40 Comments:

• Write, call your city council and let them know you don't want certain breeds banned. Maybe the owners, haha, but seriously, good responsible pet owners don't have vicious dogs.

  By  paula, at 11:33 AM, August 04, 2005  

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• More children die every year from falling into buckets and drowning than they do from dog attacks, let alone pit bull attacks. Should we ban buckets with water in them?

  By  Janine, at 11:48 AM, August 04, 2005  

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• This is pure & simple K-9 discrimination.Too bad these poor guys can't hire a lawyer that understands this. No breed of dog born mean it takes a man to turn any breed of K-9 to be aggressive, target the person who owns the dog.
  
  CJ

  By  Anonymous, at 4:36 AM, August 06, 2005  

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• i am the proud owner of a pit bull puppy and i am very glad i chose him and not another breed. he is not mean at all. i know of some dogs that are mean and they are not pit bulls. i agree, pit bulls are mean because of their owners. raise a puppy right and they won't be mean.

  By  Vanessa, at 3:37 PM, August 27, 2005  

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• i have a pitbull puppy and a 2yr. old son. i have never seen a dog ecspecially a puppy be so good with a child. i am very happy she is now a part of our family.from the things i have read on dogs the typical "family dogs" such as labs are more likely to bite someone wher are there bans?it just breaks my heart that instead of love from people these poor dogs are being misunderstood and mistreated

  By  Anonymous, at 6:52 PM, September 19, 2005  

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• I live in Houston, Texas with my 2 yr. old Pit bull and my 2 yr. old chihuahua. I am so glad I live in a state where this ban will most likely never fly. Its a sad day when politicians get to control the animals we love and own. I would like to ban some of their asses. It just makes me sad to think that the government has the right to take and murder my dog. Let's start banning and taking their children, because that's what they have done to so many of us. It just not right. Their sick.

  By  Anonymous, at 9:12 AM, October 14, 2005  

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• It is absolutely ridculous and against the law to ban any specific breed. There isn't supposed to be legistlation banning any certain breed. The Pit bull as any breed is what each indivual owner makes it. There needs to be a crack down on animal abuse which would include raising Pit bulls to be aggressive. I have a Pit bull who is amazing. He is very loving and affectionate dog. He loves all people. If you do any research about Pit bulls you will find that the breed is actually a bad watch dog because it loves people. The people that want to ban them need to do their research. There is not very good research on dog attack statistics, but I've seen several books that have said that many other breeds attack more then Pits. The reason it's such a big deal when Pits attack is beacause they cause more damage. The smaller breeds bite a lot more, but aren't going to hurt you as bad. They also classify pretty much any mixed breed a Pit bull mix. It truly is dog discrimination. These city councilmen need to get a clue.

  By  Allison Va beach, VA., at 5:33 PM, October 24, 2005  

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• I am outraged at the ignorance of our fellow man. If pitbulls are such bad dogs, then why did former presidents own them, why have the been used for police work in the past, why were at one point in time labled the good old American dog??? I have pitbull and she is the most loving dog I have ever met.I think owners need to be held responsible for the actions of their pets because everytime you hear of an attack, the owner has made a mistake. You can not leave a pitbull alone in a yard, a better alternative would be to leave them in a safe kenel where they are sheltered and unable to get out. They will protect their owners by instinct, this is why we all have dogs, right, we want the security and companionship. Why is it that an animal is being punished for humans making bad judgement calls. I have no reason to believe that my dog is anything but loyal and loving. I do not put in her in situations that could lead to her harming herself or anyone else. I do not believe in banning any breed but if politicians want to play these types of games, then lets really look across the board and ban dogs that actually sit at the top of the attack list. Starting with Cocker Spaniels, German Sheperds, rotties..... Stop the ignorance. If you have never been within two fet of a pit then you have no right to say whether they are good, bad, or evil. At one point the media also tried to convince us that Blacks, hispanics, etc. were dangerous. They were basing their opinions on rumors and what others had to say, look how wrong they were. I am begging my fellow Americans to get a clue and leave my duaghters future up to me!!!!!

  By  Kristin Birk, at 12:52 PM, November 03, 2005  

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• I am outraged at the ignorance of our fellow man. If pitbulls are such bad dogs, then why did former presidents own them, why have the been used for police work in the past, why were at one point in time labled the good old American dog??? I have pitbull and she is the most loving dog I have ever met.I think owners need to be held responsible for the actions of their pets because everytime you hear of an attack, the owner has made a mistake. You can not leave a pitbull alone in a yard, a better alternative would be to leave them in a safe kenel where they are sheltered and unable to get out. They will protect their owners by instinct, this is why we all have dogs, right, we want the security and companionship. Why is it that an animal is being punished for humans making bad judgement calls. I have no reason to believe that my dog is anything but loyal and loving. I do not put in her in situations that could lead to her harming herself or anyone else. I do not believe in banning any breed but if politicians want to play these types of games, then lets really look across the board and ban dogs that actually sit at the top of the attack list. Starting with Cocker Spaniels, German Sheperds, rotties..... Stop the ignorance. If you have never been within two fet of a pit then you have no right to say whether they are good, bad, or evil. At one point the media also tried to convince us that Blacks, hispanics, etc. were dangerous. They were basing their opinions on rumors and what others had to say, look how wrong they were. I am begging my fellow Americans to get a clue and leave my duaghters future up to me!!!!!

