Breed Spotlight: 18 Pit Bull Facts You Need To Read

By
Four Legged Guru
-

For today’s breed spotlight, we’re talking about Pit Bulls. These dogs have a bad reputation. But they are so much more than the bad name they’re given. Pit Bulls can actually be sweet, intelligent and loving animals. That’s why we’ve rounded up 18 Pit Bull facts that will change the way you view these pups.

Pit Bulls aren’t actually a breed!

pit bull information Flickr photo by Rob Swatski.

It’s a general term to describe American Pit Bull Terrier, the Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.


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246 COMMENTS

  1. We have one that’s gay. He loves to smell the flowers and lay on his back sunning himself, and if he gets any hint of danger I soon hear him scratching on the door to get in … then Zip … he’s under the bed shaking

    • Surprised pit bull victims speak out:

      willetta tate

      It’s
      just unexplainable. You just don’t get it when you’ve had the [pit
      bull] so long, I don’t know what could have happened. I don’t know.

      neighbor ron

      Cause
      the dogs absolutely chewed his left hand plum off. He lost six pints of
      his blood. And his face was tore off. His eye was hanging out. I mean I
      have never seen nothing like that.

      leslie mcelrath

      One
      dog grabbed her face and literally tore it off. The other one pulled
      her mouth off … They’ve fixed that, and they reattached her face.

      ron gulledge

      He’s fighting [but there’s] still a long ways to go. It’s terrible. You don’t wish nobody to get eaten alive.

      firefighter zachary sykora

      Could see muscles, skin gone, major trauma throughout the body.

      wayne walker

      I knew she was dead right away … It looked like [the pit bull] took a chunk of her throat out around the jugular.

      ceara schofield

      Every
      time my heart would beat, blood would gush out of my arms. So I was
      trying to hold them up, so I would not lose more blood.

      roxanne hartrich

      The [pit bull] initially went straight for the jugular … Prepare
      yourself, he said, the damage is going to be excruciatingly painful to
      see.

      gabby witt

      I looked over the fence and I saw that lady laying there. What I remember was her head — there was almost no hair left.

      police chief todd duplantis

      The
      mother was able to get away from the pit bull and barricade herself in a
      bedroom where she screamed for help and handed over her 4-year-old
      child through a window to medical personnel.

      angela rutledge

      I couldn’t even call 911 because I kept slipping in the blood, and I kept dropping my phone.

      coroner kent harshbarger

      We can’t quantify [the number of bites] because they overlap. There’s no way to put a range on it.

      anonymous neighbor

      Her husband could only identify her by her shoes and her glasses that lay near by.

      john bakker

      They were within a minute of killing me … It was like trying to grab a chainsaw that was going wild.

      jeff borchardt

      I stood in that room screaming, while my wife held his small hand. His body was destroyed, lying there in that neck brace.

      tony bell, spokesperson

      [Devitt] was dragged 50 yards, scalped and her arm removed. We’ve gotta do something about it; [pit bulls] are killing machines.

      lakisha moss

      There was a pool of blood, blood over all the walls and everything. I felt like I was in a horror film.

      councilman glenn green

      I mean I can’t even imagine living my entire life being vision impaired and having no arms.

      reporter don logana

      The graphic photos even showing what appeared to be the tiny child’s head nearly decapitated along with severe internal damage.

      griffin police cpl. stan phillips

      She was trying to pry the dogs mouth open. She actually lost some teeth biting the dog, trying to get the dog off.

      eddie gefroh

      They
      were not biting. They were eating, eating me because when they were
      stuck to my arms they were pulling out my tendons and nerves and every
      kind of tissue on me.

      police officer

      Honey I used to be in the medical field. I don’t give her a snowball’s chance in hell of even making it to the hospital.

      tommy ingram

      I really can’t put it into words … To sit there and look at your child, you look at the arms and it looked like shredded meat.

      anonymous neighbors

      It was like a horror movie. It was like something I’ve never seen before. We’re traumatized. The images are still in our minds.

      fernando lozano

      [The
      pit bull] wasn’t growling or barking or anything like that … it just
      wouldn’t stop biting … It literally looked like he was eating him.

      jamie southard

      There
      was blood everywhere. There was blood in the wheel wells, there was
      even blood on the exhaust pipes. It was like someone had just taken
      buckets…

      daniela sexton

      The dog was just hanging on my face … I’ll never forget that.

      detective kevin borycz

      When you’ve seen pictures of the injuries — the arm, the leg, the shoulder — just chunks of the boy are missing.

      tony solesky

      Instead when she looked down the alley, she saw Dominic flopping around on the ground and a women screaming into a phone.

      tanya barnes

      Like
      a rattlesnake, I didn’t even see the dog move. I felt the power. It had
      it’s lower jaw in my mouth and it’s upper jaw here, and it just yanked.

      bowden family

      Mr. Bowden was maimed beyond recognition, with no facial features remaining and other horrific disfigurement.

      andy castaneda

      The big pit was chewing the man’s arm off. It was horrible. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

      julie havern

      She
      suffered a fractured skull and required more than 300 stitches to close
      her wounds. She also lost many teeth and had numerous bones in her face
      shattered.

      kortnie murphy

      The first thing I think of is a lion. I don’t know of too many animals that can do that to you.

      police news release

      His right hand had been bitten off by a pit bull dog in the house.

      marjorie boyd

      This is not just a bite. This is a mauling. This is an unprovoked mauling, and there’s a big difference.

      april sumrall

      He don’t have his ears, he don’t have his scalp or nothing.

      joyce haynes

      It was like getting a piece of meat (torn off), like that movie ‘Jaws.’

      brenda hill

      ‘Cause
      they was eating me, and they were eating me while I was saying that. I
      couldn’t protect myself. I just took the pain — and the pain was bad.

      roger lindee

      I
      felt like I was fighting a person. I was choking him, and we were on
      the ground rolling. I was asking God to help me because I knew I was
      dying.

      doug perry

      I
      always thought that maybe [pit bulls] were getting kind of a bad rep at
      one point, but this kind of changed my mind…I don’t think pit bulls
      should be allowed for anyone to have. They are not a pet.

      pat sorensen

      I remember taking my hands and pushing my nose back up and holding my cheek — what was left of it — and falling to the ground.

      doug frei

      He
      saw Andersen collapse, with heavy bleeding coming from her right arm.
      He used his necktie and gun magazine to form a tourniquet to stop the
      bleeding…

      donna williams

      We
      are very, very lucky that the dog’s bottom jaw did not get under
      Delaney’s bottom jaw, because when I pulled her out of his mouth, I
      would have pulled her whole bottom jaw out, which the nurse told me
      would have been a horrific scene.

      robert brady

      When I got there, [my son’s feet] looked like hamburger meat you would see at Bi-Lo.

      jason howell

      [The
      pit bulls] ripped it to shreds. What could the child possibly have done
      to instigate that? I have a daughter who is 18 months old. And the look
      on the father’s face is something I’ll never forget, ever.

      anthony dippolito

      I shot [the pit bull] right in the chest with a .45, and it didn’t even fall over. I was quite surprised.

      lisa wallace

      It ripped from here, all the way down, it took his whole face off.

      john makus

      This was not a dog bite, it was attempted dismemberment. There is no way to describe the savagery and carnage.

      isaiah brown

      The
      dog had tore into his calf and when he let go, he just snatched and
      pulled all the arteries out. He was lying on the steps, and when I
      checked his vital signs he was already dead then.

      meagan garrow

      I’m a monster, mommy. I look creepy.

      reginald bell

      The dogs were actually eating him alive. It’s not easy to picture.

      wanda greer

      I heard the bones crush on his left arm. The dog bit the boy’s face and neck, ripped his lip and bent his arm back like paper.

      jim dunn

      The
      dogs were possessed. [The baseball bats] would knock them down, and
      like cartoon characters, they would shake their heads then go right back
      to biting even worse.

      richard woods

      I’m missing my biceps. I nearly lost my eye, but the doctors were able to save it.

      joe mazza

      It looks like a chainsaw. It is amazing how fast, just in seconds, how much damage this pit bull can do.

      ona deane-gordly

      The [pit bull] jumped off the balcony and onto my head.

      nathan anderson

      She has a steel plate under her right cheek from where the dog broke her face. Her whole face is all scarred — completely.

      angela silva

      I’m
      being attacked and I’m just looking for a place to put my son because
      he would have killed him in a second. So I found a garbage can and I
      placed my son in the garbage can.

      melanie young

      I didn’t believe he would ever hurt me…ever. That dog slept with me like a husband.

      simone domino

      They tore off half of her ear, ripped her eyelid and split open her lips. She has stitches and staples to close the wounds.

  2. I’ve never heard of a pack of German Shepherds ripping apart the little girl who grew up with them as did some darling pit bulls in Florida.

    • I had a staffordshire terrier(pit bull) that use to let my little jug(jack russell/pug) hang on her ears nip her ankles, be a total little pest to her, and she never raised a paw. Anytime any dog turns on it’s owner or a family member, look at the owner and not the dog. Something had to have been happening there. Prior to it’s bad rap from this era, back in the early 1900’s, this was a prized family dog noted for it’s loyalty and loving nature. Petey on the Little Rascals was a pit bull that put up with a lot of stuff.

      FYI, German Shepherds had a bad rap back then, too. There is a 1939 law that is still on the books that classify all of them as guard dogs whether they received the training or not. It meant that if you owned one and it bit someone, it was taken and put down or shot on the spot. The incident that you are taking about occurred with a house full of adults and an un-watched child that no one there could tell the police what actually had transpired.
      I have neighbors that have them and friends that have them. I have seen children climbing on their backs, pulling their tails, and tugging their ears without any reaction from the dog what-so-ever except to bathe their little faces with their tongues.

        • Any dog has the ability to kill, not just pit bulls. Even a small one. As a teenager I had my hand shredded by two Pekineses as I was talking down the wash for my mom. Half the dogs they call pits, you can see aren’t!!!

          • Pit bulls and crosses have distinctive jaw structure. Most everyone can differentiate them.

          • I KNOW WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. I KNOW WHAT CROSSES LOOK LIKE. I ALSO KNOW WHEN A DOG THEY SHOW IS PART PIT OR NOT. MOST OF THE TIME THEY ARE NOT. YOU CAN MIX A BOXER , OR A BEAGLE, OR A SHEPHERD, OR DALMATIAN, OR A LAB, OR ANY OTHER DOG OF THE SAME STATURE, AND GET THE SAME JAWLINE THAT YOU BELIEVE IS A PIT. UNLESS YOU RUN A BLOODLINE TEST, YOU CAN’T BE SURE. I SAW A BEAGLE MIX, THEY CLAIMED WAS A PIT. YOU’RE JUST AN IDIOT THAT WANTS TO DESTROY A DOG.

          • I would like to see the end to unnecessary death and dismemberment of innocent people by a proven killing machine.

          • EVERY BREED OF DOG HAS KILLED, ARE YOU GOING TO GET RID OF ALL DOGS? BETTER YET HERE IS EVERY TYPE OF ANIMAL FOR YOU TO GO AFTER IN THE U.S.A.

            Human deaths in the U.S. caused by Animals

            If you try to pet a grizzly bear, of pick up a rattle snake, you are not only likely to be attacked, but you are very stupid. Animals are defensive of their homes, and are much more likely to attack if they feel threatened.

            Animals that didn’t make the list

            Mosquito’s are widely regarded as the most deadly creature on the planet, killing an estimated 3 million people per year, but the mosquito is not the real killer. Malaria is a parasite carried by mosquito’s. Micro-agents such as parasites, viruses, and bacteria are alive and kill millions of humans, but they are not included on this list. Humans are the most deadly animals on the planet. They are also excluded from the list.

            Deer can kill people directly, but auto accidents caused by deer kill 130 people per year. Since the deer did not directly kill the person, this is an auto related accidental death.

            Poisoning deaths

            Bee stings are the largest killer of humans in the U.S. directly caused by animals. An allergic reaction to the venom is bee’s kills 53 people per year. This number is increasing every year due to the aggressive African honey bee that is taking over in Texas.

            The Black Widow and Brown Recluse spiders kill 6.5 people per year.They are usually young children that do not get medical attention right away.

