Lynn pit bull rules may have bite

Lynn pit bull rules may have bite

By David Liscio / The Daily Item

LYNN - The City Council on Tuesday put teeth into a proposed ordinance regulating ownership of pit bull terriers following a rash of recent attacks on people.

City Council President Timothy Phelan initially sought an amendment to the existing dog law that would require pit bulls be muzzled when off the owner's property.

During a meeting of the Ordinance Committee, Ward 1 Councilor Wayne Lozzi asked that the proposal be strengthened with additional restrictions. The amendment Phelan submitted included a $300 fine for unmuzzled pit bulls and possible confiscation of the animal by Lynn or State Police or the city dog officer.

"I commend Councilor Phelan for putting forth his amendment to this ordinance, but putting a muzzle on these dogs does not go far enough," said Lozzi, who wants the dog officer and the landlord notified in writing whenever a resident or tenant harbors a pit bull.

The landlord would have 10 days to approve or deny the presence of a pit bull on the property.

In addition to the required notification, Lozzi's version of the law would restrict the walking of a leashed and muzzled pit bull to handlers age 18 or older and cap at two the number of pit bulls owned by any Lynn resident.
Councilor-at-large Daniel Cahill raised questions about local dog officer resources, potential problems in enforcing the law, and how to ensure violators to pay fines.

Attorney James Lamanna from the Law Department said unpaid fines can be addressed by attaching a lien on the violator's property, but the process would require a home rule petition from the state Legislature.

Placing restrictions on pit bulls has been a recurring theme in Lynn over the past three decades, most recently fueled by two unprovoked attacks during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. An 11-year-old boy was severely bitten by a pit bull that escaped its owner's basement, and an infant girl being carried by her father in a chest papoose pack was mauled by another pit bull.

"Common sense should have prevailed, but it didn't," said Ward 3 Councilor Darren Cyr, chairman of the Ordinance Committee and the Public Safety Committee. "(Pit bills) are used to intimidate. This has become a public safety issue."
Cyr said the issue can be further dissected but action must be taken immediately. "We have to respond to that," he said, referring to the vicious attacks. "We have to act."

A public hearing on the ordinance changes is scheduled before the whole council later this month.
__________________________________
City Council President Timothy Phelan initially sought an amendment to the existing dog law that would require pit bulls be muzzled when off the owner's property.
As a pit bull owner I can't really say I have a problem with that. It just protects Kangol's life, although it would give a bad first impression.

"I commend Councilor Phelan for putting forth his amendment to this ordinance, but putting a muzzle on these dogs does not go far enough," said Lozzi, who wants the dog officer and the landlord notified in writing whenever a resident or tenant harbors a pit bull.

Everyone should register their pit bulls, just as all dogs should be registered! Those in violation face consequences. REGISTER YOUR DOG... NOT HARD!

In addition to the required notification, Lozzi's version of the law would restrict the walking of a leashed and muzzled pit bull to handlers age 18 or older and cap at two the number of pit bulls owned by any Lynn resident.

If I lived in Lynn, I wouldn’t have any problem with a restriction for handlers to 18 or over. They are powerful animals and only adults should handle them outside the home. I do have a problem with the cap at 2 pit bulls. So many wonderful, responsible owners have multi-pit homes and do not bother anybody. 

One thing about these proposals, as with all pit bull restriction proposals anywhere: they are a reaction to recent pit bull incidents, in which the dogs may or may not have been pit bulls. The media never knows for sure and often they are wrong. 

School Secretary Attacked by Pit Bull on Campus

911 Call:  School Secretary Attacked by Pit Bull on Campus

School officials say the dog followed a parent into the office.

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. -- A school secretary is recovering after emergency surgery for a ruptured artery she suffered when she was attacked by a pit bull that wandered into her office in Garden Grove.

It happened about 3 p.m. Tuesday at Woodbury Elementary School.

"The dog followed a parent into the office," said Alan Trudell, spokesman for the Garden Grove Unified School District.

The secretary, 65-year-old Marilyn Reyes, was trying to get the dog out of the office when she was attacked.

