Almost mauled by a pit bull

I think the owner should be prosecuted. He is the one who causes this animal to be like this, by putting a chain on this dog. He also probably started animal abuse since this poor dog was a puppy. Also the mobile home park and its manager should be liable also. If this dog kills or mangles someone it is their fault. Unfortunately animals have to be destroyed, due to the owners abuse. In this case, maybe the animal is better off destroyed, he's been taught to be mean and there is no way it will ever change unfortunately. I'm glad you didnt get injured.

I think the owner should be prosecuted. He is the one who causes this animal to be like this, by putting a chain on this dog. He also probably started animal abuse since this poor dog was a puppy. Also the mobile home park and its manager should be liable also. If this dog kills or mangles someone it is their fault. Unfortunately animals have to be destroyed, due to the owners abuse. In this case, maybe the animal is better off destroyed, he's been taught to be mean and there is no way it will ever change unfortunately. I'm glad you didnt get injured.

First, take that chain off your dog! Chaining a dog leads to agressive behavior. The dog is bored out of his mind being chained up all day, not to mention being frustrated and angry about it too. If you can't make your dog a part of your family, bring him in the house, and show him kindness and affection, then don't bring a dog into your life. He can't be expected to be friendly when he is chained for life. Think about it!

Pit Bulls and, to a lesser degree, Rottweilers are a public safety hazard. These two breeds account for the vast majority of serious injuries and deaths caused by dogs. Regardless of how gentle and docile these family "pets" may seem, they may at any time instinctively attack humans. Many times, these victims are children.

It should be illegal to raise or own these breeds. Or, the criminal and civil penalties the owners of these breeds face after an injury inflicted by their animals should be so severe (including jail time) that no one would ever risk it.

i swear if someone says that pitbulls and other breeds are "bad dogs"im gonna go crazy im only 14 and i bet i know more about these wonderful breeds then you so please stop.lets say the dog that almost bit this lady had been a golden retriever i guarantee it that people would not be writing about how awful that would of been,but please do research pitbulls are not capable of locking their jaw being bit by a pitbull would be just as painful as being bit by any other breed.I own a pitbull and she is the best dog i have ever owned in my entire 14 years of life and i wouldn't trade her in for anything else.same go's for the rottweiler they could be a great dog as well as any other breed,so if you have nothing nice to say then dont say anything.oh yea and thank god your okay =]

Well, I'd like to start by saying that this is ridiculous. I can understand your concern for the safety of children, as I can honestly say that I share your concern. However, to sit there and say that pit bulls and their owners should be reprimanded, or even prosecuted is completely retarded. More people are killed every year by German Shepherds than by all other breeds of dogs combined (that even excludes police dogs) and nobody complains about that. Pit bulls have a worse reputation than Chows, and yet, many people continue to defame the pit bull breed. I have been around pit bulls most of my life, I have seen pit bulls around children, cats, other dogs, etc, and I can honestly say that I would have a pit bull next to my newborn child without any hesitation before I'd have any other breed of dog. I can also say that those who oppose the breed, and their owners, are doing so as a direct result of pure ignorance. All in all, it depends on the way you raise any breed of dog. I've had dachsunds who were meaner than any other dog I've ever owned, and I was attacked by them as a small child. Did I sit here and make disparaging remarks about people who own them? No. The fact of the matter remains, if someone owns a pit bull, and another person or animal gets in their yard, they are fair game. I currently have a Husky, and a Rottweiler, and they attack any unfamiliar animal and/or person that would come into the back yard. Yet, we have cats, and other pets inside the house, and they all sleep together. The dogs are doing their jobs. They are protecting their homes, their families, and their owners, as well as themselves.
Make a note of it, tell the authorities to tell the owner(s) of the dog to either take it off the chain and keep it inside, or to adopt it out to a family who can truly take care of it.
If you were in somebody else's yard (front or back), uninvited, and you were mauled, I have no sympathy for you.

Dennis:

True, pit bulls and Rotts can be nice. But when's the last time you heard of a lab savagely mauling a random person??

I think it was the owner's fault. Pitt Bulls remember everything. For example when they are little if they are abused or messed with like rough housing than they will remember it and take it out on everyone in a vicious rampage. I train my pitts and not once have i been mean to any of them. I have 20. I had 21 but my littlest one broke off the chain and was running around playing until our neighboor pointed a gun at him. He was being provoked. So he ran after him and was shot twice in the head. Always love your pets!!

