Not All Pits Are Bad...

[Samba]

Another great story, Syco! =) Keep them comin'!!

[Syco]

Get out the tissues, if you have a heart at all you are going to need them.

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petb...les/spike.html

And here is one with quite a different twist to it.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald...7213472.htm?1c

[Samba]

I really did start to cry as I read that first story. How heart-breaking is that??

The second story I was unfortunately able to reach... unless I'm supposed to sign up for Herald.com?? Maybe you can copy the story and paste it here? I'd appreciate that.

Now I'm going to go cry some more... Poor Spike! =)

[beth wallbank]

I think it is rather sad that those who are so anti-pits have done no research on the breed, and rely solely on the media to give them their biased opinions. I own and raise pits, but also have MANY other species of animals and children. I too own a chihuahua, and worry more of what the little dog will and can do to people rather than the pits.
For those whom are against the bully breeds, a bit of research would do you all some good and clear up alot of the fact/fiction confusions for you. It is unfortunate that there ARE pits that have made the media for attacking, but these dogs stem from bad owners, not the fact that it is a bad dog.
A link I thought you might get some useful reading from.
http://www.hugabull.com/manmush.html

[Samba]

Weela, Ken-L Ration's Dog Hero of the Year (1993)
This story is from the Ultimate American Pit Bull Terrier by Jacqueline O'Neil. There's also an excellent story about Weela in Jillian Cline's new book The American Pit Bull Terrier speaks...Good Dog!. Weela was also featured in the October,1996 Outside magazine as an example of the kind of dog one would like to have in a life-threatening situation.
Gary Watkins, eleven years old, was absorbed in chasing lizards when Weela, the family Pit Bull, plowed into him with a body slam that sent him sprawling. Gary's mother, Lori, saw the whole incident and remembers being surprised at first, because Weela always played kindly with children. But her surprise quickly turned to horror when she saw a rattlesnake sink its fangs into Weela's face. Somehow Weela had sensed the snake's presence from across the yard and rushed to push Gary out of strinking range.

Luckily for thirty people, twenty-nine dogs, thirteen horses and a cat, Weela recovered from the snake's venom.
Luckily, because that's how many lives she saved a few years later. For her heroism, Weela was named Ken-L Ration's
Dog Hero of the Year in 1993. The press release read in part:

In January 1993, heavy rains caused a dam to break miles upstream on the Tijuana River, normally a narrow,
three-foot wide river. Weela's rescue efforts began at a ranch that belonged to a friend of her owners, Lori and Daniel
Watkins. Weela and the Watkinses worked for six hours battling heavy rains, strong currents and floating debris to
reach the ranch and rescue their friend's twelve dogs.

From that experience, the Watkinses recognized Weela's extraordinary ability to sense quicksand, dangerous drop-offs
and mud bogs. "She was constantly willing to put herself in dangerous situations," says Lori Watkins. "She alsays took
the lead except to circle back if someone needed help."

Periodically, over a month's time, sixty-five pound Weela crossed the flooded river to bring food to seventeen dogs and
puppies and one cat, all stranded on an island. Each trip she pulled thirty to fifty pounds of dog food that had been
loaded into a harnessed backpack. The animals were finally evacuated on Valentine's Day.

On another occasion, Weela led a rescue team to thirteen horses stranded on a large manure pile completely
surrounded by floodwaters. The rescue team successfully brought the horses to safe ground.

Finally, during one of Weela's trips back from delivering food to stranded animals, she came upon a group of thirty
people who were attempting to cross the floodwaters. Weela, by barking and running back and forth, refused to allow
them to cross at that point where the waters ran deep and fast. She then led the group to a shallower crossing
upstream, where they safely crossed to the other side.

Stong, gentle intelligent and brave, Weela,CGC,TT, is the ultimate American Pit Bull terrier, epitomizing the best that
the breed has to offer. But her story also highlights an important yet often misunderstood fact about the breed. The Pit
Bull is a dog that loves to please its owner and tries to become whatever kind of dog its owner desires. Weela has had
two owners.

The first owner dumped her in an alley to die when she was less than four weeks old. Her present owner, Lori Watkins,
found five starving Pit Bull puppies whimpering in an alley, took them home and raised them. later, the Watkins family
placed four of the puppies in loving homes and kept the little female they named Weela. They believed Weela was
special, and she proved them right. Most Pit Bull puppies grow up to become a reflection of both their owners'
personality and the care and training they receive. One can only imagine what a different dog Weela would have
become if her original owner had raised her, and she had done her best to please him.
source: http://www.lucydog.com/weela.html

[Matt_K]

Originally posted by JonD
Oh and Shadow talk to postal workers, most have had problems with ALL breeds of dogs, not just a few..

right up my ally.. I deliver mail in a rural area and see Dogs at every house if not ever other house.. I haven't been bitten or 'attacked' but we have had our car chased on about 4 different occasions now..

