First, thanks to Ed for the new article, although I doubt it will reach the type of people who should read it and care. Danielle, while other dogs do bite, pits tend to do a lot more damage. Yesterday, in my local DP, a pit mauled a beagle and sent the owner to the hospital. I don't know the extent of the injuries, but the people who were there felt the beagle may have been mortally wounded, and the man mauled. It was hard to tell, as there was so much blood. Some citizens kept the pit's owner from leaving the DP until the police arrived, but they then let him and the dog go, saying that spontaneous dog fights were not criminal, and the beagle's owner took a risk when he intervened. I can't understand why the dog was not at least quarantined for rabies. This occurred in a pretty upscale neighborhood in Manhattan, by the way, and the pit's owners are not druggies, just idiots out of their depth with this dog.

I wasn't implying that upscale people dont have aggressive animals. I was thinking, why doesnt the media tell you about the attacks that happen in those areas.

My comment about licensing owners and not dogs is I find most of the nicest, well intentioned people havent a clue about what make a dog tick.

You have to have a license to own a gun, you have to put a fence around a pool if you want to pass inspection so kids dont drown, hell in Utah you have to have a license to buy beer. But anyone can buy a dog with teeth and no education. It saddens me.

Any local shelter you walk into is loaded with animals that have behavioral problems and I just wish something could be done so we dont have to have an epidemic in this country. Everytime I am on the forum you have laws being passed, BSL and someone suing and animal abuse and neuter this and neuter that, child dies, beagle killed.....

Just makes me think....thats all. I wonder what dog ownership will look like at the end of my life time..

what type of dogs do you bann? there is another banned here as well, its a mastiff built like dog, also a fighting dog but i cant think of its breed? gsd and rotties are considered over here the best breed, too name but a few. lol i love gsd x

Ed ~ did not see your page dedicated to pit bull's. I am afraid to say that page will fill up with incidents rather quickly.

Danielle, I knew what you meant with your comment on upscale neighborhoods and lack of incidents, and I've wondered it myself. I think they may be less likely to occur in the first place for dozens of reasons I won't go into here, but also, I think they're reported less because they're considered "isolated incidents" in these areas. In inner city Pit incidents, they're so commonplace that I think the media gets off on reporting every single incident.

I could be way off, but a client of mine is a LEO and she just told me about an incident where a petsitter put a KNOWN dog-aggressive AmStaff/Mastiff mix (120 lb. dog) on a HARNESSS and FLEXI while the owners were out of town. The dog hauled her down the street toward 2 Cairn terriers and mauled them. Their panicked owner was also sent to the hospital after trying desperately to remove her dogs from this dog's mouth. The dog did not direct any aggression at her, but she was rather severely injured in the chaos. This was not a situation of owner-error; these people had told the petsitter he was DA, and to keep him in the back yard. She told the LEO's that she thought she'd put him on a harness for "better control" (yeah, HIS control).

A woman and her 2 dogs were severely injured, all 3 spending days in the hospital, and it was completely unreported in this upscale community. If this were neighboring Aurora, it would've made the papers for sure, if not the news. I don't think it happens enough here to stay in people's minds long enough to spark the kind of feelings/reactions people have in other areas.

Hi,

As someone who is not a Pitbull afficionado, but is constantly defending them, I have tried to come up with solutions to the "problem". I believe this is not just a Pitbull issue, but an issue of all powerful breeds (GSD's, Cane Corsos, Pitbulls, Dobermanns, Rottweilers, et cetera.)

The reason pits get more attention is because many of the people (as I have said before) attracted to this breed, are attracted for the wrong reasons. They want a "tough macho dog". That said, they look in the paper or go to a friend of a friend to buy the dog. These people do not take the time to research what a reputable breeding operation should look like, dog behavior, obedience classes et cetera. They want a powerful dog that is tough. They give no thought as to what will happen when that "tough" dog decides to hurt someone.

Now, this is an IDEA. Let's preface this with saying that we know criminals (more than likely) will not comply with any regulations set in place. The law would be designed to help the clueless people that purchase "too much dog".

The ideas I have are the following:

a) Six months prior to purchasing a puppy/dog an application for a dog license should be filled out. License fees will cover: canine behavior and obedience courses.

b) Regardless of breed type, applicants are required to take a canine behavior course. (What length of time would you guys recommend?)

c) To successfully complete the course an applicant must pass with a grade of 85% or better. Once the the canine behavior course is completed, the applicant may purchase their dog/pup.

d) Once the dog/pup is purchased, the applicant must successfully complete a puppy/dog socialization class and an obedience course. After these classes are successfully completed, the applicant will be given the license.

e) Applicants who want to purchase a powerful breed (dogs NOT recommended for first time dog owners) with NO prior dog experience OR no prior experience with a powerful breed) must take an additional (intermediate) level obedience class.

As I said, these are just ideas. The disheartening thing about this issue is I believe most of the people being hurt/mauled are children and elderly people. Since I know banning the breed is not the answer to the problem, I believe this could be a step in the right direction. What do you guys think? Do you have any other ideas?

The divorce rate is high, how 'bout making it a law that before you can get married you have to have a behavior eval, approval of the government, training in how to be a wife/husband. Or before you buy a high performance vehicle you have to complet a driving course designed for that vehicle and you can't buy it until you've successfully completed it. Instead, how 'bout we just hold the person accountable.

DFrost

don't forget about a law requiring classes for perspective parents.....would probably cut way back on child abuse and neglect.

Why not just throw dog fighters in the next scheduled match? Then incinerate them along with the Pits who don't make it. Make the punishment fit the crime. These people are animals.

Yes, what I just is absolutely barbaric, callous and horrible, and of course I'm not serious, but I just have my doubts that subscribers to this kind of mentality are going to change due to anything less extreme. I don't see much of a light at the end of the tunnel for these dogs, until some other breed catches losers' fancies. Sad, sad predicament Pit Bulls are in.

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how 'bout we just hold the person accountable.

Gee, that's a novel idea in this pass-the-buck-society we now live in.