            Rattlesnakes carry venom that kill 5.5 people per year. Rattlesnake attacks are always defensive. Most rattlesnake related deaths are males between 17 and 27. Alcohol is usually involved which facilitates the venom. I picture a drunk kid on a camping trip trying to mess with the snake, then not seeking medical attention immediately.

            Scorpion and centipedes are responsible for 1 death every two years on average. This is due to their remote habitat and inadequate medical care.

            Predatory attacks.

            Sharks, alligators, and mountain lions are the only U.S. predators that hunt humans in the wild.

            The most feared animal is without a doubt the Shark. The Jaws craze has sent a wave of fear across America for the past quarter century.In reality, less that 1 person per year is killed by a shark in the U.S.Hawaii, California, and Florida are the most likely places to be attacked.

            While Jaws is purely fictional, two true stories of shark attacks continue to haunt us. 1912 New Jersey attacks killed 5 people over a course of a week. The most amazing thing was that the bull shark responsible for the attacks, traveled up a river and attacked people swimming in a creek 5 miles from the ocean. The other story was actually told in Jaws. The USS Indianapolis was sank in WWII and the survivors were picked off one by one over the next four days by Oceanic White Tip sharks in the open ocean. Of the 900 sailors in the ocean all but 317 were killed.

            Mountain Lions are by far the most dangerous land predator in the U.S. While deaths are extremely rare (1 per year) the thought of being stalked, killed, and eaten is horrific. Alligators in Florida have killed 18 people in the last 60 years. The attacks have been increasing in recent years. This increase is attributed to human encroachment into the alligators habitat. Many attacks occur on golf courses, which have been built over drained everglades.

            Bear attacks are almost always defensive. Alaska and Yellowstone National Park are the only places in the U.S. where fatal bear attacks usually occur. Grizzly bears are not interested in humans for food except in late fall before hibernation. Less than 1 fatality per year is due to bear attacks.

            Pet attacks

            Pet dogs account for 31 deaths per year in the U.S. The Pit Bull is not a recognized breed of dog. There are MANY MUTTS THAT RESEMBLE THE PIT BULL that kill people, so classification is difficult. The Pit bull variety is one accused of being the largest killer of humans, followed by Rottweiler’s and Husky’s. Dozens of different breeds have killed people. Basset Hounds, Beagle’s, Dauschund’s, Labradors, and even Golden retrievers have killed humans.

            Wolf deaths usually occur when people bring them home as pets.Three small children have been killed by pet wolves in the past 30 years. In the wild, there has not been a fatal wolf attack in the U.S. since 1888. (Two deaths have occurred in Canada in the past 10 years)

            A 12 foot pet Burmese python recently strangled a 2 year old girl to death in Florida. http://www.examiner.com/x-15540-New-Orleans-Top-News-Examiner~y2009m7d1-12-foot-Python-kills-toddler.

            While it is rare for a python to kill a human, it can happen, so I included it on this list.

            Non Native animal attacks

            On rare occasions, attacks can occur at the Zoo, or circus. in 2007 a man was killed by a Tiger at the San Francisco Zoo. There have been a few deaths in the U.S. caused by elephants. The chance of dying from an elephant attack in the U.S. is almost impossible. However, elephants kill over 125 people per year mostly in Africa and India.

            Riding accidents

            This is a bit of a different category because the animals usually do not intend to cause injury or death. Rodeo, equestrian, and bull riding deaths occur infrequently related to how many people are exposed to these animals, but they do happen. An average of 20 people per year are killed in horse related accidents, and 3 people are killed by Bulls.

            Average Number of Deaths per Year in the U.S

            Bee/Wasp 53
            Dogs 31
            Spider 6.5
            Rattlesnake 5.5
            Mountain lion 1
            Shark 1
            Alligator 0.3
            Bear 0.5
            Scorpion 0.5
            Centipede 0.5
            Elephant 0.25
            Wolf 0.1
            Horse 20
            Bull 3

          • Dogs would be the one source of animal-caused human deaths over which we would have the most control. Insect populations are much more difficult to manage. But that may be something we could look at as well.

          • Thank you for learning. If people would respect their dogs, their dogs will respect them.
            The insects have become a big problem. Many hitchhike here from other countries. A big problem that is spreading is the Asian Hornet, oversea. I hope it doesn’t hit here, It is a killer.

          • I was a military brat, I’ve seen worse as to what men have done to each other. Dogsbite.org is out to kill the breed.

          • Those were babies, infants. This underlines my belief that dog owners are the most irresponsible people on earth.

          • Some dog owners are irresponsible. The majority are not. You can see the majority are responsible – the majority of dogs live their lives without incident.

          • This doesn’t prove anything at all other than dogsbite.org tries to prove their points through fear too often.

          • Owner’s of the Burmese Python that killed the little girl were sentenced to twelve years in prison. THAT is what we should be doing with these pit bull owners.

          • All pet owners, no matter what the pet is, are already liable for fines and imprisonment, in most states. It is the nonchalant pet owner, that causes the most damage. They’ll hide or say the dog belongs to someone else. You cannot keep an animal outside all the time.

          • I agree, we should be (and are) holding all dog owners responsible for the property they own.

          • …just finished seventeen-hour shift in a trauma unit. How did you spend your Friday night?

          • You really think working in a trauma unit gives you some magic insight into the workings of breeds of dogs, and their “risks”? Thanks for the chuckle.

          • …nah…we rarely see the pit bull. By the time we get the victims, the pits have been “detached” by the emergency responders. You guys are the ones who believe they have “magic insight”.

          • No, not every breed of dog has killed. I would like to see your source for that statement.

          • Why don’t you go after the human race? They kill more men, women, and children than any other species of animals on this earth and in more horrific way. You’re worried about babies, go after pro choice, they kill more babies than any animal on this planet. Look at the Dr. that killed live aborted babies by slicing through their little spines. If you want a reaction from those pictures you post, you’re not getting one from me, because I have seen the atrocities that man has done to other men and animals and your pictures pale to that..

          • It is a constant fight. This nation has gone to war repeatedly attempting to stop other humans from committing more inhumanity. We spend a fortune on police, courts and prisons in an attempt to keep our citizens from hurting one another. Abortion is hideous. And so is a pit bull attack.

          • I’m not talking about wars. I’m talking about the everyday atrocities that man does to each other. You should go find those pictures. A murder a minute on average pales to 31 dog attacks a year. Many of your pictures were of the same dog in different poses, many were just innocent dogs stuck in to fill space.

          • They are dogs, not proven killing machines. I agree it would be nice to see the end to these deaths. Imagine being a policy-maker though. Look at the number of deaths and the amount of suffering caused by dogs (let’s even say by all breeds to up the numbers for a second). They pale greatly in comparison to the vast number of other issues causing suffering and death to humans in this country. At it’s heart the banning and enforcement of banning a dog breed is a political/legal issue. If my individual dog has not proven to be a danger to society and you try to take it away you are now infringing on rights outlined in several laws and constitutional amendments. If you’d like to see the change you are expressing it needs to happen at the level of policy making.

          • The jaw structure, physiologically, is actually not different from other canines. They also do not lock and are not inclined due to genetics to “lock on” by choice. Many dogs refuse to let go when in an aggressive state. Many dogs are not. According to the CDC this has not been determined to be breed specific.

          • They are a terrier. Terriers live to fight their prey until it’s dead. What is so hard to understand about that? no difference between the mentality of a JRT or a PB. The difference is the damage they can do. People that choose to have PBs as a pet just need to be smart (which unfortunately most people that own them are not) in their management.

          • I do understand that breed plays a role, never said differently. Physiologically (as in the physical traits determined by genetic structure) is not different from other canines. I was, as you can see in reading my comment, referring directly to the claim about jaw structure. I do agree with the last part of your comment, except I believe, based on the numbers, that most owners are responsible across breeds.

        • OMG, THE DOG ATTACKED THE MAN HE THOUGHT WAS HURTING HIS OWNER. HE DID NOT KNOW IT WAS TRYING TO SAVE HIS LIFE. WHY DON’T YOU GO GET A LIFE AND LEAVE THIS POOR DOG ALONE. PEOPLE LIKE YOU MAKE ME SICK.!!!!!!!!!

          • Of course it is not reasonable. It is, though, not out of the realm of logic that a dog saw his owner in distress and mistook the other man for the cause. This was a traumatic situation. As an AmStaff owner I would be the first to insist my dog be put down if she ever hurt or killed a human or another dog. It would be terribly sad but in the end I would believe the failure to be my fault as the owner.

          • You are assuming my dog will have an incident – which is highly unlikely regardless of the breed I own. The vast majority of dogs of any breed live peaceful happy lives with their families. That includes the three breeds you are referencing. Until my property (dog) injures someone I am innocent of any crime related to owning her (there isn’t one). Most dog owners are reasonable people; if your question was meant to ask if I would reasonably accept the death of my dog for causing serious injury to another – yes, I believe I would.

          • I am sure the law firm suing you for wrongful death will be grateful for your admission. As will your homeowner’s insurance company, who would most likely cut a check to the Plaintiff for the max amount of liability under your policy, close their briefcases, and leave you to face the jury on your own.

          • That’s actually not how coverage of a dog works on a homeowners policy. You’re a bit in left field here; my dog has done nothing wrong so I’m not being sued. Mostly because I’m a responsible owner with a calm, well trained, well contained dog in my home.

    • There has to be more information they’re not telling you, because I have a Pittie, and he’s the best dog I’ve ever had, he may lick you to death, but that’s about it. I can put my hand in his food dish, or take a bone right out of his mouth and he does absolutely nothing, I love him to death and I’ll never get anything but a Pit Bull. I know many people who also own Pits, and they say the same things I’m saying, you must be getting some bad or incomplete information, they are not like that at all for no reason.

      • Oftentimes, a pit bull attack is triggererd by a third party, ie. another of the owner’s pets, a neighbors pets, a neighbor, or a family member of the pit owner. The dog likely has no loyalty to or regard for the third parties. The attacks mostly begin in the owner’s absence. Once begun, the pit bull is relentless, going for the kill. During the attack the dog owner is seldom able to stop his own dog. Pit bulls are extremely dangerous dogs.

        • ARE YOU A DOG EXPERT? NO YOU ARE NOT. ANY BREED OF DOG HAS THE CAPABILITY OF KILLING. THEY WERE DOMESTICATED FROM WOLVES YOU MORON. I OWNED A STAFFORDSHIRE, A DALMATIAN, A POMERANIAN, AND A JACK RUSSEL/PUG MIX, I WORKED TEN HOUR DAYS AND MY DOGS WERE LOOSE IN MY HOUSE WITHOUT ANYONE THERE. I DON’T CRATE ANIMALS. NOT ONE STINKING DOG FIGHT OR MAULING.

          YOU ARE AN F’N MORON AS DOGS WILL FORM A PACK LIKE A WOLF WITH THE OWNER BEING THE ALPHA AND WILL WATCH OUT FOR EACH OTHER. THERE ARE MORE INSTANCES OF PIT BULLS SAVING NOT ONLY THEIR OWNERS, BUT OTHER ANIMALS, AND OTHER PEOPLE. IT’S IDIOTS LIKE YOU THAT PUT THAT POOR DOG INTO DOG FIGHTS IN THE 1ST PLACE. GO CRAWL BACK UNDER YOUR ROCK.

          http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/29/pit-bulls-heroic-happy-and-good_n_5563496.html

          http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2015/01/pit-bull-saves-girl-from-dog-attack/

          https://www.facebook.com/PitBullsSaveLives

          • Let’s assume that you ARE an expert. How do we stop these pit bull attacks?

          • You stop the pit attacks or any dog attack by making the animal part of the family. Owning a dog and tying it up outside is not a pet, but livestock. Dogs are social animals and want to be in the company of others. Believe it or not, in the late 19th and early 20th century, the dog you want to condemn was the number one trusted household pet with children. Petey on the little rascals was a Pit. It was the gangs and thugs with their dog fighting and cruel treatment that gave it a bad rap. The dog, as a wolf, only wants to please the Alpha(owner in the dogs case). Teach a dog aggression, you get an aggressive dog. Give it love and affection, you’ve got a best friend forever.
            I don’t care at all for crate training, you are imprisoning part of your family and many dogs take it as a form of punishment. If you are going to own any pet, expect to invest in them, lots of your time. If not, a pet is not for you. If you have to go out for several hours, train them to do their business in one area. Newspaper over a plastic sheet, puppy training pads, or even the fake grass potty pad work great.
            Give the animal love.