The bite punctured an artery in Reyes' arm.

School employees, including the principal, were able to restrained the dog and called 911.

According to Trudell, the dog owner lives close to the school and told officials that one of his children may have left the door open, allowing the dog to escape.

The dog was shot by animal control officers with a tranquilizer and taken into custody.

The dog will be euthanized if the owner "surrenders" it to officials.

Otherwise, the dog's fate will be decided after the 10-day period.

Reyes was transported to Fountain Valley Hospital Tuesday where she underwent a two-hour surgery to repair the ruptured artery.

___________

“According to Trudell, the dog owner lives close to the school and told officials that one of his children may have left the door open, allowing the dog to escape.”

This is another example of irresponsible ownership even if it was a child that left the door open. I have a 2 yr old who loves keys, doors, and using keys to open the door but I have taken the necessary measures to make sure he will never open the front door and let Kangol out. The owner of this dog should have been aware of where his dog was and what his children were doing.

“Responsible owners NEVER let their dog roam. Notice I did not say "allow" - I said "let". This means they are careful and do not allow "accidents" to happen. They take precautions and spend the time and money to contain their dog appropriately. They are smarter than their dog...”(Diane Jessup).

Because of this owner’s irresponsibility that put his/her dog in an inappropriate situation that caused him to react in such a manner his dog’s fate looks grim. A principal’s office is definitely an unsuitable place for a loose dog- no matter the breed! I wish the secretary a speedy recovery.

Woman gets probation for abusing pit bull puppy/Child attacked

Woman gets probation for abusing pit bull puppy

Associated Press

11:18 AM CDT, June 9, 2010

BELLEVILLE, Ill.

A southwestern Illinois woman avoided jail time and got a year of probation after admitting she mistreated a pit bull puppy found emaciated in a trash can, an electrical cord embedded in his neck.

Tracia Johnson of Cahokia was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to one count of animal cruelty. Other misdemeanor counts were dropped.

Prosecutors had pushed for Johnson to spend 60 days in jail.

Authorities say the abuse surfaced in October 2009 when a trash collector found the then-9-month-old pit bull in a trash can. Besides the electrical cord in his neck, the dog's body was bruised and burned, and he was 20 pounds underweight.

The dog, named Tommy, survived and made an appearance with animal-welfare advocates outside the courthouse Wednesday.

_____________

“A southwestern Illinois woman avoided jail time and got a year of probation after admitting she mistreated a pit bull puppy found emaciated in a trash can, an electrical cord embedded in his neck.”

This woman is sick and it sickens me she only received a year of probation. The penalties for such abuse must be tougher! If we made sickos like this serve some jail time it might make a difference. Probation isn’t even a slap on the wrist. She will probably do something like this again… Why wouldn’t she?

I wish this little guy, Tommy, the best and I am glad he has recovered. I hope he has found a good home permanently!

Child, 5, Recovering After Pit-Bull Attack

Posted: 10:21 pm EDT June 8, 2010Updated: 2:32 pm EDT June 9, 2010

PITTSBURGH -- A 5-year-old girl has undergone facial surgery after being bitten by a pit bull in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood.

Police and animal control officers are investigating the attack that happened Tuesday night.

Kallie Schaffer's grandfather, Steve Schaffer, said the girl needed 600 micro-stitches to reconstruct her lip.

"She is getting plastic surgery. They are going to repair her bottom lip," Schaffer said.

Schaffer said they were visiting the roommate of the dog's owner when the attack happened. He said he let the dog back into the house as they were getting ready to leave and it lunged at the girl.

He said he doesn't know when the girl will be released from the hospital.

"I am dumbfounded. It is my granddaughter. I feel terrible. I feel terrible, like it’s all my fault," Schaffer said.

The dog owner was not home when the attack happened.

Animal Control officials said they plan on issuing citations to the dog's owner.

