So anyone who knows me... knows that I stand up for pit bulls. I have come into contact with many.. probably over a hundred over in the last ten years.. so I feel confident saying I know a pit bull and it's temper.
My feeling... most of the time, the owner is at fault. Most times you see pits on chains that are only a few feet long, they're starved, tied up to batteries for pulling purposes... the list goes on. People make pit bulls mean and aggressive.
But there are times, when it may not be the People and it's the dog.
I witnessed that today as I saw a woman, who was just walking her two little yorkies in her yard, chewed up in every sense of the word. She had bites all over her hands, arms, shoulder, back and side. It was just awful. I felt so sorry for her and her family because it was a traumatizing experience. The woman told me she has no idea why the animals did what they did, why they attacked her. And since they are dogs and can't talk, I guess we'll never know but it makes you wonder.
The dogs had been next door in a yard with a fence around it... but obviously the fence didn't keep the dogs inside their property. Makes you wonder why the owner of the dogs didn't have them in cages, or on a yard leash... something. To me, there had to be an inclination that the dogs had aggressive tendencies. But then again, dogs can snap... but to try and kill someone... a perfectly friendly dog snapping is hard for me to believe.
So even though, I feel anyone can be a great pit owner, maybe regardless of it all there needs to be something in place, in the law, to make sure all pits, heck even other dogs, are where they need to be and not able to attack another dog or person. Leash laws to me are almost worthless and it seems like nothing else will ever be done until someone is killed or maybe a few are killed by an aggressive dog.
Like one of the animal control officers said today... a little dog can be mean as all and attack you, but that bite is just a bite. A pit bull can be mean and attack, and that dog can kill you. The amount of power behind the two jaws is different.
Just my thoughts.. and my prayers are with the woman attacked in hopes she recovers soon.
Lindsay Housaman | lhousaman@wmbfnews.com
As a once owner of a Brendel Pit Bull, I can promise you that their behavior is that which is programmed by the owner. Many people who have dogs have no clue as to how to raise them. (Seems to be that way with children now a day too.) The family pet Labrador is more likely to attack without provocation than a Pit. As for the temperament of a pit, it is one of the most affectionate dogs I've ever owned. I can remember mine picking a up small child that had wandered into the street by his diaper and taking him back to his play area. Pit's are as trustworthy and as good a citizen as the owner.
Vicious dogs are the result of their owners or bad breeding. The dog is the real victim. I believe that the owner should face much stiffer fines and even stronger sentencing.
RBD
Posted by: RB Davis | April 22, 2009 at 09:18 AM