  By  Kristin Birk, at 12:52 PM, November 03, 2005  

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• I was not a fond person for pitbulls until one entered my life. she was mistreated and I felt the need to bring her back to health and I have. she is the most loving and sweetest dog there is and very protective over my 4 kids. We tend to believe the media and other sources about these dogs, but I have found alot of untruth to there statements and/ or comments made about these dogs. I have asked a couple of vets and they are no more aggressive then any other dog who feels there family's being threatened or themselves. I am not raising a "fighting pit". There are many more dangerous things in this world that can happen to a person and you guys are worried about these dogs. Rapist, sex offenders, molestations, even murders and drugs and you guys can't find anything better to do than blame pit bulls. When our kids do something bad, it's blamed on bad parenting, well it goes the same for these precious animals, god put on this earth. Because a couple of bad apples were in the basket doesn't make all of them bad. why should we ban all pit bulls? My girlfriends daughter was attacked by a little terrior at 2 years old, she had to have 16 stitches but are you banning them too? If you ban these dogs , you might as well ban all dogs because they all have teeth and are capable of attacks and biting.

  By  Anonymous, at 7:18 PM, November 04, 2005  

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• I have owned a few dogs in my day from mixed breeds to papered dogs, And none of them were mean,I trained dogs. And anyone that nows anything about k-9's will tell you it's not the dog it's the trainer. So if you want to stop the dogs from being bad you should go after the trainers.
  I'am sure if you owned a dog that was was dangerous,and where liable for the damage that it did you would not own that kind of dog.It isn't just one breed almost any k-9 can be made agresive.

  By  daryls501, at 11:22 PM, December 29, 2005  

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• My husband and I just recently bought a pit bull puppy & we love it to death. We just discussed the fact of never owning another dog besides a pit bull. You people that want to ban these loving animals must be sick in the head. Get your heads out of your ass and read alittle more than just hear-say. READ THE FACTS!! These pit bull dogs are everything a loving family needs. I agree 100% that pit bulls are exactly what you raise them up to be. Go after the owners, NOT the animals! As for those who still believe in the banning of pit bulls, aparently your pet "owner" raised you up to be an inconsiderate uninformed asshole! Pit bulls deserve much more credit than this.

  By  Brittnie, CA, at 9:27 PM, January 03, 2006  

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• I can completely sympathize with those of you who are fortunate enough to have socialized and friendly pit bulls. You should know that I appreciate owners like those of you who have successfully raised the types of dogs you can be proud of. Unfortunately, with all the loving and socializing you can offer, some pit bulls just have it in them to attack and kill. My situation happened at the beginning of December when my neighbor's two pit bulls actually broke a wooden plank from my privacy fence and attacked and killed my German Shepherd in our own yard. Now, I ask you where was the provoking here? The pit bulls would run the fence from time to time and bark at us and our dog and we repeatedly asked our neighbor to try his best to keep them away from our side of the yard especially because our two girls (ages 8 and 4) would ride their bikes along our drive way which happens to be right by the fence. He seemed to have no problem with this and everyone was happy and he has no neighbors on the opposite side it is just an empty lot. Well, the first week of December we noticed that the two pit bulls were allowed to roam freely around the yard again and again would come to our side and bark and growl and scratch at our fence. We left notes on his fence and we were missing each other all week to try to ask him to move the dogs because they were scaring our girls, but come that Friday it was too late. My husband happened to come home from work for lunch that day (which he NEVER does) and he came home to find our neighbor's dogs in our yard and all bloody. He instantly knew that our German Shepherd had been killed. He called me at work and I told him to call HPD. A unit came out and as the police officer came to the fence they charged at him too and he maced them, but to no avail. The two dogs were in full attack mode and even the mace had no effect! He called for animal control and they tranquilized the dogs and removed them from our property. When they were removed we were able to enter our yard and that is when we found our Max in the back yard. They had killed him in his own yard!!! My husband, my girls and I were devastated! Max was an awesome dog and everyone in our neighborhood soon learned about the incident and were stopping by to offer their condolences - even our mailman! Our neighbor was supposed to quarantine his dogs for 10 days and then decide whether or not to bring them back. We were told that the dogs could not be put down because it was a dog on dog attack and not a dog on human. Well, my neighbor's son is a constable and he was able to get his dogs back the next day!! Yes, they are back next door and back to running the fence! Now, I ask you, what is my recourse here? I watched our neighbor raise these dogs and in no way did he ever raise them to be mean, they just attacked one day out of no where!! I don't feel these dogs are safe in family communities! What if my girls had been home during all of this? What if my girls had been playing out in the yard when the two pit bulls broke through my fence?! I would have lost my kids that day! My little girls cry all the time for Max and my four year old wakes up with nightmares and crying because she misses him! What am I supposed to do about those dogs now?! What would you do to protect your families?? I am outraged that there is nothing I can do about this. Two weeks after this incident one of the dogs almost grabbed my four year old through the iron fence that runs along the front half of our yard and again I called the police and again I was told that they are in the confines of their own yard and again I was left with no recourse! It is going to take one of my kids to be mangled and dead before I can get any action to be taken?! BY THEN IT WILL BE TOO LATE!!!!!!!!!!!!