__________________

This was a preventable attack as well. I never trust anyone else with my dog… I know how to handle Kangol and not to put him in situations that would make him feel uncomfortable. The roommate should have waited until the family left before he let the dog back in. I don’t know that dog’s history, but from reading this story, I feel that the roommate should be cited.

Pit bull finds new home

Pit bull finds new home

Pit bull finds new
home

By John Johnston • jjohnston@enquirer.com •
June 7, 2010

Destyni Blair cried when she read the story of the
pit bull named Hazel and saw pictures of her
injuries.

"Seeing that she went through all that terrible
stuff...she deserved a good home; she deserved
to be loved," said Blair, 22, of Mason, who along
with her husband, Donnie, adopted the dog and
renamed her Bella.

They'd seen a May 18 Enquirer story that told
how the white pit bull was saved from a
near-certain death by Emily Gear, who runs a
Monfort Heights-based dog rescue called Louie's
Legacy. Gear was in a Colerain Township animal
hospital in March when three people brought in
the dog after finding her in their yard.

A vet said it appeared the pit bull had been
attacked by another dog perhaps a week earlier.
Her chest had been torn open, infection had set
in. Her insides were literally rotting. It wasn't
clear if she could be saved.

But Gear, sensing this was not a fighting dog,
wanted to try.

She raised nearly $2,700 through Facebook.

Eric Shreves, a veterinarian with Noah's Ark
Animal Care, performed six surgeries and
provided some services for freeThe dog, which
Gear named Hazel, made an astounding
recovery.

Gear, who rescues all breeds of dogs, said it
takes a special person to adopt a pit bull. She
weeds out people who want an aggressive or
fighting dog. The breed is classified as a
"vicious" dog by the state of Ohio, which sets
rules on how the dogs are confined and how much liability insurance owners must carry.

The Blairs knew that. They had adopted a pit,
named Precious, from Gear in February.

"These people I know, and they are just excellent
with the pits," said Gear. "I think they're not
going to have any problem whatsoever."

Indeed, Blair said Bella and Precious have
adjusted to each other. "I love coming home
because they're so happy to see us. They sleep in
our bed with us. They're our babies," she said.

______________________

So glad this beautiful little pit bull was given another chance and found a loving home.

This woman and her husband are truly her guardian angels. I wish everyone the best!! Love those happy endings...

Playtime with Mother

Kangol loves to play tug-o-war with his mother

Amazing Dog Trainer Guy Teaches the Facts

Police officer shoots, kills pit bull in Lowell, Mass.

This is a sad story out of Lowell Massachusettes. Another pit bull shot and killed by police. The pit bull wasn't registered thus the police (why not Animal Control?) were there to take the dog. 

(NECN: Ally Donnelly, Lowell, Mass.) - 16 year old Jane Marie Marbert is sad and angry. "I don't understand why you want to take my dog, my dog didn't do nuthin' my dog never bit no one," she fumed Friday outside her Lilley Avenue house.

The Lowell Massachusetts teen says a Lowell Police officer shot and killed her 2-year-old pit bull Ashes -- unprovoked and as children played nearby. "He didn't even say sorry," she fumed. "He didn't have a heart."


The city says an animal control officer came to take the dog from the house on Thursday because the pit bull was not properly registered -- but when animal control got there, they say, the family became confrontational, so the officer called police for backup.

Marbert says Ashes -- who was barking in an upstairs window -- came down the stairs, across the patio and through an open gate toward the police officer. "My dog, he sees a gun, he goes crazy," she said. Marbert says the unidentified officer then shot Ashes twice in the hip area and the dog went down. "My brother's like yo stop, stop, stop and he didn't listen." Marbert says the officer then got closer and shot Ashes once in the head with a small crowd of people and children just a few feet away.

Roberto Cantrez says his 4 year old son is traumatized by the shooting -- and demands to know why the officer couldn't have used something short of deadly force when so many people were close by. "He could of shot, missed the fire and hit my son and the what?" he questioned..

Lowell Police Deputy Superintendent Arthur Ryan says the dog lunged at the officer growling, teeth gnashing and that the officer followed protocol to protect himself and people nearby. "The force used was reasonable and necessary," he said.

