendliest dogs I have seen.

All animals can be violent, but its what their dumbass owners do to them that brings it out.


Do you read any of the reports after a Pitbull attack? The overwhelming majority of them were claimed by the owner and neighbors that the Pitbull was friendly and didnt show any aggression to anyone.

The next day that transmission shop probably had a Pitbull mauling case on their hands. :rolleyes

[TheSanityAnnex]

Do you read any of the reports after a Pitbull attack? The overwhelming majority of them were claimed by the owner and neighbors that the Pitbull was friendly and didnt show any aggression to anyone.

Since you seem to be an expert on the subject, why not post the overwhelming majority of these people that claimed they were friendly?

[sabar]

Fatal Dog Attacks

This pie chart shows the number of fatal dog attacks from
1979 to 1998. The number of attacks, by breed, is in red;
the percentage of the total number is in black.

Other breeds 55 (23%)
Malamute 15 (6.3%)
Husky type 21 (8.8%)
German shepherd 27 (11.4%)
Rottweiler 44 (18.5%)
Pit bull 76 (32%)

Number of fatal dog attacks from 1979 to 1988: 238

Note: Table made from pie chart.

Source: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association,
USA Today


The chances of dying of fatal dog bites is less likely than it is to be killed by lightning, according to federal statistics. Despite this factor, dog bites are an unrecognized public health problem that affects an estimated five million people every year. Of the five million people attacked by dogs annually, most of the victims are children.

Between five and 20 people a year will suffer from fatal dog bites, but just because the mortality rate for the injury is not high does not mean injuries suffered do not have severe consequences. Even nonfatal dog bites can leave a lasting impact.

In some communities, the high frequency of dog bites has alarmed residents and struck fear in many. According to The American Veterinary Medical Association, which compiles statistics nationwide, they expect about 4.7 million dog bites in the United States throughout 2005, indicating the number of nonfatal and fatal dog bites is not declining. Of those estimated to suffer from nonfatal dog bites, about 800,000 require medical attention.

Between 1979 and 1996, there were 199 reported fatal dog bites in the U.S., with the leading breed causing the deaths being the pit bull, accounting for 60 of the deaths. In a 1994 case control study of risk factors seeking to determine dog-specific factors independently associated with a dog biting a non-household member, the authors concluded pediatricians should advise parents that failure to neuter a dog and selection of male dogs and certain breeds may increase the risk of a nonfatal or fatal dog bite. Even though the study was over a decade ago, the same high number of Americans is suffering from nonfatal and fatal dog bites today.



...............I couldnt find a dayum thing in the last 10yrs about dog attacks....but what I found showed that Pitbulls kill far more than any other breed of dog.

Also, here in San Antonio........the only breed of dog Ive seen in the last few years that has KILLED people has been the Pitbull period. :rolleyesBecause Pitbull isn't a breed of dog, it is a type and these people lump them all into the same category, not to mention they count crossbred and purebred stats.

Look at the 2000 study using 20 years of data:


Conclusions—Although fatal attacks on humans
appear to be a breed-specific problem (pit bull-type
dogs and Rottweilers), other breeds may bite and
cause fatalities at higher rates. Because of difficulties
inherent in determining a dog’s breed with certainty,
enforcement of breed-specific ordinances raises constitutional
and practical issues. Fatal attacks represent
a small proportion of dog bite injuries to humans and,
therefore, should not be the primary factor driving
public policy concerning dangerous dogs. Many practical
alternatives to breed-specific ordinances exist and
hold promise for prevention of dog bites. (J Am Vet
Med Assoc 2000;217:836–840)
Yeah, and how many media stoies have you read about Rottweilers? 0?

From 1993-1998, 15 people died to pit-bull-types and 30 to Rottweilers.

Face it, the "pitbull problem" is a media frenzy, just like shark attacks. The animals kill combined 40 people a year and we return the favor by culling off 3 million. People are more in a hype over pitbulls than they are over wolves.

[Bigzax]

when all the high and mighty pitbull advocates have kids, they'll change their tune.

it's easy to talk shit when you aren't in the pit.

[lebomb]

Since you seem to be an expert on the subject, why not post the overwhelming majority of these people that claimed they were friendly?

OK.....here you go smartass! One example I knew of. PLEASE READ BOLD SENTENCES

A 12-year-old boy left alone with his family's two pit bulls was mauled to death by the dogs Friday inside a Sunset District apartment in San Francisco, authorities said.

The boy, identified as Nicholas Scott Faibish, was attacked in a building across from Golden Gate Park by the 80-pound dogs, a male named Rex and a female named Ella.

The boy's mother, Maureen Faibish, arrived home at 711 Lincoln Way about 3:15 p.m. to discover the tragedy, investigators said.

"Get them out of here!'' she screamed over and over, neighbor Donna Castelli said. Another neighbor heard the commotion, ran outside and saw the mother, covered in blood, through her apartment window.

A police officer shot and killed Ella when the dog prevented him from entering the apartment, a police spokesman said. The other dog was captured in the backyard and taken to the animal shelter.

Paramedics tried and failed to resuscitate the boy at the scene. Investigators would not say whether he was alive when his mother found him.

There was no immediate explanation for what triggered the dogs' attack.

Shocked neighbors said the dogs were often friendly, affectionate and well-behaved.

"The dogs were sweethearts,'' said Art Austin, Castelli's husband. "I never thought they were vicious. They were really nice. I would pet them, and my wife would kiss them on the forehead.''

But 13-year-old neighbor Aaron Vinnik said he saw the dogs regularly and they were not always well-behaved.

"The dogs barked at us, and one of them, the white-and-brown one, he came (at) us," Aaron said.

He said the dogs were "sometimes nice, sometimes mean.''

Veterinarian Robert Arrick, who had treated the pit bulls at Park Animal Hospital, said he and his staff "never had a bad experience with them.''

He said the boy's father, Steve Faibish, "walked (the dogs) up and down Ninth Avenue, in and out of stores -- there was never any problem.

"They were Steve's dogs, really," Arrick said. "I never saw the mother with the dogs. I don't think they were ever given obedience training per se.

"I have no idea what happened in that house -- it just boggles the mind. These seemed like the nicest dogs -- it's that old conundrum about pit bulls.''

Maureen Faibish and other family members were interviewed by police Friday night and were not available for comment.

Dr. Carl Friedman, director of San Francisco Animal Care and Control, said at least one of the dogs had been in protective custody at the animal shelter about a year ago.

"I don't know exactly why,'' he said. "It didn't have anything to do with showing signs of aggression.''

Friedman said Rex was in the shelter Friday night, isolated from other dogs.

"He did seem to have blood on him," Friedman said. "He didn't seem injured in any way. He's a pretty big guy. He (wasn't) very aggressive in the vehicle.''

Friedman said pit bulls are notoriously unpredictable.

"You can ask 10 different people if they think pit bulls are inherently aggressive or not, and you will probably get 11 different answers,'' he said.

A teacher at Roosevelt Middle School, where Nicholas attended sixth grade, said the boy's family was planning to move to Oregon after the school year. The boy had not been to school on Friday, and a school attendance clerk who attempted to call the family home found the line had been disconnected.

Nick, as the teacher knew him, liked talking about his dogs, playing computer games and being with his friends, she said.

"He's so similar to all boys his age, very similar," said the teacher, who asked not to be identified. "I'm just devastated. This is just so unreal."

Diane Panagotacos, the principal at Roosevelt, said Friday night that Nicholas had adjusted well to middle school.

"I just remember freckles on him," she said. "I kind of remember him just being animated. I saw smiles on his face, that's what I remember. I remember a happy youngster. ... It's just so sad to hear the circumstances.

"We're having our eighth-grade dinner dance right now, and we haven't told any of the kids,'' Panagotacos said. "Monday, we will definitely need to deal with this -- grief counselors, whatever the kids and staff need." She put her hands over her face and began to cry.

Ony Ozonsi, an eighth-grader at Roosevelt, remembered Nicholas as a bubbly boy who stood out even to him, two grades ahead.

"He was a happy little kid,'' Ony said. "He liked to play with the other kids a lot and was always here after school."

Police Chief Heather Fong and Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White were among the authorities at the scene of the attack.

"It's a very tragic situation,'' Hayes-White said. "The city family offers its deepest sympathy and condolences.''

Nicholas lived in the apartment with his parents and a younger sister and brother.

A neighbor who lives in an adjacent building and asked not to be identified said she had called 911 after hearing Nicholas' mother screaming, "Help me! Help me!''

She ran out to a catwalk, looked through the Faibish family's window and saw that the mother's face and hands were covered with blood.

The neighbor said she had seen the dogs earlier Friday lounging in front of the two-story wood-shingled apartment building.

Castelli was among those who said the two dogs seemed tame. They would run around the backyard of the apartment building but were always on a leash when in public, she said.

"I'd kiss them on the forehead,'' Castelli said. "They were lovely dogs.''

Michelle O'Leary, a neighbor on Lincoln Way, said the pit bulls were puppies, not fully mature.

"They were nice dogs but rambunctious,'' she said. "They weren't as well socialized as they could be. They would come bounding and run up to you. They would come bounding and run up to my dog. They didn't seem to have social awareness.''

A man identified by neighbors as Nicholas' grandfather spoke briefly outside his residence on Lawton Street, a few blocks from where the boy lived. "I can't talk right now, I'm in a state of shock,'' he said.

[lebomb]

SAN ANTONIO -- A hospital spokeswoman said Tuesday that a 4-year-old girl survived a pit bull mauling Monday that left her with 50 dog bites.

A University Hospital spokeswoman said Katilyn is in good condition despite being bitten practically from head to toe.

A neighbor said a pit bull attacked Katilyn in the back yard of a home in the 7000 block of Ashdale.

Katilyn was found by her baby sitter, curled in a fetal position and bleeding profusely, authorities said.

Investigators said the pit bull is under observation along with a Great Dane that may have also joined in the attack.

The owner of the pit bull will not face a felony charge.

Jef Hale of Animal Care Services said the attack is a reminder for parents not to leave their child alone with an animal.

"Never leave a child alone with an animal," Hale said. "I don't care how well you know the animal. Always think of the child."





NEW: Police shoot pit bull after reported attacks

Web Posted: 03/11/2004 01:48 PM CST

Joe Conger
KENS 5 Eyewitness News

A police officer, called to the scene of a possible dog attack, shot a pit bull today on San Antonio's West Side.

Police were responding to a call near Perez and Murray Streets that a dog was loose and was terrorizing neighbors and other pets in the area.

While waiting for Animal Welfare officials to show up on the scene, police said they spotted the pit bull attacking another pet. That pet’s owner was trying to intervene in the attack.

With a school in the area, police said they couldn’t take any chances, so they fired and hit the dog once.

After being shot, the dog jumped into a police car through a open door and was then apprehended by Animal Welfare officials, police said.

The dog survived the incident, but will likely be put to sleep, police said.



Here are Pitbull attacks in 2007 alone.........and everyone thinks this dog is tame???

I guess all these Pitbulls had bad owners and handlers as well.

LMAO!!!