  By  DT, at 6:38 AM, January 05, 2006  

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• There is obviously something wrong with the dogs next door DT. I'm not going to say that all "pit bulls" are good dogs or that they are all bad. I dislike "pit bull" bans because they do not effectively deal with a serious problem. I feel sorry that you lost your GSD in a "pit bull" attack but understand that there is seriously something wrong with the dogs next door that can be either environment, bad breeding, or just a bad temperament that develops. It could be that there is something in dogs that sets them off easily, most likely because they are interbred and interbreeding will produce bad results at any given time. If any dog chased me constantly and sounded threatening, not just a "pit bull," I'd be asking my neighbor to keep his dog either in a secure kennel when they are outside or in the house. Now, seeing as how you've asked your neighbor time and time again to try and curb his dogs' behavior or keep them away from the fence, it is time you should take legal action. Obviously, your neighbor is not a suitable person to care for such an active breed and the dogs should be removed from him. He has ignored your requests to keep on an eye on his dogs and you have paid for it. Any dog showing aggression to anything should not be left alone, especially with another dog. Two dogs can cause more trouble than one. Provide proof that the dogs should've been quarantined for 10 days and that they were brought back before those 10 days were up. If the dogs were not kept quarantined for 10 days, then it was illegal for the dogs to be brought back, constable or not. You must take action and prove that these dogs are acting vicious without being provoked. They should be removed from the owner and put into another situation, hopefully one that will curb their behavior and turn them into astounding dogs.
  
  I can answer as to why your GSD was attacked first though. "Pit bull" breeds are known to show dog-dog aggression. Your GSD, being a dog himself, was attacked because "pit bulls" who have not been correctly socialized might attack and start fights with other dogs, much like Terrier breeds will. Your neighbor did not obviously understand this and considered his dog no threat to anyone. Any dog is a threat to dog, creature, or human. Proper training will decrease the threat but instincts remain intact. "Pit bulls" have an instinct to protect their territory from other dogs.
  
  I would like to ask if the two dogs are both male or both female? Having two dogs of the same gender is usually not a good idea at times, especially with dogs who show same-sex aggression. Putting two together at times can result in clashes and fights. If both dogs were male, your GSD might have been considered the outsider and was attacked in a clash of "who's the alpha" that turned fatal.

  By  RJ, at 9:07 PM, January 06, 2006  

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• RJ, thank you for your response. Actually, the dogs were one of each, female and male and my German Shepherd was male, so this was puzzling to me also. I have been trying to make sense of this attack since it happened.
  
  My husband thought it best to get the girls another dog right away. This is an issue we have gone over and over. I disagree that we have another dog this soon, but he just couldn't stand to see our girls so sad and crying everytime we saw a German Shepherd on TV, in a picture or in passing. Yes, it was hard for me to see them like this also, but we still have issues to deal with at home and with the neighbor. But, my husband feels that this is not fair to my girls because my neighbor is happy because he has his dogs back and our poor girls are deprived of having a family pet, so he took it upon himself to take the girls to a shelter and adopt a new dog. They adopted an 8 month old Border Collie mix and he is so gentle and good with the girls. They just love him! I just can't help but feel we've brought him to a death trap. That is horrible to say, but that is how I feel about it. We did secure the fence and our neighbor has agreed to pay 1/2 of the cost to put up a new fence. We are thinking of a solid brick fence as opposed to a new wooden fence. It may sound a bit extreme, but at this point that is the only thing I feel secure with because my neighbor obviously intends to keep dangerous dogs in his yard. I did talk to him and tried to reason with him about getting rid of those dogs and perhaps getting a German Shepherd like we were going to get and perhaps even from the same breeder. Well, he did get rid of those dogs, but he replaced them with another pit (male) and a rottweiler (female)!! The man is impossible! He has no respect for my family as far as I am concerned. Him and his family will not even look our way now or even acknowledge us when we are outside, so I feel trying to talk to him anymore about this is in vain. IN FACT JUST LAST NIGHT, MY HUSBAND AND I HEARD HIS PIT BARKING ON THE SIDE OF THE FENCE AGAIN AND WHEN WE GOT UP TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW, OUR DOG WAS JUST LYING THERE MINDING HIS OWN BUSINESS AND THE NEIGHBOR'S DOG WAS RUNNING THE FENCE AND JUMPING ON THE FENCE AND SCRATCHING. NOW, I COULD UNDERSTAND IF OUR DOG WAS RUNNING THE FENCE ALSO, BUT HE WAS JUST LYING THERE!!!! All my neighbor did was replace one set of psycho dogs for another!
  