Ryan says after the officer initially shot the pit bull the dog was wailing and writhing in pain and the final shot to the head was the most humane thing to do. He also warned that a wounded animal is the most dangerous kind. "Had he not used his firearm to protect himself we would not be talking about an animal that was shot, we'd be talking about officer that was mauled," he said.

Ryan insists no private citizens were in harm's way, but the policy of the police department is to conduct an internal investigation any time an officer fires his weapon. 

________________________

From reading the article it seems that, the dog wasn't anywhere close to the officer. I truly believe that police officers need better training when it comes to dealing with animals. They have tasers and pepper spray and I would think that would have sufficed in dealing with this dog in particular; this dog was probably scared and confused about the confrontation at the house. While the dog should have been registered, I find it unnecessary for a police officer to confiscate a dog and I think the family should have been given an opportunity to register their pet. I don’t know the history though and the family might have been given a chance to comply and failed to do so. 

My heart goes out to the family in the tragic loss of a family member.

Whenever someone unexpectedly knocks on my door, I always make sure Kangol is locked in a room he can’t get out of for reasons such as this and I urge all dog owners to do the same because you just never know what someone else will do, whether it is police, solicitor, neighbor, etc.

3-year-old boy recovers from pit bull bite

Original article found by clicking here

By Glenn Counts
NewsChannel 36

FORT MILL, S.C. A 3-year-old boy is recovering after a pit bull tore off part of his ear and a chunk of his face.

Trenton Myers bears the scars from his encounter with Bo-Bo last week at a mobile home park on Josh's Court in Rock Hill.

"We were over at some friend's house and he went to pet the dog and the dog pretty much latched onto him," said Teresa Myers, Trenton's mother.

No one disputes that the dog attacked Trenton. The question is, why?

The dog's owner says that Trenton's mother recklessly encouraged him to get too close to a dog that was labeled dangerous.

"He's got padlocks on his chain to make sure that he don't get to anybody, and I've got 'beware of dog' signs on this tree and that tree, so the mother had warning," said Jacquline Weldon.

"No, sir. That is not what happened," Myers responded. "While the attack was going on they did nothing to try and get their dog off of my baby. They stood around and watched the attack happen."

Trenton has extensive facial injuries. His ear was torn off and he has scarring around his cheek. His mother said she believes the dog should be euthanized.

"I don't want the dog back. There is a lot of kids that live in that neighborhood," Myers said.

Weldon said she intends to fight to keep her dog.

"It's not like he got off the chain and went over and attacked this child. He was on his chain," she said.

The dog is being held at animal control under a 10-day quarantine. A judge will decide whether the dog will be returned to the family.

_________________

How traumatizing for this little boy and my heart goes out to him; this was such a preventable incident too.

As with all stories, there are two sides to this one. What we are told:

"We were over at some friend's house and he went to pet the dog and the dog pretty much latched onto him," said Teresa Myers, Trenton's mother.

Now, obviously, this took place outside but according to the child’s mother, they were at a friend’s house. However if that was the case then why is the owner saying, "He's got padlocks on his chain to make sure that he don't get to anybody, and I've got 'beware of dog' signs on this tree and that tree, so the mother had warning."

That doesn’t sound very friendly to me, or at least not enough to be visiting with each other at their homes.

AGAIN, it doesn’t make sense but the bottom line is IRRESPONSIBILITY caused serious physical and mental damages to this 3-year-old boy. I hate dog chains and those that chain their dogs outside their house irk me. Why do it? Can’t be for exercise….

CP24- Pit bull, 2 men, 2 women sought in assault on Whitby boy - CTV News, Shows and Sports -- Canadian Television

CP24- Pit bull, 2 men, 2 women sought in assault on Whitby boy - CTV News, Shows and Sports -- Canadian Television

Pit bull, 2 men, 2 women sought in assault on Whitby boy

WHITBY, Ont. — Durham police say they're looking for four suspects and a pit bull in an assault investigation.

