It's nice to know some Animal Control folks actually take a caller seriously and promptly. We did called AC and the Homeowners Assoc about other loose dogs. All we saw was the HO Newsletter prompting the "dog-owners" to please contain your pets. Give me a break! My property is not within the HO jurisdiction, so I had no choice but to call AC. Now that Houston has had so many PB attack incidents recently, AC and the SPCA are more proactive. Just this last week here in town, the SPCA impounded over 40 mal-nourished PBs that were being bred as fighters! We're hoping for jail-time for the owner.

 Quote: Carolyn White

I have no fear or need to plan a strategy when walking around my neighborhhood. I can't say the same if I lived in Texas.

Hmmm, I have no fear walking around my neighborhood either but I always have a plan - and a weapon! It takes no effort whatsoever for me to carry something with me to help in protecting me and/or my dog. Before I got my GSD I used to think he'd protect me from the nasties that might cross my path. Boy was I ever wrong. Ever since I got my dog, I've been protecting him!! Dogs seem to come out of the woodwork when I'm walking with him. Tiny dogs aren't a problem. If it's anything more than tiny, I put my dog behind me and take my walking stick and block it's ability to get near my dog. Every dog I've done this with must have been very intimidated by the stick because they either leave or sit down or back up but they always leave my dog alone.

Without that walking stick I just wouldn't feel safe sticking my arm out to block the stray dog. And if the dog was very aggressive, without the stick, I'd be next to useless in defending my dog .

A couple years ago I was sitting in a restaurant, and looked out the window to see a loose dog (looked half-starved) following this man and his toddler with a look on his face that reminds of my basenji at lure coursing - yikes. I noticed the dog advancing but I was behind the window and I just sort of stood up and banged on the window, because the man/toddler had no idea and nobody was outside, they got into the restaurant JUST in time and the dog disappeared. I called the local humane society.

It was the most frightening moment ever, and I felt completely helpless. Anyway, slightly unrelated. In my area, it's extremely unusual to have loose dogs around, I've never needed a plan. The neighborhood I'm moving to though, different story. I'll have to steal some of the ideas I've gotten from this board.

Heather,

Did this incident happen in Toronto?

 Quote: Bradley T. Martin

Heather,

Did this incident happen in Toronto?

Hamilton, actually. It was in the east end, where most strays end up in my experience (lots of pockets of poverty).

The dog was not right if he was following the man, growling and exhibiting an aggressive nature. The dog should not have been loose in the first place. I think of what one of mine would do were they to get loose, they would barrel at somebody then throw themselves at the person's feet - and beg for attention....of course I am sure this would be seen as being aggressive. Well hopefully I will never know because mine will never be free to roam.

It makes me sad to hear folks say they wish this wonderful breed of dog never existed....I guess my feeling is if they did not exist, I am sure we would be having this conversation about Rotts, or GSDs, or Dobes, because the same stupid people would be creatingt he same problem, they would just be using a different weapon.

Did the dog deserve to die - maybe, maybe not, but the moment he was left unattended that decision was placed in the hands of a person who had the right to be safe.

I've been in this guys situation before. He did all the right things.From reading the comments I was expecting to see some young athletic leather wearing guy. Not the 60 year old grandfather I saw on the interview.Carol how could you blame the victim here? The dog owners are the ONLY ones to blame here.
rd

 Quote: valerie tietz-kelly

It makes me sad to hear folks say they wish this wonderful breed of dog never existed....I guess my feeling is if they did not exist, I am sure we would be having this conversation about Rotts, or GSDs, or Dobes, because the same stupid people would be creatingt he same problem, they would just be using a different weapon.

The same stupid people that created the Pit Bull didn't create those other breeds. Remember the Pit Bull terrier was bred to fight, nothing more, nothing less. Sounds bad, but it's a simple fact. And today, they still carry that unique trait they call "gameness" (the willingness to confront with extreme courage, whether it be on offense or defense). I think that's why we hear so many stories of the Pit Bull being the aggressor in countless situations. It's not the Pit Bulls' fault, it's just part of their nature. It's in them.

Unfortunately, most Pit Bull owners don't understand their history. And they raise them as if they were just a regular dog, letting them run loose like they would their golden retriever...

Richard, please see my second post/reply on page two.

 Quote: mike sanchez

 Quote: valerie tietz-kelly

It makes me sad to hear folks say they wish this wonderful breed of dog never existed....I guess my feeling is if they did not exist, I am sure we would be having this conversation about Rotts, or GSDs, or Dobes, because the same stupid people would be creatingt he same problem, they would just be using a different weapon.

The same stupid people that created the Pit Bull didn't create those other breeds. Remember the Pit Bull terrier was bred to fight, nothing more, nothing less. Sounds bad, but it's a simple fact. And today, they still carry that unique trait they call "gameness" (the willingness to confront with extreme courage, whether it be on offense or defense). I think that's why we hear so many stories of the Pit Bull being the aggressor in countless situations. It's not the Pit Bulls' fault, it's just part of their nature. It's in them.

Unfortunately, most Pit Bull owners don't understand their history. And they raise them as if they were just a regular dog, letting them run loose like they would their golden retriever...

Mike no one understands the history of the PB better than I do. I agree the PB was bred to be a CANINE COMBATANT....but if you do ANY research regarding the history of the well bred game dogs You will very quickly understand that being human passive was instrumental in owning and working a game dog. If the dog was HA then it was culled as it was not an asset to the legacy doggers....so this story is about a PB attacking a man....those "stupid" people that created the progression of the bull and terrier dog that has eventually progressed into our modern day PB took great care to breed HA out of their stock......the "stupid" people that breed without regard for the desired PB qualities (human passiveness being a BIG one)and then not training them and then turning them loose on society with questionable blood and temperments are not the "stupid" people you have cited in your post, those people are not stupid at all, to the contrary they are the ones that have well bred PBs from game lines that are properly contained and cared for because they KNOW PBs. Any breed of dog can demonstrate the behavior the dog in the story exhibited with the RIGHT neglectful, uneducated owners. And if the PB were not around regardless of WHO initiated the breed the idiots, like the owners of the dog in this story,would destroy the next tough lookin breed - should it be a GSD, Rott, Mastiff or what ever.