I think it was the owner's fault. Pitt Bulls remember everything. For example when they are little if they are abused or messed with like rough housing than they will remember it and take it out on everyone in a vicious rampage. I train my pitts and not once have i been mean to any of them. I have 20. I had 21 but my littlest one broke off the chain and was running around playing until our neighboor pointed a gun at him. He was being provoked. So he ran after him and was shot twice in the head. Always love your pets!!

i think that nothing should be done to the dog its most lickly doing what its owner trained it to do i bet that if the owner trained it right that it wouldn't be like that

I saw that somone made a comment about the dog being made to be mean and that it can't be changed. pitBULLSHIT! I have a 6yr old pit that was a fighter for 3 years. I took her from the people that had her. I have had to work with her for along time but we have a good understanding and respect for eachother. She is a huge part of my family and I wouldn't traid her for anything. Some dogs aren't that easy but it can be done. Don't give up on pitbulls or any other breed for that matter.

There probably are competent trainers who can rehabilitate Pit Bulls, unfortunately many Pit Bull owners are incompetent, and because of that I am no fan of Pit Bulls. I was the one who happened to walk (a huge swath) by this particular dog. If he had gotten loose, he would have seriously mauled, or possibly killed me. There would be no way anyone could fend off this type of animal short of killing it, or tranquilizing it.

I'm sure we've all read about Pit Bulls who have mauled and killed innocent adults and children. If it were up to me, I would ban the breed from being allowed within (any) city limits and at public parks and venues of any kind. And if caught violating any of these parameters, the dog would be euthanized, and the owner imprisoned. Risking injury or death to just one child or adult isn't worth any dog's life, regardless of breed.

Quit listening to this gibberish about how bad breed-specific laws are, as long as people are able to keep pet monsters incidents of carnage will continue. Some breeds are more aggressive than others and are better equipped to inflict damage. Just as sharks are more aggressive than dolphins, it's genetic. Aggression is what pit bulls were bred for. In fact their attack repertoire is different from ordinary dogs, the don't bite to defend territory, they don't growl first, they calmly attack to dismember. They are just like ordinary dogs until they get the notion to attack.
Denver has outlawed pit bulls. Duh.
Euthanize this dog, spay the rest and ban any further pit bulls, rottweilers, etc. We don't need these wandering menaces among us. We don't need to be put at risk so their owners can gratify some pathetic need to display power.

Wow, you people are amazing.

Do you cross the street when you see a black man coming in your direction, too? Do you start to sweat if you see a man in a Turban getting on to the same flight as you? What makes judging these dogs based on their breeds any different than judging people by their sex, color or religion? You go and shoot off all of the stats you can find about how Pit Bulls are responsible for all of what's wrong with the world, and I'll tell you that prison populations in North America have a dis-proportionately high percentage of visible minorities. Does that make White people better? Or might there be some gravity to the idea that there are some other issues to be examined?

Everybody talks tough about how these dogs need to be killed off. Well, where are you when the needles are given at the shelters? Making ignorant comments on the internet, that's exactly where you are. Thanks for helping to make the world a better place.

Let's see if I have this right. We go from expressing our views and discussing the good and bad characteristics of dogs - pit bulls in particular - to turning that around to "...what makes judging these dogs based on their breeds any different than judging people by their sex, color or religion?"

I don't believe anyone connected with this conversation in any conceivable stretch of the imagination even remotely thought of "judging" (as you say) people as we do pit bulls, except you. We were simply espousing our personal views about a particular breed of dog. Nothing else. Some people like pit bulls, and they love them, and trust them. I don't. And that has absolutely nothing to do with people.

Listen Bob, my comments are aimed at those who feel that this one particular breed of dog deserves different treatment (or to be outright killed) based on their breed alone. This is ignorance, Bob, and it's prejudicial. Which is why I posed the questions that I did; why stop at one breed of dog, based on it's looks alone? Why not with people, as well? Hell, why don't we dispose of those who believe in a different god than we do, in the name of public safety? Why is the idea of this so openly offensive, but deciding the fate of one breed of dog based on it's breed alone is okay?
There stems a problem from Breed Specific Legislation, a problem of identification. How do you know that "pit bull" wasn't a Cane Corso, an American Bulldog, a Presa Canario, an American Staffordshire Terrier, or any of a thousand combinations that could result in a medium sized, athletically built dog with a blocky head? The answer is that you can't, and that is why every major breeding club, veterinarian's society and rescue society is AGAINST legislation targeting one breed in particular. Because there is no way of implementing it with any feigned notion of accuracy and "justice". Which brings up another issue; the presumption of guilt. I myself am a naturally stocky, athleticly built male, with a large blocky head. I also have a typical "Type A" personality. Not too different from your average Pit Bull. Yet, I have no criminal convictions or arrests for any type of violent crime or misdemeanor. Should I still, based on things beyond my control, be incarcerated because "my type" have a higher than normal tendency to cause others harm?

