Dr. Beck has apparently gone full retard. The only “natural” dog breeds, we call “wolves”.
In a study reported by a retired professor from California State University at Chino, Robert Plum, it was found that one dog in 55 will bite someone seriously during the course of a year. With respect to breed differences in the tendency to inflict serious injury, Plumb estimates that when a Pit Bull bites a human, one in 16 (e.g. 1/16) will inflict serious injury; this contrasts with a ratio of 1/296 Dobermans, and 1/156 German Shepherds.
I dont think any breed should be stigmatized. It really depends on the dog and the owner. When I was young, my grandparents had a german shepherd who showed a tendency to be somewhat aggressive. He once ’ detained’ a poor man jogging down the country road, the dog saw him and ran out to him viciously barking and not letting the man by, my grandma ran out there and yelled at the dog to come in, and to the joggers relief, he did. The vicious way he was barking though couldve quickly escalated into him attacking the man, but the man knew to just stand still. Then, when I was a teenager, on my way home, a neighbors dog chased me for several houses until the owner called him off, that dog was coincidentally a german shepherd also, yet I have met a couple other dogs of that breed who were not at all aggressive. One friend of mine always reminded people to be a bit wary around her cocker spaniel who could get snarky and she had a pit mix dog, a 90 pound dog that was gentle as a lamb although she was an excellent watch dog.
I haven’t read “a study”. Cite?
Although if his estimates are anywhere near close, going with the best guess of 3.5 million pit bulls in the US, that should mean a “smoking gun” of near 4,000 “serious injuries” from pit bull bites every year. Care to try to come up with that number? Or, for that matter, a definition of “serious injury”?
It’s going to be fun, considering you haven’t yet come up with any numbers that have done any serious attempts at breed identification other than uneducated guesses based on phenotype.
further proof from unbiased (police, animal control, mayors) sources, that pit bulls are the top biters and killers, based on factual data:
Hot Springs Animal Services reported that the “largest number of breed-specific bites were pit bulls at 21% in 2008 and 2009.” In 2012, pit bulls and their mixes accounted for 58% of all bites, according to Animal Services Director Dan Bugg
Fort Wayne, Indiana In May 2013, The Journal Gazette published dog bite statistical data from Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control. During 2012, 709 biting incidents were reported (human and animal victims). Pit bulls racked up 242 bites, 34.1% of all biting incidents. Pit bulls out bit the next closest breed – German shepherds with 51 bites – by nearly 5 times.
In March 2013, after two pit bulls killed a little boy in Walworth County, Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC) released 2012 dog bite statistics. Back in 2011, we reported dog bite data from the same agency for the years 2008 to October 31, 2011. Placing the years into chronology, the continued rise of pit bull biting incidents is sobering. We predict pit bulls will be out biting all dog breeds combined in the Milwaukee area within 9 months. In 2008, pit bulls made up 33% of all biting incidents; in 2009, the percent grew to 39%; in 2010, 44%; in 2011, 45%; and in 2012, pit bulls made up 48% of all biting incidents.
Broward and Palm Beach Counties, Florida Also in March, animal control records from Broward and Palm Beach counties once again showed that pit bulls were the leading biters. “No other breed came close,” notes the news article. (See: Related Sun-Sentinel graphic.) In Broward County, pit bulls (151 bites) led the second top biter, German shepherds (23 bites), by nearly 7 times. Of all reported dog bites in Broward County (305), pit bulls were responsible for about 50%. In Palm Beach County, pit bulls (330 bites) led the second top biter, Labs (122 bites) by almost 3 times. Of all reported dog bites in Palm Beach County last year (1,411) pit bulls were responsible for about 23%.
West Memphis City Councilman Tracy Catt presented an Animal Control Commission report to city council members showing that pit bulls were responsible for 57% of the city’s 28 dog bites in 2012.