  I sit here and try to be reasonable because he is our neighbor and we like his family and our kids used to play together. I have to admit that I am also afraid of retaliation and the fact that this man knows our family's schedule so well, but I am at my level with this man, especially after last night and hearing how aggressive his dog was acting even though our dog was doing nothing and not even near the fence!!

  By  DT, at 8:31 AM, January 11, 2006  

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• I have to agree with DT. The guy behind me has 8 pitbulls (we thought he had 5--city limit is 4). We know he has 2 litters of pups in the house. Other than his son we never see anyone socialize with these dogs. Well, two them got into a fight between chain linked fence. What if one these dogs got loose and attacked a child. I know for fact if one of labs got loose the worst that would happen is that they would lick someone. Well, one of his neighbors who works nights who was home during the day called the cops. The officers saw their jaws lock in the fence. They have picture of these animals covered in blood. The owner of the house threaten animal control saying if they went into backyard he will get out his shotgun. These people have IR Camera on the front of their home and they don't answer the door to people they don't know. They have dogs coming and going all the time. The guy who called the cops can't take his little dogs into his yard without the fear of these pitbulls breaking and jumping the fence to kill his dog. When one of these pitbulls jumped the fence one the dogs owner asked me if it was DEAD (there is do way for the dog jump from its doghouse over the fence and break its neck). She said they weren't mean. However, she later lied to cops saying they were rescued fighting dogs. When ASPCA gets these dogs they are PUT DOWN, becasue they can't be trusted. Some of these dogs acted if they wanted to attack me through the fence. The anonymous poster who labs are just as likely to mall and bite? I have to say your a fool. I own three labs. These dogs are people pleasers that why they are often used in the service of the blind and deaf. How many pitbull types do you see leading a blind person. Blame the deed not the breed nonsense don'thold up for me.

  By  Greg D, at 7:09 AM, January 31, 2006  

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• I do agree that some "pit bulls" are incredibly dangerous. There is something wrong with the dogs behind you, Greg. How many people do you know of who keep several dogs of the same breed who are not professional breeders though? It's a bunch of problems waiting to happen. I myself would never let a bunch of dogs wander freely outside if they fought with each other. People can be incredibly stupid though. Those are the kind of people who shouldn't own any dog. It also sounds like he is using them for something other than pets himself if dogs go in and out of his house constantly.
  
  But let's clear this up first. Shiba Inus can clear a six foot fence from a stand still. A six foot fence stands no chance against a dog bred for muscling who wants to go over the fence.
  
  But you know what. Let's do some stats. "Pit Bull" breeds are about as likely to kill as several other large breeds of dogs. Out of the entire registered "pit bull" population (which is about maybe half of the entire one), 0.015% would have killed someone in 2004. You're more likely to be bitten by a mixed breed "pit bull" than a purebred as well which also says that breeding is part a big part in the whole of the animal. Whose to say if it was the "pit bull" part of him or the Lab part that made him vicious? It cannot be determined. Also, The APBT is one of the higher passing breeds in obediance tests. It's just that people are freaking stupid and think they are getting a "tough" dog. By nature, all "pit bulls" are not human aggressive. Think about it. Would you want a fighting dog that attacks your audience and leaves the dog it's supposed to be fighting alone? No. You want one that attacks the opponent but leaves humans alone. No one can really say why some attack but it needs to be factored in that these dogs need constant attention and exercise to thrive.
  
  There are several "pit bulls" that serve in the government as bomb sniffers or K-9s. These dogs aren't used for seeing eye or for the deaf because of their stature. These dogs are shorter than Labs and Goldens mostly, making them less desirable to do some tasks that require height. I have seen an incredibly rough playing Lab that could cause injury to a small child. Also, with the Lab and Golden puppy boom, there are new breeders who look only for money and not to improve the breed. Because of this, you get incredibly cross and foul tempered animals. It's happened in toy breeds and in Dalmatians. It's happening again in Labs and Goldens and in "pit bulls."

  By  RJ, at 6:59 PM, January 31, 2006  

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• This past Sunday, my husband and I were walking our dog at a local park. A woman walking her dog warned us about a “mean” dog up ahead. There was a group of about 25 playing horseshoes. As we walked closer, a pit bull dog lunged out at our dog. I could not believe this was happening. My husband yelled to the owner of the other dog to get his dog. I saw the pit bull holding onto to my dog, growling and shaking his head. He would not let go. My dog was confused and did not know what to do but stand still. The way our dog looked at us was so heartbreaking. We were helpless. My husband started grabbing the other dog then the owner came over to his dog with a big grin on his face. The other dog finally let go of my dog but continued to lung at my dog’s throat. The owner laughed and patted his dog as if rewarding it with good behavior.
  