          • DogsBite.org challenges this myth (Myth #8), as does Animal People, who tested the claim. By searching the classified dogs-for-sale ads between 1900-1950 on NewspaperArchive.com, they discovered that Huskies and St. Bernards topped the charts. Of the 34 breeds searched, pit bulls ranked 25th. This includes using search criteria of three names: pit bull terrier, Staffordshire, and American bulldog.

            Comment: “The portrayal of pit bulls as common family pets and “heroes” at the turn of the century is complete fiction….it succeeds because it has been essentially hard to disprove. All it took was for pit bull “activists” to scour the internet to find a handful of grainy black and white daguerrotypes of dogs that look vaguely like pit bulls, posing with their masters. Merritt Clifton has used quantifiable data to refute the claim that these dogs were common family pets by searching the classified dogs-for-sale ads between 1900-1950 on NewspaperArchive.com. He discovered that, of the 34 breeds searched, pit bulls ranked 25th.

            In addition,the claims that pit bulls were “war heroes” stems from the fact that the cartoon image of a pit bull was used on a few WWI military posters. There is also an assertion that the most decorated military dog in history was a pit bull. Actually, “Sgt. Stubby” was a dog “of unknown breed” found as a stray on the Yale campus; many believe he was a Boston Terrier. In what I find as the ultimate irony, the Bad Rap website shows a picture of Sgt. Stubby, next to the full war poster, which depicts a Boston Terrier, a Pit Bull Terrier, and an English Bulldog. Stubby, in a full face closeup, looks exactly like the drawing of the Boston Terrier.

            Other fantastical claims regarding pit bulls popularity as family dogs involve pointing out that “Petey” from the Little Rascals was a pit bull terrier. Can I therefore postulate that Bearded Collies were the most popular dog in America during the 1970’s because Tiger on the Brady bunch was a Bearded Collie? Also, pit bull sites everywhere have the audacity to claim that the cartoon shoe mascot, Bustor Brown, owned a pit bull. Outraged Bostonians (like myself) who grew up with “Tige”, know he was a Boston Terrier. Also, he is a cartoon, and his existance in no way indicates that Boston Terriers were the “most popular family dog in America” in the early 1900’s.

            The truth about pit bull dogs has been hard for the American public to swallow; that they were never intended to be family pets, and have always been bred primarily for bloodsport. It was neccesary to recreate the history of the breed, portraying them as relatively recent “victims” of “bad people”. Using the terms “brave” and “loyal” to describe what the dogmen call “gameness” helped to further anthropomorphize these animals. Appealing to patriotism by declaring the breed “war heroes” was yet another attempt to win over the American public…despite the fact that there is no evidence that these dogs were ever extensively used as such, unlike GSDs. (Who apparently get little credit for their efforts during armed conflicts)”

          • All you do by flooding a forum with these pictures is produce fear without fact. Which is not to say you do not have facts to back the fear you have; however, fear mongering does little to help your side.

          • Without fact? Did you say “Without fact…???” Until this website deletes my posts, which I believe eventually they will, I’ve provided plenty of links that illustrate my statements.

            From Merritt Clifton Editor Of Animals24-7.org:

            I have logged fatal & disfiguring dog attacks in the U.S. and Canada since September 1982.

            Of the 5,206 dogs involved in fatal and disfiguring attacks on humans occurring in the U.S. & Canada since September 1982, when I began logging the data, 3,595 (68%) were pit bulls; 567 were Rottweilers; 4,713 (85%) were of related molosser breeds, including pit bulls, Rottweilers, mastiffs, bull mastiffs, boxers, and their mixes.

            Of the 577 human fatalities, 307 were killed by pit bulls; 89 were killed by Rottweilers; 440 (75%) were killed by molosser breeds.

            Of the 3,141 people who were disfigured, 2,232 (68%) were disfigured by pit bulls; 354 were disfigured by Rottweilers; 2,716 (84%) were disfigured by molosser breeds.

            Pit bulls–exclusive of their use in dogfighting–also inflict more than 70 times as many fatal and disfiguring injuries on other pets and livestock as on humans, a pattern unique to the pit bull class.

            Fatal and disfiguring attacks by dogs from shelters and rescues have exploded from zero in the first 90 years of the 20th century to 80 in the past four years, including 58 by pit bulls, along with 22 fatal & disfiguring attacks by other shelter dogs, mostly Rottweilers & bull mastiffs.

            The only dogs rehomed from U.S. shelters to kill anyone, ever, before 2000 were two wolf hybrids in 1988 and 1989. 33 U.S. shelter dogs & one U.K. shelter dog have participated in killing people since 2010, including 24 pit bulls, seven bull mastiffs, and two Rottweilers.

            Surveys of dogs offered for sale or adoption indicate that pit bulls and pit mixes are together less than 7% of the U.S. dog population; molosser breeds, all combined, are 9%.

          • That might be a problem because I am a conservative Republican. Yet I haven’t yet found falsehood on their website. The typical Liberal(Progressive) crusader will bend, distort, and twist the truth to support their cause. They will manufacture events that never occurred. And they will deny the very assertions they made ten minutes ago.
            But with this pit bull culture you are typically dealing with people who are irresponsible and have no assets nor insurance with which to compensate their dog’s victims, They have nothing that they could lose. And they typically see their pit bulls as machismo bragging symbols or as weapons. A felon may violate his parole with possession of a gun, but he can have a pit bull.
            People who DO have assets, a home, business, or responsibilities for children, families, or employees would be mad to keep a dog like a pit bull. Liabilities from the average dog bite are bad enough, but to knowingly keep a killer dog is just asking for it. Yes, they’re cute and cuddly, tremendously loyal and have definite personalities. But somewhere deep inside is an instinct-driven switch that triggers the killer. NO ONE is more surprised, stunned than the pit bull’s owner when that switch flips. The dog acts honestly and instinctively, without guilt or shame. But the attack is a surprise, unanticipated and violent. Even to very experienced dog people. And especially to the victim.

          • I have. When they say they can’t find any history of the pit being the number one family dog. When they deny the hundreds of thousands of pictures of pit bulls with babies from the late 1800-early 1900. Ask , England. They called it “the nanny dog.”

          • My understanding is that the American Staffordshire terrier is banned in the UK.

          • It is actually the American Pit Bull Terrier that was recently banned in the UK. It’s outlined in the “Dangerous Dogs Act 1991”.

          • Dogsbite.org isn’t always the best reference to use. There are so many sites that would support your point out there; this one is, by name and omission of the creator on the site itself, a source of information specifically meant to be biased against certain breeds. It’s hard for the other side to hear the information you provide when the source is so openly one sided.

          • I don’t buy it. Too many of the victims are family members.

            08/13/09: Felony Charges Filed in Fatal Attack

            Killeen, TX – Nearly two years following the deadly attack of an 11-year
            old boy, a Bell County grand jury has indicted the boy’s grandmother
            and mother on one count of manslaughter and a count of reckless serious bodily injury to a child. Seth Lovitt
            was killed by the family pit bull on November 7, 2007. At the time, he
            and his brother were “running through the house yelling” when the dog
            suddenly leapt off the couch, knocked Seth to the ground and bit him on
            the neck.

            “Two women are accused of manslaughter in the 2007 death of an 11-year-old boy, who was killed by the family pit bull.

            Wednesday,
            a Bell County grand jury indicted Brenda Ellen Parker, the boy’s
            grandmother, and Misty L. Lovitt, his mother, on a count of manslaughter
            and a count of reckless serious bodily injury to a child.

            Seth
            Lovitt was running around his house in the 2900 block of Fairlane Drive
            in Killeen about 6:30 p.m. Nov. 6, 2007, when the dog jumped from the
            couch, knocked him to the ground and bit him on the neck. Parker of
            Garland and Lovitt of Killeen pulled the dog off the boy. He was
            pronounced dead later that night at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center
            at Fort Hood.

            There is evidence that the women knew the dog had violent tendencies, First Assistant District Attorney Murff Bledsoe said.

            A
            neighbor was bitten by the dog Oct. 31 of that year but did not report
            it to authorities until after Seth was killed, according to a Herald
            report.

            According to the indictment, the women failed to control the dog and allowed a dangerous dog to be in contact with Seth.

            Soon
            after the boy’s death, the family gave the dog to the Killeen Animal
            Shelter and asked the shelter to euthanize it. The dog tested negative
            for rabies, according to a Herald report.

            Parker
            and Lovitt could face two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to
            $10,000 on each charge, both second-degree felonies, if they are
            convicted.”

            Many, many more stories where the victim is a family member, often a child.

          • What they don’t tell you is the fact that those dogs are mostly kept outside or mainly to fend for themselves. If you ever get a chance to go through those areas, look where they keep their pets and how they are kept.

          • You and other pit bull defenders keep telling us that it is only the pit bulls trained for fighting that kill, but we mostly see attacks on other family members, usually children. So, now it’s if the dog is kept outside or totally ignored by the owner? That simply does not jive with most of the attacks that have occurred in 2015. These were mostly urban, house-kept pets.

          • Afraid not. Go get a life and leave the poor dog alone. There are millions, upon millions that own these dogs, and there is an average of less than 31 dog caused deaths a year, of which not all are caused by Pit bulls. Man kills a person a minute or more. Do the math.

          • Not all attacks result in fatalities. Some get off lucky with 15-20 years of plastic surgeries ahead of them.

          • If you look for the only the bad you will find it, if you look for the good in things, you’ll find that also.

          • This is good:

            Pit Bull owner gets 275 days in jail:
            http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/36376874.html

            Pit Bull owner gets 16 months jail time for pit bull attack:
            http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/jury-woman-guilty-in-dekalb-dog-attack-case/nQP9C/

            Pit Bulls’ Owner Gets 2 Years In Woman’s Mauling:
            http://www.theindychannel.com/news/pit-bulls-owner-gets-2-years-in-woman-s-mauling

            Woman sentenced to four years in fatal pit bull attack:
            http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Pit-Bull-Owners-Sentenced-in-Fatal-Attack-197056591.html

            Pit Bull owner re-sentenced to five years in prison for fatal dog attack on 10 year-old.
            http://www.wltx.com/story/news/2014/08/20/sc-high-court-reinstates-conviction-in-dog-attack-case/14333959/

            Couple receives sentence of seven years in prison for fatal pit bull attack on 7 year-old boy:

            Pit Bull owner gets 15 years to life sentence:
            http://www.inquisitr.com/1520480/pit-bull-attack-dog-owner-alex-jackson-gets-15-years-to-life-sentence/

          • This is really isn’t good or bad (outside of laws being upheld and people being held responsible for the property they own). I take that back; I agree, this is good. It means the justice system in these few cases did it’s job. Most owners of these breeds would not disagree with you that an owner should be held responsible when a dog attacks. There are an incredible number of dogs, including of these three breeds, that do nothing but love their families for their entire lives. Dog attacks should be approach as individual events; that is what allows for the cases you reference to be won.

          • How responsible are you? Do you carry enough liability insurance to compensate a family for the loss of a loved one? You apparently acknowledge the extraordinary danger that a pit bull poses to others. The problem with all of these cases, is that the dog owner is financially irresponsible. We might agree that he should be responsible, but most often he is not. Taken as a whole, these attacks constitute a massive loss to the community. That is another reason that dangerous dogs should be banned.

    • Your statement is no different than someone saying that all black people are criminals. Any dog can be a menace to people regardless of breed.

      • And your statement is no different than saying there are no genetic differences between whites, blacks and Asians. Good luck fighting malaria or pre-disposed heart disease with that wishful thinking.

        • mhallack was referring to temperament; you are referring to physical traits. They were also obviously making the point that generalization helps no one when discussing these issues.

        • Dogs are not people. Dogs have hardwired instinctive behaviors. Border Collies herd, Labrador Retrievers retrieve, pit bull type dogs kill. The behavior is hardwired into their brains. You can suppress the instincts, but it is always there and can be triggered at anytime without warning. There are much safer dogs to share your life with.