San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control reported 629 total biting incidents in 2011. Pit bulls led all dog breeds with 188 reported bites, out biting the second place breed by a whopping 3 to 1 margin, German shepherds with 60 total bites. 30% of all biting incidents in 2011 were attributed to pit bulls. In 2012, the department reported 704 total biting incidents. Pit bulls again led with 185 reported bites, out biting the next breed by a 2.8 to 1 margin, Labs with 65 total bites. 26% of all biting incidents were attributed to pit bulls in 2012.
Monroe County, New York In October 2012, iTeam 10 Investigates obtained police reports from all major police departments in Monroe County over the course of one year. The news agency felt compelled to examine if their reporting was biased against pit bulls (as breed advocates had accused). What News 10 found is that pit bulls were the leading biters and heavy leaders in police calls. Of the 436 police calls for dogs in the City of Rochester, over half of them, 242 (56%), involved pit bulls. Of reported biting incidents in the suburbs, pit bulls were responsible for 28%, more than any other dog breed, followed by shepherds and their mixes with 17%.
Malden, Massachusetts In April 2012, after Malden City Council passed an ordinance requiring unregistered and new pit bulls to wear a muzzle when in public, Councillor Neil Kinnon cited city dog bite data in a clarifying article: “According to Animal Control fifty-seven dog bites were recorded from 2009-2011. Eighteen of the bites were committed by pit bulls. The next closest breeds that bit were German Shepherds, Bull Mastiffs and Dobermans, which recorded only two bites each. The data broken down in its simplest terms means pit bulls account for approximately 6.7% of our registered dogs and committed 31.6% of the dog bites.”
Chicago, Illinois In March 2012, Redeye Chicago published dog bite statistical data recorded by the city’s Commission on Animal Care and Control during 2011. Strangely, the department separates “Pit bull/Pit bull mixed” and “American pit bull terrier” into two categories – notably not done for any other dog breed.1 Alone, the first category, “Pit bull/Pit bull mixed,” topped the list with 26.43% of all biting incidents. When combined with the second category, pit bulls and their mixes accounted for nearly 40% (39.81%) of all dog bites. Data from the City Clerks office shows that pit bulls and their mixes make up 4.5% of the registered dogs in the city. -
Pima County, Arizona
In November 2011, KGUN9-TV aired a segment titled, “What’s the truth about pit bulls?” The show followed the grisly mauling of Michael Cook, a Tucson man who was attacked by his pet pit bull in August and subsequently died. Before his death, doctors were forced to amputate both of his arms and infuse the victim with over 100 pints of blood. Dog bite statistics from Pima County Animal Control over the last four years were also featured on the episode, and once again, pit bulls led all biting incidents with 848 bites, followed by German shepherds with 633, Labs with 496, Chihuahuas with 361 and Chows inflicting 231 bites.
New York, New York Also in November, the New York Post published updated dog bite statistical data from the city’s health department. In February, the data showed that pit bulls were responsible for nearly 25% of all dog bites, now the data shows 28% – over six times more than the second “toothiest” breed. Pit bulls and their mixes totaled 833 bites by November, compared to the next top biter, chihuahuas, with 128 “incisor incidents.” City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. said, “People refuse to admit that pit bulls are bred to fight, they have higher pain tolerance, stronger jaws, and they do not have the instinct to back down – they refuse to submit.”
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - after a pet pit bull, named Prince, nearly killed its 52-year old caretaker, Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC) released dog bite statistical data showing that pit bulls inflicted over four times more bites than the next closest breed. From 2008 to 2011, pit bulls were responsible for 302 biting incidents followed by German shepherds with 68 and Labs with 40.