You said in an earlier post "I'm sure we've all read about Pit Bulls who have mauled and killed innocent adults and children. If it were up to me, I would ban the breed from being allowed within (any) city limits and at public parks and venues of any kind."
Did you know, Bob, that the world's first complete facial transplant surgery was performed in France, due to an attack by a Black Lab? If you heard about this on the news, and maybe a few other stories, would you then want to ban Labrador Retrievers, as well?
Did you know that a drug-sniffing Pit Bull was responsible for the largest drug bust in the United States ever uncovered by a police dog? His name is Neville, and he escaped Euthanasia in Ontario because of his breed alone to do his adoptive country service. Sounds like a pretty decent dog, no? Wouldn't you want a dog like that within your city limits? Protecting your public parks and venues?

To everyone who feels that you can judge these dogs based on their breed alone: please do your homework. Study the breed. You know that they were bred to fight. Did you know that in Britain, they are known as the "nanny dog" based on their steadfast temperament with children? Did you know that Helen Keller had Pit Bulls? That 'Sgt. Stubby', a Pit Bull, is the most decorated animal in the Armed Forces of the U.S.A.?

Please, people. Examine the facts, think about this from all perspectives, and then make your decisions.

They should not be bread anymore

Otto, and Pit BS, jim walker, are closeminded hateful people. Janelle petrello shows how the wisdom of babes show up the foolishness of adults. When i look upon the beautiful pitbull i took out of a shelter, how happy and grataeful she is, how friendly, loving, intuitive, and humored this dog is, it brings tears to my eyes to think men liek these may meet a dog like her in alleyway and shoot her to death, A defensless creature who is maligned because vicious people takes her breed and trains them to be killers. Nothing she could possibly be responsible for. Yes, Mike is right, it is the same sentiments that causes racism as dogism, to coin a phrase. One bad apple, or a thousand for that matter, does not taint the whole bunch. And in this case, it is man who is the direct fault of giving these poor creatures a killer reputation. My advice to these hateful people is to go get a pup of any of these breeds, raise them with love and they would see, they would defend them against any dogma. Other than that shut shut up about a subject you barely have any experience about. You are jsut piling more injustice upon injury.

This doesn't go for everyone, but some of the poeple who have responded back to this make it seem like all pitbull's are horrible. Well in case no one has told you before there not all that bad. The ones that are able to or do harm others aren't taken very well care of and some of you shoud understand that. Any dog could be capable of doing the damage a pitbull can do, but stereotypically only pittbulls are the harmful ones.

You people are very naive if you think that Pit Bulls should not be bread. I love Pit Bulls and dont even have one , because I have seen there true nature. These animals are amazing and beautiful creatures. This picture you see at the top of the screen, its not because they want to be this way its because we made them that way. You cant put the whole breed down because of what you have heard on the news or in books. Take a Pit puppy and raise it, give it a good life, you'll see what this breed can really be like. And for the person who wrote this story, I feel sorry that the first Pit Bull you have ever come in contact with had to be one like this! But for crying out loud some of you need to grow up, we don't kill the whole human race because of some bad people, and trust me there is just as many bad people as there is bad Pits. Maybe even more.

First off, That dog was defending his territory from you, which he was probably trained to do. Which is to PROTECT the owner from anyone or anything that comes there way. I bet that you just got scared of a dog showing his teeth. Also you probably most likely made it seem more vicious than it was. If it had been a lab showing his teeth like that, you would still be scared, but since its a pit bull, you have to run your mouth about it. You are probably someone who has never owned nor read anything about pit bulls. Maybe you should go read Pit bull's for dummy's. Its a real book by the way, no saying your stupid or nothing, (but you probably are). So your saying that just because ONE pit bull showed its teeth to you, that they should do something to the whole breed? That's ridiculous, that's like saying a black person shot your friend, so you want to kill every other black person you see. BREED DISCRIMINATION IS WRONG. How bout you get a life, and stop arguing about a dog, just so you can have something to do. get a job or something.

