To me the pit bulls are pests.
I can't walk down an alley without worrying about getting bitten. When I see anything resembling a pit bull on a leash I am forced to take evasive action. In my opinion, they should be bred out of existence.

Why aren't they?

jennapbt

majm - Well said *claps*

majm45

Thank you jennapbt, for your support.
This was my surprise, I recently had to do an arguementative paper for my english class and I, of course, chose the BSL as my topic.
I could not find a website that was an anti-apbt/amstaffy organization. I found opinion columns from newspapers, opinion articles, and misinformed bloggers but as hard as I looked for an organization that could be behind this movement, I could not find it.
When you look up "anti pit bull" on google, pro apbt/amstaffy websites come up resoundingly pounding the opposition into defeat. The only places I have found "anti pit bull people" are on message boards/blogs. I try to comment as often as I can to try and make them see the ripple effect that they will have if they let misinformation and fear make their decisions for them(ie - loss of all rights).
I even tried "I hate pit bulls" on google, and found nothing, no organization, no mad mothers against the vicious pit bull, NOTHING. More pro apbt/amstaffy websites but nothing anti besides the same blogs/message boards.
I sit and wonder about HOW IN THE WORLD the powers that be managed to pass such silly legislation if it is so obvious that the people are not behind it. I mean, I simply cannot understand it. All I see out here on the World Wide Web is love for these recently tainted creatures. I see no hate for them, only a peppering of closemindedness.
http://sf.metblogs.com/archives/2005...ls_are_b.phtml A misinformed SF blogger I tried to set straight with a three coment diatribe, the last three comments made by Kayla, in case you are interested in seeing my other points in this argument or helping me out with these people, they are scared and fear the unknown. It should pass with help from the pro apbt/amstaffy community. Flood them into believing!

LoveMyBooBooGirl

i want to thank you for your well thought out post. i have tried to make the same point (remembering the anti-rott era myself). but those who dont want to hear logic wont hear of it. i have stopped posting on this entire forum for the most part due to the menality of a good majority of the members. i do pop in from time to time when i get an e-mail "posting alert". i wiswh there were more people like you.

majm45

Thank you LoveMyBooBooGirl for your support.
What weighs on me most is how these people form their opinions from news stories, the very news stories that are slanted to get that fear and prejudice reaction. I cannot understand how people do not realize that the media is toying with them. The graphic photographs and gory details are used to stir up closemindedness and fear.
Think about Iraq/Afghanistan, 2,000+ soldiers have died in the attempt to bring them freedom. We have seen oh, about 5 casket photographs. The powers that be have made it illegal to show photographs of the fallen soldiers. While I understand the family not wanting that pictured, I know that the media is complying with this illegal decree on purpose. If not, if we had seen 2,000+ casket photos, we would all be in Washington D.C. ripping Dubya from his royal throne.
Press on the American Pit Bull Terrier/Staffordshire Terrier is abused in the opposite way, graphic gory overload. Disfigured children, crying parents, etc. This is used to specifically garner a fear response from the general public, who trusts Tom Brokaw and won't question what Brian Williams is presenting. They will see, absorb, meet at the watercooler and give all American Pit Bull Terrier/Staffordshire Terrier owners bad looks and snide remarks. They will go to town meetings and push silly legislation on the sly of dog owners and rip rights away from everyone.
No one does any research anymore. There are no beloved muckrakers. There is no responsibility in the media. We are losing a fight for a damned good breed of dog, and I only fear my rotty is next.

lilfyre

kp2171

M'kay. Help me make this thread end on something other than each side calling each other blind and ignorant... maybe we can find a middle???

This thread has made me understand that it is unfair to judge any dog, American Pit Bull Terrier or otherwise, by its "breed" alone.

I have a friend with a dalmation, a vet no less, that is a bit testy. And I will never allow my 2 year old near my wife's grandmother's beloved chow...as it is old and set in its ways and doesn't tolerate a noisy, unpredictable child. It doesn't like children, but it "rescued" the grandmother when she broke her arm and fell down some stairs. It also nips at my son when he comes near. We keep the two apart.

My intention was mostly to say I don't feel comfortable with my naughty boy, who is still learning right from wrong, around an animal that has had less than great press. The 76 year old Texas woman who was just mauled and killed by a pack of roaming pit bulls is another example...front page news Yahoo.

Clearly this was, in major part, an owner issue. Any moron who lets any pack of dogs roam the streets, regardless of breed, is just asking for trouble. I would, however, like to feel safe mowing my lawn, as she was, when this attack occured, if there were dogs of this breed or other labeled "aggressive" breeds in the neighborhood. Saying the owner is to blame isn't going to ease the devastation the family will feel with the loss of a mother and grandmother. Fining a bad owner will never compensate for the loss of a life. Banning a dog because of "breed," however, doesn't seem fair.

The fact that there seems to be an "owner issue" is in itself the issue.

So help me be comfortable with this. If the primary issue with the Staffordshire Terrier or Pit Bull Terrier is the owner, then how can I be comfortable when a new owner and dog moves in to my neighborhood? I don't know them. I don't know their animals. I know my son is loud and noisy sometimes, even when supervised.

If I cannot judge an owner an a moron or as a responsible owner on sight, then how can I be more comfortable with the animal? Again... this is in the context of having a 2 year old boy running around... always supervised, but still a bit unpredictable. Obviously if the owner lets the dogs run loose, he's an idiot that should be severely fined.

But the article I posted last month, again front page sensational Yahoo news, was about dogs that escaped from a house when a visiter came to the door for a fundraiser. These were not dogs running the alleys in packs.

So... what is the happy medium??