Date: 2007-08-05, 12:31PM PDT






Teen Survives Pit Bull Attack; Needs 900 Stitches July 28, 2007
Another Bay area pit bull attack July 27, 2007
Pit Bull Attacks UPS Driver July 24, 2007
Five pit bulls seized in attack in Alameda County park July 22, 2007
A spate of pit bull attacks in Reading - July 22, 2007
Horse Dies After Pit Bull Attack - July 19, 2007
Pit bull attacks 69-year-old woman: Pet dog killed - July 18, 2007
Woman's Face, Ear Injured In Pit Bull Attack - July 16, 2007
Two women injured in pit bull attack - July 12, 2007
Pit Bull Attacks 72 year old woman - July 14, 2007
Pit bull attacks elderly woman in Aloha - July 14, 2007
Pit bull attack injures Milpitas carrier July 7, 2007
Infant Recovering After Pit-Bull Attack - July 4, 2007
Pit bull Sexually Assaults Toddler
Homicide charges sought in pit-bull mauling death
Pit bull attacks 2 adults in southern Springs
Two miniature 5-year-old horses were killed by Pit bulls
25-year-old woman recovering pit bull attack in Lake County
Six people including two small children in pit bull attack
Pit Bull Attack In Fairfax County Ends In Gunfire
2 Pit Bulls killed Pomeranian + injured Australian shepherd
Elderly Roswell Woman Seriously Injured by Pit Bull
Woman Loses Finger in Pit Bull Attack
Woman Loses Finger in Pit Bull Attack
San Francisco Boy Killed in Pit Bull Attack
San Francisco Boy Killed in Pit Bull Attack
Therapy Dog Mauled in Pit Bull Attack
Pit bull mauls mother and daughter
Dog attacks, kills two other dogs in Virginia Beach
Yorkie Owner Traumatized by Pit Bull Attack
Pit Bull Attack - Florida Man Needs Over 2000 Stitches
D.C. Police Investigate Pit Bull Attack
10-year-old boy recovering from attack Sunday evening
Police shoot pit bull after it bites Redding man
Family Scarred By Shooting After Pit Bull Attack this weekend
Deadly dog attack in Orlando
Boy hurt when 'friendly' Pit Bull attacks
S.F. boy, 12, killed by his family's pit bulls
4-year-old hospitalized after being mauled by dog
Pit bulls kill 1-year-old in Bamberg
Man helps one pit bull, forced to shoot another
Cops Kill Pit Bull After It Attacks Officers
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. A man attacked by three pit bulls
Cop shoots at pit bull, wounds person
Drug Investigators Raid Sioux Falls House.....Shoot Pit Bull
10-year-old Colorado boy mauled by three Pit Bulls
Pit Bull Rampage Mauls Illinois Boy
Pit Bull Bites Neighbor, Dog
Vicious Pitbull Attacks Officer
Pit bull mauls 15-year-old girl in southeast Portland
Mother Charged After Boy, 8, Mauled By Dog
Toddler dies after pit bull attack
Corvallis man charged after pit bull bites and injures girl
Oregon man given medal for fighting off pit bull attack
15-year-old girl attacked by pit bull
Toddler recovering from dog dragging incident
Series of dog attacks in Minneapolis
Beaverton man stabs a Pit Bull to death to save his own dog
Pit bull bites Van Buren woman
Pit bull bites girl, 2, in face in West Toledo
13 year-old Boy attacked by neighbor's pit bull
Petaluma woman attacked second time by same pit bull
Dog's Death Renews Pit Bull Debate
71-Year-Old Mauled To Death While Gardening
Parents Sleep As Pup Chews Off Baby's Toes
Dog owner to put pit bull to sleep
Westside Man Attacked By Pit Bull Might Need Rabies Shots
Warden seizes dog that attacked 12-year-old boy
3-Year-Old Returns Home After Pit Bull Attack
Lancaster Deputy Attacked By Pit Bull
Pit Bulls Kill Race Horse
Pit Bulls Kill Small Dog Chained In Family's Yard
Pit Bulls Kill Poodle, Attack Woman Near Middle School
Pit Bull Chews Off Owner's Arms
Two Pit bulls maul and kill poodle and Attack women in Tustin
Pit Bull Victim Still Recovering 1 Year Later
Neighbor aids dog-bite victim - Man relates tale of pit bull's attack
4 Year old Survives Losing Scalp In Pit Bull Attack
Scarred girl's plea over dog attack
Cops Kept Busy With Pit Bull Attack & Dog On Highway
Pit bull attacks Roswell Woman
Man Shoots Pit Bull When It Tries To Attack
Fight for survival
Pit Bull Attacks Paramedic Treating Sick Man
Pit bull attack leaves man injured, his dog dead
Pit Bull Owners Sued by Injured 12 year old Boy's Mother
Pit bull attacks girl in Lynn
Indy man trying to stop pit bull attack is shot by dog's owner
Family Pit Bull attacks mother and child inside their Boise Home
Pit Bull Attacks Woman In Plaza Midwood Area
Man shot while interceding in pit bull attack
Pit bull fatally mauls 2-year-old girl
Charges filed in pit bull attack - Myrtle Beach
Pit bull mauls Roswell woman
Pit Bull Attacks Boy
Pit Bull Attacks Iowa Police Horse
Pit Bull Attacks, Kills Show Horse
Texas Woman Mauled to Death by Six Dogs
Porter's pit bulls kill miniature horse
Dogs Shot, Killed After They Attack Goat, Horse
Pit bull attacks police horse in Golden Gate Park; two injured
Pit bulls euthanized after mauling 90-year-old who died
Pit bull kills child and injures grandmother
Pit Bull Owner Sentenced For Mauling Death
5 year old Girl killed by pit bull terrier
Pit bull kills 91-year-old Detroit woman
Pit Bull Kills Child in Huntington
Pit Bulls Kill Owner In Home
Man loses arm in pit bull mauling
Dog Kills Month-old Infant Sleeping with Mom
Pit Bull Attack
Pictures of wounds from a pit bull attack
Pit bull attacks Racine student at school
Pit Bull Kills Big Isle tot, mauls mom
Missouri man sentenced in pit bull attacks
Pit Bull Kills 2 1/2-year-old California Boy
Dog attacks woman, police officer
Pit bull kills greyhound, injures another
71-year-old Ontario man attacked by three Pit Bulls
Pit bull kills 71-year-old in Kansas
Pit bull mauls Mount Carmel woman at Laurel Run Park
Pit bull kills pet goats
Pit bull attacks boy waiting for bus
Baltimore woman mauled by pit bulls
Pit bull attacks Mesa police officer during call
Dog owner fights off pit bull that leaped from roof
Two pit bulls attacked 12-year-old and 18-year-old
Pit bull attacks girls walking from the beach
Race horse euthanized after pit bulls attack
1 1/2-year-old boy mauled and Killed by family dog
Pit bull viciously attacks Roswell woman
Lexington woman mauled by pit bulls
Pit bulls attack woman
Two pit bulls attack woman in E. Balto
Woman loses finger in pit bull attack
Woman is in serious condition after pit bulls attack
Pit bull mauls Moultrie boy
Man, 62, Injured In Pit Bull Attack
Pit bull breaks into house and attacked Labrador Tuesday Night
Pit bull terrier attacks Waterloo horse patrol
Pit bull attacks student boarding bus in Detroit
City considers pit bull ban after incident
Pit Bull Attack Prompts Dog Fight
Dog Saved Child From Pit Bull Attack - Pit Broke Leash
Pit Bulls Attack Woman
2 pit bulls attack child, teen
Girl recovering after pit bull attack
Fontana pit bulls killed by police after attacking four people
Pit Bulls Attack Teen
Pit bull attacks boy
Woman Needs Plastic Surgery After Pit Bull Attack
Pit bull attack may cost six-year-old her arm
Pit Bull Jumps Through Car's Window, Attacks 11-Year-Old
Independence man sentenced for pit bull attacks in May
Pit Bulls Attack Woman
Pit Bull Attacks BellSouth Workers
Woman in fair condition after city mauling
Man Arrested In April 2007 Pit Bull Attack
City boy attacked by pit bull
Toddler Gets 57 Stitches In Face After Pit Bull Attack
Pit bull attacks resident - Sends local man to the hospital
Pit bull attack sends owner, son to hospital
Trio of pit bulls maul children, four adults
Shar-Pei/Terrier mix attacked by four pit bulls Monday night
Mail carrier attacked by three dogs on her route
Little boy's pony killed in pit bull attack in NE Houston
Man rescues lambs being attacked by pit bulls
Man fatally attacked by pit bull in Willis
Two young girls attacked by pit bulls
90-year-old San Antonio man attacked by pit bulls
KTVB Pit bull attacks 11-year-old in Boise
Father's Pit Bulls Kill 22-Month-Old Boy
Boy hospitalized after pit bull attack
Family Saves Boy, 2, From Pit Bull
Boy scared to walk to school due to dogs
Pit Bull Attacks Neighbor's Child NASHVILLE
Boys Mauled By Pit Bull; No Charges Brought
Vicious Pit Bull Kills Rockland Dog Sitter
Man Charged With Assault In Pit Bull Attacks
Pit-Bull Attack in McLaren Park
Pit bull attacks Knox Co. animal control officer
Conroe man kills attacking pit bull with bare hands
Pit Bull breaks loose and bites girl in St. Paul
Four Detroit students hurt in separate pit bull attacks
Four Detroit students hurt in separate pit bull attacks
Man hospitalized for 3 months after pit bull attack
Pit Bull Attacks 7 Year old in Independence
Pit Bull Bites 2 In Brookline
Neighbor saves young girl being attacked by dog
Pit bull attack led to the death of Wyandotte County man
Neighbors Save Elderly Man From Vicious Dog Attack
Pit bull attacks student boarding bus
Pit Bull Attacks 3 People On South Side Tucson
Pit Bulls Attacks SoCal Elderly Woman
Woman Mauled by pit injuries over 90% of her body
Pit bull attacks smaller dog in west-side neighborhood
Pit bull attacks girl, 8, playing in back yard
Pit bull attacks 3-year-old
Pit bull attacks same victim twice
Anna family destroys dog after girl bitten
Pit bull gnawed boy's foot, forcing amputation
Officer kills his pit bull as it attacks his little child
Pit owner fined $2,285 - Minister, wife still recovering
Dog-mauling victim's emotional scars linger
Pit Bulls Lead To Mail Service Suspension
One Dead, Another Injured, In Separate Dog Attacks
Woman Loses Ear In Pit Bull Attack
Colorado Woman Killed By Dog Pack
Tuttle boy attacked by pit bull dog
Owner Sentenced To Three Years For Dog Killing 82-Year-Old


These are only from July 2007

[lebomb]

LMAO!!!! This shit just happened.....guess what?? Pitbulls!!!

Web Posted: 08/07/2007 11:30 PM CDT

John Tedesco
Express-News

The two pit bulls on West Summit were either left in a fenced backyard or locked in a plastic kennel outside.

Either way, the dogs got out, and their owners were gone.

One dog was big and tan; the other was smaller, with white and brown fur.

Tuesday morning, the pit bulls spied Susan De La Garza and her 3-year-old daughter, Lola Efird, strolling by the house.

