http://www.dwightseffort.com/content/view/362/43/


There Are Bad Dogs and Mean Dogs ... Then There's Pit Bulls
Dwight Jurgens

HUTCHINSON -- One of the things I used to do when you weren't looking was
coach youth sports – mostly girls slow-pitch softball. I dabbled in boys and
girls basketball, too, and had a football team one year and a Little League
baseball team in another.

It was fun stuff, and I like to think I brought some sanity to a youth
sports industry that overly-emphasizes winning. I don't recall any player
ever leaving the field crying because our team lost – most were happy just
to be finally allowed to sprint to the parent's car that held the drinks and
snacks. I always figured that's how it should be.

Moreover, coaching served as my volunteer shtick, and I kept it up even when
my son or daughters didn't play. Not exactly a "Give something back" thing,
as much as I had the time, the local organizations needed the help, and I
enjoyed it.

Well, a couple of years ago, I stopped, for a number of reasons, and every
now and then I've thought about finding a new volunteer interest. Tending to
the sick and elderly doesn't do it for me … primarily because I'm sick and
elderly, and I don't need to see my reflection in their wrinkled-up faces
everyday.

I thought briefly about trying to get appointed to the City Recreation
Commission, but only because I have an axe to grind – I want it open after 5
and on Saturday mornings; you know, when people who would like to sign up
their kids, are *off.*

And for the past few months, my thoughts have gone to the Hutchinson Animal
Shelter. I've been interested in that from the beginning, and even placed a
call to one of the early organizers. She wasn't there, and I never called
back.

I like animals, except horses and spiders, though I'm not so sure about
animal *doctors*, especially the ones in this town – you'd think by now at
least *one* of 'em would've stepped forward and volunteered their time for a
little low-cost spaying and neutering just to help out around the community
… but no.

Of course, if you've ever listened to their monthly program on KWBW, the
message is clear: they don't think poor people should have pets. And their
host agrees: "If you can't afford to get that $700 operation to improve your
pet's quality of life … *then you shouldn't own a pet!" * I reach for the
cell phone every time I hear 'em, but I'm too riled up to dial and I usually
just toss it back down and settle for cussing them under my breath.

Anyway, we currently have two dogs – the main dog, Cindy, and the auxiliary
dog, Tanner. We have an obnoxious yellow cat, a fat brown hamster, and a
tank full of guppies that are always on the verge of death. I think that
qualifies me as an animal guy, worthy of volunteering in our new animal
shelter.

But I didn't and haven't and I'll tell you why: I don't want to be around
all the killing, and putting animals "to sleep" myself, was, until
recently, out of the question. That's changed.

About three weeks ago, out in the county, a couple of dogs (from that breed
whose owners always say is "misunderstood" ) killed a neighbor's four goats
and mauled two others. And as far as I know, those misunderstood pit bulls
are still breathing.

I could've fixed that. I could've volunteered – the organization needs the
help, I have the time, and I would have enjoyed it – to stick a poison
needle in their Hannibal Lecter-like heads and watch them die like the dirty
dawgs they are. And then sweep them out with the rest of the garbage.

I don't know why people own pit bulls, and I damn sure don't know why our
city and county lets them (As one man said, "All they do is drag around
heavy chains in the owner's backyard, anyway … until they get loose .and go
bite someone.")

And you don't have to be bitten by one for your day to be ruined – all you
have to do is park next to a car driven by an owner who went inside and left
his pit in the back seat. The growling and snarling as you get out of your
car, makes it clear: he would lunge for your neck if he could, but the
damned window is in the way.

Or knock on a stranger's door, and pray along with the owner that the death
grip he has on that misunderstood pit bull's collar will truly hold him back
and keep him from jumping through the glass storm door and chomping down on
your leg.

Pit bulls, in my view, should be banned – not just from Hutchinson and Reno
County, but from the expansive face of God's green earth.

That's not going to happen, though – we know that. So I could be Plan B.