  We called the police but they were no help. We called Animal Control and Park Ranger Service, but no one was around. I left a voice message and to date, no return call. If the dog were able to reach my dogs neck, or if a small child or dog were walking by, it would have been fatal. I felt we could not talk reasonably to this person because they were not the friendly talking type. The only thing to do was to leave, quickly. It was a no-win situation. Thank goodness our dog was not seriously injured. Just a 1”x1” puncture to his chest.
  
  Our dog Dodger is a loving, gentle American Staffordshire terrier, which is part of the pit bull family. He is 100 lbs, 25” tall and muscular. If we taught Dodger how to attack and how to kill, he would be a deadly weapon, like the dog that attacked him.
  
  I feel this breed is not naturally aggressive; it is the owner, like the immature, gang-related person mentioned above who taught his pit bull to “attack, kill”. It is not the breed who should be banned, it is the owner.
  
  Del Mutavcic
  email: dpereyra88@hotmail.com

  By  Anonymous, at 5:15 PM, February 13, 2006  

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• The best Pit Bull is a humanely euthanasized Pit Bull.

  By  Anonymous, at 1:20 PM, February 17, 2006  

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• I would like to ask why people feel that racism is wrong but discriminating against the way a dog looks is just? All animal control officers can only base their assumptions on a "pit bull" breed by sight, not papers or DNA testing. They do not know if this is a "pit bull" breed or not but if it looks like one, they can take it in some counties and kill it without any say on your part. If your Boxer resembles a "pit bull" in these cities, he's dead. If your American Bulldog looks like one, she's dead. There is no way to enforce this law but people don't understand this.
  
  First off, again, the people who take charge of this can only tell animals by sight. Papers do not matter. DNA testing is useless as dogs have such incredibly like genes, it cannot be determined if your dog is a Lab from a Westie. Also, people can't tell the difference between "pit bulls" and a Rhodesian Ridgeback half the time. Experts even disagree on a dog's breed. The people who think these things up cannot tell the difference between several dogs, nonetheless which breeds are considered "pit bulls" and which ones aren't. How are animal control officers going to fully enact this ban if they euthanize the wrong dogs about 40% of the time? People are going to sue, money goes down the can, and the county ends up in debt from all of the lawsuits.
  
  I do believe one statistic is an infant is 100 times more likely to be killed by their own mother than a "pit bull" dog.
  
  I would like to point out that PETA is behind many of these bans coming along. It's funny how the group who's supposed to stand for animal's rights and stop these kinds of things, turn their backs on the animals who need them the most. They're too busy worrying about things they can't stop when they could help these misjudged creatures and help educate people about them. All because their president was bitten by a Bulldog which isn't even a "pit bull." These people show up with lawyers to defend the person who was attacked, not the dog who probably only defended himself in a few cases.
  
  That and they'd like to exterminate all dogs, just not the "pit bulls." By supporting this ban, you open PETA up to ban other breeds who are misjudged until they are all gone. Then what? There are no more dogs to love and praise, no more children protectors.
  
  Breed bans and exterminations don't help and save people, they just kill dogs. And no vet wants to take away an innocent life. Thousands are taken everyday, some for the right reasons, others are not though. Think of the long term consequences, not just the short.

  By  RJ, at 5:56 PM, February 17, 2006  

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• Hello again, this is DT sharing with you yet another incident that occurred with my irresponsible neighbor and his psycho dogs. Since my last posting on Jan. 11th, my husband and I bought firearms to protect our home. We do still have the Border Collie mix and he is just so lovable and gentle. We got very lucky when my husband and my girls adopted him. Well, this recent incident took place on Feb. 20 - President's Day. My girls were off from school and my husband was off from work, but I had work as usual that day. I left that morning and all was fine. My husband called me at work mid-morning to tell me that he was awaken by our girls yelling and crying and just frantic saying that Charlie (our border collie mix) was being attacked in the yard. When my husband was able to wake up enough, he could hear the commotion going on outside and he looked out the window to see our neighbor's female pit bull in our yard and attacking our dog AGAIN!!!! Now keep in mind, this pit bull is a different dog from the first incident. My husband grabbed his pistol and ran outside and shot the dog. He hit the dog in the front shoulder and the dog ran under our house. Luckily, our dog, Charlie, is larger than this pit bull and he only suffered some minor cuts and a sore hind leg. My husband called the police again and animal control came out and took possession of the pit bull. Now my neighbor also still has the female rottweiler, but apparently she was too big to follow the pit bull into our yard, but she was barking and running the fence. The officer and the animal control agent also witnessed this behavior. The animal control agent maced the rottweiler and she ran to the other side of our neighbor's house and was quiet for the rest of the day.
  