"They came charging up," De La Garza said. "I hit them with my purse. It was crazy."

One dog snapped at the girl's leg, scratching it as De La Garza yanked her daughter away. Neighbors, hearing the dogs barking and the mother and daughter screaming, yelled to distract the pit bulls. The animals ran away and neighbors called police.

At 9:49 a.m., San Antonio Police Officer Vince Cano was dispatched to the 1700 block of West Summit to deal with the reported animal attack. When Cano rolled up in his cruiser, he saw the crying girl, but her leg looked OK. Nearby, one of the pit bulls, ears flared back, eyed the policeman.

Cano knew this was a job for the city's animal control workers, who would have to snare the unsecured dogs. As he waited for animal control, Cano walked toward the house, where De La Garza had dropped her purse.

Something darted at him. It was one of the pit bulls. It didn't bark — it came at him silently.

Cano managed to draw his Glock semi-automatic pistol and squeeze off a round. Under department policy, police officers are allowed to fire their weapons at dangerous animals. Cano missed. The crack of gunfire echoed along the quiet street. The noise scared the dogs, which scampered away, and it scared the young girl, who started crying.

About 10 minutes later, the same thing happened. The big tan dog reappeared and lunged at Cano. The officer fired again. This time the bullet grazed the dog's head.

Frightened by the shot, both dogs scampered to the backyard of their owner's house by squeezing through the bars of a dark metal gate. The smaller pit bull made it, but when the larger tan dog tried jumping through, it got caught.

The gate had cross bars adorned with vertical, 4-inch long spikes. A small metallic ball topped each spike. The dog's inner thigh was pressed against one of the spikes.

Its haunches pinned, the dog hung upside down, yelping in pain and fear. It struggled to free itself, rested, and struggled again.

The danger had passed. Now Cano had a suffering animal on his hands.

There was little Cano could do to release the dog — he didn't have the proper equipment. The minutes dragged by as he and his sergeant, Lloyd Jackel, waited for animal control workers to arrive.

"I would help it out if I thought I wouldn't get bit, but I ain't getting bit," Jackel said.

This was hardly the first time the officers were called to deal with a dangerous animal. Jackel wasn't happy with the owner who left the dogs unwatched.

"People aren't held accountable for their animals," Jackel said. Now the dog was suffering and a scared little girl might have to get rabies shots, he said.

For the first hour, the pinned pit bull struggled to free itself, barking and yelping. Then the dog stopped struggling. It hung limply, not moving except for its shallow breaths.

At 11:30 a.m. — an hour and 40 minutes after they were called — three of the city's animal control workers arrived. Richard Mendez, wielding a pole with a noose, freed the comatose pit bull from the gate. Blood oozed from the dog's inner thigh, and the spike had broken off the gate.

Mendez loaded the dog into his truck, then went behind the fenced part of the property to capture the smaller, snarling dog.

The city workers said they weren't allowed to talk to the media. Later, animal control spokeswoman Lisa Norwood said the officers didn't immediately arrive because both dogs were no longer a threat. Workers are extremely busy, responding to between 30 and 60 calls a day, Norwood said.

"This is a crisis," Norwood said. "And it's not going to get any better until people are responsible and keep their animals contained."

Property records list the owner of the home as Harold Bartlett, but he lives at a different address, which suggests he rents out the house on West Summit. Bartlett didn't return a phone message Tuesday.

The big tan dog that had been wedged in the gate later died from his wounds. Norwood said it was killed immediately by the gunshot. She seemed unaware that it had been stuck in the gate.

One onlooker didn't care about the dog's yelps of pain.

"(Expletive) that dog," said De La Garza, the girl's mother. "He tried biting my daughter."

[ZStomp]

LMAO!!!! This shit just happened.....guess what?? Pitbulls!!!

Web Posted: 08/07/2007 11:30 PM CDT

John Tedesco
Express-News

The two pit bulls on West Summit were either left in a fenced backyard or locked in a plastic kennel outside.

Either way, the dogs got out, and their owners were gone.

One dog was big and tan; the other was smaller, with white and brown fur.

Tuesday morning, the pit bulls spied Susan De La Garza and her 3-year-old daughter, Lola Efird, strolling by the house.

"They came charging up," De La Garza said. "I hit them with my purse. It was crazy."

One dog snapped at the girl's leg, scratching it as De La Garza yanked her daughter away. Neighbors, hearing the dogs barking and the mother and daughter screaming, yelled to distract the pit bulls. The animals ran away and neighbors called police.

At 9:49 a.m., San Antonio Police Officer Vince Cano was dispatched to the 1700 block of West Summit to deal with the reported animal attack. When Cano rolled up in his cruiser, he saw the crying girl, but her leg looked OK. Nearby, one of the pit bulls, ears flared back, eyed the policeman.

Cano knew this was a job for the city's animal control workers, who would have to snare the unsecured dogs. As he waited for animal control, Cano walked toward the house, where De La Garza had dropped her purse.

Something darted at him. It was one of the pit bulls. It didn't bark — it came at him silently.

Cano managed to draw his Glock semi-automatic pistol and squeeze off a round. Under department policy, police officers are allowed to fire their weapons at dangerous animals. Cano missed. The crack of gunfire echoed along the quiet street. The noise scared the dogs, which scampered away, and it scared the young girl, who started crying.

About 10 minutes later, the same thing happened. The big tan dog reappeared and lunged at Cano. The officer fired again. This time the bullet grazed the dog's head.

Frightened by the shot, both dogs scampered to the backyard of their owner's house by squeezing through the bars of a dark metal gate. The smaller pit bull made it, but when the larger tan dog tried jumping through, it got caught.

The gate had cross bars adorned with vertical, 4-inch long spikes. A small metallic ball topped each spike. The dog's inner thigh was pressed against one of the spikes.

Its haunches pinned, the dog hung upside down, yelping in pain and fear. It struggled to free itself, rested, and struggled again.

The danger had passed. Now Cano had a suffering animal on his hands.

There was little Cano could do to release the dog — he didn't have the proper equipment. The minutes dragged by as he and his sergeant, Lloyd Jackel, waited for animal control workers to arrive.

"I would help it out if I thought I wouldn't get bit, but I ain't getting bit," Jackel said.

This was hardly the first time the officers were called to deal with a dangerous animal. Jackel wasn't happy with the owner who left the dogs unwatched.

"People aren't held accountable for their animals," Jackel said. Now the dog was suffering and a scared little girl might have to get rabies shots, he said.

For the first hour, the pinned pit bull struggled to free itself, barking and yelping. Then the dog stopped struggling. It hung limply, not moving except for its shallow breaths.

At 11:30 a.m. — an hour and 40 minutes after they were called — three of the city's animal control workers arrived. Richard Mendez, wielding a pole with a noose, freed the comatose pit bull from the gate. Blood oozed from the dog's inner thigh, and the spike had broken off the gate.

Mendez loaded the dog into his truck, then went behind the fenced part of the property to capture the smaller, snarling dog.

The city workers said they weren't allowed to talk to the media. Later, animal control spokeswoman Lisa Norwood said the officers didn't immediately arrive because both dogs were no longer a threat. Workers are extremely busy, responding to between 30 and 60 calls a day, Norwood said.

"This is a crisis," Norwood said. "And it's not going to get any better until people are responsible and keep their animals contained."

Property records list the owner of the home as Harold Bartlett, but he lives at a different address, which suggests he rents out the house on West Summit. Bartlett didn't return a phone message Tuesday.

The big tan dog that had been wedged in the gate later died from his wounds. Norwood said it was killed immediately by the gunshot. She seemed unaware that it had been stuck in the gate.

One onlooker didn't care about the dog's yelps of pain.

"(Expletive) that dog," said De La Garza, the girl's mother. "He tried biting my daughter."


PITBULLS once again...:( tsk, tsk

[TheSanityAnnex]

Here are Pitbull attacks in 2007 alone.........and everyone thinks this dog is tame???

I guess all these Pitbulls had bad owners and handlers as well.

LMAO!!!