I could be the Hutchinson Shelter's new volunteer Animal Behavior
Modification Specialist, Division of Needles, Poisons and Bullets,
Department of Misunderstood Breeds.

And I'd nuke 'em all.

I'm thinking about it.

That guy shouldn't be around children. Or adults. Or animals. I'd me more worried about this guy showing up at my door than a pack of pit bulls.

i'm kinda of the opinion that poor people shouldn't have pets, and the rest of this guy's article is just as much from the "head up my arse" brigade as him being mad about that.

Having been a Vet tech for several years, I've been around a vast variety of breeds. I've owned several dogs in my lifetime as well, some shelter dogs of mixed heritage (we like to give them the "classy" breed description of "Moab"...Mix Of All Breeds!) and some purebred. I say all of that to say this, I knew a particular Pit Bull Terrier named Sandy. She was the most obedient dog I'd ever met. Her owner spent many an hour with her and it showed. He could say "Sandy, I'm going to eat" and Sandy would take the cue and turn and lay down facing the opposite direction, as her owner viewed her looking at him while eating as begging. She was very people friendly and tolerent of other animals. I could not imagine wanting Sandy to be dead just because of the fact she was born a Pit Bull Terrier. Though the breed can present themselves as a problem in the hands of the wrong person, not every one is a lost cause. Heaven forbid the Animal Shelter take him on as an employee or volunteer, as the life of any version of bull dog would likely be on the line.

I have 7 dogs in my kennel now, 3 working dogs and 4 rescue dogs. The friendliest, most obedient, and most even tempered is a pit bull named Zeke. If he had a desire to work I'd train him in a second.

OMG. And this wackjob thinks PIT BULLS are scary????? I can't believe anyone would even publish what so obviously is nothing more than ridiculous spewing of ignorance...the guy can't even produce a gramatically correct headline...

My Pit Bull is smarter than Dwight Jurgens.

Missing journalist? How very sad.
No, I'm sure I have no idea where he is.

Sorry, but I took these pics of her eating venison (no, it's not really Dwight) and they're all I could think of when I read that diatribe. I suppose eating Bambi is as bad as killing goats in his eyes.

He is always welcome to come volunteer with me. My GSD "Coach" would love to show Mr. Wonderful how to decoy!!!!! Of course we would probably neglect to give him a bite suit. let me rethink this, which dog in out club likes to bite low!!!!!!! Not only is my dog smarter than this clown, but I am willing to bet that my GSD is a better coach too

These kind of articles always send me into a bit of a rage, and then my friends/family have to hear about it for a few days. When I was 8 (I know, I was a weird kid), I actually wrote into the paper after an article about pitbull bans. I bring it out and read it now and then, it's good for a laugh. I can't say my vocabulary was very impressive, and half of the article is me name-dropping all these other breeds people mistake for pit bull terriers. I wish I could find it, I'd post it.

A few years ago there was this big story in the paper about a kid who was mauled by a pit bull, and I actually ran into the sister of the boy who was bitten. You know what she told me? The dog was tied outside its whole life, and her brother would walk by on his way to school every day and throw rocks at the dog. Yet the paper talked about him like he was just an innocent school kid and failed to mention that the dog was treated like crap its whole life. Bah!

Heather, you sound like me! I remember being 5, sitting at my grandmother's dinner table and listening to the news. I hadn't heard of Pit Bulls before, but after hearing about possible BSL and asking for clarification as to what that meant, I proudly and defiantly announced that when I grew up I was going to have a "whole bunch" of Pit Bulls, just to make a point. I was just outraged at the prejudice against them, and couldn't imagine how people could blame dogs for their behavior and place no responsibility on the owner.

Perhaps I was naiive, but I haven't changed,lol! In college my final paper was on APBT's, as well. This misconception is so truly based on ignorance, it's tragic. People were shocked at some of the content of my paper; most really don't know any better and are just repeating what they've heard.

I really wish they would just shut up.

Well, I'll say he's a wanker. Did he even CHECK to see what breeds they actually were or did he just jump on the bandwagon?