Amarillo, Texas - after an infant was killed by a family pit bull-mix, Amarillo Animal Control statistics showed that pit bull bites were three times higher than those of any other single dog breed in the city. According to Shannon Barlow, assistant director of Animal Control, pit bulls accounted for 123 reported bites in Amarillo in 2009-10, the latest period for which city data was available. The breeds with the next-highest reports of bites were Labs and German shepherds, each with about 40 biting incidents, followed by boxers with 16 and rottweilers with 15. About 550 total dog bites are reported to officials each year, Barlow said. -
San Diego County, California In July 2011, after 75-year old Emako Mendoza was brutally attacked & killed by her neighbor’s two pit bulls, San Diego County Animal Services released data showing that pit bulls are the most prolific biters in the county. Of the 2,699 recorded dog bites in the past fiscal year, pit bulls were responsible for 389, nearly 15% (see graphic chart). Next in line, with almost half that number, were Labs with 199 bites and Chihuahuas with 174.
Muskegon County, Michigan
Records from the Muskegon County Health Department showed that pit bulls were responsible for more biting incidents than any other dog breed for the past three years. In 2009, pit bulls produced 59 bites, in 2010, 75 bites, and in the first six months of 2011 already produced 41 bites. After two pit bulls brutally attacked a 60-year old Wyoming man, city lawmakers began discussing different pit bull regulations, including a breed ban for the City of Wyoming. The article also mentions a bill introduced by State Representative Timothy Bledsoe in June that would eventually ban the breed from the State of Michigan.
Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio In June 2011, the Public Health Department of Dayton and Montgomery County posted animal bite statistics of the last fiscal year – June 28, 2010 to June 28, 2011. Of the 736 total reported dog biting incidents, pit bulls were far and away the leaders, responsible for 16% (117 bites). The next closest breed, “mix,” was responsible for 64 bites and Lab-mixes with 46. The department also posted statistics from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. Of the 693 total reported incidents, pit bulls were responsible for 14% (95 bites), again, nearly twice the number of the next closest breed, Labs with 58 bites, followed by “mixed” with 56.
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
June 2011, Severna Park Patch reported that from 2009 to 2010, there were 233 incidents involving pit bull attacks against people and dogs in Anne Arundel County. In that same period, the next closest breeds, German shepherds and Labs, caused just 93 incidents combined. Lt. Glenn Shanahan of Anne Arundel County Animal Control said that pit bulls lead all other breeds by at least two to one when it comes to attacks over the last five years. “The numbers say what they say. We’re not making it up,” Shanahan said. “It’s demonstrably overwhelming.” Officials said that pit bulls are also more frequently labeled "dangerous.
Maricopa County, Arizona
In March 2011, field manager Al Aguinaga of Maricopa County Animal Care told KPHO that pit bulls are the number one biting breed in the county – inflicting 12% of all reported dog bites – followed by German shepherds and chihuahuas. When asked if pit bulls are “truly more aggressive than other dogs, or are they simply getting a bad rap?” Aguinaga said, “Typically bites are more severe” and “people go to hospitals” and “animals are attacked or killed.”
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania In October 2010, Pittsburgh Animal Control records showed that pit bulls comprise 5.2% of the registered dogs. Yet of the 133 biting incidents reported so far in 2010, pit bulls made up 40%. Animal Control Supervisor Gerald Akrie – a shameless pit bull apologist – tried to blame the disproportionate numbers on “knucklehead” dog owners. Back in April, Pittsburgh police officer Christine Luffey and her daughter were attacked by three pit bulls that jumped a fence.
Memphis, Tennessee Also in October 2010, City of Memphis records showed that there were 388 biting incidents in 2009. Of those, nearly half were inflicted by pit bulls.
Lynn, Massachusetts In August 2010, when the City of Lynn was discussing the adoption of a pit bull ordinance, Police Chief Kevin Coppinger said that 51 biting incidents were reported in the city last year – 29 involving pit bulls (57%). Coppinger added that there had been at least four pit bull attacks since July 10.
Clark County, Nevada In May 2010, Clark County biting statistics were brought to our attention. Clark County publishes these statistics online. Biting incidents by breed during the 7-year period from 2003 to 2009 show that of the 6,798 reported incidents, pit bulls were responsible for 1,474 (22%). The next closest breed was the German shepherd with 671 (10%) incidents. In 2008, pit bulls out bit shepherds by more than three times – 234 pit bull bites versus 77 shepherd bites. The same was nearly true in 2009, 215 and 88 respectively.