Let's ALL AGREE that it is unfair to call the "breed" dangerous outright and always. I'll give you that. Absolutely.

Everyone see that? The ignorant homicidal moron in need of a smoke (see previous comments) concedes that many of you owners and your beloved pets get a bad, bad rap.

And I'll concede that the title of this thread, which I didn't start, is therefore unfair.

I imagine more children die in backyard swimming pool accidents and driveway accidents each year than dog attacks.

But I'm getting mixed messages about how to handle my son around the dogs. If I'm showing ignorance by crossing the street when walking with my son when an unfamiliar owner approaches... AND I'm ignorant for letting my son approach a new dog... where's my happy middle?

The answer is to find a way to label stupid owners. Unfortunattely, I cannot tell one from another when walking my son on the bike trail.

I guess my last comment, and I'm sure we all hope this will be the last one, will be a request to not get angry with a parent who keeps his child away from your dog if I do not know you, by moving across the street or out of the way.

You might be a great owner and your dog might be the best animal that ever loved a human. I don't have the skills to know you from the Illinois dogs owner or the Texas dogs owner (that attacked this last month) when we meet on the trail. I cannot tell who is a terrible owner when I bring my son around for Halloween trick-or-treating to houses I'm less familiar with. I don't know on sight which dogs were bred well, fed well, cared for, etc...

So I'll not label your dog outright as dangerous... if you'll not call me an idiot (or "pitifully uneducated", "short sighted", "narrow minded", "hot headed" as I've already been called these) for keeping my son away from your dog by moving clearly out of your way until I know you and your dog better. Do you know my son well enough to trust him around your animal?

God, I hope this is middle ground.

anml bhvrst

I could not help but empathize with your dilema. I know where you are coming from as I have a one year old son. But I also own a Pit Bull............. and a Beagle and a Treeing Walker Coonhound. I too do not let my son approach just any dog but as an animal behavorist, conduct around dogs is like second nature. So, here are some tips and pointers on what you should teach your son, how you can feel more comfortable and why.

The reason most children are hurt by dogs ( I do not use the word "attacked" because that is not what a dog is doing) is #1 they do not know how to behave around dogs. Most children pick at and pester and being that dogs do not speak english they can only communicate by first growling, then snarling and last resort, biting. If you have ever seen puppies play fight with each other they will bite at each others muzzles and pin one another. That is their way of establising who is the boss. Now, children do not have muzzles so when a child is doing something to a dog that the dog does not approve of and wants that child to leave him/her alone or repremand the child the dog will go for the face. And a childs response is to fight back which in turn will usually trigger the "leader of the pack" response to pin the child. This is how these so called "attacks" happen. All in all, it is miscommunication between dog and human gone very bad.

So how can you keep your son safe? Well, if you are on the trail or out for a walk an overzealous (jackass) dog owner will usually have their dog off the leash letting them run amock. A responsible dog owner will have their dog on the leash and the dog should be walking right beside them. Here is where the leader of the pack also comes into play. Who is always out front? The "leader of the pack". I can almost guarantee you when the dog is out front taking the owner for a walk, they are not in complete control of their dog. Now, regardless of what breed the dog is, how big it is you should always ask to pet the dog first. Show the dog the back of your hand, allow him to sniff until the tail starts wagging and you are ok with him/her. And as far as being "attacked" in your front yard, highly unlikely, but if a dog were to ever come running at you do not run, do not fight, do not raise your arms and hands kicking and screaming. Ignore them, do not look them directly in the eye, turn away and stand straight. By doing this you are not challenging the dog but you are being passive aggressive, standing your ground but not putting up a fight.

In response to your yahoo stats, I actually live outside of Denver, Colorado and the ten year old boy that was attacked, only one of the dogs belonged to the household and the others were wayward rescues from the genicide that was taking place. And no where in the article in the Denver paper did it mention the parents who should have been supervising their son that was in the yard with two unknown dogs.

The best thing anyone can do is educate themselves. Not everyone is going to agree that American Pitt Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Terriers are great dogs but ignorance is no better than fear.

pimpyfly

Hey Kp2171


Last year my wife was robbed and beaten by two african american males at the local grocery market.................. yet to this day she has not said one bad thing about african american men. she even continues to shop at the same grocery market with african americans. She holds no grudges nor blames the assailants nor their parents. You may find this odd but she even walks on the same side of the street with them children in tow. I honestly find that amazing. Its unfortunate how you stereo type specific dogs for what they have done or how they were "used". And to post a "mauling" article on pitbulls was below low. Please name a dog or bird for that mater and I will list a medly of maulings for that specific breed.

If you stereo type dogs I could only imagine what other "justified" stereo types you hold. Please tell me - is ignorance bliss?

Fr_Chuck

How sick can a person be, comparing an 'animal" to a race of people, this is the most racist comparision I have heard on this site.

While you said , she stills shows there and even plays with 'them. it is obvoius that a standing of racism is in your committ.

Dogs are anminals without the God given ability to be rational. They respond from breeding, they are breed to be agressive animals.

Our city has outlawed them and I call on more people to petition thier council people to do the same. In our city if you have one, it has to be licenced, and always chained with heavy chain ( leash) it can not merley be on a chain in a yard but a real pen and/or cage which has to be inspected and oked for use. Failure to do this will result in heavy fines.

As for African American people, there are good and bad, just like good and bad whites and indian and mexicans and so on.

The biggest crooks are not normally black but the white collar criminals.

Your comparison just make me........... time for confession before I say something wrong

jennapbt

Just give it up already people. If you don't like a breed don't own one. Simple enough. No need to bash on something you don't understand.