Police say a 16-year-old boy was accosted Monday night by four people -- two men and two women -- while riding his bicycle in Whitby, Ont.

Police say one of the women was walking a pit bull.

The teen was grabbed and his head slammed into a nearby railing, knocking him to the ground.

Both men then punched and kicked the boy and took his hat before fleeing.

The victim was treated in hospital for serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

_____________________________

OK…

Why are they looking for this “pit bull” if it did not bite or attack this boy in any way? They don’t even know if it was a pit bull type dog for sure. Was it an American Pit Bull Terrier? Staffordshire bull terrier? American Staffordshire? Mix? Hybrid? Instead, was it something entirely different like a Cane Corso or a Mastiff? The media has no clue… they see medium dog, big head, being walked by some possible criminals and ASSUME. There is no valid reason for “pit bull” to be in the title of this article. If it was a Golden Retriever or something similar, I wonder if the media would have been so inclined to put that in the title. The title makes it sound as though the dog took an active part in this boy’s assault but the article says otherwise. This is not news…..

LETTER — The problem with pit bulls

 Article originally posted here:

LETTER — The problem with pit bulls - Holland, MI - The Holland Sentinel
 

By HEATHER HEYDENS
Posted May 30, 2010 @ 05:00 AM
Holland, MI —
I could not agree more with the May 25 letter from Lori Cooper regarding pit bulls.
I too have a problem with pit bulls in the city of Holland. And it actually has more to do with the two-legged creatures holding their leashes (if there is a leash at all) than with the pit bulls themselves.

I will agree with her on this comment

I also believe that the current enforcement in Holland with regards to these dogs is too lax. I see them all the time, leashed and unleashed, and it is scary.

Why is it scary? Understandable if the dog is lunging and acting aggressively toward her but it is ignorant to find a dog (no matter the breed) “scary” if it is leashed, behaving, and minding its own business.

Pit Bulls have become the popular dog of choice for a lot of people. It seems like most people adopt these dogs for all the wrong reasons. Some people get a pit bull because it is the "cool" thing to do. But pets aren't purses, and people who jump into pit bull ownership without the essential training and education can often do more harm than good.

Another very true point

Many pit bull owners, are ill-informed and have unrealistic expectations of what the dogs are capable of doing.

While this is true, there are thousands of educated pit bull owners in America. Remember there are millions of pit bulls in this country.

Some argue that the pit bull is a wonderfully tolerant and manageable dog, a loving companion to man. However, when it comes to the safety of my family, I err on the side of caution with these dogs.

This is her own personal choice, one for which I will not criticize her for making, but because she doesn’t own one then she shouldn’t even be commenting about family pit bulls at all.

I can't help it,. When I see someone walking their pit bull — even ones that are leashed — I am terrified. I am scared for my 5-year-old son. I am concerned for the neighborhood children who may not know any better than to approach a strange dog.

The author makes no mention of ever having been attacked by a pit bull and it seems she has been a victim of media hysteria in deciding her position on pits.

Why should we have to live with this kind of fear? Do you own these dogs for protection and if so, protection from what? If you own a pit bull because of their love and affection, have you given any thought to a safer alternative such as a Labrador?

Now, she is getting ridiculous. She is acting as though pit bulls run in a terroristic gang raiding and looting homes while murdering all men, women, and children. I am not denying pit bulls have done serious harm in the past but 9 times out of 10, the media inaccurately reports a pit bull as the offender when it turns out to be an entirely different breed thus pit bull attacks aren’t as recurrent as you think.

Please, if you own a pit bull, make sure it is properly restrained. If you are an advocate for the pit bull breed and feel you are a responsible owner to one of these dogs, please step up to the plate. Get involved and see what you can do to help alleviate this problem plaguing the city of Holland.
Chickens would be great — they may be messy but at least I don't have to worry about being mauled by one.

Yes, because chickens are the answer to the pit bull overpopulation… Hence the dire need for a sarcasm font

Copyright 2010 The Holland Sentinel. Some rights reserved

White Dog Smiles

Handsome baby boy 5/30/10

Look at that smile!