Franklin County, Ohio In April 2010, Bryan Wagner, Chief Environmental Specialist for the Franklin County Environmental Court, testified in opposition to HB 79, a bill that seeks to repeal the Ohio law that requires pit bull owners to securely confine and leash their dog and carry $100,000 in liability insurance. Wagner said statistics show more bites are attributed to pit bulls than other dog breed. In Franklin County, 126 of the 333 dog bites (38%) reported last year were attributed to a pit bull. Wagner added, “I believe that pit bull dogs represent a substantial and real threat to the citizens of a crowded, urban environment such as Franklin County.”
Royal Oaks, Michigan - another Detroit suburb discussed pit bull legislation . According to a report provided by City Manager Don Johnson on the 5,311 licensed dogs in Royal Oak, “Pit bulls account for only 1.7% of licensed dogs in Royal Oak but were responsible for about 35% of reported dog bite incidents this year.”
Springdale, Arkansas the mayor of Springdale, Doug Sprouse, said that over half of the bites reported over the last 2 years have been by pit bulls.
Hillsborough County, Florida After being accused of breed bias against pit bulls, the Tampa Tribune requested data on dog bites from the Hillsborough Department of Animal Services regarding the 2,400 cases recorded in the last 18 months. The data shows that 103 different dog breeds were responsible for the bites. Pit bulls topped the chart with 371 incidents, 15% of all bites during the period. Labs followed with less than half of this amount with 151 incidents (6%). German shepherds ranked 3rd with 105 incidents (4%) and Chows ranked 4th with 80 (3%).
Lincoln, Nebraska After a pit bull attacked 10-year old Baylee Harris, Lincoln Animal Control officials said that pit bulls are the leading breed in reported attacks. Since September of 2008, there have been 38 pit bull bites in the city followed by Labs with 27. The Lincoln County Animal Control 2008 Annual Report shows that in 2008, a licensed population of 858 pit bulls and their mixes produced 60 biting incidents. The city’s population of Labs and Lab-mixes, 5448 dogs, produced 39 bites in the same period. **The data shows that 1 out of every 14 pit bulls in Lincoln is a biter, while its takes over 142 Labs to produce a bite. **
Dyersburg, Tennessee In April 2009, after a 16-year old girl was attacked by loose pit bulls while walking down a street, the Dyersburg Police Department reported there were 21 “dog bite” reports written in 2008. The figures show that nearly half of those bites (10) were from pit bulls. In the first four months of 2009, three of the five police reports written on dog bites involved pit bulls. The article also includes information from the Dyersburg City Attorney’s office. City records show there were 35 court cases involving dogs within the last year. Of the 35 cases, 29 of them involved pit bulls. There were also six dog bite cases and all of those were from pit bulls.
Ogden, Utah
In March 2009, the City of Ogden considered a new ordinance that would toughen requirements for pit bull owners including carrying liability insurance. Bob Geier, director of the Ogden Animal Shelter, was in support of this new ordinance. Based on the APPA national survey statistics, Geier estimated that there are about 16,000 dogs in Ogden, including 3,200 pit bulls. During the last two years, pit bulls have accounted for about 20 percent of the dog population at the city animal shelter. During that same period, according to Geier, pit bulls and their mixes have been responsible for about 40 percent of reported dog bites in the city.
Lake County, Florida
Also reported in March, Marjorie Boyd, the director of Lake County Animal Services, said, “Pit bulls lead all breeds of dogs and cats in bite incidents the county has investigated in the past two years.” According to Boyd, pit bulls represented 12.7 percent of bite cases in 2007, 12.5 percent in 2008 and 18 percent of cases thus far this year. The article came in response to the mauling of 22-year old Tracy Lindsey. At the time, Lindsey had been jogging down Getford Road when two pit bulls escaped their property and attacked her. Lindsay was airlifted by a Life Flight helicopter to Orlando Regional Medical Center and rushed into surgery.
