This is just wrong for the folks that own...

[race1gun]

mr brown that is a fine looking dog !!

 

[Mr Brown]

mr brown that is a fine looking dog !!

Thanks

 

[DAB]

Unfortunately, Pit Bulls have been getting a lot of bad press recently. We had an incident with one in our neighborhood a couple of years ago where a police officer had to shoot the dog (because it's owner was nowhere to be found and it was running loose, harassing people and other dogs.)

I agree that it's down to the owners to control their dogs, but Pit Bulls have become a "fashionable" breed to own, and a percentage of their owners don't seem to be able to train them to be well-behaved, or they are simply neglecting them/deliberately raising them to be agressive (drug dealers etc.)

Once an animal aquires a reputation for being "mean" there is understandable pressure on the authorities to prevent people from owning them (try explaining to someone whose family member has just been mauled by a Pity Bull that yours is "cute" and "affectionate".) Your average member of the public doesn't want to risk any possibility of themselves or family members being bitten or killed by an apparently agressive animal.

People who bought/adopted Pit Bulls (and similar breeds) in the past must have been aware of the mounting negative publicity, but chose to ignore it. Now they are being faced with the possibility of having their pet put down. Perhaps if they'd bought/adopted a breed with a "good" reputation they wouldn't be in the position they're in now.

Let's face it, you don't "have" to own a Pit Bull, the only reason for doing so nowadays in the face of so much negative publicity is that they're "edgy" and "cool" and "the neighbors will be impressed". There are plenty of other great dog breeds to choose from in all shapes and sizes that seem less likely to eat your children.

Personally, I'd like to own a Cheetah or a Black Panther, but I understand why it's not practical where I live, so I have domestic cats instead.

You said it all in your first sentence. These dogs are NOT bred to be people aggressive.
Once an individual dog is shown to be vicious or dangerous, it should be dealt with. Dobermans, Rotts, St Bernards, Mastiffs and Presa Canarios have all killed people. Why is there no hue and cry for these breeds to be destroyed or banned?
So you think the negative attention the media gives things in its never ending quest for sensationalism should dictate what type of dog I buy? The only people I see on the news depicted as "Gang bangers " are Black and Latin. Does this mean that I should avoid these races of people, or should I just avoid those particular individuals?
of course I don't have to own a Pit, but I have had them for many years and it is my decision what breed of dog to own. I am fully aware of the pedigree of theses type of dogs, and think that anyone who walks into my house uninvited, or allows their dog to wander around in the street un leashed gets exactly what they deserve. My dog will defend me, my family and my property with his life. Without question, without hesitation. how many people can you say that about?
The anaolgy you draw between Pits and big Cats is ridiculous. Dogs are domesticated animals, they do not prey on other animals for survival, are not regulated by the Federal Government, and should not be the topic of all this hype. The owners are the ones who should be punished for failing to control their dogs.


Here's the "Vicious Pit Bull" That lives at my house. That's my cousin on the couch in the background, he's been to my house twice in the 5 years I've owned this dog. If you look close you can see that he's trembling in fear of the aggressive animal in front of him......

Ah, Mr. Brown, I could've put money on you being a Pit Bull owner/having an opinion!

I you're a responsible owner then I can sympathize to a degree, but again it's the public's perception of these animals that (encouraged by the press, or caused by personal experience, whatever) is still significant. I don't see people looking at dachshunds and saying "that's a dangerous breed" because nobody has made that association with them (yet?)

We all have to compormise one way or another, and it appears that Pit Bull ownership is becoming more and more unpopular currently. I'm not going to try and make excuses for why it is that way, it just is. If it comes down to deciding what dog I will buy TODAY, it would certainly influence my decision, knowing that it may affect my insurance/ability for people to sue me, relationship with my neighbors, and the possibility that an animal I have grown attached to may be taken away and destroyed simply because it's a certain breed. If I want to say "scr*w you all, I'm going to do my thing regardless" then I'll move to the "sticks" where my behaviour isn't influenced by, or influences, others (and you have that option in Colorado.)

If you can mobilize the general public to agree with your stance on Pit Bulls, good luck to you.

By the way, the big cat analogy was supposed to be ridiculous (although I'd still like to own one.) It was just my way of highlighting a decision to own an animal that would be clearly unacceptable in Denver. Currently, Pit Bulls are considered equally unacceptable.

Is it a sweeping generalization about the entire breed? Yes.
Could it save some lives? Possibly.
Can people keep other breeds within the city limits? Yes. Could some of these other breeds also kill people? Absolutely. Might they also get banned in the future? Probably.
Do they punish people whose dogs bite/kill people? Most of the time I think they do.
Does that solve the problem? No
So, if punishing negligent owners doesn't solve the problem/isn't enough of a deterrant, what do you suggest, mandatory training, regular inspections of premises etc.?

It's the whole motorcycle/squid thing all over again.

 

[DAB]

By the way, I'm no animal hater. I've kept/been around dogs,cats,birds and reptiles most of my life.

Here's a pic of my dog and cat "relaxing" in front of the fire at my home in England.

 

[PandaNin]

Instead of fearing pit bulls, they should fear my attack kitty.

 

[DAB]

Instead of fearing pit bulls, they should fear my attack kitty.

Hey, I had a grey cat like that once, adopted it from a farm.

That thing was the wildest, most vicious thing I've ever owned. The vet and the guy at the kennels were both afraid of it.

Took three of us to hold it down for injections etc.