Date: 2007-08-05, 12:31PM PDT






Teen Survives Pit Bull Attack; Needs 900 Stitches July 28, 2007
Another Bay area pit bull attack July 27, 2007
Pit Bull Attacks UPS Driver July 24, 2007
Five pit bulls seized in attack in Alameda County park July 22, 2007
A spate of pit bull attacks in Reading - July 22, 2007
Horse Dies After Pit Bull Attack - July 19, 2007
Pit bull attacks 69-year-old woman: Pet dog killed - July 18, 2007
Woman's Face, Ear Injured In Pit Bull Attack - July 16, 2007
Two women injured in pit bull attack - July 12, 2007
Pit Bull Attacks 72 year old woman - July 14, 2007
Pit bull attacks elderly woman in Aloha - July 14, 2007
Pit bull attack injures Milpitas carrier July 7, 2007
Infant Recovering After Pit-Bull Attack - July 4, 2007
Pit bull Sexually Assaults Toddler
Homicide charges sought in pit-bull mauling death
Pit bull attacks 2 adults in southern Springs
Two miniature 5-year-old horses were killed by Pit bulls
25-year-old woman recovering pit bull attack in Lake County
Six people including two small children in pit bull attack
Pit Bull Attack In Fairfax County Ends In Gunfire
2 Pit Bulls killed Pomeranian + injured Australian shepherd
Elderly Roswell Woman Seriously Injured by Pit Bull
Woman Loses Finger in Pit Bull Attack
Woman Loses Finger in Pit Bull Attack
San Francisco Boy Killed in Pit Bull Attack
San Francisco Boy Killed in Pit Bull Attack
Therapy Dog Mauled in Pit Bull Attack
Pit bull mauls mother and daughter
Dog attacks, kills two other dogs in Virginia Beach
Yorkie Owner Traumatized by Pit Bull Attack
Pit Bull Attack - Florida Man Needs Over 2000 Stitches
D.C. Police Investigate Pit Bull Attack
10-year-old boy recovering from attack Sunday evening
Police shoot pit bull after it bites Redding man
Family Scarred By Shooting After Pit Bull Attack this weekend
Deadly dog attack in Orlando
Boy hurt when 'friendly' Pit Bull attacks
S.F. boy, 12, killed by his family's pit bulls
4-year-old hospitalized after being mauled by dog
Pit bulls kill 1-year-old in Bamberg
Man helps one pit bull, forced to shoot another
Cops Kill Pit Bull After It Attacks Officers
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. A man attacked by three pit bulls
Cop shoots at pit bull, wounds person
Drug Investigators Raid Sioux Falls House.....Shoot Pit Bull
10-year-old Colorado boy mauled by three Pit Bulls
Pit Bull Rampage Mauls Illinois Boy
Pit Bull Bites Neighbor, Dog
Vicious Pitbull Attacks Officer
Pit bull mauls 15-year-old girl in southeast Portland
Mother Charged After Boy, 8, Mauled By Dog
Toddler dies after pit bull attack
Corvallis man charged after pit bull bites and injures girl
Oregon man given medal for fighting off pit bull attack
15-year-old girl attacked by pit bull
Toddler recovering from dog dragging incident
Series of dog attacks in Minneapolis
Beaverton man stabs a Pit Bull to death to save his own dog
Pit bull bites Van Buren woman
Pit bull bites girl, 2, in face in West Toledo
13 year-old Boy attacked by neighbor's pit bull
Petaluma woman attacked second time by same pit bull
Dog's Death Renews Pit Bull Debate
71-Year-Old Mauled To Death While Gardening
Parents Sleep As Pup Chews Off Baby's Toes
Dog owner to put pit bull to sleep
Westside Man Attacked By Pit Bull Might Need Rabies Shots
Warden seizes dog that attacked 12-year-old boy
3-Year-Old Returns Home After Pit Bull Attack
Lancaster Deputy Attacked By Pit Bull
Pit Bulls Kill Race Horse
Pit Bulls Kill Small Dog Chained In Family's Yard
Pit Bulls Kill Poodle, Attack Woman Near Middle School
Pit Bull Chews Off Owner's Arms
Two Pit bulls maul and kill poodle and Attack women in Tustin
Pit Bull Victim Still Recovering 1 Year Later
Neighbor aids dog-bite victim - Man relates tale of pit bull's attack
4 Year old Survives Losing Scalp In Pit Bull Attack
Scarred girl's plea over dog attack
Cops Kept Busy With Pit Bull Attack & Dog On Highway
Pit bull attacks Roswell Woman
Man Shoots Pit Bull When It Tries To Attack
Fight for survival
Pit Bull Attacks Paramedic Treating Sick Man
Pit bull attack leaves man injured, his dog dead
Pit Bull Owners Sued by Injured 12 year old Boy's Mother
Pit bull attacks girl in Lynn
Indy man trying to stop pit bull attack is shot by dog's owner
Family Pit Bull attacks mother and child inside their Boise Home
Pit Bull Attacks Woman In Plaza Midwood Area
Man shot while interceding in pit bull attack
Pit bull fatally mauls 2-year-old girl
Charges filed in pit bull attack - Myrtle Beach
Pit bull mauls Roswell woman
Pit Bull Attacks Boy
Pit Bull Attacks Iowa Police Horse
Pit Bull Attacks, Kills Show Horse
Texas Woman Mauled to Death by Six Dogs
Porter's pit bulls kill miniature horse
Dogs Shot, Killed After They Attack Goat, Horse
Pit bull attacks police horse in Golden Gate Park; two injured
Pit bulls euthanized after mauling 90-year-old who died
Pit bull kills child and injures grandmother
Pit Bull Owner Sentenced For Mauling Death
5 year old Girl killed by pit bull terrier
Pit bull kills 91-year-old Detroit woman
Pit Bull Kills Child in Huntington
Pit Bulls Kill Owner In Home
Man loses arm in pit bull mauling
Dog Kills Month-old Infant Sleeping with Mom
Pit Bull Attack
Pictures of wounds from a pit bull attack
Pit bull attacks Racine student at school
Pit Bull Kills Big Isle tot, mauls mom
Missouri man sentenced in pit bull attacks
Pit Bull Kills 2 1/2-year-old California Boy
Dog attacks woman, police officer
Pit bull kills greyhound, injures another
71-year-old Ontario man attacked by three Pit Bulls
Pit bull kills 71-year-old in Kansas
Pit bull mauls Mount Carmel woman at Laurel Run Park
Pit bull kills pet goats
Pit bull attacks boy waiting for bus
Baltimore woman mauled by pit bulls
Pit bull attacks Mesa police officer during call
Dog owner fights off pit bull that leaped from roof
Two pit bulls attacked 12-year-old and 18-year-old
Pit bull attacks girls walking from the beach
Race horse euthanized after pit bulls attack
1 1/2-year-old boy mauled and Killed by family dog
Pit bull viciously attacks Roswell woman
Lexington woman mauled by pit bulls
Pit bulls attack woman
Two pit bulls attack woman in E. Balto
Woman loses finger in pit bull attack
Woman is in serious condition after pit bulls attack
Pit bull mauls Moultrie boy
Man, 62, Injured In Pit Bull Attack
Pit bull breaks into house and attacked Labrador Tuesday Night
Pit bull terrier attacks Waterloo horse patrol
Pit bull attacks student boarding bus in Detroit
City considers pit bull ban after incident
Pit Bull Attack Prompts Dog Fight
Dog Saved Child From Pit Bull Attack - Pit Broke Leash
Pit Bulls Attack Woman
2 pit bulls attack child, teen
Girl recovering after pit bull attack
Fontana pit bulls killed by police after attacking four people
Pit Bulls Attack Teen
Pit bull attacks boy
Woman Needs Plastic Surgery After Pit Bull Attack
Pit bull attack may cost six-year-old her arm
Pit Bull Jumps Through Car's Window, Attacks 11-Year-Old
Independence man sentenced for pit bull attacks in May
Pit Bulls Attack Woman
Pit Bull Attacks BellSouth Workers
Woman in fair condition after city mauling
Man Arrested In April 2007 Pit Bull Attack
City boy attacked by pit bull
Toddler Gets 57 Stitches In Face After Pit Bull Attack
Pit bull attacks resident - Sends local man to the hospital
Pit bull attack sends owner, son to hospital
Trio of pit bulls maul children, four adults
Shar-Pei/Terrier mix attacked by four pit bulls Monday night
Mail carrier attacked by three dogs on her route
Little boy's pony killed in pit bull attack in NE Houston
Man rescues lambs being attacked by pit bulls
Man fatally attacked by pit bull in Willis
Two young girls attacked by pit bulls
90-year-old San Antonio man attacked by pit bulls
KTVB Pit bull attacks 11-year-old in Boise
Father's Pit Bulls Kill 22-Month-Old Boy
Boy hospitalized after pit bull attack
Family Saves Boy, 2, From Pit Bull
Boy scared to walk to school due to dogs
Pit Bull Attacks Neighbor's Child NASHVILLE
Boys Mauled By Pit Bull; No Charges Brought
Vicious Pit Bull Kills Rockland Dog Sitter
Man Charged With Assault In Pit Bull Attacks
Pit-Bull Attack in McLaren Park
Pit bull attacks Knox Co. animal control officer
Conroe man kills attacking pit bull with bare hands
Pit Bull breaks loose and bites girl in St. Paul
Four Detroit students hurt in separate pit bull attacks
Four Detroit students hurt in separate pit bull attacks
Man hospitalized for 3 months after pit bull attack
Pit Bull Attacks 7 Year old in Independence
Pit Bull Bites 2 In Brookline
Neighbor saves young girl being attacked by dog
Pit bull attack led to the death of Wyandotte County man
Neighbors Save Elderly Man From Vicious Dog Attack
Pit bull attacks student boarding bus
Pit Bull Attacks 3 People On South Side Tucson
Pit Bulls Attacks SoCal Elderly Woman
Woman Mauled by pit injuries over 90% of her body
Pit bull attacks smaller dog in west-side neighborhood
Pit bull attacks girl, 8, playing in back yard
Pit bull attacks 3-year-old
Pit bull attacks same victim twice
Anna family destroys dog after girl bitten
Pit bull gnawed boy's foot, forcing amputation
Officer kills his pit bull as it attacks his little child
Pit owner fined $2,285 - Minister, wife still recovering
Dog-mauling victim's emotional scars linger
Pit Bulls Lead To Mail Service Suspension
One Dead, Another Injured, In Separate Dog Attacks
Woman Loses Ear In Pit Bull Attack
Colorado Woman Killed By Dog Pack
Tuttle boy attacked by pit bull dog
Owner Sentenced To Three Years For Dog Killing 82-Year-Old


These are only from July 2007
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

Go to this website and properly identify the Pitbull. I'm guessing you won't. Now look at all those dogs, which are pure breeds, and tell me how similar they look to the American Pitbull Terrier. The media labels any dog with a broad head a Pitbull, and you believe them.

20+ breeds are often misidentified as the American Pitbull Terrier. It's safe to assume many of those you listed above were not American Pitbull Terriers.

[E20]

TSA got owned.

[Spicoli]

Pitbulls are nice.

[TheSanityAnnex]

How come we never hear about the mistreatment of these dogs?

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/sadreality/1.php

[Spicoli]

E20 can't drive.

[E20]

How come we never hear about the mistreatment of these dogs?

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/sadreality/1.php
Because no one gives a shit about Pitbulls. The bad outweighs the good.

[TheSanityAnnex]

"He's a little ball of fire" says U.S. Customs officer J.J. Trevino of Popsicle (Receiving a significant Seizure medal in March)

During an arrest two years ago, Buffalo policeman Ron Clark, Jr. opened an abandoned freezer on a known drug dealer's back porch and found a bulging black garbage bag. "I poked my flashlight at it," he recalls, "and it started moving. My worst fear was that it was a baby."
In fact, it was a puppy, a pit bull who would be known as Popsicle and -- in a lovely ironic twist-- would gain fame for sniffing out the kind of bad guy that nearly killed him.

One year ago, Popsicle helped the feds seize 3,075 pounds of cocaine from a pineapple-laden truck at the Mexican border-the biggest drug bust ever at the Hidalgo, Texas, port of entry. "It's astounding the obstacles this dog has overcome," says US Customs Service Commissioner Raymond W. Kelley.

The Pitbull Puppy was skin and bones when he arrived at the Animal Hospital.


When Officer Clark found the wounded, blood-caked animal who had apparently been used in pit bull fights, he was undernourished, hypothermic and near death.

"He was in bad shape, but I was drawn to him," says SPCA adoption counselor Shannon Willie, who name the pup Popsicle. Alas, people who visited the shelter looking to adopt a puppy were put off by his breed's reputation. They would take one look at the pit bull and walk away.

When Popsicle regained his strength, the shelter contacted US Customs canine-enforcement officer Sally Barr. It was a long shot, but maybe he would qualify for the dog training school in Front Royal, VA.

Of 500 dogs Barr has tested in the last three years, only 4 have made the cut. "You want a dog that plays a terrific tug-of-war," says Barr. Popsicle did, and in February 1998 he graduated at the top of his class and became a celebrated alumnus two months later by detecting the record contraband cache under a tractor-trailer.

"You have to imagine him," says US Customs canine handler J.J. Trevino ,"on his hind legs, barking, trying to reach up to the bottom of the truck."

Back in Buffalo, where the bad guy eventually got off with probation for animal cruelty, Ron Clark remains awed by Popsicle's comeback. "I still don't know why I opened that refrigerator," says Clark. "But it feel like it was meant to be."

[Spicoli]

My dick outweighs you.

[TheSanityAnnex]

The bad outweighs the good.
Breed-specific laws target even heroic pit bulls


Thursday, November 11, 1999


By Linda Wilson Fuoco, Post-Gazette Staff Writer


When the deadly cottonmouth snake struck out at "her" children, Dixie never hesitated. The dog pushed the children aside, putting her 50-pound body between them and the snake. Dixie saved Frank Humphries, 9, and his 7-year-old twin siblings, Katie and Codi. But the venomous snake inflicted two bites on the face of the 16-month-old dog.


Valerie Humphries of Fayetteville, Ga., -- the children's mother and Dixie's co-owner -- killed the snake with an ax and rushed the dog to veterinarian Francoise Tyler. "Seeing Dixie's unconscious body in the arms of that doctor was one of the worst things I've ever been through," Humphries said. "Dr. Tyler had to keep her for several days, hooked up to intravenous antibiotics."