The dog was tied up behind a mobile home. He came charging under a chain link fence on to a dirt road that I was walking on. Had I not seen him soon enough and been quick enough to run out of his reach, and had he not been tied to a thick and strong chain, he would have reached me, mauled me, and possibly killed me.

Bob going by ur last comment and most of your others, all i see is that u are scared of Pit Bulls because you had a close encounter with one bad one and that was his owners fault. I was attacked by a Pit BUll when i was a kid and i thought the breed was vicious and tempermentle and i thought ill of Pits until i was 18 yrs old. I thought this because of all the stories i heard on the news and because of what other ppl thought, but when i was 18 my girlfriends sister brought home a puppy and i thought it was adorable her name was Fiath and her owner (my girlfreinds sister) is ashley. Ashleys husband was leaveing for Iraq in a couple days so i offered to help raise the puppy i didnt even know she was a pit bull, but as she got older i could tell and i asked ashley and she told me that they rescued her form a breeding house in detroit wer they would of been thrown into fights and i started to feel bad for all the years i judged them and had not given them a chance because faith is an amazing dog. I helped raise faith until she was 10 months old, and her husband came back from Iraq. I was in love with faith she is a great dog, and so when I was 19 ashley got two more they only wanted one so they gave me the other one Tyson, and now faith and tyson have had puppies and I have thier son Tank. I LOVE these dogs more than anything now and they have never shown a sign of aggresivness in any way they are big babies, so i just wanted to show you that comeing from somebody that used to think ill of the breed give them a chance they deserve it. And as for everything mike just said in a previous comment i couldnt agree more learn your facts before you just judge this breed, hate a mean pit sure, but dont hate them all.

First of all,
Mike. You are my hero. haha.
Second,
Bob. First you said that you were on the other side of the street and thats why the pit didn't "maul" you. then in another comment above you said that if you hadn't seen the dog in time to run away it would have "mauled" you. Get your story straight before you start to make up stories. There are very few people in the world that think highly of pitbulls and im pretty sure we dont need you making things up to try and turn them against these amazing dogs.
I am JR's girlfriend. which means that it is my sister that has Faith. Faith is the most amazing dog ever. Like JR said she was taken from a breeding house. Now most people know breeding houses are never nice enviornments. Faith is now as nice as can be. Faith grew up with 2 cats, my 6 year old cousin and my sister in laws NEWBORN BABY. If ALL pitbulls were killing machines, would the newborn, my cousin, or my cats still be here. I think not.
JR, myself, Tyson and my maltease (that Tyson gets along with very well), were all at the Ice Cream Shop last summer. JR was outside with the two dogs while i was inside getting all four of us ice cream =]
as soon as i walk outside I see this lady and her son petting Tyson. Tyson is licking him and just being as nice as can be when the lady then asks what kind of dog Tyson is. As soon as the word pitbull came out of JR's mouth the lady's facial expression turned from joyful to discusted. She then took her little boy and dragged him away from Tyson. As if as soon as she realized what kind of dog he was he would turn on her. He was nice when she had no idea what his breed was but as soon as she knew he was a pitbull her son was dead meat.
Pitbulls are amazing dogs as long as they are raised to be amazing dogs. if they are grown up around fighting, abuse and neglect then they will most likely turn out to be the dogs people think they all are. I mean my cat beats up Tyson for crying out loud. Im sure he could do real damage to a person when he gets his butt kicked by a cat. Tyson shares toys, treats, and food with the new puppy Tank and we are more then happy to have the dogs we have. I would take a pitbull over ANY other breed of dog anyday.