  The really sad part of all of this is that this time our neighbor has not even acknowledged this incident at all! He has not even asked about his missing pit bull and he and his family were not home that day, so he has no idea that this all took place and he has not even asked! He also has not yet made any effort to replace the fence from the first incident. We were talking to the animal control agent and telling him that we have been dealing with this since December and that we offered to pay for 1/2 of the cost to replace the fence and he said since this was the second offense that now the neighbor will be responsible for the full cost of the fence and he will not get this dog back until he replaces the fence to their satisfaction. I have been calling animal control since last week and they have yet to return my calls. I think even they have dropped the ball this time. My husband and I feel helpless because we can't get any action in this matter.
  
  I love dogs and I have had dogs since I was a little girl, but these pit bulls are dangerous! I know ANY dog has the potential to bite or attack and the fact is ANY dog is still an animal and can be unpredictable, but the simple fact is this - Pit Bulls are very strong and powerful dogs and when and if they do attack, you can bet that the damage these dogs do will be serious! I truly felt sorry when I watched the injured pit bull being dragged out of my yard and put into the animal control truck, but I was again grateful that my kids were kept out of harms way for the second time.
  
  I am definitely open to any suggestions as to how to deal with my neighbor. I can't keep shooting dogs that come into my yard and I can't keep allowing him to keep dangerous dogs in his yard knowing that this can always happen again!
  
  DT

  By  DT, at 1:30 PM, February 28, 2006  

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• DT, now is the time to sue. Gather any and all evidence about the attack and the fence with pictures and written information signed by any of the animal control officers and police at the scene. Your neighbor has not dealt with anything to prevent attacks from happening again. Take them to court for trauma to your dog and children and negligence/cruelty to animals. I do assume that your neighbor just passes off as animals being lower beings that deserve nothing. He needs to understand that his negligence has caused the death of one dog and injuries to another. I even believe, seeing as your fence is destroyed, vandalism can be added as well. Nothing else is working and you have a strong case against him. Unfortunately, animal control sometimes doesn't help at all so be prepared to encounter obstacles with them. You might want to threaten to sue them as well. Gather up a petition for the neighborhood to sign to relocate the remaining dog to a good home that can correct these tendencies.
  
  I would suggest, until you get any notice from your neighbor, you keep your dog in the house at all times and only let him out on a leash with the pistol, just in case. This may be extreme but if you would like to protect him, make sure he does not leave your sight when he is in the backyard. If you must, let him do business in the front yard and bring him in when he's done.

  By  RJ, at 5:39 PM, February 28, 2006  

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• RJ, thank you for listening and thank you for the support. It is good to get an outsider's opinion and to know that I am not acting solely out of emotion, but also from rational thinking. I will keep you posted of this ongoing saga. Hopefully the next posting will be of positive news!
  
  DT

  By  DT, at 11:56 AM, March 03, 2006  

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• DT, I agree with RJ. Your neighbor is NOT a responsible dog owner or neighbor and it is time to sue. Just because your neighbor may have been a relatively nice man and never beat the dogs does not make him a responsible dog owner. I am only sorry that your neighbor owned, multiple times, the pit bull breed.
  
  I am a dog owner of a Red Nosed American Pit Bull Terrier (Lilly) and German Shepherd (Sadie). Unfortunately, it's my Shepherd that I must watch as she can be dog agrressive. My pit bull, who I actually got from a friend working for animal control, is very sweet. She is obessed with frisbee and ball... she'll chase a cat or squirrel too, but I believe that is the terrier in her. My Shepherd is right by her side however when it comes to cats and squirrels.
  
  As a responsible dog owner, I would have to ask, why is your neighbor leaving the dogs outside? My dogs are not outdoor dogs and if they were, surely a standard chainlink fence IS NOT sufficient. Most large dogs can get jump or find a way around any standard fence... and I believe that a 4 or 5 foot fence is NOT sufficient nor responsible. If anyone has ever seen a pitbull jump, surely a 4-5 foot fence is NOTHING.
  
  I believe that dogs are part of the family. I do have a standard chainlink fence. Even still, my dogs stay inside when I am inside other than to occasionally use the bathroom. Even then, I watch them outside from the front door.
  
  If I'm in the yard doing work, my dogs are with me. I also walk them 3 miles about 4 or 5 times a week as well as throw the frisbee and ball. I socialize my dogs with others (and always keep a pincher on the Shepherd, who gets aggressive with other dogs) and still have to be there for training. My dogs have attended puppy and basic obedience school and I train them regularly before and after walking.
  
  These are LARGE dogs and they need exercise, attention and respect for their species.
  
  I have 3 cats at home and because of this, I crate my dogs when I am away. I love my dogs but trust them only to BE dogs. I crate them separate so they don't fight over alpha, nor chase the cats nor eat trash or the furniture. My dogs sleep in my room at night. I know where my dogs are just as a parent knows where their young child is (teens... probably another story!).
  
  I only tell you this because I would know the instant that my dogs left my yard. Your neighbor was irresponsible. All dogs need attention and training, regardless of breed. To just get a dog and leave it in the yard is irresponsible and could make any dog aggressive.
  