Then the vet nominated Dixie for the Hero Dog category in a contest sponsored by the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association. Dixie won over 300 nominated dogs and this month is being inducted into the Georgia Animal Hall of Fame.


Now here comes one of the cheapest writing tricks in the book -- the "O'Henry ending":


Dixie is a pit bull.


The breed of a hero-dog shouldn't matter, really. But it does matter because this is a breed of dog that is feared, hated and reviled by so many people, including many who call themselves animal lovers.


Many individuals and organizations, such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, are trying to outlaw this breed. They can't stop at merely despising pit bulls and related breeds, including American Staffordshire terriers and Staffordshire bull terriers. They want to outlaw pit bulls, even those owned by loving, responsible dog owners. Even child-loving life-savers like Dixie.


Dixie is reason enough to rail against breed-specific legislation -- laws that target an entire breed. Other breeds are under siege all over the country, especially rottweilers. Proposed legislation in other parts of the country target an ever-growing list of breeds, including boxers, Siberian huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Akitas, chow chows, German shepherds and Doberman pinschers.


Call me pro-choice on dog ownership. I think people who love dogs should be free to own as many dogs as we can take care of -- as long as we are loving, responsible owners and the dogs create no problems and pose no threat to people, property and other animals. We have the right to buy a pure-bred from a responsible breeder or to rescue a homeless mixed-breed from a shelter. And we should certainly be able to love the breed of our choice.


I put the 55-pound child that I love more than life itself in the company of a 75-pound sharp-toothed carnivore. I trust them together implicitly, for Mickey the Labrador retriever gazes upon my son, Dante, with looks that can only be love. It's what I love best about my dog and I would fight to keep him.


I will continue to fight for the right of people like the Humphries to keep dogs like Dixie. There are laws to "punish" people who let their dogs attack and bite. Use those laws. Don't target entire breeds.


In Toledo, Ohio, pit bulls who broke no law have been forcibly removed from their homes. Seized pit bulls have been killed before owners, lawyers and dog groups could save them. Right now in Washington, D.C., officials are trying to outlaw pit bulls. Dog lovers around the country are protesting by telephone, e-mail and "snail" mail. Others are traveling great distances to protest in person.


Breed-specific legislation is being enacted around the country. Think it couldn't happen to your dog or your breed? In Reading, Pa., a new law says all pit bulls are dangerous and owners will face special restrictions, including insurance mandates, that most people will not be able to meet.


Other dogs will join the Reading list when a breed is responsible for 40 percent of dog bites in that town. This puts popular breeds like Labs and golden retrievers at high risk.

[TheSanityAnnex]

Heroic Pit Bull: Dog Finds Help For Injured Neighbor


By Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer

Move over Lassie. A pit bull terrier has shown Auburn's Jim Roach that heroic dog deeds don't just happen in the movies or on TV.

Roach fell from a 12-foot-high ladder while picking peaches last month on his rural Mount Vernon Road property. Dazed and unable to move because of his injuries, he soon found renter Jeanne Davis' two-year-old pit bull Gabby hovering over him and
barking.

"I was unconscious pretty much," Roach said Tuesday. "I remember a dog licking the side of my face and standing by me and barking and barking and barking."

But nobody came. That's when Gabby did the heroically unexpected and went for help.

About 100 yards away and not able to see or hear Roach, Davis heard Gabby furiously barking and thought perhaps someone had entered the property. But Roach's dog, also nearby, wasn't barking.

Soon after she first noticed the barking, Gabby emerged.

"She's barking and then she looks at me and runs back," Davis said. "It's kind of like something Lassie would do."

So Davis followed Gabby. She found her landlord injured and moaning in pain near the pruning ladder.

"I walked over to where he was and Gabby stopped barking," Davis said.

With Roach immobilized on the ground, a California Highway Patrol helicopter was dispatched to transport the seriously injured college instructor to Roseville Medical Center's trauma unit for emergency treatment.

Roach, a College of San Mateo instructor, said doctors diagnosed multiple injuries from the fall, including a fractured clavicle, four broken ribs, two cracked vertebrae, and bleeding on the brain.

A towel wrapped around his head, Jason Williams-style, probably saved his life when his head hit the ground, Roach said.

Roach said he spent a week in hospital. One of the first visitors after discharge was Gabby. He said the two now seem to have formed a strong bond as a result of the rescue.

A psychology instructor, Roach said that the incident is a good example of the more endearing side of pit bulls that doesn't receive media attention.

"I've never felt they've been given a fair shake," he said. "They're just a terrier."

Davis said Gabby was abused before she adopted her. She's been training the dog to become less apprehensive around people.

"A lot of people said to put her down, that she's going to do something bad," Davis said. "I'm so proud of my dog."

From Dogs at Risk USA web site

[TheSanityAnnex]

From Puppies to Pioneers - The story of search & Rescue Pits

From Kristine Crawford For PitSake




I got Cheyenne when she was 4 months old. A friend of mine worked at the local animal shelter and felt sorry for this emaciated, hairless puppy that had just been brought in. Due to the fact that she was a pit bull, she was going to be put down the next day. My friend brought her home. She couldn't keep her because she already had 5 dogs so she gave her to me.

Even after all the puppy had been through, Cheyenne was a little bundle of joy. I worked in retail at the time so I was able to bring her to work with me. Everyone fell in love with her. We went through obedience, did some agility, and even started doing some schutzhund. But when it came time to do the bite work, she just didn't want to do it.

Then I decided that I didn't want to excel at something where people would see my pit bull biting someone. Cheyenne did really well in the tracking part of her schutzhund training so I decided to train her to be a search dog. Soon after that, Cheyenne went through a false pregnancy. She would take all my stuffed animals and put them in her bed and lay on them. She never went anywhere without her "puppies". She carried them all around the house. Then it came time for her false pregnancy to end . . . and she had no real puppies. She went into a severe depression. She didn't want to get up. Not even to eat.

A neighbor who lived on the ranch down the street told me that they had some friends who were selling pit bull puppies and that I should buy one for Cheyenne. We decided to take Cheyenne over to their house to see how she got along with the puppies. She loved them! However, they were out of my price range. I let her play with them for a little while and then called her so we could leave. I turned around to see where she was and there she was, with a puppy by the neck, getting into the car! I told her no she couldn't have the puppy and I took it back and "buried" it underneath it's 7 brothers and sisters.

Cheyenne ran over to the pile of puppies and batted them all aside until she found that same puppy. She found her and off she went to the car with "her" puppy. I was in tears, the breeder was in tears. The breeder was so moved by what he saw that he let us have the puppy. Cheyenne was delighted with her new puppy, Dakota. Dakota started coming to work with us also and she absolutely adored people. Cheyenne and Dakota became inseparable. I decided to train Dakota to be a search dog as well.


Dakota liked to run so I trained her to be an Air Scent Dog while Cheyenne is a little more methodical, so I trained her to be a Trailing Dog. After months of training, we were ready to join an organization. We went to our first meeting. The building didn't allow dogs, so Cheyenne and Dakota had to stay in the car. Then came my turn to introduce us. "My name is Kris and I have an American Staffordshire Terrier and an American Pit Bull Terrier."
Everyone gasped. One woman yelled, "We don't allow pit bulls!" Everyone in the room started talking. I told them that I was honestly surprised to get this type of reaction from an organization that is run by "dog people" who should know that a dog's behavior is based on how it is raised, not by what type of breed it is.

The board called the session to order and they would vote on whether we should be allowed to join. We got in by one vote. The following week we went to our first workout, nobody would hide for us. "The pit bull might attack me when she finds me!" Very few people would even talk to me. After a couple weeks of this, I realized I would have to do it on my own. I also realized that we would have to be 10 times better than everyone else to be considered an equal.


I found some people who would work with us. We trained every day. Cheyenne and Dakota loved the work. They would go get me their vests every chance they could. In the meantime, we kept showing up to the workouts. After about 10 months, I found someone at one of the workouts to hide for us. Everyone wanted to watch. I deployed Dakota. They stood there silently as they watched Dakota search for the scent, locate the subject, come back and tell me she had found the subject, and then take me to the subject. "Dang, she's good!" I heard someone say.

One of the evaluators even let Cheyenne and Dakota play with her dog! From that point on we were accepted.

That year was a slow season for search call outs. I tried to think of what else I could do with Cheyenne and Dakota in the meantime. Then I heard about Animal-Assisted Therapy. Cheyenne and Dakota absolutely loved people so this would be perfect for them. I called the informational number on the brochure. The woman who answered told me all about their organization. She was very pleasant.

Then she asked what kind of dogs I had. I told her Pit Bulls. She said, "I'm sorry, but our discussion is over." She hung up. Now I was even more determined to get in! I waited a couple weeks and called again. Once again she started out telling me all about the organization. Then she asked what kind of dogs I had. "Terriers that do search and rescue." She was delighted. She invited me to the handler orientation and the classes that teach you how to deal with different types of patients. Dogs were not allowed at these classes so she still hadn't seen my girls.

A couple of months later she said to go ahead and bring my dogs to the rehab center at 9:00am to be evaluated with the patients. We arrived early and at 9:00, we proudly walked in the front door of the rehab center. She was waiting for us in the lobby. She looked at us and screamed, "You're that pit bull lady! Get those dogs out of here!" Just then a child that was sitting in the lobby ran up to Cheyenne and started petting her.

Then a man in a wheelchair came by and asked if he could pet the dogs. The therapist who just arrived, didn't hear that the Evaluator had just kicked us out of the building. She said, "Oh, you guys must be the new therapy dogs . . . let's get started." The Evaluator looked at me and sternly said, "You've got one floor."

Everyone was so happy to see my girls. We were having so much fun we ended up doing all three floors! As we walked out the door, the Evaluator looked at me and said, "You know, I learned something today. I guess pit bulls aren't all bad. Here is a list of hospitals, rehab centers and convalescent homes that could sure use your help. Good job."

A lot of people ask me why I do Animal-Assisted Therapy and Search and Rescue with my dogs. I tell them that I used to do all sorts of things with my dogs; i.e. obedience, agility, etc. When they did a good job, they got a blue ribbon. Now when my dogs do a good job, they save someone's life.

[TheSanityAnnex]

Pit bull a hero in
Holly Hill home fire
By SUSAN WRIGHT ([email protected])

HOLLY HILL - Barbara Tollison's pit bull Buddy has become her hero.

Happy returns
ZOOM PHOTO
Barbara Tollison of Ormond Beach gives a hug to her 3-year-old pit bull, Buddy, as the pair were reunited at the Ormond Kennel and Pet Center in Ormond Beach on Tuesday.

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.

[TheSanityAnnex]

RCA, Alaska's First Certified Hearing Dog


By Donna Lindsay
Puttin' on the Dog

RCA is 15 years old and in quite good health, considering her advanced years. She came to Alaska from Alabama. Because the housing market was tight and there was pitbull-hysteria in the air, her owners couldn't find a place to rent that would allow pitbulls and she was eventually sent to the Alaska SPCA in Anchorage.

