A recent decision to classify Pit Bull dogs as inherently dangerous has stoked up dialogue both for and against the recent ruling by the Maryland Courts. While I think everyone agrees that the disposition of a dog is largely due to the way it is raised by the owner. However, one cannot discount the genetics involved in breeding aggressive dogs. Put Bulls are at the top of the list for reported bites and attacks. Does the breed disproportionately attract deficient owners?
We have reported on several Pit Bull incidents here (here and here) before and I have spoken about an incident where I personally felt threatened. I find that unusual that of all the interactions I have with dogs and of the interactions I have read about–the common denominator seems to be Pitt Bulls.
A reader sent the following report of yet another (unreported elsewhere) Pitt Bull attack on a 10-year old lacrosse player this weekend.
Saturday at approximately 9:45am the Severna Park Green Hornets pee wee lacrosse team was at the Tracey’s Elementary School field preparing to play the South County pee wee lacrosse team.
These 10 year old boys were on the field at Tracey’s Park warming up when a black pit bull dog ran from the woods onto the field. No owners of the dog were in sight. The pit bull ran up to one of the Green Hornets players and began barking at him in a ferocious manner. The boy began backing away when the dog bit him on the right calf, drawing blood. Many of the parents ran onto the field in an attempt to chase the pit bull away, and the dog did, in fact, run off the field.
About four of the Green Hornets dads began to follow the pit bull in an attempt to see if it had a collar on so an owner could be identified and the dog’s rabies status could be ascertained. 911 was called at the same time requesting police and EMS. The dog continued to growl, snap, and bark at the men as they followed it carrying lacrosse sticks for protection. An armed federal agent father of one of the Green Hornets players also followed the dog.
The police and EMS arrived, and EMS treated the player. The three police officers tried to take custody of the the dog but were unable to. The police activated their TASERs numerous times in order to keep the vicious dog away from them, and the dog finally ran back to it’s owners house. The owner was identified and AACO Animal Control responded to the location. EMS treated the boy’s leg injury and he was transported to AAMC by his father for definitive care. I do not know the dog’s rabies status.
In this case, a player was attacked and it was completely unprovoked. The player was retreating when the attack occurred. When you hear of an instance like this, it is difficult to argue that the new opinion from the courts is off base.
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While anyone getting injured is a cause for concern Pit Bulls are being singled out wrongly. Let me say that I do NOT own nor have ever owned a pit. An animal just like HUMANS are a result of their up bringing. In this case the owner of this pit should have kept it under leash or gated in the yard and I know nothing about the dog or owner specifically. I am however very upset at this breed being singled out…… ITS WRONG…. There are many other breeds of animals that have attacked people but they are not being treated this way!
So when are we going to start posting every little Poodle or Chihuahua bite? Sadly any bully breed dog, especially pit bulls are being singled out for no good reason. It was Dobermans in the 70’s, Shepherds in the 80’s, and Rotts in the 90’s. The next decade will be some other breed. I am so sick and tired of this poor breed being singled out because of the ignorance of owners. If a dog is raised poorly and not properly trained and socialized, it will behave poorly. Let’s go after the owners rather than the breed of dog. Yes, there will be dogs that have to pay the price since we can’t euthanize the retarded owners.
“Does the breed disproportionately attract deficient owners?”
Yes, I think that’s a large part of the problem. While there are responsible owners of pit bulls (and rottweilers) out there, the breed’s image definitely attracts a greater proportion of less responsible owners than other breeds do (people who want a dog to make them look tough, rather than a pet to take care of). And while I don’t think it’s fair to single out a breed either, the fact is that owning a pitt bull simply requires more responsibility than owning other breeds. All dogs should be on a leash or in a fenced/gated yard when outside. But there’s less risk of injury from, say, a loose yorkie. The court definitely overreached on this one – but until pit bull owners step up and start raising/keeping their dogs responsibly (which includes recognizing situations when/where it’s better to be safe than sorry, even if their dog has never had an issue) there aren’t many practical alternatives.
Wasn’t there a dog fighting ring discovered in Severna Park? Many time sticks are used to provoke dogs. Lacrosse sticks might look similar and bring the agression someone has tried to beat into the dog to the surface. Until we know all the facts, we can all come to whatever conclusion we want. I have met many more mean and aggressive chihuahuas than pit bulls, they are just a small breed sp everyone gives them a pass. I have never owned a putt, I. Any in my county.
I was bitten by a pedigree German Shepherd. A cousin was mauled as a child by a Cocker Spaniel and needed reconstructive facial surgery. Twenty years later, she still has a scar. I’ve grown up with dogs, and adopted a pit and a pit mix. They’ve never bitten anyone.
Learn a bit about the breed. The various “pit bull” breeds were bred in part for fighting, but also as general companion/working dogs. As fighters, human aggression was selected against. Simply put, if a dog bit its trainer, it was killed. Think about it: if you’re breeding a dog for fighting other dogs for sport, you need to be able to handle the dog yourself safely. You want a dog you can pick up and carry, pull out of a fight if need be, and know you won’t be bitten.
If you’re really interested in working on the issue of dog attacks, then look into policies that promote responsible ownership. Pit bulls didn’t invent dog fighting, or animal abuse, or irresponsible ownership. Banning pit bulls just means that the scumbags who fight dogs will find another breed.
Oh, and they didn’t activate TASERs numerous times. You can’t. A TASER is a device that fires two barbed darts connected by wire to a power source and runs a charge through the skin of the target. It’s a one-shot thing. You might be thinking stun gun, which produces a charge between two metal contacts on the device itself, and can’t be used at range.