    • http://www.inquisitr.com/1617062/dog-pack-wyoming-animal-attack-leaves-tribal-indian-woman-dead/

      http://www.nbcnews.com/id/32466404/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/coroner-dogs-killed-woman-then-husband/

      http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ghaziabad-pack-of-strays-mauls-7-year-old-to-death/article1-1294965.aspx

      http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2258854/Wild-dogs-kill-4-Pack-mauls-death-Mexico-City-park-including-year-old-boy.html

      Maybe you should pay closer attention. Packs of dogs do this stuff all the time, but pit bulls get the lion’s share of bad press. Imbeciles like you just lap it up and spread the lies like Chicken Little wailing about falling skies.

  3. Pablum. No matter how many owners sing their praises, their potential for aggression is high. Use your brain and choose a breed with a low probability of aggression. If you already own a pit bull, best keep it well under control. We’ve heard the laments of owners who swear that THEIR dog would never/has never been aggressive . . . until someone gets injured. At that point you are directly responsible for ruining another person’s life. Take the sentimentality out of the equation and err on the side of safety for god’s sake. I find this article to be a blatant pandering to pit bull owners. All the cutesy little statements do not counterbalance the potential for aggression. I am not trying to be mean – I love animals, but there is just too much indicating a problem and I just cannot understand why anyone would knowingly select this breed – don’t take that chance, no matter how sorry you feel for the animal. Instead, think of how you would feel if someone else’s beloved pet, or worse yet, someone’s innocent child were scarred for life (or god forbid, killed). Even your adorable “pittie” can turn in an instant – it happens and it is not the dog’s fault; it’s yours for making a poorly thought out choice. (And you’d better find a good insurance company, or save up plenty of money when the victim sues for everything you own.) Also, don’t post a venomous reply – it just proves my point – certain personalities prefer to own “bully” dogs.

    • roaringmad you are a fuking idiot when it comes to the breed apparently you have read too many bad articles my son has two pitbulls and a 3 yr’old as well as a 7 yr’ old theses dogs are great with kids even in the neighborhood with other kids like any breed they can be bad or good it’s all in how they are raised.. i imagine that you are the same with Rottweillers ,, my Rottie never met a stranger yet don’t think for a minute that you can take advantage of me if he is present your ignorance of breeds amazes me and stupidty of breeds is what eliminates them from the planet so if you don’t mind keep your ignorance to yourself……

      • Erin Ingram, age 8, pit bull attack:

        “Finally, a Dekalb county police officer arrived on the scene. He saw a
        50-foot by 3-foot wide trial of blood on the asphalt that led to Erin.
        When he approached her, both dogs had her limbs in their mouths, biting
        and pulling. He was afraid to discharge his weapon in fear the bullet
        may hit Erin. Instead, he ran as fast as he could, with baton in hand,
        and hit the larger dog in the head. “The dog didn’t budge” said the
        officer. He was able to stand over Erin while fighting off the dogs to
        get enough distance between them. Finally, when the large dog let go and
        backed a few feet away, the officer saw how badly Erin was injured.
        Chunks of her flesh where in her hair and all over the trail of blood on
        the street. She was whimpering and covered in blood. He told jurors
        that it looked like the dogs had eaten Erin’s arms. When the dog lunged
        at the officer, he used his service weapon and killed the dog. The other
        dog took off running. – News release, January 12, 2015

        • lol…thats a mixed breed, probably with some labe in it…but it bit someone so label it a pitbull.

          • Jury foreman owns pit bulls, says it is a pit bull, and awarded $72 million against dog owner. Erin lost her left arm in the attack. Yeah…it BIT someone.

          • I work in a shelter and own pitbulls, i say its not. Its a mixed breed with what looks like lab and/or shepherd in it. Not disputing the bite or the awfulness of the incident, just the stupidity of calling that dog a pitbull

          • That is exactly my point…prove it. Outside of someone saying “oh, thats a pitbull” there is no proof of what type of breed this dog was. No genetic testing cited. Nothing, but the dog bit someone so its a pit unless its a purebred something else.

          • Okay, what do you want to call a dangerous dog that looks and acts like a pit bull, took a kids’s arm off, but is not a pitbull?

          • It doesnt even look like a pitbull. But if were going to label it get a genetics test so we can begin to put together real stats on dog bites and not just go with “media says its a pitbull bite so its a pitbull bite”. The tests are not that expensive.

          • Burden of proof is not on the accused. I personally think when these cases go to court the prosecuting party should ask for a DNA test to prove that BSL, if in place in the area, was indeed violated. That would allow for a higher penalty to the offenders who owned and allowed a dangerous dog to attack.

        • 78% of pitbull owners have no homeowners renters,losers and morons mostly anyone with any assets or insurance which I might add where I live is impossible to get if you tell them you own a pitbull . Some genius on one of these sights was advising people to tell the insurance company that they had a boxer mix so they where able to get homeowners, is now being sued by two insurance companies after the sight was used in court to prosecute two dog bite cases involving DNA tested dogs that where 80% Am staff and the other was 96% Am staff or pitbull breed per street talk!!? I wonder how many of these pitbull advocates are anti gun people now that is a static I’d love to see??!

          • Those insurance companies that will issue dog liability insurance have lengthy, very specific questions on the declaration pages. The coverage is affordable, if not cheap. If you lie to an insurance company, there is a very good chance that the company will deny you coverage in event of a claim.

          • I’m guessing it’s not as impossible to get insurance in your area as you think. I only say this because many national and semi national insurance companies now happily insure owners of these breeds and underwrite risk individually. The list of companies that cover these owners is readily available through a simply internet search.

          • Last summer I just bought a ranch with a 4500sq ft house on it I went to three insurance companies in town to get comparisons! At the first one the second question the woman asked me is do you have dogs the other two it was the 3 and 4 question respectively!? Now when I ask them why two of them told me they will not insure anyone with a pitbull or pitbull like dog the third one will but the premium is 200% of the original quote !? So I suppose if you want to pay a huge insurance policy you can get one,but the third guy told me that that quote is for 1 million and many pitbull maimings especially of children exceed this and all of the fatalities do with the last one he heard of was 3.5 million and you know who is responsible for the other 2.5 million the owner!? Oh bye the way I have been with this same company for 40 years Farmers. Of course not to mention the little detail of how you would feel if your dog went into someone’s yard and killed their child? If it was one of my children the owner of the dog would pay with their life no questions asked!

          • Highest civil award I’ve heard so far is $100 million. Of course, the pit owner is penniless, has no prospects, and will never pay. The victim is in the same situation. Guess who gets to pay for the hospital stay and twenty(so far) operations this victim has required???

            That’s right. You and me.

          • I’m with Progressive; yes there is a deductible that was underwritten for my specific situation.

          • Wow what an opinion, maybe it is safe to say you also agree that only Hispanics own Chihuahua’s, or Aryan brotherhood own Rotweillers? I have owned 3 bully/bully mixes in my 56 years, far from a “loser” at 100K combined income, AND a gun owner WITH a CCW. Never had a problem with ANY of my bully’s, unless you want to count loyalty and being goofy knuckleheads as a fault, training, control, love, discipline are the keys. These dogs will stop a train for you if need be. Yes they are seen with a jaundiced eye and they do make bad press because of their OWNERS!!, not the dog, a dog is only as smart as it’s owner.

          • I have handled these dogs since I am fourteen and I know what they are capable of if you think your pits are big babies and knuckleheads then good luck! The first time one of them decides not to be a big baby I hope you have a strong heart and stomach when it tears a 3 year old apart. I am personally have both and stopped engaging in the sport because of all the knucklehead people that tired to buy them from me they arenot toys or family dogs they have a high prey drive and the slightest thing can set them off! The funny thing about it properly trained sporting pit bulls cannot be human aggressive in the old days if your dog came to scratch and attacked someone they immediately lost. Most sporting dog owners weren’t to keen on losing $25,000 in 30 seconds? As for who owns what let’s say before the seventies when certain minorities got envolved in the sport you almost never heard of a pit killing or maiming a person! Oh and the whole nanny dog BS was debunked along time ago some breeder in Georgia was getting high dollars for her dogs so to promote the breed she posted the old picture of the pit sitting next to a baby. No person in their right mind would allow any large breed dog near a baby they can injure them without even trying or meaning to, a father of ten and a past fifth generation pit bull sportsman.

          • Sorry for your “bad experience” of watching a 3 year old get shredded, I have had nothing but good experience with my past and present dogs. Great companion, energetic, well behaved because of the hours of training we have instilled. As for a “pit bull sportsman”?, have no clue but if it means fighting them, you sir are a moron and deserve all the bad things that you brought on yourself.

          • Like most people that no nothing of what they speak they start calling names to make up for their lack of intelligence?! I never saw a three old get shredded because I am smart enough not to own a killing machine and when one of your well trained companions reverts to it’s inherent nature and kills the neighbors three year old then get on here and tell us how the three year old provoked the attack by walking by your house or laughing to loud. As for sporting dogs remember fighting dog was a sport of kings and was legal in 12 states until 1964 so don’t start making moronic statements about something else you have no knowledge of just showing your ignorance!!??

          • Not calling you names for lack of intelligence, but I mistook the term sportsman owner as in fighting. All mine have been well mannered and socialized, very gentle around children, my elder parents, especially my 90 year old Dad. My apologies for the misconception of your post. My current 5 year old 74 pound Labrabull Joey is an absolute gentleman not only in mine and my wife’s opinion but all the other neighbors AND their kids, Lots of hours, re-enforcement, discipline, love and attention have always worked for us. In my family there are 4 total bullys, and none have had problems with socialization. I grew up on a farm in central Ca having a variety of animals, including working dogs. Again my apologies for the misunderstanding.

          • No need to apologize the term sporting dog or game dog breeder means dog fighter I was a fifth generation dog fighter and I am not the least bit ashamed of it. What people fail to realize dog fighting was a sport of kings and gentlemen for 400 years it was even promoted by the UKC until 1964 and wasn’t illegal in many states until 1974. What happened to the sport is the same thing that has happened to many sports in the US certain minorities got into the business and of course because of their lack of self control or common sense they ruined it. That’s when we got out when the knuckleheads started showing up wanting to buy dogs and do all sorts of criminal activity we never did any criminal activity except maybe for betting,but of course that is a victimless crime. We had the best dogs in the country and they where well taken care of and never drowned or electrocuted now some where shot but remember in 9 states it’s still legal to shoot your own dog. The sport has now degenerated to nothing but thugs that don’t know how or take care of their dogs. The dogs they fight now would lose every match with one of our dogs in five minutes. It may not be to peoples liking but it was a different time and here in Mexico it’s a huge sport along with bull and chicken fighting. Also not to forget it’s a felony in all fifty states now and I have no criminal record nor do I want one if you are convicted of a felony no concealed carry permit or gun possession!

          • Well I am certainly not dumb having owned a business that has outlets in 17 states and having brought 7 of my 10 children into the business also we have also been operating in Mexico for ten years. A country by the way that allows many freedoms that are now denied to the citizens of this country,and any dog that kills a child here not only gets killed but so does the owner!! A pit bull for a head a good common law that they should enact in the US of course how could it ever work where you people place the value of dogs over children everyday!!

    • All dogs possess the same qualities, but dog breeds have been developed to emphasize and strengthen particular qualities, such as herding in the herding breeds, scent detection in the hound breeds, and aggressiveness in fighting breeds.

      That means that a border collie will probably be a better herding dog than a beagle, which will probably be a better scent tracker than a pit bull, which will probably be a better fighter than a border collie or beagle.

      Regrettably, many wonderful pit bulls suffer from the breed’s well-earned reputation of aggressiveness, but if you are fortunate to have one of those friendly, affectionate pit bulls, you have a dog with few equals.

      I happen to be very fond of pit bulls, and I would love to own one; but I also have several cats, and if I had a pit bull, it may be as wonderful as I know they can be, but my fear is I will come home one evening and find all my cats dead.

      I don’t feel it’s fair to risk my cats’ lives.