A friend of mine, John Ledum, was trying to start a hearing-dog program in Alaska. He and a local veterinarian, Dr. Joyce Murphy, temperament-tested 170 dogs and RCA scored the highest, so she was chosen to be the first hearing dog in Alaska. At the time she completed her training and was certified, there was talk of banning pitbulls in the city of Anchorage and the SPCA was concerned about placing her with someone who might have to give her up. So they decided to make RCA their demonstration dog because it would also promote the idea that pitbulls are smart, loving animals with good temperaments.

As a demonstration dog, she made numerous trips all over to Alaska and the lower 48 states. Her demonstrations helped raise funds to finance the training of more hearing dogs. But her favorite demonstrations were at elementary schools because after working, she would get to go down a long line of children and kiss them all. Then John would take her through the drive-up at the nearest McDonald's and reward her with a hamburger of her very own. She's got scrapbooks with letters from about 700 schoolchildren and once had a full-page feature story written about her in the Anchorage Times newspaper.

I first met RCA when she was first in training and living with her trainer, John. I was captivated by her charm and obedience. Later, when I got my first Sheltie and I would bring him over to John's to visit, she was incredibly tolerant to this rambunctious puppy and would bring him toys to play with. Of course, her favorite toy was a tug toy and she always won.

If anyone had told me I'd ever own one of these dogs I would've told them they were crazy, but about that time I let it be known that if she ever retired, I'd love to take her. And that's just what happened. After about five years of working, she was getting a little burned out and when her trainer left the SPCA, he decided to let her retire and come to live with us. He couldn't keep her because he had been living in the training facility and he couldn't find a place that would rent to him with a certified-hearing dog that happened to be a pitbull. That was before they enacted legislation giving hearing dogs the same privileges as seeing-eye dogs. She started her life with us eight years ago when she was seven years old.

Over the years, she has tolerated many puppies and cockatiel chicks. She'll lie down so the puppies can play with her more easily and lets the chicks chew on her ears. She's the one dog I always trust to tolerate human babies and small children, not to go ballistic when someone walks too close to the car and she loves everyone. We joke that if a burglar ever came in, she'd show him around and let him take her for a ride in the getaway car.

RCA's greatest joys in life are to go for rides in the car and to rescue logs out of our favorite lake. Her main pastime is sleeping, of course--she's very good at that. She's selectively deaf now, particularly when we want her to move over on the bed to make room for us, and her sight is going (but currently stable), and she's a bit arthritic, but the vet says she's healthy enough to give us a few more years of her splendid company.

[TheSanityAnnex]

Dave and Spike

Spike is my service dog and significant other of 12 years. I have been a quadriplegic for 12 years and Spike was given to me right after my accident. Actually Spike was the property of a, not very reputable, breeder and was going the be raised and trained for a, not legal, activity. Then Spike became a trading commodity in an illegal substance transaction and when all was said and done Spike inherited me and I inherited Spike.

Spike learned basic obedience through a couple of years of Shutzhund training and he picked up most of his service training by just growing up with me.

We are still living in a nursing facility and Spike has become a part of the facility. Over the past year he has gained about 8 pounds. Residents and staff keep dog cookies in their rooms and as we go down the hall he has to visit everybody. The Pit is sure a mean and vicious animal :-)

[TheSanityAnnex]

Pit bull saves other dogs with its blood

Published Monday, October 18, 1999
From The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

By Kevin Smith
Staff Writer

RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- Sunni loves to catch Frisbees and chase tennis balls.
But the 4-year-old American pit bull terrier also participates in something far more important - donating blood. "She's what they call a universal blood donor," said Toni Klemstein, the dog's owner. "She's missing the antigens that cause other dogs to react to a donation. She's already donated blood three or four times."


Klemstein, a receptionist at Baseline Animal Hospital in Alta Loma, said blood is frequently needed for dogs that have been injured or have autoimmune problems.

Once, I had a little, old couple who had a tiny poodle," the 43-year-old Rancho Cucamonga resident said. "They got a kick out of the fact that a pit bull's blood was used for the transfusion."

Baseline veterinarian Bruce Armstrong said the practice of blood typing for dogs has only been in use for the past 10 years. Most vets don't provide the service, because the process is costly and time consuming, he said. "It costs about $70 to $80 to do a blood type and another $100 to $200 to do the transfusion," Armstrong said. "We don't do it here. I only get about one or two dogs a month that need blood."

Emergency veterinarian hospitals often need blood, and Hemopet in Irvine is one of the places where they can get it.

Hemopet is one of four canine blood banks in the United States. The nonprofit facility provides about 120 units of blood per week, said Jason Barnhart, operations manager.

"We deliver blood throughout the U.S., Canada and sometimes Hong Kong," he said. "We have about 130 donor dogs. They're all greyhounds. We rescue them out of the racing industry. They are excellent donors."

[E20]

Just give up bro, who cares what other people think. It's like me and Bear Grylls :lol I don't care people think he's a fake.

[TheSanityAnnex]

Norton, Purina's Hero Pit Bull

A LITTLE over five years ago, my husband and I heard of this "loser" dog needing a home, loser because he was a pitbull that 'wouldn't fight!' We had two dogs at the time, a Rottie and an Amstaff, so we weren't looking for another dog, but something made us call these people to find out about Norton. The owner said thanks but they'd already found a home for him.

Two days later we got a call from this person saying Norton had been returned and would we like to see him. We loaded our dogs into the car and told ourselves that we were just going to look but it would be a good idea to see if there was a chance all the dogs would get along. I won't go into the horror we saw or the condition that Norton was in but we knew immediately that we couldn't leave this 6-month-old pup there.

His scars weren't just physical, he suffered from severe separation anxiety as well. Norton could not be left alone, he would eat his way out of any enclosure or room he was left in. He had to be with people or he panicked. We were lucky enough to be able to have my husband take him to work every day but on the rare occasion we had to leave him alone he had to be heavily tranquilized. We tried all sorts of training and meds but nothing worked.

We resigned ourselves to the fact that wherever we went, Norton came too, then tragedy struck. Our Amstaff, Hillary, passed away. We were devastated, but it was worse for Norton - he lost a very important member of his pack. The separation anxiety got worse, he followed us everywhere.
He took to sleeping in our walk in closet as long as the door was open and he could see us in bed. We knew our Rottie was aging and Norton needed a pal. Well, I'll be honest, I needed another Amstaff, not to replace Hillary in my heart, but to help fill the void her death had created. I found a beautiful Amstaff pup at Barberycoast Kennels in Nova Scotia. I was still reeling from the loss of my precious pup so I knew how Norton must be feeling.

Maybe a pup would be good for him and make him feel he had a larger pack to depend on. Little did I know that we would lose our rottie three weeks after our perfect Haley came to live with us. I'm so grateful that we found Haley, she filled my aching heart with love and Norton's life with joy.

You could see the love of life in his eyes for the first time. He had a true companion.

During all of this our city passed a bylaw restricting pitbulls but allowing pedigreed Amstaffs (go figure!). We would be allowed to keep Norton if he could pass a 'Good Citizenship' test (same as a temperament test). Norton may have his problems but temperament isn't one of them, he passed with flying colours, after all, we were there so he felt safe. He was 'grandfathered' and the only restriction is that he had to wear a large tag saying "restricted" on it. Oh, he also had to be neutered and microchipped but we had already done that when we got him.
One night about a month after we got our new pup Haley, I got up to go to the bathroom, making sure the bedroom door was shut behind me so that Haley wouldn't wander out and have an accident on the carpet.

While I was in the bathroom I was bitten by a spider. I was on medication at the time and it inhibited my body from producing any antihistamines, so I went into anaphylactic shock. My throat closed and I got very light headed, I felt like I was being put under anesethic. I couldn't make it out of the bathroom and I couldn't make a sound. For some unknown reason, Norton got up from his bed in the closet and went over to my sleeping husband and kept pushing him with him nose until Barrie woke up.

When Barrie saw how upset Norton was and that I wasn't there he went looking for me and found me almost unconscious. He called the paramedics and by the time they arrived I had stopped breathing. I spent two days in intensive care and a week at home recovering from a simple non-poisonous bite.


To this day I don't know how Norton knew one of his pack was in trouble but I do know that I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for him. We had rescued him from a 'bad home' and he took returning the favour very seriously. Norton was inducted into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame this year for his heroic act. We received a beautiful oil portrait of Norton from Purina and Norton got a medal and a year's supply of dog food.

He had a wonderful time for the three days we were in Toronto with him, he had his own stretch limo to take him to the TV studios and awards banquet and he was allowed into all the restaurants we were taken to.

The Toronto Humane Society also honoured him in May, he received another medal and a gift certificate for a month's worth of treats. Of course he shares with Haley, he literally allows her to take food out of his mouth.

Boy, for a restricted dog he sure is a good ambassador for his breed.

As for his breeding, I don't have a pedigree for him so who knows, all I know is that he's my hero and I owe him my life.Time, love, and Haley have done wonders for his separation anxiety, we can now leave him home with Haley for 4 or 5 hours without causing him stress and it's getting longer all the time.

Life without Norton? I don't want to even think about it. When the time comes I'll deal with it the best I can, but until then I spend every day loving him. Everyday is a precious gift he gave me.

[TheSanityAnnex]

Weela, Ken-L Ration's Dog Hero of the Year (1993)


This story is from the Ultimate American Pit Bull Terrier by Jacqueline O'Neil. Weela was also featured in the October, 1996 Outside magazine as an example of the kind of dog one would like to have in a life-threatening situation.

Gary Watkins, eleven years old, was absorbed in chasing lizards when Weela, the family Pit Bull, plowed into him with a body slam that sent him sprawling. Gary's mother, Lori, saw the whole incident and remembers being surprised at first, because Weela always played kindly with children. But her surprise quickly turned to horror when she saw a rattlesnake sink its fangs into Weela's face. Somehow Weela had sensed the snake's presence from across the yard and rushed to push Gary out of strinking range.

Luckily for thirty people, twenty-nine dogs, thirteen horses and a cat, Weela recovered from the snake's venom. Luckily, because that's how many lives she saved a few years later. For her heroism, Weela was named Ken-L Ration's Dog Hero of the Year in 1993. The press release read in part:

In January 1993, heavy rains caused a dam to break miles upstream on the Tijuana River, normally a narrow, three-foot wide river. Weela's rescue efforts began at a ranch that belonged to a friend of her owners, Lori and Daniel Watkins. Weela and the Watkinses worked for six hours battling heavy rains, strong currents and floating debris to reach the ranch and rescue their friend's twelve dogs.

From that experience, the Watkinses recognized Weela's extraordinary ability to sense quicksand, dangerous drop-offs and mud bogs. "She was constantly willing to put herself in dangerous situations," says Lori Watkins. "She alsays took the lead except to circle back if someone needed help."

Periodically, over a month's time, sixty-five pound Weela crossed the flooded river to bring food to seventeen dogs and puppies and one cat, all stranded on an island. Each trip she pulled thirty to fifty pounds of dog food that had been loaded into a harnessed backpack. The animals were finally evacuated on Valentine's Day.