Diane Jessup and her Boldogs

Official Pit Bull Site of Diane Jessup



Anyone who owns a pit bull, thinking of owning a pit bull, or loathes pit bull-type dogs should check out Diane Jessup's very edifying site on the American Pit Bull Terrier. She is a breed steward, interested in preserving the original APBT; most people today have no idea what a true American Pit Bull Terrier even looks like-- they certainly aren't blue!

I didn't have Kangol fixed until he was three, mostly because I wanted to breed him so I'd always have a little Kangol; however, the more I informed myself via her site and research, I learned that was not the right thing to do. In addition, I had just become a mother to a human baby and while Kangol was not aggressive, I didn't want to take a chance. Thus, after thinking hard about Diane Jessup's advice, as well as Dr. Bickley's (Kangol's veterinarian and BEST VET EVER!) expertise, I had him fixed and Kangol has never been happier!

I encourage everyone to check out Diane Jessup's informative site because it could teach even the most experienced pit bull owner something.

It covers everything from breed history to aggression to pit bull sports. Also check out this wonderful book by Jessup called The Dog Who Spoke with Gods. It's a thrilling novel about a pit bull named Damien, used for scientific research. I was reluctant to read it because I thought it would be too sad- sad it was but I'm so glad I read it.

Jessup is a champion breeder, although she doesn't sell her dogs to the public. Jessup states:

I titled my first dog in 1975. From my early teens on, I worked in the guard dog business then became a certified police K-9 trainer/instructor in 1977. I enjoyed my time as a professional trainer, but my true love was working my own dogs. In the mid-80's I got my first pit bull, Dread, and settled on the kennel name of "Bandog," being something of an Anglophile and canine historian. The term "Bandog" was used in the Middle Ages to denote dogs used in the British Isles as home guardian dogs. However, I changed the name to "Boldog" in 2003, to avoid confusion associated with those who breed pit bull mix breeds and call them "Bandogs."

 
She and her personal dogs have earned 60 training titles in sports such as weight pulling and DVG schutzhund. She only produces dogs for her law dogs program she runs. It is a great program called Law Dogs USA
and it was started after 9/11 in response to the lack of American detection dogs. Jessup states, "The LawDogsUSA effort was designed to introduce the American detection dog handler to America's finest breed - the American pit bull" (LawDogsUSA).


 
I commend Jessup in her efforts to preserve this truly amazing breed and I am thankful I stumbled across her site many years ago as her "pit bull wisdom" helped me in becoming a better, more responsible owner.

Is ownership of pit bulls worth the risk?

The following article was originally published
here

BY TAMMY S. DEVOLL • Opinion Shaper • May
30, 2010


In light of the many pit bull attacks that have
occurred, especially the most recent incident in our
own back yard -- specifically Columbus -- I thought
the subject of responsibility of ownership should be
addressed.

First and most importantly, it must be established
the pit bull is classified as a vicious breed. What
this means is that legislation has labeled this breed
as such because this type of dog has maimed and
killed so many people. Many states have established
pit bull bans and enacted many restrictions
pertaining to the ownership of pit bulls because of
the instinctive vicious nature of these animals.

During a three-year period between 2006 and 2008,
it has been documented that pit-bull-type animals h
ave accounted for 59 percent of fatal dog attacks,
killing 52 Americans. Families bringing these types
of dogs into their homes should seriously consider
these statistics because it could literally mean life or
death for a member of their family and/or friends.
Many who own pit bulls as pets argue their dogs
were raised in a loving and nurturing home,
insisting their dogs are as harmless as a babies.
However, this is what most owners truly believed
before their harmless dogs unmercifully attacked
innocent victims. Is ownership worth the risk of
bringing a potentially dangerous animal into your
home?