      • If you’d really like to own one I personally wouldn’t rule it out because of your cat. My AmStaff and cat are buddies. Even with my last dog (pure bred Boxer) who was also great with her; I would put the cat in our guest room when we are away for more than a few hours (so while at work, etc.). I don’t feel I need to do this nearly as strongly with my AmStaff as I did with my Boxer; but still do for the same fear of finding my cat – or in this case more likely the dog – injured. They are still animals. But you could easily own both if you choose to! One point to make though – if you’re a first time dog owner I’d suggest another breed. Mostly because of the Terrier in these breeds. If she’d been my first I would have had a hard time; they do need a strong trainer and a lot of consistency. And, of course, it’s still a powerful animal so your concern is very fair.

      • Seriously? How dumb are you? A dog that’s raised with and or just cool with cats isn’t suddenly going homicidal because you left the house. I have 1 pit and 5 cats. The cats rule.

        • She is not dumb. She is merely being prudent. And, like most people acquiring pit bulls, the dog typically is not entering the home as a puppy.

    • This comment assumes there will be a problem with every dog of one of these breeds. There simply is not. The vast majority of the dogs in any breed live out their lives without incident.

      • The vast majority of dogs turned into dog shelters are pit bulls. Their owners gave up on them. Most of these pit bulls will be euthanized.

        • I agree – but the vast majority of dogs alive today (including of these breeds) are not in shelters. I’m referring to the dogs living happily in homes around the country.

          • With that qualification, I agree with you. The surviving population of pit bull dogs have survived a drastic culling. The majority are destroyed.

          • I don’t think we agree actually; the majority of dogs belonging to these breeds are not destroyed. Far more are living happy healthy peaceful lives with loving human families than are being euthanized in shelters.

          • Perhaps true.

            On a pit rescue site, which it seems I now cannot locate, it was stated that 25% of shelter populations are pits, and that the average lifespan of a shelter pit is under two years.

            DogsBite.org, widely discredited by pit owners, cites an Animal People study from July/August 2009, http://blog.dogsbite.org/2009/08/2009-us-shelter-data-shows-that-pit.html

            that states the following: “”Of the total U.S. pit bull population of circa 3.5 million, about a third arrive at a shelter in any given year, at an average age of about 18 months. This is the same average age and rate, relative to their number on farms, at which steers go to slaughter.

            Two-thirds to 80% of the pit bulls entering shelters are surrendered by their keepers. Most of the rest are impounded, either for behavior or as victims of abuse and neglect.” ANIMAL PEOPLE July/August 2009

            That article is six years old. Given the renewed emphasis on sterilization and pit re-homing, I suspect that the stated “about a third arrive at a shelter in any given year.” is now lower. Interesting question, one on which I’ll have to do more study.

          • The only reason I have an issue with dogs bite dot org is their (sometimes) lack of citation of their facts, some of the citations they do give aren’t exactly unbiased or scientifically backed, and they provide a lot of data from more than five years ago. I tend to seek out sources that update their data regularly (removing the outdated) and are transparent in their reporting. All of the statistics you gave seem to be referring to what happens once a dog belonging to these breeds is surrendered or otherwise placed in a shelter – what happens within the shelter system. My comments are referring to the dogs that do not enter the shelter system at all; or have been removed from the shelter system and do not return. It is very obvious there is an overpopulation problem with these breeds and many of the issues we see can be linked back to that overpopulation (as similar problems have been linked to other breeds in previous decades when this happens; the Boxer is a prime example of this both a few decades ago and with some problems we see as their popularity goes on the rise again).

          • Can you provide at least three specific examples of this blatant lack of scholarship? I’ve looked at this site and found that very little of the content is created by dogsbite, rather they provide abstracts and links to other scholarly studies, and media reports of incidents involving all kinds of dog attacks, and other issues surrounding the issue of dangerous dogs. Do you think there is a better site that addresses the issue of dog attacks from the perspective of public safety and victim’s rights?

          • I personally think most sites referenced by many BSL advocates are better than dogsbite, personally.

            For examples on this website – if you go to the site and click on the first link under “dog bite studies” (link name – Dog Attack Deaths and Maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to December 31, 2014″) you will see their citation in a “study” that supposedly ended in 2014 is as follows, “Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to December 31, 2014, by Merritt Clifton, Animals 24-7, December 31, 2014. This report is ongoing. New attacks are recorded as they occur. Older reports showing fewer attacks include: 2013, 2012, 2011,2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007.”. Typically when we look at making a sweeping changes to a public policy a study is helpful. This is a set of data that is collected; there is not evidence on dogsbite or in the information they cite that a study or any kind of analysis was conducted here – only gathered data that sits. This means the reports are being logged but not verified for accuracy of breed reporting, severity of incident, updates or edits to these articles etc. We have no way to know if this data is accurate or not.

            Example #2 – look at any of the information or citations under “Dangerous Dogs” –> “Pit Bull Owners”. Is this the kind of website you would be comfortable referring your legislators to? A website that attempts to make extremely prejudicial opinions about a large group of mostly law abiding citizens in a format that makes it look like some sort of physiologically studied fact? In this section the owners of dogsbite have inserted a header that simply states, “Criminals choose pit bulls.” In that section the cites included only two articles, “The Plight of a Mauled Postal Carrier, an Attempt to Sue Animal Control and…” and “Pit Bull Owner Lies After Dog is Declared ‘Dangerous,’ Dog Attacks Again”. Two articles are not proof of these amazingly generalized claims that are simply untrue (not to say criminals do not also choose these breeds – many, many people do across social and economic lines).

            Example #3 – Cite #13 in the section “Pit Bull Owners” isn’t even a citation at all. It’s simply a statement, “Though many breeds of dogs are “seizure-alert dogs” and assist a person during and after a seizure, pit bull advocates claim that having a seizure “naturally” leads to a fatal dog attack. Other fatal dog attacks by pit bulls blamed on seizures include: 25-year old Brandon Coleman and 42-year old Lorinze Reddings. In each of these three instances (including Kellie Chapman), the person was killed by his or her own pet pit bull.”

            That’s already three but here’s the most blatant in my opinion – in the section “Quick Stats” the author of this website provides 5 spate statistics cited from the website itself. Here is an example – ” In the 10-year period from 2005 to 2014, two dog breeds accounted for 74% of the attacks that resulted in death: pit bulls and rottweilers.

            2014 Dog Bite Fatalities by DogsBite.org, 2015″ – following the linked wording, 2014 Dog Bite Fatalities…, you will find this citation, “DogsBite.org contains verifiable information about U.S. citizens killed by dogs including the name and age of each victim, location of attack, dog breed and up to 18 other factors. Information was gathered through news reports that were available at the time of the attack or found through Internet archival services.” Again, gathering data through news reports is fine if a study follows; not what is happening here. They present a list of unverified data as fact regularly, cite themselves regularly, and operate with the intention of spreading prejudice.

          • Dbo is not a reliable source they are not canine experts..every leading canine expert organization in the word disagrees with dbo.

          • Please note that the actual story was from Animal People. It was merely cited in a DogsBite.org piece. And please note that I did mention that DogsBite.org is routinely dismissed by pit owners.

          • Not far more. Try visiting shelters regularly or working in one for a while – big eye opener.

          • The shelters in my area, the two I’ve volunteered with or adopted from and the only two that are located in what I would call “my area”, actually hover around about 20-30% of these breeds in their population. This is still much too high but does reflect a pretty standard number when compared to other breed population spikes that we’ve seen in the past. That’s another issue I have with federally based BSL – your community varies greatly from mine; we need to be able to govern at the local level based on the needs of the community. That aside, it’s only two shelters to be fair, far more of these dogs live peacefully for their entire lives than do not. There are millions of these dogs in homes around the country – less than 100 people were killed by breeds belonging to the umbrella “Pit Bull” last year if we assume those reports were entirely accurate, we assume we all agree on what a “pit bull” is (officials across the country do not) and that these articles that are collected for these data pools were not edited for correction at a later date. By the numbers, most individual dogs of any breed will not pose a threat to humans in their lifetime.

          • You make a couple of good points.

            Up to 30% of the population in your local shelters are “Pit Bulls”. They make up a total of about 5% of the dog population. VERY disproportionate.

            Not everybody agrees what a pit bull is. Denying that Staffordshire terrier is a pit bull is worse than disingenuous. That’s downright lying.

            While it’s true that there are many pit bulls that will live their entire lives peacefully, YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHEN A DOG WILL SNAP. You’ve probably heard owners say, “But she was so gentle…”.

            There is a severe cognitive dissonance involved with pit bull lovers. They refuse to look at the facts about their breed. This article is a prime example of that.

          • You will hear many owners across breeds say the dog did not have a history of aggression if their dog attacks. The over population of these breeds is a big part of the problem; you can look at the trends in Boxer attack rates and see the same correlation. The more popular the breed (for whatever reason) the lower the quality of breeding tends to be and more irresponsible owners own dogs belonging to that breed. These things all contribute to attacks and aggression. No one said a Staffordshire Terrier is not considered across the board to be a “pit bull”. The problem with labeling multiple breeds “pit bull” and further not having a set criteria for what breeds can be labeled this way is in the numbers. Until there is a real base for data it’s impossible to get a read on aggression rates. Many, many owners do know their dog (including the traits of the dog’s breed) and remain responsible with their dog which leads to long, peaceful, happy lives together.
            There are many issues here and to narrow to breed leads to more issues. We need to be holding humans – owners – responsible for the behavior of their personal property – dogs. We, in my opinion, need to do this evenly across breeds if no other reason than to provide the same level of compensation and justice to victims of attacks of any breed.

          • Again, some really good points. I agree that there is not a good consensus around the data. That could possibly be due to the conflict of interest within the Pit Bull community. You guys obviously love the breed very much. Our closest friends have a sweety of a dog who recently just about killed one of their other dogs. Fortunately, the injuries during the incident were only to the two dogs involved, and NOT the young man (poor dog skills and knowledge) who happened to be housesitting at the time.

            I think that it would be reasonable to consider all of the dogs who share the general characteristics of Pit Bulls, and who to the uneducated eye, would be labeled “Pit Bull”, as part of the breed. What’s important is not necessarily the nomenclature of breeds, but the characteristics (behavior, morphology, etc.) that are unique to the breed.

            I am NOT an expert in this, but what I’ve observed is confirmed by your observation about the role that owners have in the equation. I’ve seen MANY people who simply haven’t taken the time to understand the pack mentality of canines, and especially the characteristics and needs that are unique to their own dog.

            However, I remain convinced that there is a propensity in the breeds that make up the Pit Bulls to aggression within the pack hierarchy. They are more aggressive than most in asserting themselves, and defending their place in the pack, which has led to the MANY tragedies we hear about in the news.

            I live in Memphis, and I believe (unsupported by any data other than my own observations) that Pit owners in my area tend to own their animals for protection, so train them to be aggressive. That’s a problem waiting to happen when a dog isn’t properly trained.

            Again, thanks for the thoughtful comments. You make some really good points.

          • Average normal lifespan for a pit bull is 8-15 years. Of a population of 3.5 million, one million are euthanized annually, That means that in 3.5 years the equivalent of the entire pit population has been destroyed..

            At seven years, the equivalent of the entire pit population has been destroyed TWICE.

            I stand by my statement, The surviving population of pit bull dogs have survived a drastic culling. The majority are destroyed.

          • One million out of 3.5 million is not a majority; while the number is large it is still a minority. Even if we could say that the population has stagnated and new dogs were not born each year due to the grown popularity of these breeds, their use in show, and their use in fighting; majority is an inaccurate word. I’d also love to see you back those numbers with citations. I’m sure you use unbiased sources that provide information on dogs in general and not just the random number of breeds depending on area that are considered pit bull. How does this compare to other breeds? Is it really unusual and specific to the unspecified number of breeds labeled “Pit Bull”? Or is this indicative of an overcrowded shelter problem? Problem with domestic animal populations in this country? Both? We need to look at issues like this from all angles to draw sound conclusions that will move legislators in one direction or the other.

          • Pit bull type dogs are a culmination of traits including a variety of dog breeds. The most insidious breeders aimed to create the ultimate fighters creating dogs impervious to pain or normal aggressive behavior triggered by fear, protectiveness or territory but instead bred digs who joyously attack in the same way a retriever retrieves for the first time….happy, prideful and tail wagging. Those living happily in homes across the country rescued of unknown origin may in fact live happily displaying predictable dog behavior. The often discounted issue is that few pit bulls are bred for health and temperament and rescues may or may not display the joyous unpredictable deadly behavior intended by the dog fighters. When dogs are bred for aggression that show no signs prior to an attack ..,how is one to know?