On another occasion, Weela led a rescue team to thirteen horses stranded on a large manure pile completely surrounded by floodwaters. The rescue team successfully brought the horses to safe ground.

Finally, during one of Weela's trips back from delivering food to stranded animals, she came upon a group of thirty people who were attempting to cross the floodwaters. Weela, by barking and running back and forth, refused to allow them to cross at that point where the waters ran deep and fast. She then led the group to a shallower crossing upstream, where they safely crossed to the other side.

Stong, gentle intelligent and brave, Weela,CGC,TT, is the ultimate American Pit Bull terrier, epitomizing the best that the breed has to offer. But her story also highlights an important yet often misunderstood fact about the breed. The Pit Bull is a dog that loves to please its owner and tries to become whatever kind of dog its owner desires. Weela has had two owners.

The first owner dumped her in an alley to die when she was less than four weeks old. Her present owner, Lori Watkins, found five starving Pit Bull puppies whimpering in an alley, took them home and raised them. later, the Watkins family placed four of the puppies in loving homes and kept the little female they named Weela. They believed Weela was special, and she proved them right. Most Pit Bull puppies grow up to become a reflection of both their owners' personality and the care and training they receive. One can only imagine what a different dog Weela would have become if her original owner had raised her, and she had done her best to please him.

[TheSanityAnnex]

The Pit Bull who Fights Drugs

Summary of the December, 1997 Dog Fancy magazine: "$30 Million Sniffer Nabs Smugglers"

"Taylor, a 4-year old pit bull mix, shows a real knack for his job. In his first two years on the job, he has sniffed out more than $30 million worth of narcotics...Out of more than 100 dogs in the San Diego [CA, USA] district K-9 unit, Taylor ranks as a top performer."

The article went on to say that Taylor, a muscular, 86-pound light brown brindle, was rescued from a city shelter by a canine enforcement officer only two days before he was due to be euthanized. He was selected largely because of his intense focus on a tennis ball the officer, Robert Root, bounced in front of the dog to test, in his words, how strong his intent is.

With intensity being a integral characteristic of American Pit Bull Terriers, it is surprising that they are not used more often in this work. However, the article stated that "Although Taylor's eagerness was unmistakable, he was not the kind of dog Customs usually looks for. Part of the drug enforcement job entails going to airports where close contact with civilians is inevitable.

'The Customs Service wants a dog that presents a good image,' [said Root]. If you're working in an airport with a pit bull, it would probably scare a lot of people.'"

Taylor also was described as working strictly on verbal commands with his handler, Barbara Trice, and being "intense in his affection for Trice."

Although Taylor may not be your typical customs dog, he certainly demonstrates the heart of a typical American Pit Bull Terrier.

Thanks to the San Diego branch of the US Customs Service for having enough courage to give Taylor a chance, and to Dog Fancy for giving the breed some needed positive press. Taylor shows what the breed is capable of, if given the opportunity.

[TheSanityAnnex]

Doggie devotion makes life easier

By Peggy Hager
Staff Writer

LANCASTER -- Lancaster resident Pat Morrison is a fervent believer in the benefit that dogs have for the disabled.

Put in a wheelchair by a 1996 horseback riding accident, Morrison is now assisted in her daily activities by Panda, a pit bull mix she found wandering the streets and trained to switch on lights, retrieve dropped objects and pull her wheelchair.

"I needed a dog and she needed a person," said Morrison.

Morrison found Panda as a puppy starving on a Lancaster street in August. When no one answered her newspaper ads seeking the dog's owner, she had the pooch spayed and vaccinated. Facing a two-year wait for a companion dog from a company in Santa Rosa, Morrison decided to keep the pup and train her.

Panda's first training was to paw at the light switch when Morrison said "light." It took the dog five minutes to learn.

"She was amazingly quick," said Morrison, who before her accident had trained dogs and horses.

Then Panda learned to pull Morrison's wheelchair in public, to carry objects for Morrison and to retrieve items she has dropped.

Black and white and now 11 months old, Panda wears a green vest bearing patches that read "Service" and "Ask to Pet Me, I'm Friendly."

"She does amazingly well with minimal experience. When we go to the library, she falls asleep," said Morrison. "She's so good."

Morrison was injured when the horse she was riding reared up and fell on her. The accident crushed the fourth and fifth thoracic vertebrae in her spine, leaving her without the ability to stand, weak arm muscles, loss of speech and the loss of 10 years from her memory.

A former college instructor and teacher of the developmentally disabled, Morrison went to work to rehabilitate herself.

"I had to learn to live with the fact that I wasn't going to be the noble survivor," said Morrison.

During her stay in the hospital, a friend brought in her dog to visit with Morrison, and she saw how the faces of the other patients lit up when they saw the animal.

"It made a total impression on me that this was something that could help people," said Morrison.

Morrison said she recovered her speech by practicing Shakespearean monologues to strengthen her facial muscles. Most of her memory has returned, but she still can't remember one year of her life. She also regained much of her ability to walk, but weak upper leg muscles leave her unable to stand for long.

Because of increasing scar tissue, Morrison says she will eventually be confined to the wheelchair.

Morrison has one more recent problem. Last week, someone stole from in front of her home a wheelchair she had received from A.V. Sickroom Supply through the CAN DO organization.

She has another wheelchair, but it is too wide for her and she has difficulty getting it into her car. She is asking that whoever took her other chair bring it back, with no questions asked.

Positve Press

[atxrocker]

the previous poster was right... tsa owns this debate every time.

[TheSanityAnnex]

Pit Bull Saves Child From House Fire

A three-year-old pit bull named Marley is credited with saving a little girl in Alaska from a house fire in early December.

By Animal News Center (ANC), 1/10/2004


by Sherry Morse

A three-year-old pit bull named Marley is credited with saving a little girl in Alaska from a house fire in early December.

Marley, a black and white dog who looks like Pete from the Little Rascals television show, grabbed the back of six-year-old Autumn Marley's jacket to drag her out of the burning house.

Autumn alerted her mother who was cooking dinner that the entryway to the house was on fire. Julie Marley then forced open a seldom used back door so she and her two daughters could escape the fire.

As Ms. Marley left the house she turned to see Marley the dog pulling Autumn through the door to safety.

Jennifer Ingram, Marley's guardian, said that, "She's always been an awesome dog, but I didn't know she was capable of doing this." Ingram has raised Marley from a puppy.

Ms. Ingram was out shopping for Christmas presents when the fire broke out and arrived home to find Marley running loose in the midst of all the firefighters and bystanders.

She planned to take Marley to the vet to treat frostbite on her feet from being out in the snow.

Thanks to Autumn and Marley no one was injured in the fire, although the house was a total loss.

The Red Cross set up a place for the Marley family to stay, while Ms. Ingram and Marley the dog are staying with a friend.

2003 Animal News Center, Inc.

[TheSanityAnnex]

Pit bull leaps to rescue



Posted on Sat, Nov. 08, 2003
CORAL SPRINGS

A pit bull may have saved a 7-year-old Coral Springs boy from serious injury after two other dogs attacked the boy.

BY HECTOR FLORIN
[email protected]

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.''

Coral Springs police cited Sandra Ashley, the owner of the Akitas, for not putting a leash on the dogs, not attaching dog tags, not having proper rabies vaccinations and for biting Anthony. The fines are more than $800.

McGuire, who is friends with Ashley, hasn't decided whether to press charges.

The two Akitas are at the Broward County Animal Care and Regulation Division as Coral Springs police complete a dangerous-dog investigation, said animal care spokesman Allan Siegel.

Whether or not Anthony antagonized the dogs, and how the dogs got loose, are among the issues police are investigating.

If the Akitas are found to be dangerous, one of three things could happen, Siegel said. The owner may keep the dogs if she meets certain requirements, such as muzzling them when she leaves the home, and putting a dangerous-dog sign on the property. She may also appeal the decision, or surrender the dogs and have them euthanized.

Police and witnesses said Anthony and some friends were outside Ashley's home when the dogs escaped just before 7 p.m. Wednesday.

''The dogs got out of the house,'' said Sgt. Rich Nicorvo of the Coral Springs Police Department. ``They bit him pretty bad.''

Scott, the pit bull's owner who lives next door, was drinking coffee outside his house when the attack started. He handed another witness a metal pipe to get the Akitas off Anthony.

The unidentified person used the pipe to hit the dogs, but they continued attacking.

''They were really mauling him,'' said Scott, whose son, James, is Anthony's best friend.

Scott then let Missy out of the house to break up the fight. Police did not document any information about the pit bull.

Akitas have been known to attack humans. Last month, doctors euthanized an Akita owned by Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor after the dog bit 15-year-old Jonathon Raof on the arms and legs.

The Akita Club of America Web site states the dogs have ''complex'' personalities and, while intelligent and loyal, can ''exhibit aggressive tendencies,'' though not necessarily toward people.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

I'm just amazed there are all these positive stories from a biased media.

But forgetting that for a second, there are dog bite problems from all breeds. It comes down to responsible ownership, but that's easier said than done.

[TheSanityAnnex]

America's first war dog was a Pit Bull named Stubby who earned several medals and the rank of sergeant for his service in W.W.I. He received a hero's welcome and was even honored at the White House. He inspired the U.S. Military K-9 Corps.

[TheSanityAnnex]

I'm just amazed there are all these positive stories from a biased media.

These stories never make the headlines or the news.

[TheSanityAnnex]

PITBULL SAVES FAMILY FROM FIRE
author: Susan Wright
source: News-Journal Online












































HOLLY HILL, FLORIDA -- The dog, who has lived with her more than two years, helped save both Barbara 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 roused 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.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

These stories never make the headlines or the news.

Your story by Hector Florin in 2003 was on 1B of the Miami Herald.

[TheSanityAnnex]

Your story by Hector Florin in 2003 was on 1B of the Miami Herald.But 1A had the story of the Pitbull who killed 56 children.















(Five days later it was found out the dog was actually a Boxer and was incorrectly identified, no one bothered to release another story correcting it)

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

But 1A had the story of the Pitbull who killed 56 children.

(Five days later it was found out the dog was actually a Boxer and was incorrectly identified, no one bothered to release another story correcting it)

Which story?

I'm not saying the stories aren't out there, but should these stories not be reported if there are legitimate attacks?

[TheSanityAnnex]

Which story?

I'm not saying the stories aren't out there, but should these stories not be reported if there are legitimate attacks?/end sarcasm

[2Blonde]

TSA got owned.

the previous poster was right... tsa owns this debate every time.

Dude,
put down the pipe and breathe in some reality. TSA's 15 stories from the last decade hardly own anything when you put them up next to lebomb's 100+ from July 2007.

:lol :lol :lol I <3 lebomb. :toast

[Avitus1]

http://www.badrap.org/rescue/img/candy_pink.gif

[atxrocker]

Dude,
put down the pipe and breathe in some reality. TSA's 15 stories from the last decade hardly own anything when you put them up next to lebomb's 100+ from July 2007.

:lol :lol :lol I <3 lebomb. :toast


sorry, but you're completely bias opinion along with lebombs bias articles don't own shit in my opinion either. it is what it is. you can continue to be scared your whole life and i will continue to embrace a beautiful breed of dog. your loss.