The difference in this type of breed compared to
other types of dogs is when pit bulls do bite, they
do not let go, and this is an instinctive biological
fact specific to this type of animal. No person can be
100 percent sure of what will trigger an attack, but
one fact that has been proven is that when an attack d
oes occur, this breed is relentless and will not
stop until its victim is dead or somehow forces are
able to incapacitate the dog. The ability to stop an
attack is another frightening issue as well because
the pit bull is known for its ability to finish a fight,
continuing on broken legs or even stumps until its
intended target is dead. Any breed of dog will bite if
provoked, however, the difference between a more
docile breed is it will more than likely bite once and
usually the bitten area will be a leg or a hand, not intentionally the neck as the pit bull targets.

Many states, including Ohio, are taking a stand for
victims and future victims and have banned the
ability to own the pit-bull-type breed. A few Ohio
cities now are enforcing the breed-specific laws.
Some of those who have banned pit bulls include
Bexley, Cincinnati, Reynoldsburg and Wooster.
These are only a few of the many cities in Ohio that
have decided it is not worth the risk of having this
vicious breed in their communities.

Breed-specific (pit bull) laws consistently are upheld
in both federal and state courts. Community leaders
should actively investigate liability issues they
might face if pit bull attacks were to occur in their
cities and strive to enforce strict regulations
regarding ownership of this type of animal.

Summer is quickly approaching, and children will
be outside enjoying themselves more. Can we as a
community be certain the pit bull danger is not a
threat if our city does not impose a pit bull ban?
Sexual predators are required to register as
offenders so parents are aware of the potential
dangers lurking in their neighborhoods. At the very
least, pit-bull owners should be required to
publicly register their dogs to make the community
aware of this potential life-threatening danger as
well.

Devoll is a Zanesville native currently attending
Colorado Technical University, working toward an
MBA in business administration.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

GARBAGE!

"First and most importantly, it must be established
the pit bull is classified as a vicious breed."

It is important to understand that a pit bull is not a breed of dog. Actually, the term "pit bull" is used to describe three different breeds: American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT), Staffordshire Bull Terrier (SBT), and American Staffordshire Terrier (AST).

"The difference in this type of breed compared to
other types of dogs is when pit bulls do bite, they
do not let go, and this is an instinctive biological
fact specific to this type of animal."

Per TheRealPitBull.com, "The jaws of the Pit Bull are functionally
the same as the jaws of any other breed, and this has been proven via
expert examination. The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the
skulls, mandibles and teeth of Pit Bulls show that, in proportion to their
size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is
no different than that of any [other] breed of dog. There is absolutely
not evidence for the existence of any kind of 'locking mechanism' unique
to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier,
says Dr. I. Lerh Brisbin of the University of Georgia (from the ADBA
booklet, "Discover the American Pit Bull Terrier.)" Click here to read more myths about pit bulls

"Any breed of dog will bite if
provoked, however, the difference between a more
docile breed is it will more than likely bite once and
usually the bitten area will be a leg or a hand, not intentionally the neck as the pit bull targets."

There is no proof that a pit bull intentionally targets the neck when it bites a human

"Many states, including Ohio, are taking a stand for
victims and future victims and have banned the
ability to own the pit-bull-type breed. A few Ohio
cities now are enforcing the breed-specific laws."


Actually, Ohio has decided to
lift the ban
on pit bulls.

"Can we as a
community be certain the pit bull danger is not a
threat if our city does not impose a pit bull ban?"

BSL laws are intended to reduce the chances of being bitten by a dangerous dog, but the laws unfairly target pit bulls as the main culprit. Over twenty-five different breeds are responsible for fatal dog attacks. The overlooked breeds ranging from Pomeranians and Chihuahuas to Golden Retrievers and Collie breeds do not appear on any BSL laws anywhere. These are just as likely to be dangerous when in the hands of careless owners. Even if pit bull ownership became completely prohibited, dog attacks would not end. Many people own pit bulls because of the aggression and violence associated with the breed. Those people would most likely move on to another dog and train it to be a domineering status symbol. BSL will not prevent people from being attacked; instead, it only prompts another breed to be targeted. The punishment should be based on the deed and not the breed; stiffer penalties for reckless owners should be enforced as well. BSL is the result of fear, ignorance, and prejudice, and is unfair to both dog and owner.