Broward County, Florida South of Lake County, the Broward County Dog Bite Database depicts a vivid picture of the “top biter.” During the years of 2005 to 2008, Labs produced 151 biting incidents with 98 inflicted on humans and 53 on animals, while Cocker spaniels produced 16 biting incidents with 15 on humans and 1 to an animal. In the same period, the pit bull/American Staffordshire terrier community produced a whopping 618 biting incidents with 323 inflicted on humans and 296 on the county’s pet and livestock population.** The data shows that human-aggression is just as prevalent as animal-aggression in pit bulls produced by local breeders. **
Altoona, Pennsylvania Altoona city records showed in March that of the 5,056 dogs licensed in 2008, 162 (3%) of them were pit bulls or their mixes. City dog law officer, John Iorio, handled 178 biting incidents in 2008. Of these incidents, 110 (61%) involved pit bulls. Iorio believes the actual number of pit bulls in the city to be 400 (8%), but this hardly reduces the alarming number of bites attributed to them. In July 2009, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDF) records showed that 112 dogs in a 5-county region were declared legally “dangerous.” Pit bulls accounted for 42 (38%) of these dogs. No Cocker spaniels or Labs appeared on the list.
Indianapolis, Indiana In February 2009, The Indianapolis Star reported that pit bull bites were at a record high – 282 in 2008, an increase of 33 percent from the previous year and about three times the total from 2006. The Marion County Dog Bite Database shows that pit bulls produced 490 biting incidents while Labs produced 152 and Cocker spaniels only produced 27. The Star also reported that out of 3,000 pit bulls in animal care last year, nearly 2,500 were euthanized. Despite these statistics, the active pit bull community and the Indianapolis Humane Society, managed to “table” a new dog ordinance designed to reduce pit bull bites and deaths.
Wichita, Kansas
In January 2009, the Wichita Department of Environmental Services released a number of pit bull statistics. The figures are based upon the Wichita Animal Control department’s investigation of 733 dog bites in 2008. Included in the data are pit bulls encountered by the Wichita Police Department. In the 1-year period, 95% of police encounters with aggressive dogs were pit bulls. The report also showed that the percentage of pit bull encounters had increased from 66% in 2004 to 95% in 2008. Subsequently, four months after the release of this data, the City of Wichita enacted a mandatory pit bull sterilization law.
55% of all dogs deemed dangerous were pit bulls (41 pit bull dogs deemed dangerous).
34% of attacks and bites involved pit bull dogs (246 pit bull attacks/bites).
28% of dogs found running at large were pit bulls (1,279 pit bulls found running loose).
25% of dogs impounded were pit bulls dogs (1,575 pit bulls impounded).
37% of all dogs euthanized were pit bull dogs (1,255 pit bulls euthanized).
23% of dog complaints involved pit bull dogs (2,523 complaints involved pit bull dogs).
North Texas Cities In August 2008, The Dallas Morning News reported that one third (33%) of all dog bite incidents from July 2007 to July 2008 in Duncanville, Cedar Hill and Mesquite involved pit bulls. Each of these cities passed resolutions urging the state Legislature to allow breed-specific laws, as lawmakers were hoodwinked by the dog lobby in 1991 and passed a preemptive state-wide anti-BSL measure (822.047). The next closest breeds were German shepherds (9.6%) followed by Labs (9%).
Ventura County, California
In July 2008, Ventura County Department of Animal Regulation released a 1-year statistical report (July 2007 to June 2008). The report showed that pit bulls ranked 8th in licensing, but were still the top biter producing 117 biting incidents in this period. Often cited by pro-pit bull groups as the leading biter, Cocker spaniels ranked 6th in licensing, but 8th in bite numbers with only 28 incidents. In September 2008, 5-year old Katya Todesco of Simi Valley suffered catastrophic face and neck injury after she reportedly “bumped into” a pit bull. She died 6 days later. The pit bull mauling death of Katya was recorded as “one biting incident.”
