http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2005/032005/03092005/1695339. This happened up the road from me. I don't think you need to ban the breed, I think you should have a license to be allowed to reproduce <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> I will be so glad when these knuckle heads stop thinking they need a "Badass" Dog. Maybe they ought to make you take a test before they issue a dog license, I dunno, I am so PO ed at ill bred people <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

this link should work http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2005/032005/03092005/1695339

Very sad. It's the people that own the dogs and breed bad lines; generally not <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> the dogs themselves.

Portland, Oregon has had quite a few instances of Pits in the news. Last year a woman draped herself over a young boy to keep him from getting killed. In the last month, 1 loose pit savaged a horse so badly it had to be put down, another mauled a child, another killed another dog, our wonderful Portland Trail Blazers basketball team even had an idiot player get popped for dog fighting paraphranalia and dumping an injured Pit. And in the last week, another kid took over 200 stitches to close his arm up, in his own yard from a "friends" pit.

I can remember when Dobermans, and then Rotties were the flavor of the month. Seems as if the Pit Bull has stayed in the limelight too long.

As far as I'm concerned, get rid of the stupid people and the problem will solve itself quite quickly. I hate seeing stuff like this. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

I don't usually post, just lurk and learn, but this topic upsets me so much. We recently narrowly escaped some breed-specific legislation that came about after three pit bulls killed a local girl. Could the fact that they were allowed to run free (as a pack, no less) have anything to do with the attack? No, just that they were pit bulls. It's so aggravating.

I've been bitten twice in my life - once by a toy poodle and once by schnauzer mix (owned by the police chief). Bad enough to leave a scar into adulthood. I trust no breed more than another. All dogs are potentially dangerous.

Sadly, I believe the breed legislation will happen here eventually.

I don't think you can say that the pit bull is just the flavor of the month. They've been a problem breed for as long as I can remember; and, correct me if I'm wrong, but attacks like this seem to happen on an order of magnitude greater with this breed than any other. I completely agree that it's the owners that are the real problem, but the because of them, the dogs have been bred to a level of agressiveness that to the public doesn't seem to have any practical purpose. Looking at it like this, I can understand why people would want them banned.

I should add that I personally knew an elderly woman who was attacked and killed by a pit bull (that had an idiot owner who watched from his kitchen window as it happened <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> ), so I'm a bit biased. Though on the other hand, my wife, as a child, was attacked by a GSD <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> , and we own one now, so I see both sides of the argument.

You also have to remember that if it even looks a little bit like a pitbull, people say oh its a pitbull when it could be a mix or a another breed entirely. there was a thread on this board that had a link to pick out the American Pitbull Terrier and It was pretty hard to pick it out. I got it right only because I had saw that same pic in a book. I can recall a incident in florida when i lived there that was in the paper about 2 pitbulls had bitten someone and were loose in the area. When they caught them the pic showed 2 long haired shepherd looking dogs.

My girlfriend lives out in the Spotsy Courthouse vicinity. One of her two Labs was nearly killed inside of her fenced back yard by a Pit running loose a few months ago.

I really believe that Pit's are such a problem because way too many of the people that are drawn to that breed are people who shouldn't own any type of animal. They want a "tough" dog to soothe there own inadequate egos. I know it isn't everyone, they probably aren't even the majority...but those people are going to ruin the Pit breeds for everyone. What's worse is they'll probably drag some other great breeds down with them.

update; they found the owner of the pits and will charge her with manslaughter. http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2005/032005/03142005/1699321