  The majority of dogs in my neighborhood are left outside without attention from their owners and whenever I walk my dogs, they become aggressive at them. I believe it is because these poor creatures do not get the love and attention they need. It breaks my heart.
  
  Finally, did your neighbor spay or neuter his dogs? Regardless of breed, an unspayed or neutered dog is more likely to attack. Also, did your neighbor provide any training and scocialization at a dog school? If he did not, with the breeds he has now (the rott as well), you may be able to better prove negligence.... especially given the history he has had with dogs.
  
  I'm sorry that your neighbor owned pitbulls, but it's my opinion that it's his negligence, not the dog's breed that is the problem. And the fact that he hasn't even questioned WHERE his dog is? That's just flat out negligence! Too many people treat their dogs as a yard decoation rather than a living creature with needs. A pitbulls need differ than a labs... true. But an responsible owner studies the breed exercises, trains and disciplines appropriately.
  
  Good luck and I would get a lawyer... it's time!
  
  Sincerely,
  AO

  By  Anonymous, at 10:48 AM, March 16, 2006  

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• Pit bulls are like handguns, safe in yours, but deadly in the wrong hands.

  By  Anonymous, at 5:11 PM, May 26, 2006  

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• wow. DT I am truly sorry for everything that has happened. That is horrible. I agree with both sides of this law. I am a pitbull owner. however i am not stupid. although my dog is very very sweet and has never posed a threat to anyone (including my cat and daughter) i do understand that I have to be 10 times more responsible than i would if i had a maltese or a poodle. Any dog can be dangerous. its true a pitbull has the ability to be stronger and fiercer than a lot of other dogs. i truly believe (it took a LOT of thinking to come to this) that dogs shouldnt not be given second chances. if a dog has acted agressively in any way at any time it should be put down. however it needs to be a case by case basis. when i was 9 my neighbors BEAGLE killed my cat in MY yard. animal control did NOTHING. the owner did NOTHING. and a 9 year old girl lost her best friend. thats wrong. I also know that since i do have a pitbull i live in a less populated area and have a very large yard with a 6 foor chain link fence. if i am at work she is in the yard and also tied to a runner. this is to protect any situation such as birds, squirrels,cats,etc...i love all animals. i do believe that pit bulls should be banned (stop the breeding, as hard as that is for me to say...) but the ones that already exist should not be exterminated. i also believe that there should be restrictions. pit bulls should NOT be allowed in apartment complexes or with people who are not responsible. if it is known to the community that somebody is not being a responsible owner their right should be taken away and never returned. just like it would for a child abuser,rapist,killer etc...

  By  rachw, at 7:22 PM, June 10, 2006  

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• DT, the only good pitbull is a dead pitbull.
  
  The most disgraceful thing is that the law has done absolutely nothing to protect you.
  
  Because the law is otherwise ineffective, pitbulls should be banned. Period.
  
  A little rat poison goes a long way.

  By  Anonymous, at 2:21 AM, July 17, 2006  

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• Mr/Ms anonymous reveiwer above,
  
  Putting out rat poison will not do DT any good. A simple autopsy on the dog will reveal what killed it and, since the man knows DT has been having problems with his dogs, will point fingers. DT will end up with animal cruelty charges which will put all of the efforts that has been worked to defend her children and pets null and useless. DT might have to get rid of their dog and be forced to moved.
  
  But, I digress. Tell me your points on 'all pit bulls are evil.' It must be fascinating living in such a violent world where the solution to your problems is rat poison/anti-freeze/shotguns. Oh, and let me introduce to you Wrinkles, a Shar-Pei and Greyhound mix. Wrinkles is a very territorial dog who almost bit me when I pet-sitted her very recently. She was abused eleven, count them, eleven years ago. She is not part pit bull and yet, tried to attack me even though she had already met me before while her owner was in the room. She is not a vicious dog. She is just territorial and in a new home (the family had moved three weeks earlier). They have four other dogs who are the sweetest things in the world and, yet, Wrinkles bared her teeth at me the second I walked in the door. What's your point on this? Should I have fed her rat poison because she was dangerous? No. She was protecting her territory while the family was away. She was wary of a stranger who waltzed in the house. You know what I did? Stood still until she calmed down and left me alone. It took me four days to gain her trust. Two days of it, I was scared she would bite me. But you don't just give up and say 'oh, she's vicous. I should give her rat poison because there's no other way to deal with this.'
  
  You are seeing in black and white. Try seeing the gray, where children are crying over the loss of a family pet that you killed with rat poison because you believed it was 'dangerous.' Where a couple has to have their dog cremated because it was shot in the head when all it wanted to do was say 'hello.' Where a tiny Pomeranian is put to death over vicously attacking and killing a toddler even though it was the family pet. Where a Labrador Retriever, the recommnded family pet, rips off a lady's face so much, she has to have the first partial face plant. Welcome to world and its gray spots. There are more of them than the white and black ones.