El Paso County, Colorado In May 2008, after a pit bull burrowed under a fence and attacked a 5-year old boy, Ann Davenport of the Pikes Peak Region Humane Society said, “Pit bulls and pit bull mixes have accounted for more dog bites than any other breed in El Paso County this year. They were involved in 216 bites, about 18% of the 1,381 attacks reported. Labrador retrievers were second on the list, with 157 attacks, and German shepherds were third, with 93 bites.” The attack occurred in Cimarron Hills, just east of Colorado Springs. The child received 2,000 stitches and underwent two immediate surgeries with many future facial surgeries expected.
Lubbock, Texas In February 2008, the City and County of Lubbock experienced a “pit bull epidemic,” which by March ended in the deaths of 23 animals due to loose pit bulls. The February article provided 2007 Lubbock Animal Services data regarding dog incidents. Of the 247 dog bites, pit bulls accounted for 75 incidents (30%). Labs followed with just 17 incidents (7%) and German shepherds with 15 (6%).
San Francisco, California In July 2005, about 6 months prior to San Francisco enacting a pit bull sterilization law, the San Francisco Chronicle reviewed hundreds of dog bites logged by the city. According to Animal Care and Control department records, pit bulls and their mixes accounted for 27% of reported dog bites since 2003, even though they accounted for only 6% of licensed dogs. Of the 900 bite incidents recorded in this period, 626 traced to a specific dog. Of those, 169 bites were attributed to pit bulls. As the Chronicle writer points out, “that’s more than the number of bites by German shepherds (69), Labradors (58) and rottweilers (34) combined.”
Syracuse, New York
In May 2009, it was reported that the Syracuse dog control department had responded to 19 pit bull bites since the start of the year. According to the article, this is nearly double the amount during all of last year. “It’s the beginning of dog control officer Jason Driscoll’s shift,” the article states, “and already he’s responding to a pit bull call.” In this instance, the two pit bulls (with a history of bad behavior) had also escaped owner property. Last year one of the same dog’s bit a young girl. Dog control officers told WSYR TV that they run into trouble with other dog breeds as well, but pit bulls make up the “majority of reported attacks.”
Woonsocket, Rhode Island In June 2009,** Capt. Kenneth Paulhus of the Woonsocket Police Department issued a 3-year report concerning the alarming pit bull trend. “In 2006, pit bulls accounted for 32 percent of all the dog bite cases in Woonsocket,” Paulhus says in the report. “The number increased to 37 percent in 2007. The year 2008 reflected half of all dog bites in the city were attributed to pit bulls.” He added that “many were serious.” Animal Control Officer Doris Kay1 says in the report that she used to think all dogs were created equal. But she says she’s learned that, “In Woonsocket pit bulls bite more often, and cause more injury, than any other breed.” **
and the Grande Finale:
San Bernardino County, California In June 2010, after two deadly pit bull attacks, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved a measure requiring all pit bull owners to spay or neuter their animals. Brian Cronin, Chief of County Animal Care and Control, said,
"This year alone, we’ve had two human deaths, and four deaths1 in five years, because of pit bull attacks. No other death has been attributable to any other breed."
He said that of the 686 reported biting incidents in the county in the 2008-09 fiscal year, 137 involved pit bulls (20%). He added that because pit bulls are the least likely to be adopted, the county must already euthanize about 1,300 annually.
The two examples of an aggressive breed stopping just before attacking a person, are prime examples of why breeds like pit bulls, and not GS’s, should be stigmatized.
A pit bull ran up to a female jogger in California a few weeks ago, Unlike the two typical German Shepherds you reference above, the pit bull killed the female jogger. The pit owner is charged with murder.
Similar story here, where pit bulls mauled a jogger, except the same pit bulls mauled another jogger the year before as well!