          • How can we expect to have any kind of accurate data on these breeds of dog? You point out part of my concern with this style of fact collecting in your first sentence. The traits you are referring to are physical and, in mixes specifically, can sometimes be misinterpret. That aside though, because most dogs are fairly easy to identify by most people across breeds; there is no standardized system of identifying and recording these traits. The traits used aren’t even standard across state agencies nonetheless federal agencies. We would at the very least need a standard set of data to check to off in order to identify a “pit bull type dog” for use in changing public policy. Not to mention the list of breeds included vary widely from community to community and that list of breeds seems to be grow and shrink with public opinion. This all makes for very poor public policy when we start talking about using this unverifiable and inconsistent data as a reason to enact BSL.

        • 2nd most in shelters are labradors and lab mixes..they are also a popular breed right now..suppose their owners gave up on them also? Or do you think maybe some people shouldn’t own a gold fish..

          • Your response is a clear deflection of a real breed type problem. What is needed is a solution. The tried and true formula for success first begins with admitting there is a problem.

          • Yes. That’s what surrendering to a shelter means. The owner gave up on them.
            And, BTW, if you’re NOT very experienced and committed to dog ownership, DO NOT get a lab either. They require a tremendous amount of work to make sure that they are properly socialized and trained.
            AND, if you’re not going to take care of the gold fish, DON’T get one of those either.

      • 60 percent of attacks are committed by 5 percent of the dogs. Do the math my friend. It doesn’t matter how many DON’T maul. All it takes is the one that just killed your kid, or the neighbor’s kid.

        • We simply do not have numbers collected in an accurate enough way to justify your statement. The numbers you are referring to pull from unverified news articles that are often not updated when correction is needed. When you are speaking to changing public policy that will effect a high number of citizens it does matter how many don’t maul. We need to make policies that protect victims and provide justice and compensation based on the damage done; not the breed of dog doing said damage. This is how public policy works.

    • Another breed that falls into the pattern you describe is the German Shepherd. Doubt it? Watch videos from Nazi Germany through our own Civil Rights movement. Yes – Rin Tin Tin is from a so-called aggressive breed.

      The difference – German Shepherds are actually a breed. Pit Bulls are not. They are a catch all phrase for several types of dogs and mixes. I’ve found Lab/Pit Mixes are very mellow. Chow/Pit and Rot/Pit – not so much, but all of that is anecdotal based on my experience. I don’t pretend it is gospel.

      • GSDs were not bred for pit fighting. The “pit bull/many bully breeds are only doing what it’s been inherently bred to do. They need to be owned by people that are aware of the potential of damage their dog can do and manage accordingly. Notice I say that they can be owned and loved, but to sugar coat what the dog is capable of is insane.

        The folks that have/own/breed American Pit Bull Terriers might disagree that it isn’t really a breed.

    • NO, not true. For any dog it’s always how they are raised. You are going by the stories you read about problem dogs without taking into account that a majority of pitties are loyal and calm. And NO they cannot “turn” on you for no reason out of the blue. That’s not true at all.

      • Yes, the majority of pitties are loyal and calm. But, YES, they can turn on you out of the blue, without apparent provocation. I have posted repeated instances of pit bulls flipping-out and severely injuring or killing people.

        • I personally have a hard time with these claims of dogs belonging to these breeds turning to aggression “out of the blue.”. The only claims of this I’ve seen, other than in these comments threads, are from the owners in news stories who claim their dog has not been aggressive and can’t imagine why it would had done something so horrible. It seems like the sample of owners used to create this claim are already very likely irresponsible owners avoiding accountability in the face of very serious legal battles. I’m not sure this is the best control group to use; especially considering this group makes up a very small minority of owners of these breeds.

          • I believe these owners are just normal people. They would have been fine with a less dangerous(“powerful”–Cesar Millan) breed of dog. They were sold a lie by pit advocates. Cesar Millan has posted a number of cautions about adopting a dangerous(powerful) dog.

          • These owners allowed their dogs off their property unsupervised, unleashed, and often make excuses for both their dogs harmful behavior and their own. They are very often owners that have proven to practice dog ownership with a lack of accountability and responsibility. That’s likely why they are in the news. A responsible owner knows the animal they own and takes whatever steps needed to own them safely (both safely in terms of community and safely in terms of keeping their animal safely within their control). I adopted my dog after an incredible amount of research, every time, every breed I’ve owned. Responsible owners research the needs of their pets and account for those needs, including containment, training, and over all handling of the animal. If you read any literature on owning these breeds Of course, things happen. Responsible owners also take accountability and remain liable for things their animals do. Many of the owners we’re talking about say things like “my dog would never hurt an animal or person.” This is of course ridiculous, they own a dog – it has the potential to cause harm. If they are denying this (with any breed) they are being irresponsible.

            Say they are responsible dog owners who were sold a lie by “pit advocates” is exactly my point. A responsible owner seeks an animal they know they can handle. An irresponsible owner can be a great person and very well meaning – if they were “sold a lie” and took on an animal with no knowledge of what they getting they are being irresponsible.

          • Perhaps YOU can reasonably and safely keep a pit bull dog.
            You seem well-informed. But the AVERAGE person, with the average
            experience growing up with dogs, is simply not prepared for the
            consequences of pit bull ownership. The average person does not expect, when their dog gets loose, to find that their dog has attacked another human, or their pets. When pit bull advocates hide or diminish the danger of keeping these dogs, they set the stage for tragedies.
            When rescue-junkies take a pit from an animal shelter they typically endanger their neighbors and their community.

            How can you expect someone to be responsible, when pit advocates tell someone that pit bulls are “only aggressive if they’re trained that way”.

            Cesar Millan, as much as I admire him, is grossly irresponsible for advocating pit bull ownership. Few people have his knowledge or
            experience dealing with dangerous dogs. The average person is STUNNED when their pits attack someone.

          • I think I agree with most of this comment. I am lucky enough to live in an area with an amazing shelter. Before I adopted my AmStaff I did a lot of research on the breed an their general needs (increased awareness of escape attempts, proper containment, leash handling, caution around other animals, etc.). The only reason I did not add caution around children that is because all dogs should be monitored closely around children so I don’t feel it’s breed specific. The shelter staff was very forthcoming about both the breed and dog I was meeting (I didn’t adopt her until we’d met multiple times). I was given a list of cities in my area with some level of BSL (mine is not on the list) and they explained the potential insurance issues owners of these breeds may face. I was offered free training and socialization sessions and we happily attended. I was even asked if I was a first time dog owner; two other families had been turned down because they were. Which is not to say the dog was or is dangerous, she just needed a higher commitment and understanding of training/handling than say a Golden Retriever typically does.

            The list of the services offered and responsible handling of this adoption got long and is not the point – you’re right. Most people do not have access to shelters that are this responsible. When uninformed, inexperienced people own these dogs it can lead to the terrifying consequences we all know too well.

            I don’t really expect anyone to be responsible – I more think it’s a societal responsibility no matter what animal or breed of dog you own. Not to mention a responsibility to the animal itself. If the shelter I went to had been completely irresponsible and happy to unload my dog on anyone I would have been just as informed as I was; because I informed myself before deciding to adopt this dog. If I lack the responsibility and knowledge to handle her and something happens I am liable and accountable for any damage or consequence that comes from that. I think it’s our responsibility as a society to put laws in place that encourage responsible behaviors; and more completely hold people liable for what happens when act irresponsibly – which is part of encouraging the better behaviors. To me, this is a human problem and requires a solution that focuses on the humans involved – hold the human liable for their mishandled, dangerous, sometimes deadly property.

            All of that being said; I like Cesar too and also dislike how he seems to down play the traits of these breeds. Which is not to say I think dogs belonging to those breeds are inherently dangerous. But when you adopt a dog of any breed people should understand they are potentially taking on the worst or best possible traits that breed brings. It depends on the individual dog you get and you won’t know the scope of their behaviors until they’ve become acclimated to your home. In the case of these breeds the worst traits are fatal – I don’t like that he down plays that at all. I don’t think it’s his fault that people are shocked when a dog they own that does belong to these breeds causes harm though. I still think that’s on the owner who chose not to research their dog and take the steps needed to keep everyone safe.

    • Could your family member die this month from a pit bull attack? The last fatality was two days ago, on May 25. The stats tell us there should be another American killed by a pit bull in about two weeks.

  5. roaring mad is ignorant when it comes to knowing anything about pit bulls which is sad because his ignorant rant about all pit bulls being too dangerous to own…obviously he has never owned a poodle. lol my pit mix is the sweetest dog ever, a huge baby…my sweet little beagle can be mean when she is acting as the pack leader..go figure. Vets who have a lot more education about pits will tell you that they are very sweet dogs, certain people make them mean. I will say is if another dog or person causes them to defend themselves they can do harm simply due to their size and strength..but that can be said with smaller dogs as well… i am glad we don’t euthanize ignorant people…

    • A crazy uncle of mine used to keep dynamite in his refrigerator. Fortunately, just like your pit mix, that dynamite never went off.

    • Quote from July 2014 coverage of a pit bull attack: “The first time I saw a photo of a victim’s arm torn down to nothing but bone and tendon, I thought, “That’s not a dog bite”.

      To
      this day I haven’t seen the kind of damage a pit can do to a human from
      any other animal except for a Grizzly, where the mauling photo showed
      the a victim whose thigh was nothing more than a defleshed femur.

      A
      normal person can read “nothing but bone and tendon” or “defleshed
      femur” and forget those words. Once a normal person SEES one of these
      things, it’s burned into their memory.

  6. Writer Michelle Manetti may have a degree in communications studies, but she obviously hasn’t communicated with people knowledgeable about dog breeds.

    Although all those breeds cited can trace their origins to British “fighting” dogs of the 19th century or earlier, the American pit bull is a distinct breed, with its own registry (the United Kennel Club), and has been a distinct breed since the late 19th century.

    When the American Kennel Club decided to recognize and register pit bulls, it changed the breed’s name to Staffordshire terrier. The first pit bull registered with the AKC (as Staffordshire terrier) was “Pete” of the “Little Rascals” (originally known as “Our Gang”).

    The bull terrier is another distinct and old breed, originally known as the the “bull and terrier,” acknowledging its development from the old bulldog and, probably, the English white terrier.

    When the British Staffordshire bull terrier was recognized by the AKC, the pit bulls registered with the AKC as Staffordshire terriers had “American” added to their name to lessen confusion between the two breeds.

    “Pit bull” is not a general term to describe the breeds cited, and if people use it as such, it is out of ignorance.

  9. For the person concerned about their Pit with cat – my cat still misses my Pit that died a few years ago. They were great friends – – played all over house. Since my Pit was a good 80 pounds it was a funny site to watch! I have two dogs now. Mix spaniel/lab/heinz 57 that I have to watch all the time or they will kill cats. For those who quote all the stories that are in the news – check with someone that works at a hospital. The news Only reports the stories that will be read and passed on. Can you imagine – Cocker Spaniel rips off childs face ( I know of a family ) or Chihuahua put down for biting child in face and leaving scars ( I know of a family ) or how about St Bernard attacks child ( I know of a family ) I have heard so many stories. I have a friend that had a Lab that bite someone in their home. Pit attacks make the news! Rott attacks make the news! I believe you need to be a good owner and realize your Pit is Not a teddy bear – Not a child – but a DOG. People who treat dogs as is they were a doll or a child scare the life out of me. The dog pays with his life for your mistake. If you raise them dogs correctly they can be a wonderful addition to your family. If you don’t – you have a potential problem and the size and breed makes a difference in how big the problem gets ! I have owned several dogs – all breeds – and most all were large breed dogs. (German Shep, Pit, Dobie, Rottie, Husky) All were wonderful pets and I have never had issue with any of them. I hurt for the families that we see mentioned all the time for dog attacks – I hurt for those we never see mentioned because it was not a big enough story and could not make headlines.