animals are not disposable. there is a huge overpopulation of humans, and a huge number of homeless, and troubles ones....why dont we just kill them all off too. that would make it so much easier on the rest of us. its better for them right? WRONG. animals live in the moment so to say they cant be worked with is a contradiction to their instincts. and this idea that we can just put them to sleep because its to HARD to help them, is selfish and ignorant. WE did this to them. WE are responsible. as badly as we as people abuse these animals i cant believe how tolerant they are. look up the torture look at the pictures, watch the video. if you have the ba*ls to talk so poorly about them than you have the ba*ls to watch them get beaten to death, held under water and drowned. hanged by trees. electrocuted with car battery's, have there ears sawed off with scissors in someones kitchen with no painkillers. beaten every ay with leashes, sticks, even shovels, every day for all of there life. beaten so hard their bones break and then being left for there wound to fester and burn with no aid till they die. strapped down to boards so they can be forcibly bred. chains attached to them thats the equivalent of a 50 pound weight around your neck for years because WE think it makes them stronger. being kept in a 2 by 2 foot cage so long your legs dont work at all. festering in urine for so long the pad of your feet have been burned OFF by ammonia. being left outside for YEARS to suffer in snow and burning heat with no where to go....no food or water for weeks. tied to a car, or bike and dragged down the street ALIVE, until you skin comes off? and there you lay still ALIVE. left to die with the hold side of you body missing skin? have you seen dogs that have been purposely LIT ON FIRE? because i have. ans let me tell you something. i believe these animals have more faith in humans and mental strength for torture. than any of us could ever have. and even if we could survive what they go through. dont you think you would bite some people too? dont you think you would be a little f*cked up?
i have been an animal cruelty officer for 10 years an happen to own four apbt's with fighting background and after years of rehabilitation they all live together happy with each other, my children an even my cats.

I have been an avocate of the Pitt Bull for some time now. Because of ingorance, bleeding heart liberals, and the media the American Staff. Terrier (aka "Pitt Bull") has a serious bad rap. Do not be ignorant please. Go to meetings at your local American Pitt Bull Association. Yes, you do have one. I refused to be ignorant on the subject and say things before I knew the truth. So, I went to some of the meetings in my area. As a result, I now work with local municipalites to reverse "Pitt Bull," BSL. Three cities near me have reversed BSL since we have started. Showing up at city meetings as NON IGNORANT citizens helps when we use facts. Consider a few things with this breed: A Pitt Bull named “Popsicle” was instrumental in finding the largest narcotic “bust” in Texas history.(he was a rescued animal found in a freezer near dead, hence the name "Popsicle") Helen Keller’s companion dog was a Pitt. Several US Presidents have owned them as well. Just takes just a few stereotypical people to ruin this fantastic animals reputation and rich history as a great pet. Look into it, the actual facts, not media opinions like PETA and other ignorant organizations that put their own "spin" on it. Choose intelligence not ignorance.

better still lets all stop driving, walking, eating, breathing and living. all these things have more risk and kill more people than any dog breeds combined. So stop your fanny flapping and being prejudice against pit bulls when what you do in your day-to-day living contains more threat to your life than these dogs or their humans can ever place against you. so stop and think before you start moving your pie hole and bad mouthing pit bulls!!

First of all, thank you everyone for the kind words. Very rare is a compliment passed out on an internet discussion board :).

Second of all, I owe you an apology. "Johnny Bee" Is correct, the pit bull with the drug bust is Popsicle, rather than Neville, as I stated in my post earlier. To anyone who is interested, both dogs have simply remarkable stories of success. A simple Google search will bring up each of these two service dogs, and their incredible, almost unbelievable histories.

Third, to Bob. I feel terrible that you had to go through this event. It's obvious that it was quite traumatic for you, and I completely respect how dangerous the situation you were in could have been. I'm honestly relieved that you weren't injured, and I wish that your introduction to Pit Bulls hadn't been with this dog.

What bothers me, though, is how you've projected your emotions onto not only this dog, but also all others like it. That particular dog may be officially 'human aggressive', but not all others are. I understand that you feel threatened and angered, but you need to ensure that your emotions are directed at the proper target. As was said earlier, I suggest that you take the time to meet another Pit Bull, a better representative of the breed. See how overly affectionate they are. See how clownish and silly they can be, just like any other dog. See how they excel at all versions of dog sports and activities, because of their physical gifts and desire to please their families. See how wonderful they can be with children, how they make outstanding therapy dogs for hospitals and care homes because of their even temperament and high pain threshold. See how all of these breed characteristics make these dogs BETTER family dogs, rather than a dangerous threat to society.
I actually think that it would help to deal with the traumatic event that you experienced. These are wonderful dogs, just as good as any other. They deserve the same rights that we bestow upon all other living creatures.