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/22564575/pit-bulls-attack-jogger-in-athens
And police in Georgia had to shoot dead 2 pit bulls that attacked 2 men jogging, plus a cop:
http://boards.atlantafalcons.com/topic/3202603-police-kill-2-pit-bulls-after-attack-on-jogger/
And virtually the same circumstances in Chicago, - police shoot dead pit bulls that attacked a jogger.
http://www.allvoices.com/news/11210253-chicago-jogger-mauled-by-pit-bulls
In Texas last year, a jogger was mauled by 4 pit bulls. Texas, which doesn’t allow BSL, after telling the victim the 4 dogs would be given a dirt nap, amazingly and inexplicably gave the 4 dogs back to the owner !
http://texasdogbiteinjurylaw.com/blog/?p=9758
These four cites were just pit bull attacks on joggers in the past year, and it is just a sampling - not a total of all joggers mauled or killed.
“When bite rates were determined by breed, Pit Bulls were 5 times more likely to bite
than all other breeds combined”
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS-HOUSTON HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER
SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Houston, Texas
August, 2000
DAVID E. BLOCKER, BS, MD
WALTER R. ROGERS, PhD
FRANK I. MOORE, PhD
cite:
http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA381425&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf
MARK WULKAN, MD, surgeon at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
“There is a difference with the pit bulls. In the last two years we’ve seen 56 dog injuries that were so severe the patient had to be admitted to the hospital so this doesn’t count just a little bite and then goes to the emergency room. Of those 56, 21 were pit bulls. And then when we look at our data even further, of the kids that were most severely injured, those that were in the hospital for more than 8 days or had life threatening injuries, 100% of those were pit bulls.”
KURT LAPHAM, a field investigator for the West Coast Regional office of the Humane Society
Most breeds do not multiple-bite. A pit bull attack is like a shark attack: He keeps coming back.
Tufts University Center for Animals:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kQYyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nQYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5725,8459210&hl=en
ANDREW ROWAN, PhD, Tufts Center for Animals
“A pit bull is trained to inflict the maximum amount of damage in the shortest amount of time. Other dogs bite and hold. A Doberman or a German shepherd won’t tear if you stand still. A pit bull is more likely to remove a piece of tissue. Dogs fight as a last resort under most circumstances. But a pit bull will attack without warning. If a dog shows a submissive characteristic, such as rolling over most dogs wills top their attack. A pit bull will disembowel its victim.”
“A study by Dr Randall Lockwood of the US Humane Society found that pit bulls are more likely to break restraints to attack someone and that pit bulls are more likely to attack their owners, possibly as a result of owners trying to separate their dogs from victims.”
South African Animal Behaviorist calls for ban on pit bulls:
A call for pitbull terriers to be banned in South Africa has been made by a leading animal behaviourist, John Faul.
Faul said they were dangerous and a threat to life. He said the pitbull was bred to be absolutely fearless and had a “hair-trigger” attack response.
“The cardinal rule is that these dogs are not pets,” he said.
The debate was held in the light of a recent fatal attack by a pitbull in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg, on a 74-year-old woman, Grace Page.
“The Irish, to our very great shame, created this dog in Cork,” he said.
“We created it for the reason that it must be absolutely fearless.”
He said all dogs were good at conflict avoidance, because of their sense of self-preservation.
“In the pitbull terrier we took that out and replaced it with a hairtrigger response.”
**Faul did not accept the claim that pitbulls were aggressive only towards other dogs and not humans.
"The dog, the horse, the cat and the pig have no idea what a human being is.
“Because we grow up in close association with them, we are seen as tall dogs that walk on our back legs.”
**
cite:
Internationally acclaimed animal behaviourist Alexandra Semyonova was born in the United States and was educated at John Hopkins University and University College London. Author of the pioneering academic paper ‘The Social Organization of the Domestic Dog’, she works with dogs and their owners on a daily basis and with the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals.
http://www.hastingspress.co.uk/100silliest.html
“These dogs aren’t killers because they have the wrong owners, rather they attract the wrong owners because they are killers.”