[2Blonde]

sorry, but you're completely bias opinion along with lebombs bias articles don't own shit in my opinion either. it is what it is. you can continue to be scared your whole life and i will continue to embrace a beautiful breed of dog. your loss.

http://www.forumsextreme.com/imgs1/sSig_what.gif,You're esteem for me had been lowered? How will I go on??????
You're opinion doesn't mean squat to me... Nowhere did I ever say I would live my life in fear. (only that when I lived next door to 2 of them, almost 20 years ago, I couldn't go in my own backyard because they went berserk) Do you make make this shit up as you go along? I happen to be a dog lover and in fact I own a german shepherd. I never said they weren't beautiful dogs, just that they were dangerous and unpredictable and there should be tighter controls on them. so BMA.

[TheSanityAnnex]

I happen to be a dog lover and in fact I own a german shepherd. German Shepards are far more likely to bite their owners and are not particularly known to be great around children. You have kids don't you?

[Fillmoe]

this topic is getting tired...

[whottt]

A lot of people try to use PitBulls for GuardDogs...GuardDogs are trained to be mean.

This is just as much a case of the type of owners that are attracted to PitBulls as it is anything the Pitbulls themselves do.


Look at what Michael Vick was doing to those dogs...the brutality. There are a lot of people like him, even worse, that own PitBulls.

And the do everything in their power to train these dogs to be cruel, vicious and mean killers...and they are irresponsible owners who don't really care for their dogs but they like to have a lot of puppies to use as bait to turn their other Pits into killers.

You go down to your local pound and count the stray PitBulls, count the abused PitBulls, the maimed, the mauled...the burned, the beaten, the starving, the blind, the tortured.


It's the owners, not the dog.

Go down to your local pound some day and take a real good look at the PitBulls in there...then tell me that the dog is the one at fault.

[atxrocker]

It's the owners, not the dog.



remarkably, whottt proves to be the voice of reason. nothing amazes me anymore.

[atxrocker]

http://www.forumsextreme.com/imgs1/sSig_what.gif,You're esteem for me had been lowered? How will I go on??????
You're opinion doesn't mean squat to me... Nowhere did I ever say I would live my life in fear. (only that when I lived next door to 2 of them, almost 20 years ago, I couldn't go in my own backyard because they went berserk) Do you make make this shit up as you go along? I happen to be a dog lover and in fact I own a german shepherd. I never said they weren't beautiful dogs, just that they were dangerous and unpredictable and there should be tighter controls on them. so BMA.


your over dramatic response is somewhat amusing. first, my esteem for you has never been anything but indifferent. second, you're the one saying such ridiculous stuff as "put the pipe down and breathe in reality" in response to my post saying that i side with tsa. you don't . big fucking deal. i could give less of a fuck to be honest. it is funny that suddenly you're not scared, but in another thread you recounted your terrifying experiences with this monster of a dog. and nice backpeddling on the "they are a beautiful dog" comment. don't patronize them. you don't understand them and that's fine, just don't twist your opinion around as fact.

[TheSanityAnnex]

I never said they weren't beautiful dogs, just that they were dangerous and unpredictable and there should be tighter controls on them. I agree that there should be tighter controls on who is allowed to own them (along with dogs in general), but that seems impossible. I don't agree with you saying they are unpredictable. If your claim was true, they wouldn't pass the Temperament test at such a high rate.

[Switchman]

If they can raise a fucking grizzly bear from birth that will only eat your head 20% of the time.

I'm sure responsible owners can handle pit bulls.

Quit crying.

Vick is just the beginning. Just wait till Bonds retires and chooses to pick up the "sport."


http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/idl/vitc/20070625/2192-640.jpg

[whottt]

Be sure to shoot this guy in the head Ed...he's a real killer

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/image/starved.jpg


Or you could starve em..



http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/image/bill4.jpg



Or you can finish the job this guy did on his baby Pit:

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/image/winkyp269.jpg

And kick his other eye out...oh wait, he's already dead.


Or instead of shooting them you could just stick their feet in a bear trap and cripple them like this guy did:

http://pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/pictures2/march2003-01.jpg


Or you could try the barbecue approach...that'll teach that killer a lesson

http://pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/pictures2/march2003-05.jpg



Or you could just tie him up to really teach him a lesson:

http://pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/pictures2/march2003-08.jpg





I ask you...if that kinda of shit was done to you...what kind of person would you be?
'


Click on the link...learn something before you hate.


http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/sadreality/6.php


Then go take notice of how many stray dogs are pitbulls that you see...and ask your self why that is...are PitBulls some kind of notoriously rapid breeding dog...or does their rep attract a certain type of invidual...irresponsible or even sadistic individual...

And it's not just the PittBull problem ED...

The next time your cat, small dog or puppy disappears...and you can'd find what happened to him...he probably wound up as bait for a dogfighters starved dog being taught to kill...



It's not the PitBull...

http://static.flickr.com/37/124817374_2df4a88bd1_m.jpg

Just ask the Little Rascals...

They might even tell you that the PitBull is the only truly American Dog Breed in existence, if was definitely the first American Dog Breed, and it was not bred to kill children...it was bred to be a courageous fearless loyal and protective dog, as well as extremly intelligent...and it excels at those very things...which is why cruel, sadistic and irresponsible people are attracted to the animal and seek to pervert his nartual talents to feed their own sick lust for blood. Because when it is perverted into a monster it excells at that too...



But if it makes you feel any better...more PitBulls are killed daily in pounds than any other dog breed, usually they haven't attacked anyone, they are found homeless, mangy, maimed and starving and are just looking for something to eat. But they generally get euthanized first so you don't have to worry about shooting everyone of them you see...the pound and society are killing plenty of them for you.

Don't worry Ed...plenty of PitBulls die every day, far more of them die because of human cruelty than humans will ever die because of their cruely....


I just wonder who they cruel and murderous animals really are.

[whottt]

remarkably, whottt proves to be the voice of reason. nothing amazes me anymore.


I've been defending PitBulls on this forum since you and Sanity were excited about JWill's breakout season.

I've never even owned one...but I have picked several starving, maimed and mange ridden ones up off the side of the road...it was an eye opening experience the first time I did that...

I pick them up take them down to the pound and tell them I am interested in adopting them...this keeps them from killing them immediately and is about the only time the pounds will treat and nurse them back to health like the do most of the other dogs...then I don't adopt them, because I can't own a dog at this time, but once the pound has spent all that time and effort nursing them back to health, they don't want to euthanize them so they put them up for adoption after they test out well with people, they have a second lease on life.

I've picked up 3 of them, all in horrible condition, abused, mangy, starving and usually scarred...not one time has one of them ever attacked me...not one time has one of them ever been anything but greatful and looking for someone to love it and treat it with kindness.


IF the condition I have found these dogs in hasn't made them mean and nasty yet...I really don't want to know what the people that make these dogs into monsters do to them...I really don't want to know.


The other day I went to go look at this guys RV in his backyard and he had a beautfiful playful little doberman puppy chained up...it was jumping around wanting to be pet and playd with...

I asked the guy if I could pet her and he told me I couldn't because he was making her into a guard dog and he didn't want her to be friendly...

That guy had about 15 little kids running around on his street...someday that dog is going to get out and most likely attack one of them, because it doesn't have a clue of any other way to react to them...I guess it will just need to be shot in the head.

[E20]

I didn't have a car today and I had to walk to work and coincendtally I ran into a stray/loose pit bull. It had a collar, but I didn't see any owner in sight. I spotted this shit from a good 20 feet away. At first it looked like Lab, but when I got next to it I was like: Oh it's a pitbull. In the back of my mind I was like I hope I don't get mauled. The dog started to mug me, so I mugged him back and as soon as it turned it's head I started to run like there was no tommorow...........I'm just joking, I just walked past it and it didn't do anything. Still, I felt uneasy walking past it.

Then I told my co-worker about it and he said he raised/bred pitbulls and he fought them as well. So, now I'm thinking if I tip the feds would I get a cash reward?

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

http://www.hoopsvibe.com/IMG/carmelo_anthony-arton20846-240x240.jpg

"I don't think that's a good idea."

[TheSanityAnnex]

I've seen those pictures before, and they still make me sick every time.
E20, I don't see how from 20 feet away you can mistake a lab for a pit.

[whottt]

I've seen those pictures before, and they still make me sick every time.


Yeah...those are the ones that convey the flat out evil things done to these dogs without being too obscene...

I can't even look at the ones of the puppies with their faces chewed off...or the ones with their sides and necks torn out.


There is somethign seriously wrong with anyone that could do that to an animal...I have serious problems believing that someone capable of that kind of obscene sadism and psychotic behavior only feels that way about PitBulls...or Dogs.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

LOL whottt

you touched a manged infested dog? EEEEEEEeeeeeesh

[E20]

I've seen those pictures before, and they still make me sick every time.
E20, I don't see how from 20 feet away you can mistake a lab for a pit.
I was seeing it from ass first. I didn't see the head until I was right next to it and I thought it had a tail.

Is it true that a pitbull is more likely to attack if it see's something more furry?

[whottt]

LOL whottt

you touched a manged infested dog? EEEEEEEeeeeeesh

It's not like I let him sleep in my bed or anything...these dogs are usually bleeding and all torn up...I don't do a whole lot of petting them.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Yeah i knew a pitbull as a kid and would be scared shitless of him cuz of the stigma. He was tied up to a chain and was not allowed to roam free.

My girlfriend's friend had a pitbull puppy and volunteered us to take care of it. I beat the everliving shit out of that bastard dog after it shit on my carpet. Not only did it shit, but it was fucking WORMS.

I was sitting at my dining room table, eating spaghetti mind you, and here is this stupid disgusting pit bull puppy that squats at my door and shits a big lump of worms that look just like the spaghetti I am eating. I lost my appetite and thought I taught his ugly ass a good lesson. But he shat like two more times full of worms on my carpet.

God I've never been so pissed off in my own domicile. I punched that stupid dog every time I had. I thought it would be funny cuz when it was adult it would get all crazy. Sadly the owner lost interest in the dog and it ended up in a pound. Probably dead now.


Fuck pit bulls. And every other dog that has worms. That stupid fucker ate his own shit and got worms. Then shat them all over my offwhite carpet and looked at me all innocent like. If dogs are that stupid, fuck 'em.

[atxrocker]

seriously, whottt those are some of the most disturbing pics i have ever seen in my life. sick fucks raising tainted pets. victims. such a goddamn travesty.

[TheSanityAnnex]

I was sitting at my dining room table, eating spaghetti mind you, and here is this stupid disgusting pit bull puppy that squats at my door and shits a big lump of worms that look just like the spaghetti I am eating. :lmao

[Cant_Be_Faded]

i beat thaaaa SHIT out of that pit bull puppy. The whole time i was laughing because I thought it would turn on it's owner as a mature dog.

But it is probably dead rotting in a dallas dumpster.

[DarkReign]

Human brutality knows no limit. Upon themselves and even moreso, upon the lesser.

Gods practical joke run amok.

[leemajors]

I've been defending PitBulls on this forum since you and Sanity were excited about JWill's breakout season.
small amount of levity - this quote is hilarious.