1st was a St. Bernard, this thing was HUGE.. I wasn't about to get near it..

2nd was a White Lab... Wouldn't leave us alone, chased us down the street barking and showing it's teeth... All we did was pull into the driveway to drop off a package that was too big for the mailbox..

4th was a Lab Mix of some sort... Nothing too bad, just barking, showing teeth and jumping up at the window...

5th was a Dalmation.. This thing chased us like you wouldn't believe.. Standing in the middle of the driveway showing teeth and barking non stop... As we drove away it chased us down the street and kept up for a bit.. Finally it turned back...

There are 2 Rottie's and 5 Pit Bulls that I know of my route.. I have come into direct contact with 3 of the Pit's and 1 of the Rottie's.. The Rottie just laid on the ground while I put the package at the door and didn't even move.. Just watched me...

All three of the Pits were there WITH owner's.. They barked as I approached the house but as soon as they saw I meant no harm, they were my best friends...

Not sure what any of this proves, but if one breed is going to be potentially banned, maybe they all should be?? I don't feel that new laws should be passed JUST for Pit Bulls and the likes, they should be passed for EVERYTHING...

-Matt

[marisa]

There are a MILLION things that present a danger to humans every single day that they might have nothing to do with. Drunk drivers run people over and cause fatal car incidents.....why is booze still legal? I might be walking down the street and a drunk might hit me, or a Pit might attack me.....why is the Pit removed from the situation but not booze?

We simply CANNOT remove everything on earth that might kill someone, or that even HAS killed someone! If we did all our freedoms, rights and choices would be removed from us for someone elses, or our own safety.

Yes when we were all kids we would jump fences.

But it was also well known where I live, you take the risk of the owner or a dog getting you the hell of their property. And in those days, people didn't sue each other. You took personal responsibility for your actions.

NO ONE today wants to take personal responsibility. Wether that means they don't take responsibility for their aggresive dog, or they don't for jumping into a yard that DOES NOT belong to them. It's ALWAYS someone else's fault, and let's sue and rid the world of the danger.

Like I said, let's get the self contained plastic bubbles for everyone to live in so no one will ever ever ever get hurt in any way again. I am sure within a month someone would be sueing someone else or trying to remove their bubble because another person bumped into them causing them to trip.

Marisa

[Matt_K]

AHHHHHHHHHHHH.. Get that EVIL dog out of the Dogshow!!! Ban him, ban him NOW..



Pic was posted on www.pitbullforum.com if the owner doesn't want it up, message me

[Samba]

Here's another story:

A Pit Bull named Blueberry is credited with saving her owner from two armed attackers. Authorities in Indiana, say the dog pounced on the intruders as they opened fire, Blueberrys legs and jaw were broken but she kept up the attack. The intruders fled and at last word, were still on the loose. Veterinarians at Purdue University were able to patch up Blueberry. They also say her unborn puppies are going to be ok.
Source: http://www.cyberpresence.net/petbull/fun/blueberry.html

[marisa]

Not pit bull attacks:

http://www.magicvalley.com/news/worl...?StoryID=10749

OHHH! In the one above a POLICE dog bit TWO people. I want police dogs banned. NOW.

http://www.channelcincinnati.com/new...43/detail.html

German Shepherd bit a boy. They need to be banned. Now.

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_...55E421,00.html

Smaller breed terriers kill a boy, they all need to be removed from society.

http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp...9&nav=1ugFRDY8

Rottweiler attack. Again they also need banning apparently.


The above stories are a TINY drop in the bucket of dog attacks NOT involving pit bulls.

Those who want Pit Bulls banned better change positions and push for an all out dog ban period.

ALL DOGS BITE.

Marisa

[Matt_K]

Here's a news article I came across that everyone might find interesting..

EDITORIAL
Editorial | Send a letter to the editor
Despite recent attacks, you can't judge a dog by its breed

Vancouver Sun

September 20, 2004

It seems there's been a falling out between man and his best friend. Newspapers and newscasts are filled with stories of dog attacks, and now man has decided to get even.

In response to several recent attacks by pit bull terriers, many people, including Vancouver Councillor Tim Stevenson, have called for a ban on owning the breed.

Certainly, we sympathize with anyone who has been caught in the powerful jaws of a pit bull. But the call for a breed ban is wrongheaded, to say the least.

To begin with, there's no way to prove the breed of a dog, not even with DNA evidence. Breeds are essentially social constructions, much like human races.