Alexandra Semyonova
The fact is that none of the measures that will help a normal dog can help a pit bull. Hand-feeding, systematic desensitization, habituation, counter-conditioning, trust-building – none of these will change the genetically determined brain disorder pit bulls are born with.
cite:
From the Netherlands, canine expert Alexandra Semyonova writes:
“One thing all the experts ignore is dog casualties. I understand that lawyers and legislators are concerned with human victims, but those of us who love dogs have remained concerned about the many dog maimings and deaths at the hands of PBs and their ilk. When the pit bull was banned and the American Staffordshire, et al., were put on probation, dog maimings and deaths in parks dropped dramatically. In the two months since the ban [on ownership of pitbulls] was retracted, we are now getting reports of a sudden and alarming rise of dog killings by pitbulls and American Staffordshires. Some of these were on the public streets. Now that they will only get a fine for violating the leash laws, the owners of pitbulls and American Staffordshires are taking them out in public unleashed again. Several of the dog parks in my city are now unusable because they have become so dangerous for ordinary dogs. This occurred in the space of two months. Our research shows that – just as with humans – 64% of the deadly attacks on dogs are committed by pitbulls and pitbull-like dogs. Rotweilers and German shepherds together account for another 15%.”
cite:
evening going back to 1987, Sports Illustrated had an article on pit bulls, when pits were just 1% of the population, yet 67% of fatals:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1066224
On April 6, a retired surgeon, 67-year-old William Eckman, was killed by two pit bulls on a street in Dayton, Ohio. On that same day, 16-month-old Melissa Larabee of Jones, Okla., was killed by the family’s pet pit bull, who bit her in the throat. In June 1986, 20-month-old Kyle Corullo was attacked by a pit bull in Ramsay, Mich., while playing in his grandmother’s backyard. The dog, fighting off the child’s mother, dragged the boy into a nearby lot and shook him to death “like a stuffed animal.”
In the last 18 months, 12 of the 18 confirmed dog-related fatalities in the U.S.—or 67%—have been caused by the pit bull terrier, a breed that accounts for only 1% of the U.S. dog population. And the maimings are far more numerous.
His study was used in “Review of the Viability of City or County Pre-emption of Banning Certain Dog Breeds by Ordinance - Page 4”
http://www.dfhlawfirm.com/dog-breeds-by-ordnance/findings_breed_specific_legislation.html
cougar58, this is turning into something like a Gish Gallop. Cool it.
Oops. I missed one more horrific pit bull mauling of joggers - the guy with the pit was ordered to pay $130,000 in medical bills. I am no doctor, but I am betting that those injuries were very bad, if the doctors bill was $130,000.
Note that this also happened in California, just weeks apart from the day the female jogger was killed by pit bulls, and the owner arrested on murder charges.
Now you see why California Governor George Deukijemian said (of the states law against BSL):
“I am disturbed and distressed as anybody…We have to have some kind of law against owning them or some other way of completely controlling them”
he begged the California legislature to undo the mistake and draft him a bill that would regulate pit bulls.
Since the Governor’s request that went unanswered in 1990, 36 Californians have been mauled to death by Pit Bulls, with hundreds of State residents being horrifically mauled.
Thanks. At least I learned something from that morass of text. “Gish Gallop.” What a great and useful term.
I will look up Gish Gallop…and in the meantime, I will only post updates of fatal attacks as they come in, by every canine in the USA.
Then we can tally them up at the end of the year.
Fair?
Pit bull fans will be welcome to add any that the media refused to report.
Fatal’s only.
Right now its 17 total, 16 by pit bulls. 1 by a German Shepherd.
No commentaries or opinions. Just the facts, mam.
Lets see how the numbers stack up.
I just linked to the definition. I was saying you’re turning the thread into an unreadable mass of your own posts. You don’t win debates by posting the most text. Posting some relevant links is useful; posting half a dozen - or a list of every pit bull attack you can find - looks more like an attempt to discourage people from responding because they won’t have time to read everything you’re posting. Stop it immediately.