  By  RJ, at 6:27 PM, July 18, 2006  

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• DT- PLEASE GO TO MY WEBSITE. As you can see, we had a similar story.

  By  t, at 11:38 AM, August 07, 2006  

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• Okay, I thought my page would come up, but obviously not.
  www.myspace.com\copperbaby

  By  T, at 11:40 AM, August 07, 2006  

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• wow you can go into a supermarket by a tbone steak and a 12 guage shot gun but lets ban a innocent animal.God didnt createe a dog to be evil.Foolish people created the bad pit rep.

  By  Anonymous, at 12:17 AM, December 01, 2006  

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• i am tired of the dicrimination against these dogs! i have a 6 month old pit bull and he is the sweetest thing. people fight alot of types of dogs. pit bulls are not vicious on their own these people are the ones fighting them and raising them like that! it depends how u raise a dog. any dog can be mean and bite someone not just pits. its these ignorant dog fighters that make them like that and give them the name they have. people that believe this need to take a stand for these dogs cause noone else will they can't defend themselves!

  By  allison, at 1:48 PM, January 24, 2007  

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• I have a 4-year-old pit bull and she would never even dream of hurting anyone unless they tried to hurt me. The people who get pit bulls and make them mean are the real criminals, not the dogs.It is not the dog's fault that they are mean, but the owners, and the select few that do that are a reason to ban the whole breed? I mean the pit bull was even chosen to represent the U.S. in WW1 artwork, and if we ban the breed, we will be destroying an important part of U.S. history.I mean it is the AMERICAN Pit Bull Terrier, so we need to keep Pit bulls a part of the U.S., not isolated from where it originated.

  By  Anonymous, at 7:00 PM, February 05, 2007  

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• I think pit bull's are vicious and blood thirsty monsters, no matter how sweet and cute they are, they could turn on you any minute.If you have children and a pet pit bull i sugest that you get rid of it or you could come home with a dead or serouly injured child.ALL PIT BULLS SHOULD BE ANIALATED AND GONE FROM THE PLANET !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  By  Anonymous, at 5:09 PM, March 28, 2007  

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• I think people with mean dogs such as a pit bulls should stop and look at what is important in life. human life or a vicious dog that could take a life at any moment.There are a lot of killers in the world why raise an animal that is known for that.

  By  Anonymous, at 8:51 AM, March 29, 2007  

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• i work with pit bulls at a kennel in houston and i have never come across a mean pit... they are only aggressive if they are raised that way. I think that instead of banning them i think that they should treat them like you are adopting a child, do home checks and background checks and make sure that the owners are responsible enough to own a pit.

  By  Jessie, at 12:51 PM, April 25, 2007  

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• the ignorant people who have never had the pleasure of being around a bulldog that is so protective of my kids saved them from snakes other dogs and only god knows what else wouldnt trade my dog for anything......................

  By  Anonymous, at 9:42 PM, April 29, 2007  

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• pitbulls aren't the only dog that bite i have two that are very loving rapest and killers roam the street free for example my friend had an ex brother n law who got out of prison done the little time. my friend have two kid and to keep him away from them he called a parol officer of the guy in texas and louisiana and was told he done his time and is allowed around kids two months later he raped two poor little girls my dogs protect my home from people of that nature how banning those first not loving animals it's not the dogs any can bite if tough .

  By  Anonymous, at 8:32 PM, July 24, 2007  

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• Unlike what Many People Seem to Cruely Think, Pitbulls are only Deadly, Because they Have Hereditary Genes of being a Fighting Dog!
  I can understand that Family & Freinds of Victims don't like the Breed, But Living in CO, My neighbor has a Pitbull, and He/She is a Really Kind Dog. When I First Moved to my Current House, I wasn't sure about the Dog, but one Summer Afternoon, I was Doing Yard-Work, When the Pit came up near the Fence. I tossed a Stick over, and the Dog loved it! It Layed down, and chewed on the Stick, looking up at me Periodicaly, and wagging it's Tail.
  
  It's Sick how Denver has Banned Pitbulls Even when the Owner is to blame, It's Almost like Racism!
  
  I can't say I hate Denver, because being a Coloradian, I can't Deny my own State, But People who Haven't Experienced an Attack shouldn't hate Pitbulls forever, Unless they are just Wierdos...
  
  Pitbulls Kill by being Trained to do so By Their Owners, they aren't Just Cruel Killer Animals.
  
  This whole issue is Like K9 Racism, singling out a single Breed, and it should be STOPPED...
  
  NB

  By  Anonymous, at 6:29 PM, December 11, 2007  

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• I think all of you that think pitbulls are so cute and so loving
  are so ignorant!!! You hear in the news that a child has been killed or seriously injured and was a pitbull that did it!! And that pitbull was never raised to be agressive and still did that to a child!! I hope they pass a law banning these monsters!!!!!and the ignorant people that buy them are idiots specially the ones that bring them into their house with their children!!

  By  Anonymous, at 9:56 AM, September 29, 2008  

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