        • Im assuming they did full DNA tests to make sure these were pitbulls and not mixed breeds. Labeling them as pitbulls if they aren’t adds to the fear mongering of people like you. As the only picture of a dog I saw on any of these posts was def not a pitbull.

          • Pit Bulls were bred to attack grab and shake to death. It is in their genetics. Even if the dog is only 1/4 pit bull, it can still be in that dogs genetics. Many pit bull owners and breeders will tell you automatically, DO NOT LEAVE A PIT BULL ALONE WITH A SMALL CHILD EVER! A small child is prey to a pit. THEY ARE NOT TO BE TRUSTED!!

          • As an employee of the animal welfare community, we tell adopters DO NOT LEAVE A SMALL CHILD ALONE WITH ANY DOG EVER!! I have seen Chihuhuas and Labs and Border Collies rip children up as well. And now you are saying that if a dog who is 3/4 lab kills a child, it must have been the 1/4 pit bull in them cause labs cant hurt people. As I said to Disenfranchised, most of the dogs in the articles he posts are mix breeds and most probably dont have any pit in them. http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/files/Find_The_Pit_Mix-Web.pdf Take a look at that and tell me you knew the 3 out of 16 dogs that had a “pit bull breed” in them. And yet if any of those dogs hurt a child, it would be labeled a pit automatically because of how it looks.

          • Thank you! This is like saying “oh, he must be Irish. He has red hair.” The worst dog bite I’ve ever had – after 25 years taking rescues including Pits – was from a demented little Corgi. She died in my arms years later but I still have the scar.

          • “DO NOT LEAVE A SMALL CHILD ALONE WITH ANY DOG EVER!!”

            ……then, why aren’t you speaking out on this forum against this “pit bulls are NANNY DOGS..” propaganda?

          • Because you turned this into a forum on hating pit bulls and because that statement you quoted is against any so called nanny dog, its not breed specific. Also, no dog is a nanny dog. I trust my dogs around my nieces nephews and godchildren, but i would never leave them alone for more than a minute or 2 because that’s irresponsible.

            In my town, a LAB jumped up and killed a baby sleeping in its crib. No dog should be left alone with small children, no matter the breed.

          • Never, ever leave any dog alone with any child. Ever. The dog can hurt the child and the child can hurt the dog. Your dog is not a baby sitter and your kid is not a dog sitter. How many “Attack” stories include the parent saying “I just looked away for a minute.”

      • You’re doing nothing but proving Beverly’s point. Read her post again and try to understand what she’s trying to tell you this time.

  10. I had my buddy Coco Bean for 18 years. He was awesome with cats, loved kittens (he could not stand to hear them cry, so he would pick them up and put them near their lazy mother) he played with the rats that i resqued, and other than the pictures of him sleeping with my son, the cutest was when i found him sleeping with a baby bird i resqued between his paws. He was my best friend, my sons best friend. Cancer took him four years ago, it hasn’t gotten easier with time, i’ll never meet another dog like him. (we also called him Brown Cow, he had this thing about grass)

  11. You are doing no favor to the public to publish this article. Even if all the character traits you listed were true, it is still a fact that they can turn at a moment’s notice and kill or maim their owner or a stranger or a friend. “Roaringmad” below has the right idea. These dogs can be perfect angels until that moment that something sets them off and then they can be horrible. Too many people just don’t use their brains or think THEY will never be harmed by THEIR dog. And then it happens.

    • What a load. Just because every crackhead and thug thinks pits are cool doesn’t make the breed the problem any more than a ‘glock’ is more likely to shoot you than a smith and Wesson just based on the brand. Anyone who says their pit just ‘snapped’ is a straight up liar. They most likely neglected and/or abused the animal. Bad dogs have bad owners. Always…

  12. Pitbulls are sweet, loving, kind dogs…to their family. They are absolutely wonderful family dogs. But I would not trust a Pit with a stranger, not ever again. I go to my local dog park every single day and already this year there have been four other dogs and two human injured by Pits (and no other types of dogs). It usually happens when the Pit gets tired and the owner isn’t paying close attention. About 10 years ago, I watched my neighbor’s Pit charge after and maul a cat to death, and two minutes later she was licking her owner’s hand like she hadn’t done anything wrong. Pits are fantastic family dogs, hands down, but if you’re not a vigilant, active, and attentive owner keeping a CLOSE eye on your dog, please don’t get one. If you’re not cut out to be the authority over your Pit at all times, please keep your dog confined to your home at all times. Sure, there are a few other breeds like this, but not many.

  13. They can be sweet and loving for wks, mos maybe even a yr….but sooner or later they will make a mistake and their mistakes can be very costly….WHY risk it?

  14. So many parents who lost a baby and small child to a pit bull will disagree with you. Ask the Father of the 10 month old that was grabbed by the head and shaken to death by a pit bull. But they were so close. He rested his head on him while watching tv, etc. etc. How about the little 2 year old that went into the back yard were the Mother pit bull and her two male offspring were playing. They all grabbed a piece of her and ripped her apart. Yeah please tell me about the sweetness of these dogs. It is inbred into them that smaller living things are easy prey. As long as there is an adult there they will not attack a child. BUT leave a child alone with a pit bull and it will attack. It’s in their nature and not their fault!

  15. Pit Bulls and Rottweilers are better served with single or married adults NO CHILDREN. They are very close to the owner. I have even read were the male owner was attacked by a pit bull when he was arguing with his wife. The pit bull protected the wife. These dogs are great as protectors but they are single owner dogs!

  16. Pit Bulls were genetically made to attack, grab and shake to death any prey. It is in their genetics and not their fault. I would NEVER leave a small child alone with a pit bull. Way to many stories about pit bulls attacking and killing small children. AGAIN not their fault. They were bred to do this. They are a single owner dog. Even a married couple, a pit bull will take sides and attack the other if they argued. They were just bred this way.

  17. My daughter has two Rottweilers and never leaves her 2 year old alone with them. Just like the pit bull, they can turn against a child in a split second. If the child pulls its tail the dog will bite. The dog like the child does not understand this. I feel so sorry for the Dad who lost his 10 month old son to a pit bull. He was stunned that the pit bull would grab the baby by the head and shake him the minute the Father left the room. When the Dad came back in the pit bull still had the babies head in his mouth and the baby was dead from a broken neck. I would NEVER leave my child alone with a pit bull or a rottweiler. Both are to unpredictable.

  18. All dogs bite. All dogs can be agressive. A high % of bites attributed to Pitts are in fact other breeds. I won’t spew hate because closed brains ruled but public perception rather than fact really can’t be swayed anyway.

  20. I have raised many Pitbull, Staffordshire, Pit/Rottie/Boxer mixed with Mastiff, etc. Mostly Pitbull though, and I Love Every One Of Them!!!! GREAT DOGS

  21. .) Since 1992, the breed most involved in fatal attacks has been the
    Rottweiler, not the pit bull.

    2.) Although there are no accurate or even near accurate census records
    for dogs in the U.S., in some populations pit bulls are estimated to
    comprise some 30-40% of the dog population, making it a very popular
    breed. Considering that there were an estimated 53,000,000 dogs in the
    U.S., and assuming that pit bulls make up 10% of that population, there
    would be approximately 5.3 million pit bulls in our society. In 2000, 13 pit
    bulls were involved in 8 fatal attacks. That is roughly ONE dog out of
    204,000 – or .000385 percent of the pit bull population.

    3.) Over the 37-year period from 1965-2001, pit bulls have been blamed
    for an average of 2.48 human fatalities per year.

    4.) About 40 people (children) per year die by drowning in 5-gallon water
    pails. A person, during their lifetime, is 16 times more likely to drown in a
    5-gallon water pail than to be killed by a pit bull.

    5.) Approximately 50 children in the US are killed every year by their cribs
    – 25 times the number of children and adults killed by pit bulls.

    6.) Approximately 150 people are killed every year by falling coconuts.
    Therefore, you are more than 60 TIMES MORE LIKELY to be killed by a
    PALM TREE than a pit bull.

    7.) Each year, 350 people drown in their bathtubs. You are 151 times
    more likely to be killed by your bathtub than you are by a pit bull.

    8.) It is estimated that about 500 deaths per year are caused by aspirin.
    You are more than 200 times more likely to die from taking aspirin than
    from a pit bull attack.

    9.) Every year, more than 2,000 children in the U.S. are killed by their
    parents or guardians either through abuse or neglect. A child is more
    than 800 times more likely to be killed by their adult caretaker than by a
    pit bull.

    10.) It is estimated that 5,000,000 dogs per year are killed in shelters.
    Since in many places pit bulls make up 30-50% of the shelter population,
    and are less likely to be considered for placement than any other breed,
    guessing that 25% of those dogs killed is a reasonable estimate.
    Therefore, it can be assumed that perhaps 1.25 million pit bulls are killed
    per year.

    Therefore – it is at least a HALF MILLION TIMES MORE LIKELY that a pit
    bull will be killed by a HUMAN than the other way around.

    11.) For every pit bull who kills, there are hundreds of thousands that
    DON’T.

    http://www.realpitbull.com/perspective.html

  22. .) Since 1992, the breed most involved in fatal attacks has been the
    Rottweiler, not the pit bull.

    2.) Although there are no accurate or even near accurate census records
    for dogs in the U.S., in some populations pit bulls are estimated to
    comprise some 30-40% of the dog population, making it a very popular
    breed. Considering that there were an estimated 53,000,000 dogs in the
    U.S., and assuming that pit bulls make up 10% of that population, there
    would be approximately 5.3 million pit bulls in our society. In 2000, 13 pit
    bulls were involved in 8 fatal attacks. That is roughly ONE dog out of
    204,000 – or .000385 percent of the pit bull population.

    3.) Over the 37-year period from 1965-2001, pit bulls have been blamed
    for an average of 2.48 human fatalities per year.

    4.) About 40 people (children) per year die by drowning in 5-gallon water
    pails. A person, during their lifetime, is 16 times more likely to drown in a
    5-gallon water pail than to be killed by a pit bull.

    5.) Approximately 50 children in the US are killed every year by their cribs
    – 25 times the number of children and adults killed by pit bulls.

    6.) Approximately 150 people are killed every year by falling coconuts.
    Therefore, you are more than 60 TIMES MORE LIKELY to be killed by a
    PALM TREE than a pit bull.

    7.) Each year, 350 people drown in their bathtubs. You are 151 times
    more likely to be killed by your bathtub than you are by a pit bull.

    8.) It is estimated that about 500 deaths per year are caused by aspirin.
    You are more than 200 times more likely to die from taking aspirin than
    from a pit bull attack.

    9.) Every year, more than 2,000 children in the U.S. are killed by their
    parents or guardians either through abuse or neglect. A child is more
    than 800 times more likely to be killed by their adult caretaker than by a
    pit bull.

    10.) It is estimated that 5,000,000 dogs per year are killed in shelters.
    Since in many places pit bulls make up 30-50% of the shelter population,
    and are less likely to be considered for placement than any other breed,
    guessing that 25% of those dogs killed is a reasonable estimate.
    Therefore, it can be assumed that perhaps 1.25 million pit bulls are killed
    per year.

    Therefore – it is at least a HALF MILLION TIMES MORE LIKELY that a pit
    bull will be killed by a HUMAN than the other way around.

    11.) For every pit bull who kills, there are hundreds of thousands that
    DON’T.

    http://www.realpitbull.com/perspective.html

    • From Merritt Clifton Editor Of Animals24-7.org:

      I have logged fatal & disfiguring dog attacks in the U.S. and Canada since September 1982.

      Of
      the 5,206 dogs involved in fatal and disfiguring attacks on humans
      occurring in the U.S. & Canada since September 1982, when I began
      logging the data, 3,595 (68%) were pit bulls; 567 were Rottweilers;
      4,713 (85%) were of related molosser breeds, including pit bulls,
      Rottweilers, mastiffs, bull mastiffs, boxers, and their mixes.

      Of
      the 577 human fatalities, 307 were killed by pit bulls; 89 were killed
      by Rottweilers; 440 (75%) were killed by molosser breeds.

      Of the
      3,141 people who were disfigured, 2,232 (68%) were disfigured by pit
      bulls; 354 were disfigured by Rottweilers; 2,716 (84%) were disfigured
      by molosser breeds.