Pit Bulls are the sweetest dogs I've ever been around, and I help show dogs so I really know what I'm talking about. It is the owner fault usually but also that many pit bulls are still bred for foul tempers as they are still used in underground dog fights, the owner should be prosicuted as shelly says and the dog should be put into a programm that deals with ill temperd dogs, they really work wonders

To Jim Walker and anyone else who thinks that it is the instinct of a pitbull or rottweiler to attack humans. I own a pitbull rottweiler mix and it is the most gentle dog in the world. All dogs no matter what kind can be aggressive towards anything at anytime, especially if the owner does not take proper care of it. The only reason a pitbull will attack a person is if the owner treats it poorly or if the person it attacks is making threatening gestures towards it. Any dog that is treated poorly and chained up will have an increased irritability factor and simply walking near it can trigger an attack. Threatening any dog of reasonable size will most likely result in an injury on your part. So no, it is not pitbull instinct to attack. It is canine instinct. The only reason pitbulls take the full brunt of the attack accusations are because they are stronger than most dogs and people treat them the worst. Pitbulls are not wild animals like wolf hybrids are and should not be treated like wild animals. Pitbulls are domesticated animals. They are the victims of a negative stereotype which, in turn, leads people to think that they can treat them worse. If a poodle walks up non-aggressively to someone in the street their immediate reaction is to go "Awww so cute" and then pet it. If a pitbull walks up non-aggressively to someone on the street their immediate reaction is to either run, scream, or yell at it. All of those are aggressive behaviors and will result in the pitbull returning the aggressive behavior. If pitbulls are banned then every dog bigger than a poodle should be too. As for the pitbull that jumped at you, it should be taken to a behavior correctional center and the owner arrested.

To Jim Walker and anyone else who thinks that it is the instinct of a pitbull or rottweiler to attack humans. I own a pitbull rottweiler mix and it is the most gentle dog in the world. All dogs no matter what kind can be aggressive towards anything at anytime, especially if the owner does not take proper care of it. The only reason a pitbull will attack a person is if the owner treats it poorly or if the person it attacks is making threatening gestures towards it. Any dog that is treated poorly and chained up will have an increased irritability factor and simply walking near it can trigger an attack. Threatening any dog of reasonable size will most likely result in an injury on your part. So no, it is not pitbull instinct to attack. It is canine instinct. The only reason pitbulls take the full brunt of the attack accusations are because they are stronger than most dogs and people treat them the worst. Pitbulls are not wild animals like wolf hybrids are and should not be treated like wild animals. Pitbulls are domesticated animals. They are the victims of a negative stereotype which, in turn, leads people to think that they can treat them worse. If a poodle walks up non-aggressively to someone in the street their immediate reaction is to go "Awww so cute" and then pet it. If a pitbull walks up non-aggressively to someone on the street their immediate reaction is to either run, scream, or yell at it. All of those are aggressive behaviors and will result in the pitbull returning the aggressive behavior. If pitbulls are banned then every dog bigger than a poodle should be too. As for the pitbull that jumped at you, it should be taken to a behavior correctional center and the owner arrested.

IONO I HAVE A 1 YEAR OLD PITBULL! BUT I GOT A REAL HIGH FENCE CUZ HES A JUMPER! BUT WENEVER SUM1 WALKS BY ON EACH SIDE HE RUSHES GROWNLIN N BARKIN SHOWIN OF THOSE BIG OT TEETH! AROUND HERE MY YARD IS OF LIMITS! BUT MY DOG AINT NVER CHAINED UP! BUT CAREFUL! CUZ IF A PITBULL DONT KNOW U N ATTACKS! ID FEEL BAD FOR U!

Wrap that heavy chain around the owners throat and keep him/her chained up in the yard. That dog lives his life on the end of that chain, which is obvious if you look at the picture closely. And this is NO life for a dog! Dogs are natural pack animals, they require socialization, not solitary confinement. My eight year old son was mauled by a pit (my son was his second bite victim) that lived on a chain, and was seriously injured. I don't blame the dog, who ended up biting again (third time, two attacks were on his owners) and was euthanized, but I do put full and total blame on his stupid owner for treating him badly enough that he turned aggressive. Pits are NOT bad dogs. But often times, for status, they are owned by people who do not socialize them correctly, which turns them mean. Watch a rap video sometime. You'll see what I mean. I think more attention needs to fall on the owners heads rather than pointing a finger at the dog. Dogs cannot speak for themselves, they are at the mercy of their owners. While I feel sorry for anyone attacked by a dog like this, I also feel sorry for the dog who didn't ask to be chained up like a prisoner. Blame the owner, not the dog, chain the owner, not the dog.