 

[Aceshigh]

Ignorance, sheer ignorance. The city councilman quoted as saying that pits are bred and have been bred to attack is retarded. They are naturally animal aggressive, they have to be taught to be people aggressive....
Yeah, let the child molesters, rapists and murderers out of prison, leave the gang-bangers alone, leave homeless people die of the cold, Denver needs to spend its tax money killing dogs, just cuz they look like Pits. That's intelligent government.......

Well put.

I have owned 3 Pit Bulls, and I can honestly say they are not bad animals but are a direct reflection of the training that they are given. They are just like children that go without discipline. If you don't teach them right and wrong they are brainless powerhouses.

This is why the Pit Bulls are listed as an Advanced breed not for the careless owner that is too lazy to put the attention needed into the dog.

Best dogs I've ever owned. I agree, they should put the owners down. Not the damn dogs. Miami I can see.....too many degenerates fighting them just like here in Chicago. Here they found almost 30 dead or near dead fighting pit bulls in an abandoned building on the South Side awhile ago. If I had found just one of the guys I would have skinned him alive.

DAB you kind of hit on a few good points about the media hyping them into a clusterfuk. All of you should know the media only reports things that they think are juicy enough to make news coverage out of. If a Rottweiller killed someone, it would probably be pawned off as a rare case and not news worthy. Believe me, Pit Bulls are NOT the only dogs who have killed people or done bad things. I have a video clip from Faces of Death of 2 German Shephards tearing a guy apart on the street and they wouldn't stop until a police officer had to shoot them both. Pit Bulls are just the dog of choice for the media at the moment. Think about it. In the '70's and '80's it was Doberman Pinschers......you guys probably don't remember this crap.

In my opinion, they are doomed because the Media has given them a black flag, and ANY story relating to any dog attack will be ignored unless it's a Pit Bull because of the ooooh aaahh factor. Bottomline.

Those people who have never owned this breed don't have a f'n clue in my opinion. It's like giving your opinion on how good a new Mustang drives, when you've never driven it. But because the news tells you it's the best driving car, you jump on the bandwagon. Feel me ?? This whole " I knew a guy, who's cousin owned a Pit Bull and......" yeah....blah blah blah. You don't have a f'n clue. This is 90% of America who watches and believes the news.

If you say I'm Biased, well in retort I'll say you're ignorant, because I have experience with this breed and so do about 10 of my boyz. None have ever attacked anyone either.

Would you buy Piranha for your adolescent children?? No.....
So does that mean we should exterminate all advanced pets in this world?? Macaws too ??

Now that I'm done ranting, I will provide a solution I think would be better. I think ANYONE that desires owning this breed of animal should have a special license and training course. AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE, not the states. This is how I would tackle it. IF they choose not to obide by the rules, then they must turn their dogs in to the city. This would help weed out the f'n idiots.



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[Hardware]

We have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.  Dangerous?  You bet!  She wags her tail too hard and it can bruise your shins.

Our two cats curl up and sleep with her.  Strange toddlers in the park approach her and pet her.  Yup what a dangerous dog.

Not necessarily work safe and hard to watch for any animal lover, but this puts it into perspective.

 

[1127 TO 1299]

so funny how ignorant some people are.
Last weekend I saw a tough dude (would scare me if I was by myself in a park walking by him) who made a detour to avoid my 80 lbs poodle that was the leash held by a bro-in-law 5yo son.

Now I have to change the definition of tough guy

 

[Aceshigh]

We have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Dangerous? You bet! She wags her tail too hard and it can bruise your shins.

Our two cats curl up and sleep with her. Strange toddlers in the park approach her and pet her. Yup what a dangerous dog.

Not necessarily work safe and hard to watch for any animal lover, but this puts it into perspective.

Thank you Thank you Thank you !!!!!!!!!
You have no idea how thankful I am for that video.
I have to archive that and save it for future ignorant rants about Pit Bulls from people who listen to the news and don't have a clue.

Seeing those poor beaten and starved dogs made my heart swell and anger boil inside of me. The problem is men, not the dogs. They hit the nail on the head. The stats are true also.
According to the AKC or UKC...can't remember which
the Pit bull is a higher rated family dog over labs due to it's overbearing desire to please it's owner and it's ability to take pain like it's nothing. THAT is why they are better family dogs.

So this is their weak incompetent solution. Great government we have there. I have a few areas here that have banned them. I want to present my idea to their villages and see the response I get.

 

[Busa_05]

mr brown that is a fine looking dog !!

Thanks

The dog is very nice...but the Dorito bag caught my eye, too. Now I'm stuck at work and hungry.

 

[ike]

I had to pull over from the highway about 3am to take a leak. woudn't you know it, the man pulls up behind me while I am pissing. He ask, is everything ok? I said , yes sir, I just had to pee really bad. Then he goes near my truck and notices my dog.
He said, hey what kind of dog is that. I said a staffordshire bull terrier sir. He says you mean a pitbull?
and I said yes sir. He says can I pet him? I said sure.
He then told me how much he loved these dogs and how bad he felt about the bad press they get. Now, here's the kicker. He said  he never pulled over a car with a pitbull in it he could not pet. He's had all other kinds of dogs he could not. Aint that something? Here is another good one. I got a 1987 sports illustrated mag with a picture on the cover page of a pit showing its teeth. Cover page states  BEWARE OF THIS DOG!  Could you believe it?
The media svcks.

 

[greeneinc]

Yeah and th BSL is trying to get a law past in California now. Soon Ptibull's will be outlawed in the entire US which sucks. My kids loveout 10 wk old Pitbull.