      Pit bulls–exclusive of their use in
      dogfighting–also inflict more than 70 times as many fatal and
      disfiguring injuries on other pets and livestock as on humans, a pattern
      unique to the pit bull class.

      Fatal and disfiguring attacks by
      dogs from shelters and rescues have exploded from zero in the first 90
      years of the 20th century to 80 in the past four years, including 58 by
      pit bulls, along with 22 fatal & disfiguring attacks by other
      shelter dogs, mostly Rottweilers & bull mastiffs.

      The only
      dogs rehomed from U.S. shelters to kill anyone, ever, before 2000 were
      two wolf hybrids in 1988 and 1989. 33 U.S. shelter dogs & one U.K.
      shelter dog have participated in killing people since 2010, including 24
      pit bulls, seven bull mastiffs, and two Rottweilers.

      Surveys of
      dogs offered for sale or adoption indicate that pit bulls and pit mixes
      are together less than 7% of the U.S. dog population; molosser breeds,
      all combined, are 9%.

    • July 12, 2015….. Granddaughters, 7 and 8 years old, witness Grandmother’s killing by family pit bull. Shaker Heights, Ohio.

      My 8-year-old daughter answered the phone screaming and crying saying, ”Grandma, the dog just killed grandma,”

  24. Originally, they were designed to be the ultimate Farm dog. Fearless, strong, fast, VERY SMART and a deep love for their family. I had a female, who was the perfect family dog and often my copilot on short trips around the area. She loved everone on siight, just looking at a family member, the first time for approval.

  26. I just want to its people like you that give them a bad name your so shallow minded it makes me sick. iv had pit bulls for years. I trust my dog MORE then I trust most people.have you EVER been around a pit bull ??? I doubt it. DON’T BLAME THE BREED BLAME DEED… oh and try thinking for your self instead of the BS you hear on the TV… Have a great day!!!!!

  27. Don’t respond to disenfranchised or tom. They are the same person and are looking to get a rise out of you. They flood forums with fear tactics and falsified data through dogsbite trying to attract attention to their dying cause. Flag their comments and move along. You are above them in every way because you do not spend your life obsessing over a dog. What a pitiful life they/it must live.

    • I only post under this name. There’s nothing like changing the dressings on a kid with hundreds of stitches from a pit attack.

    • You state “falsified data through dogsbite.org…”. You WISH…!!! Check the story links. Virtually all are from independent news sources.

  32. Denver UPS driver attacked by pit bull. June 2, 2015

    “I saw insides of my body that I didn’t want to see,” said Kline.

    The pit bull owner, who wasn’t home at the time, said her 4-year-old
    daughter opened the door and the dogs got out. A babysitter was supposed
    to be supervising.

    “I’m very sorry for the gentleman,” owner
    Irina Malaya told 7NEWS, crying by phone. “I don’t know what to say
    because I’m freaking out.”

    Malaya claimed she didn’t know pit
    bulls are banned in Denver, and said the owner of the condo she’s
    renting never told her. However, 7NEWS was later made aware of a posting
    on Malaya’s Facebook page where she states: “I live in denver Pitts are
    not allowed so I have my dogs paper threw lakewood,” on a photo of the
    dogs.

    Malaya was cited for owning pit bulls as well as the dogs’
    biting. She agreed to have both dogs euthanized. Animal Control said
    there is no record of prior attacks.

    http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/ups-driver-recovering-after-pit-bull-mauling-at-a-denver-apartment-complex

    YOU GOTTA UNDERSTAND: With pit bulls it is always AN ACCIDENT.
    The dogs got out BY ACCIDENT…!!!

    BULLSHIT….!!!! That you knowingly bring a killer-capable dog into your home and community is evidence of AN INTENTIONAL ACT. Irina Malaya should be prosecuted for attempted murder.

  33. Doesn’t matter how many pit bulls DON’T MAUL when your kid is dead or disfigured. Pit bulls go right for the lips and eyes FIRST!! Pit bulls differ from EVERY OTHER dog…as they are the only canine wild or domestic that kill for PURE SPORT. Benjamin Hart, professor emeritus at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and an animal behaviorist, said he wasn’t surprised by dog behaviorists positive assessment’s of pit bull type dogs after attacks.
    “It’s quite common for a pit bull to show no signs of aggression,” Hart said Wednesday. “People will call it a nice dog, a sweet dog, even the neighbors – and then all of a sudden something triggers the dog, and it attacks a human in a characteristic way of biting and hanging on until a lot of damage is done.”

    Hart said pit bulls are responsible for about 60 percent of dog attack fatalities each year, which is “way out of proportion” compared with other breeds. Pit bulls make up less than 5 percent of the American dog population.

    “It’s very poor policy to allow any child around a pit bull, in my mind, let alone climb on a dog,” Hart said.
    *********************************************************************************************************
    The pit bull’s unusual breeding history has produced some bizarre behavioral traits, described by The Economist’s science editor in an article published a few years ago, at the peak of a heated British controversy over dangerous dogs that saw the pit bull banned in England.

    First, the pit bull is quicker to anger than most dogs, probably due to the breed’s unusually high level of the neurotransmitter L-tyrosine. Second, pit bulls are frighteningly tenacious; their attacks frequently last for 15 minutes or longer, and nothing—hoses, violent blows or kicks—can easily stop them. (There is a reason cops need bullets to stop a pit bull attack.)

  34. I refuse to watch these pix, however, because I refuse to watch a Toyota commercial every single damn time I see one of the pictures. It’s beyond aggravating and outrageous.

  36. “Bad Rap” supporter Darla Napora, pregnant and age 32, killed by her own pit bull.

    “We investigate hundreds of dog attacks every year but I’ve never seen
    anything like this in 13 years,” said Scott Delucchi, spokesman for
    Peninsula Humane Society, which serves San Mateo County.

    http://abcnews.go.com/US/pet-pit-bull-kills-pregnant-woman-pacifica-california/story?id=14289961
    http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/animal-rights/pit-bull-mauls-and-kills-pregnant-california-woman-darla-napora
    http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/animal-rights/darla-napora-pregnant-killed-her-pit-bull-2-years-ago-father-writes-about
    http://www.examiner.com/article/pacifica-dog-mauling-still-no-answers
    http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/2011/10/whistling-past-pit-bull-graveyard.html

  37. Man in CRITICAL condition after attack by four Pit Bulls September 4, 2015, Yesterday.

    http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/crime/2015/09/04/man-critical-after-pacetti-street-dog-attack/71742916/
    http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/jacksonville-police-investigating-incident-eastsid/nnYj8/
    http://www.news4jax.com/news/man-critical-after-being-attacked-by-4-pit-bulls/35115216
    http://jacksonville.com/joe-daraskevich/2015-09-04/story/man-critical-condition-after-being-attacked-four-large-vicious-pit

    Dogs got out BY ACCIDENT
    You see….it was AN ACCIDENT….!!!!

  39. I fell asleep in our back yard and my neighbor’s two pit bulls got loose and attacked me. I have never had my face licked harder in my life.

    • Opinion: There is no need for pit bulls

      By Dr. David A. Billmire June 29, 2014

      Dr. Billmire is professor and director of the Division of
      Craniofacial and Pediatric Plastic Surgery at Cincinnati Children’s
      Hospital Medical Center.

      As one who, for the last 30 years, has been on the receiving end of
      the dog-bite injuries that pass through the Children’s Hospital
      Emergency Room, as well as on the staff at the Shriners Hospitals for
      Children where we see the late effects of these injuries from across the
      nation, I can categorically tell you that the problems associated with
      dog bites are indeed breed-specific.

      When I started my career, the most common dog-bite injuries were from
      German shepherds and occasionally retrievers. These injuries were
      almost always provoked, such as food-related or stepping on the dog, and
      in almost every instance, the dog reacted with a single snap and
      release – essentially a warning shot. There were no pack attacks.

      Starting about 25 years ago, my colleagues and I started to see
      disturbingly different types of injuries. Instead of a warning bite, we
      saw wounds where the flesh was torn from the victim. There were multiple
      bite wounds covering many different anatomical sites. The attacks were
      generally unprovoked, persistent and often involved more than one dog.
      In every instance the dog involved was a pit bull or a pit bull mix.

      Now, I am a dog lover and virtually every one of my family members
      has a dog. But it is a fact that different dogs have always been bred
      for specific qualities. My sheltie herded, my daughter’s setter flushes
      birds and my pug sits on my lap – this is what they are bred for. Pit
      bulls were bred to fight and kill and, unfortunately, many current
      breeders favor these aggressive traits. There is no need for any dog
      with the characteristics.

      I recently gave a talk summarizing my 30 years of practice in
      pediatric plastic and reconstructive surgery, and one segment was titled
      “Why I Hate Pit Bulls.” I watched a child bleed to death one night in
      our operating room because a pit bull had torn his throat out. I have
      had to rebuild the skull of a child who had his ears and entire scalp
      torn off.

      I am currently reconstructing the face of a child, half of whose face
      has been torn off down to the bone. I have had to rebuild noses, lips,
      eyelids, jaws and cheeks of numerous children. On older children, I have
      had to reconstruct legs and hands. The unfortunate young victim whose
      recent attack has initiated this discussion will bear the scars of this
      attack for the rest of her life.

      Based on my extensive experience, I believe that the risk posed by
      pit bulls is equivalent to placing a loaded gun with the safety off on
      the coffee table. In my opinion, these dogs should be banned. I know
      this is an unpopular stand in some circles, but how many mauled children
      do we have to see before we realize the folly of allowing these dogs to
      exist?

      The arguments made by advocates of these dogs are the same arguments
      made by people who feel that assault weapons are an essential part of
      daily living. There are plenty of breeds available that peacefully
      coexist with human society. There is no need for pit bulls.

  40. Michelle Manetti is an uneducated idiot who has no special degree or other formal training with animals. So most of what she said here is bullshit.

    • Hi there realdog friend,

      I’m sorry you think I am an uneducated idiot. I can assure that is not the case. While I don’t have a special degree or formal training with animals, this post was put together with information from experts who have. Is there something in particular you don’t agree with? Is is the wrinkly puppy fact? Because I can formally tell you it’s true.

  41. I have had 3 bully/bully mix in my 56 years, NEVER a problem arose as they were always socialized, trained and well cared for. My current 5 year old Joey is 74 pounds of knucklehead.

  46. ITs funny how the writer(s) are trying to encourage people to buy a pit-bull. Why not say how many people and children have died for no apparent reason around them? Strange no mention.

  48. October 9, 2015. Four men fight to stop pit bull attack on 5-year old girl:

    Four men, including her father and the pit bull’s owner, struggled to
    pull the dog off, while five neighbors made desperate 911 calls asking
    for help, according to records released yesterday by Bayonne police.
    It’s not clear what order the calls came in, but one caller tells a
    dispatcher a school bus has hit a child, as screams can be heard in the
    background. Another caller corrects that: “Send animal control. It
    wasn’t a bus that hit the little girl, it was a pit bull!”
    “There’s a dog attacking a kid and it’s like mayhem here,” another caller says.

    http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index.ssf/2015/10/bayonne_neighbors_911_calls_re.html
    http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/10/09/dog-attack-special-needs-girl-bayonne/

  49. Sunday, October 18, 2015, Six year-old Tanner Smith killed by pit bulls in Beaumont, Texas.

    “In kindergarten, I don’t think they really comprehend a lot of it,”
    Leger said. “I think it was hardest for the teacher, hardest for those
    who worked with the student. He was a very happy little boy and it
    reminds us how we’re supposed to be.”

    http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/5-year-old-Vidor-boy-killed-in-dog-attack-6577364.php
    http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/texas-boy-5-mauled-death-pit-bulls-police-article-1.2403782

  50. Tell the mother whose child was just mauled to death by 4 pit bulls in Detroit how wonderful they are, they are dangerous & unpredictable. I would never have one near my child.

  51. Michelle, you need to take a look at the facts. Saying things like, “They don’t bite very hard.” is beyond irresponsible.

    I challenge you to track down some forensic photos of pit bull attack victims. Hopefully your little fantasy about these animals will be cured.

    Take a look at StillStandingNow’s post below. It contains some outstanding FACTS about this breed.

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