I think you should go back and beat it

i think your all wrong pitt bulls are not a problem the owner is. if you read about them you will find out that they are very high pain tolerant dogs so putting the dog on a chain has nothing to do with it. it's training the dog to fight so the owner is to blame

I've talked to a dog trainer. Dogs of any breed shouldn't be chained up for long periods of time. they need exercise and some freedom - and we have plenty of parks and open space for owners to walk their dogs. And dogs need socialization with other dogs, the trainer said. I don't know if this pit bull stayed chained up for long periods of time without exercise and play time with other dogs, but it appeared that way. He had dug a deep hole under the chain link fence in back of the mobile home he lives at to crawl under to extend his territory as much as possible. A sorry state for any animal to have to live in. But, like I've said before, if he had broken loose, I would have been mauled or worse. He's too strong a dog for most people (if any) to fight off.

i think the owner shld give it some steak and cocaine,, make it bgger and meaner

you all are ridiculous!!! if you knew anything about this breed of dog you would not be sitting here writing such non-sense about this amazing breed of a dog! please stop being so ignorant and do research!! then and only then IF you have evidence to back up what you "think" about this dog, post. i do wish this dog was a ferocious killer as you said and i wish he did take care of you, we dont need ignorant people such as your self in this world!!!

Bob, by your last comment, the fault lies solely on the owner, not the dog. If it went UNDER the fence, the owner needs to fix the hole. The chain shouldn't even be long enough to go that far, besides. (not to say the dog shouldn't be chained in the first place, but still).

People who said pit bulls were bred to attack are partially right. They were bred to have aggression toward other animals, but that was back in the day when dogfighting was legal and regulated. During that time, if any fighting dog showed any kind of aggression toward any human, it was immediately culled. Many times, even puppies from its line were killed to make sure human aggression didn't happen.

Jazi, I agree that the owner is to blame for the hole under the fence and for the behavior of the dog. But that being said, while walking down the road that goes by the chain link fence, had I been a few feet closer (on the other side of the road) nearer to the fence, the dog surely would have gotten me. And had some innocent child or children been walking by or riding their bikes by, I'm sure they would have been attacked. No doubt the owner is responsible. In hindsight I should have reported this to the Yucaipa Sheriff's Dept. When Mesa View Middle School opens up next Fall, if this owner and dog are still living there, I'm sure the school will intercede and put a stop to this situation for the safety of the kids. I don't dislike all pit bull owners or pit bulls - just those who by their behavior shouldn't own ANY animals regardless of species. A former colleague of mine owned a pit bull and brought it into the office on occasion. The dog was sweet-tempered and fun to have around. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, very informative and interesting.

I have an American Pit bull Terrier. He is 10 years old.He is the most loving, loyal dog I have ever known. He loves people and has a magnetic charm that draws people to him. I love my dog very much. I have owned dogs my entire life. I trust my dog completely, but that degree of trust developed over a period of time,yet I cannot expect another person to share my degree of trust. Dogs are animals, the fact is most medium to large breeds have the ability to be a very formidable adversary in a fight with a human. For the polyannas, I have been bitten 3 times. Twice by American Pit Bull Terriers once by a German Shepard (oh, once by a small ape). In all cases, I did nothing to provoke the animals. I feel all those who expound on how swell their breed is and how they could never do anything unacceptable are either blindly biased or stupid. I adopted a American pit bull terrier, four years old buffed brindel. Once I recall my wife telling me he gave her a blank stare that freaked her out. Well as I was laying on my bed with the dog I was petting him gently telling him I was going to love him ...as I was doing this he turned and gave me a blank stare, pupils fully dialated, psychotic, my hair stood up on my neck. I'm no punk, but in that instant I knew that dog I was seriously outmatched. He didn't bite me until two days later, fortunately he just growled and snapped at my hand then circled growling. The fact is, there are bad pits, bad poodles, dogs with quirks. They may or may not have been abused previously, if an owner fails to consider jealously as something to guard against they're negligent. In any case I believe if a friend or guest doesnt feel as comfortable as you do with your dog, put your dog in another room until your guest leaves. I went to a friends home, I had been on good terms with her male pit for about three weeks at the time, he had layed on my lap etc. She waited to let me through her security door, she wss squatting down holding the dog repeating it's c. it's ok, it's c it's ok..this went on far a while then she rose up halfway and stopped so she would be able to quickly grab the dog if necessary, she then tells me" it's ok, come in" well it was obvious she didn't really feel it was ok by her stance, like an idiot I went in, I had a female friend behind me, the dog approached me sniffed me went to my friend sniffed her, came back to me, sniffed my hand, and in an instant locked on my hand, his owner was trying to get him to let go, I was kind of in shock, he was locked but he wasnt worrying (twisting his head rapidly back and forth to rip) finally he let go. My question was why didnt she put the dog away and avoid putting me at risk? The worst thing was this dog had bitten several other people, one girl in the face. I should have shot the dog but I felt awkward with my friend. I think unless its clearly defensive a biter should be put down. As much as I love my dog, if he did that to a guest of mine, it would be awful but he'd have to go. I guess this whole thing is about better safe than sorry. Maybe we could take all the crazy and vicious dogs and make videos of them being matched against child molesters.