Consequently, a dog owner could easily challenge a ban, and there's little a municipality could do to prove the dog is actually a pit bull. (In fact, the term "pit bull" doesn't even signify a breed, but rather applies to a number of breeds including the Staffordshire bull terrier and the American pit bull terrier.)

BEWARE OF POMERANIANS

Further, the impetus to ban pit bulls stems from the erroneous belief that all and only pit bulls are dangerous. Stevenson encapsulated that belief perfectly when he said, "You never hear of a cocker spaniel or a Labrador attacking someone."

Now we're not sure where Stevenson is getting his information, but he's terribly mistaken. While Canada, unfortunately, has no national database of dog attacks, a study by the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program directly contradicts the city councillor's assertion.

The study looked at 278 dog attacks that required hospital admission, and found they were committed by 50 different types of purebred dogs and 33 types of crossbreeds.

German shepherds were responsible for by far the most attacks, and Rottweilers and Stevenson's harmless cocker spaniels tied for second. Golden retrievers came in fourth, and some studies in the United States have found Labrador retrievers responsible for more attacks than any other breed.

While pit bulls get all the negative press, Labradors, dachshunds and even a tiny Pomeranian -- a toy dog that weighs about five pounds -- have actually killed children.

And while pit bulls were originally bred to fight, one pit bull is a champion "herder" (which is what collies were bred for) and other pit bulls and Rottweilers have acted as therapy dogs.

The point, of course, is that you can't judge a dog by its breed. By focusing on the breed rather than the individual, breed bans result in labelling many non-vicious dogs as dangerous, while leaving many dangerous dogs free to roam the streets.

Or alternatively, you ban every breed that's ever attacked someone. Italy is doing just that and now has 40 breeds on its banned list (out of about 160 recognized breeds). Most recently, Welsh corgis were banned, which means the Queen won't be visiting Rome anytime soon.

For all of these reasons, many organizations, including the Canadian Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, the Canada Safety Council and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control all oppose breed bans.

While bans make little sense, dangerous dog legislation is important, but must be based on the individual dog. Dogs that have attacked people or animals should be satisfactorily rehabilitated or euthanized, and other dogs deemed dangerous, such as guard dogs trained to attack, should be confined.

Owners of dangerous dogs must be held responsible for their dogs' behaviour, including the laying of criminal charges when appropriate. All too often, dogs that attack were either mistreated by their owners or were purchased purely because the owners believed that owning powerful and menacing animals improved the owners' tough-guy images. If there's to be a ban, it should prevent such people from owning any dog.

Despite the importance of controlling dangerous dogs, the CHIRPP study found that 71.6 per cent of dog attacks involved dogs that had not previously exhibited aggressive behaviour. In fact, the victim of more than one-quarter of all attacks was the dog's owner or the owner's children.

As such, it's crucially important that the public be educated about how to handle dogs. People need to know that tethered dogs are much more likely to attack (because, when threatened, a chained dog can't run away). Dogs that aren't spayed or neutered are also much more likely to attack, so dog owners need to be encouraged to have their pets fixed.

EDUCATE DOGS AND PEOPLE

Dog owners should also socialize their pets, and all dogs should be licensed. Mandatory obedience training is also a good idea, particularly for breeds like Rottweilers and pit bulls, who, thanks to their sheer strength and the enormous power of their jaws, can inflict significant damage if they attack.

The CHIRPP study also found that young children are much more likely to be attacked, primarily because they act in ways dogs perceive as threatening. Consequently, the education of children is particularly important, and parents need to educate their children not to approach strange dogs and to refrain from teasing any dog.

The best bet for reducing dog attacks is, therefore, not the indiscriminate banning of an allegedly troublesome breed, but the education of both dog owners and those who come into contact with dogs on how to handle animals responsibly. In so doing, we can ensure that our best friends remain just that.
© The Vancouver Sun 2004

[marisa]

LMAO!

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Calgar...05/616464.html

This lady actually SAYS "Any animal with the instinct to kill should not be allowed to live"

Can you BELIEVE people with this logic are actually walking around?!?!?!?! LMAO The ban on snakes, fish, certain birds, cats and dogs should start now people!

Marisa

[Samba]

LOL, well I guess she's got to go, because humans have that instinct, and lots of them exercise that everyday... squashing bugs, setting rat traps, just a few examples. That is a pretty funny thing for her to say.

Thank you guys for posting these articles. I hope that those who oppose the Pits and Staffies can at look at the breed differently now.

Once more, more positive pit stories are welcome! =)

[JonD]

Excellent article Matt!!

Marisa, lol it amazes me how stupid some people are.

Everything kills something to survive...MMWWWAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Samba]

Darn Vegetarians and their plant-killing ways... when will this all end?!?!?! Oh, the MADNESS!!! LOL