Am I a dog lover? Yes I am. I can think of no other animal I would want for a companion, to share my time and space. The proper breed dog, well trained, is a wonderful addition to a family. They are a companion during lonely times, they are a protectorate when they see one of their family threatened. Our family dog, a Shepard/Lab mix is a big, sloppy, happy dog that the biggest fear he ever imparted was he could easily knock you to the ground... just to lick your face. But even he would occasionally show his natural instincts. To us it was almost funny to watch him chase the squirrels or an occasional deer that would trespass onto “his territory”! Like a rocket he would take off after them even though he never bothered to actually catch them, you could see those natural instincts take hold. The one underlying fact to remember when choosing a dog, is that by nature, they are carnivores. They instinctively will run down and kill for food. Perhaps being a little too well fed at home kept him at bay.
In my experience, I have known people who have had dobermans and rottweilers as well. Of these two breeds particularly known for their aggressiveness, it was always the “overly bred” ones that posed problems for their owners. Rottweilers, with all that muscle and sinew make great junk yard dogs. Out roaming the yard at night, I certainly wouldn't jump the fence knowing that locomotive of an animal was prowling around. And Dobermans, they are the thoroughbred of dogs. They are handsome long legged creatures with beautiful coats. And like any thoroughbred, when (in) bred too much, they tend to have problems, and they have that propensity to become “crazy”! So, when breeders get involved they look to enhance natural traits and in the case of Pit Bulls, it is fighting. Pit Bulls, as their name implies, have always been known as a fighter and with so much inbreeding they have truly become the most murderous dog in the animal kingdom. When they kill, they don't kill for food, they kill for dominance. And humans have done everything they could to enhance that murderous trait. A trait even the best of trainers know they will never be able to erase from an animal.
So who is to blame
for a Pit Bull Attack?
Why the person who foolishly owns one thinking they can change or control the nature of such an animal. These animals are NOT family animals and do not belong anywhere near a family environment. Just Google Pit Bull Attacks and I assure you, you will be overwhelmed.... basically, fatal dog attacks are led by pit bulls, accounting for between 67% and 83% of the deaths relative to geographic location. Then consider that pit bulls only make up approximately 5% of the total U.S. dog population... These animals are dangerous, from 2005 to 2010, pit bulls killed about one citizen every 21 days... ONE EVERY 21 DAYS! There is no justifiable reason for these animals remaining in our towns and cities.
And remember, these are only the deaths and do not reflect survivors! Perhaps these owners just don't realize the damage a pit bull attack inflicts. While researching this article I came across some very disturbing descriptions and photos of just what a pit bull does. Bone crushing damage. The kind that a survivor takes years to recover from if ever. |
Pit Bulls have entertaining people in the killing pit since before the Romans made them famous back in the days of the Coliseum. Naturally adept at the blood sport they have always been know as the most viscous of dogs.
What Can Be Done?
...they really need to go!
Throughout the country research indicates most effective controls are instituted by towns and cities. Little seems to be handled on a state level. Remedies run the gauntlet from outright banning of the breed to forced sterilization to enforced licensing. Insurance companies are taking a strong stand on these issues from the obvious liability perspective. In short, if you own a pit bull, any insurance company will drop you in a heartbeat.
Following are just a few of the recent headlines I came across while researching this story:
- 64 stitches for boy after pit bull encounter
- Man is facing several charges after officers say his pit bull attacked a dozen people at the Blackfoot Sixth Grade School Thursday.
- Pit bull cruelty case yields 2 arrests
Police issued multiple infractions to a dog owner after two officers were attacked by pit bulls
- A Southaven couple witnesses a dog attack so brutal they take matters into their own hands.
- Pit Bull Attacks Carriage Horse, Police Shoot and Kill the Dog
It is sad that it can hit home so easily. We have all followed the story of 5-year-old Makayla Woodard, viciously attacked and killed in her own yard while playing by a neighbor's pit bulls. According to the Observer, four pit bulls killed 8-year-old Roddie Dumas Jr. in 2004. A year later a pit bull seriously injured 8-year-old Yesenia Cruz.
The simple truth is that the owners are the ones to blame. You will hear all of the arguments that any dog can and will bite if provoked, but pit bulls are the ones that maim & kill. Take another look at the statistics. They speak volumes about the breed... pit bulls are bred for the pit, the fighting pit... and that is about the only place they belong which is pretty inhumane in itself, not to mention illegal!
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