Hi Chaz, good comments - presenting both sides of canines, how some can be people-friendly, and others a menace - regardless of breed. A dog trainer I recently wrote a story about says that ALL dogs can be rehabilitated. Perhaps by professionals, but not by ordinary dog owners, I think. Remember the Michael Vick (former NFL quarterback) case with his 49 fighting pit bulls? All were rehabilitated except for one that had to be put down. Several were rehabilitated by professional dog trainers and were adopted into homes, while the others are living in a dog sanctuary of sorts in Utah, I believe, and from the latest I read, can't be adopted out - at least not right now, but they are able to live and socialize with other dogs and staff. Thanks for writing, much appreciated.
Bob

Quote from Sports Illustrated Article:

"In truth these dogs are among the most people-friendly on the planet. It has to be. In an organized dogfight three or four people are in the ring, and the dogs are often pulled apart to rest before resuming combat. (The fight usually ends when one of the dogs refuses to reengage.) When separating two angry, adrenaline-filled animals, the handlers have to be sure the dogs won't turn on them, so over the years dogfighters have either killed or not bred dogs that showed signs of aggression toward humans. 'Of all dogs,' says Dr. Frank McMillan, the director of well-being studies at Best Friends Animal Society, a 33,000-acre sanctuary in southern Utah, 'pit bulls possess the single greatest ability to bond with people.'"

You should check out the article

Forgot the link to the article, sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/magazine/12/22/vick.dogs/index.html

Thanks for sharing Casey. I've posted a blog entry with your link to the article. Bob

dont go out if u afraid

WOW? really? The owners are very bad at looking after their pets. My friend has two of them (YES she does have a licence to own them) and they are such sweet dogs. They would maul you will kisses and would never leave a scratch. Of coarce they would bark at intruders but not like what this dog would of done to you. All dogs are dangerous in their own way but that dog was under kept and not well looked after. That dog should be well kept or disposed of.

Every living creature has a personality and the creatures with the worst are humans. Can I put you to sleep because your a douche? Its a fact that pitbulls love people and are great family pets. They are also score better on AKC temperament tests than most dogs.

However, a pitbull may or may not like other dogs and its the owners responsibility to recognize it and act accordingly and with responsibility.

My dog for instance was raised from 8 weeks to get along with cats, dogs, and other people and loves everyone and everything, but I still know that as a DOG I need to be responsible...

Some people are idiots.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE OF THIS IGNORANCE ABOUT 'PIT BULLS' I CAN TAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!

The gangs, the abusive owners, the dog fighters,BSL, the politicians, the media, the 'medical researchers'......is there any more that this wonderful breed can take????

Please, please stop discriminating them to DEATH. Get some knowledge! Have you ever owned one of these dogs?

If not get EDUCATED! This ignorance and stupidity is truly beyond belief.

Nothing dumbass

you ppl are so ignorant i have to pitbulls one that i payed 1200 dollars for 3 years ago and another i just got a month ago for free. i have neighbors on both sides of my house that call the dog control every chance they get problem is the dogs dont do anything wrong and the dog warden has 3 pits of her own. the dogs are the most loving loyal beautiful dogs u can own and if anyone came to take my dogs i would die for them these dogs are my life and there the only thing i have to live for so you can bad mouth these dogs all you want but its not the breed its the ignorant ppl like urselves that love ur golden retreivers and ur labs well trade all the pits for labs and i bet there will be some bad labs out there too its alll about how you raise them and realy i just came across this message board and read two posts and had to say something find something to do with ur lives why are you so obsessed with voicing your opinion that doesnt even matter to anyone other than the ppl that look at this site. my message is to you ppl cuz i know ur just waiting for someone like me to defend the dogs but i could care less about any other pits except for mine. im gonna raise a golden retreiver to kill and let it go into a city just so u ppl can shut the fuck up