Pitbull Fatally Mauls 5 year old Girl

[dball]

Many people I know have owned pitbull's without any problems with people or children. Some have noted that their pits are a little more aggressive with other animals, this can always be attributed to not properly socializing them with other animals from a young age.

Every pet has different needs. Pitbulls I feel need to be socialized with other animals starting at a very young age.

Any breed of dog can be aggressive. I have been bitten by numerous dogs in my life. None of them were pitbulls, rotts, or german shep.. They were always labs or those little yappy dogs that drive everyone nuts because they never shut up. Unfortunately Pitbulls pound for pound are the strongest dogs, with the highest pain tolerance, and the best build for power and fighting. With bad owners this leads to problems.

Pitbulls attacks are heard about more than others, I agree. But last time I checked they were the most popularly owned dog in America. And they are really popular with people that want to use them for the wrong reason. Thats where the other part of the problem lies.

The owners should be punished. Period. And at the very least should never be allowed to have any pet ever again.

For those of you that fall under the category of blame the breed, instead of the deed, I suggest you slightly further your education on the breed itself. Otherwise you fall under the same category as those that feel no one should own constrictors or hots.

Please watch, for people like Louise this could be kind of hard to watch.

the pit bull problem (what is man without the beasts?) - flash

Not all are bad.

Banning ownership of pitbulls is not the answer. Just like the banning of owning venemous snakes or boids. Permits should be the answer.

[nomadbean]

I am sad for the grandmother and family of that little girl. I swear everytime I read one of these I just want to hit someone. The owner knew the dog had an attitude problem from the earlier conlfict and still this happened. I had giant snakes and after the 3rd time I had to have 3 people unwrap the retic off of my husbands arm we got rid of them. It was too dangerous and we could not control the little buggers. I still have larger boas and such and a pair of pitbulls. They are often put in their place if they play too hard with each other as I do not want them too get too bossy. Everytime they are near my daughter I am watching and near them. Is it because they are pitbulls? Not really it is because they outweigh her by double and I do not want them to knock her down as she is small and they are clumsy. People are so irresponsible with animals sometimes it makes me a little crazy. If you have a dog over 20 pounds it can most likely kill you. Someone was killed by a cocker spaniel a few years back (probably actually died of shame) but all dogs are capable of attacking just as all people are. I do not think any breed of domestic dog is worse than another from birth, but the TYPE of people drawn to types of dogs gets breeds bad names or sweater rumors. Just the way it goes. So sad, the dog now has to be put down, a girl is dead, a grandmother scarred and HOPEFULLY an owner in jail. What a waste. Going to be sad.
Trina
OMNIherp, LLC

[razeraze]

i find it funny that English bulldogs were a fighting breed and almost banned, until keepers launched a propaganda campaign to clear their reputation. same as with german shepards and dobermen's in the 80's. pitbulls are no different.

[boafiend]

pitbulls are the burmese python of the dog world, they are bred all the time and easy to get without any knowledge of them, they are still animals and no matter how much you train them...they still can kill someone or inflict serious injuries to people, and that goes for any animal

[Reptscue]

There are some people that should never own dogs...
I have 2 dags that could be looked at being aggressive just because of their breed.
My 13 yr old dobe/rott/shepard mix "Sweet P" has thought to be aggressive by other people because she purrs and shows her teeth for kisses.
And my Doberman(Chloe) just for her loud bark. She will bark at a new person when she first meets tham and she is very stand-offish towards men and kids(She's scared). But when you come over a few times and she knows you she is fine. She actually rannoff from a new child peeing herself. She was a rescue and I think kids bothered her. But she is getting better.

If either one of my dogs were aggressive you bet your butt I would put them down myself. But we tell people what to do when they come over and no one sees the dobe without me there. She is in her kennel.

Some of the most aggressive dogs we see are cockers, terriers of all sizes and shepards. Not pits, rotts, dobes.....

[All_American]

Originally Posted by Daggit_Columbian

i hate dogs, i got bit by a dog, right in the face. i had 35 sitches. poor poor girl

I too have been bit by a shepard in the face.... I don't hate them, actually I love dogs. You should not be hasty in your thoughts here. Its not the dogs fault completly. It the "Human care taker of this animal" that is to take most of the blame, If a dog is not born in the wild, they will most likely not be mean in nature. They still have it in them to kill. All dogs do. Its how they are raised and tought.

Hate is such a powerful word to be used here, I am sorry for the loss of the family of the little girl. The Uncle shoud be prossecuted and do jail time in my opinion for neglect.

[crush]

My little girl was attacked by a dog. It was a cocker spaniel it broke her jaw plate ripped out teeth and ripped her nose off of her face. My family loves dogs and most owned and own pits and we have never ever had a problem as with any of my friends that have had them. I do not blame pits for what they do. I blame the owner and noone but the owner. I have a 115 pound Great Dane that I would trade for a pit anyday.

[JuliusSqueezer]

Really? I love great danes...my all time favorite. Let me see if I can round you up a pit to trade! lol

[icedtrip]

I love these types of Bully Breed dogs, but I hate hearing about incidents like this. I feel for the girl and family, but I hate the bad image this type of thing causes. I recently owned an American Bulldog (Scott type. Picture a very large Pit Bull Terrier, and you get my dog). They are some of the friendliest dogs you will ever come across, but they get grouped into this "violent" dog group. They (along with Pit bull types) were bred as protectors. Loyal to owners and family. Friendly to all, and only aggressive to intruders, attackers, etc. Do I believe that a dog can just snap at any moment? Sure, but this is so few and far between, it is hard to believe these types of incidents are consequences of it. More often than not, the owners are to blame. Seeing how this dog already had a little history of aggression also suggests this wasn't a happy dog one moment that just snapped the next.

The city I live in has banned pit bulls, rottweilers, and other similar dogs because of the type of image and false education that is produced. If you do not get rid of them, the city puts them to sleep. Just to play it safe, I decided to find a new home for my dog. He dog went to live with my parents elsewhere until they recently moved. Now he lives with my sister and her husband.

I wish the laws would be on the owners rather than the animals. I think this may be so in some states, but not mine. Anyone can own any type of dog, as long as the dog itself is legal to own.