STRICTER DOG LAWS NEEDED
Published in the Kelowna Daily Courier among others…
My friend’s eight year old son was recently attacked by a pit bull who bit his beautiful face so severely that he was rushed to the hospital. After receiving approximately 40 stitches that ranged from just under his left eye, cheek and under his chin, it was immediately obvious to his family that they had narrowly escaped a parents’ worst nightmare.
“You’re lucky he never got his jugular,” I said to my friend when I saw her son two days after the attack. With tears in her eyes she nodded, beyond grateful he was alive.
When her family found out that this wasn’t the dog’s first attack and that its fate now rested with its owners rather than the authorities, they took the story to the press.
“We want stricter dog laws in the Okanagan,” she said. “If we had known that family had a dangerous animal we never would have allowed our child to be in their house. We should have been informed.”
Not wanting to see another family go through the same difficult situation, she’s written her first letter to the Regional District and started up a Facebook page called “Stricter Dog Laws in the Okanagan” where she has posted the facts about the terrifying attack on her son. Many people offered their sympathy for the traumatic experience, and encouraged their efforts to make the community safer. Then the unexpected happened: they started getting blamed for the attack.
After their emotional trauma the last thing they needed was to be blamed and she dismantled the page after its first few days. But blaming the victim is par for the course I’ve now learned since reading a slew of recent dog attack stories on the Internet. Sadly, it’s probably what keeps many victims from going public.
Word seems to fly whenever a pit bull or a dog that is on a dangerous breed list is in the news again and fanatical animal protectors come out of the woodwork to do their dirty work. And if you don’t think blaming the victim of an unprovoked and vicious dog attack is dirty work, we’re just going to have to agree to disagree.
“Pit bulls get a bad rap,” another friend of mine said when I told her the story I was working on. “Poodles and Chihuahuas bite way more often and we never hear about them in the news.”
“Because they’re not maiming and killing people,” I responded.
“Oh yeah, there’s been deaths,” she said. “But the media keeps those stories hush hush.” Huh? Was this a joke?
“Any animal that kills any person is going to be reported in the news,” I said. “If anything, that would be more of a story because it would be so rare.”
But there seems to be a perception that it’s the fault of the media that pit bulls, rottweilers and other potentially dangerous dogs have received a bad rap. I’m no reporter, but I’m guessing that the poodle who bit my son’s hand (and even managed to draw blood) wouldn’t make the headlines like the story of a pit bull’s deathly attack on his pregnant owner did last week in California.
We need stricter dog laws in the Okanagan, and it shouldn’t take an attack resulting in death to make this happen.
Mar 11, 2015 @ 12:38:04
Facts on the Danger of all Pit Bull Type Dogs
The Truth about the success of Pit Bull type Dog Ban & BSL enforcement, Views of Dog trainers/animal control, Pit Bull breeders, owners,Canine experts, animal behaviorists, Vets, Doctors, Dog attack statistics for the USA, General Dog Bite Statistics across the country.
And everything you were want to know about the pit bull type dog but were afraid to ask.!
http://banallpitbulls.blogspot.ca/
************************************************************************************************************
God Bless these souls through eternity and may there killers be dammed for eternity.!
http://voicesofthevictims.org/victims-stories/media/2014-canine-attack-victims-memorial/
This is the truth of the Pit bull type dog’s Genetic reality and outcome: We the people “WON’T BACK DOWN”
http://voicesofthevictims.org/victims-stories/media/wontbackdown-psa/ *********************************************************************************************** Wednesday, January 7, 2015
2014 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs Most of the Expected, Longtime Killing Culprits
http://blog.dogsbite.org/2015/01/2014-fatal-dog-attack-breed-identification-photographs.html
Bite Statistics to Sink Your Teeth Into
January 06, 2015
http://www.niagarafallsreporter.com/Stories/2015/JAN06/bite.html
Mar 11, 2015 @ 12:37:26
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.
Mar 11, 2015 @ 12:36:21
Pit bulls were Toronto’s biggest biters, before the ban
City data shows that before Ontario banned them nearly a decade ago, pit bulls did more biting per capita than other breeds; but today’s neutered, muzzled pit bulls registered only 13 bites last year.
By: Eric Andrew-Gee Staff Reporter, Joel Eastwood Staff Reporter, Published on Fri Oct 03 2014
When Ontario banned pit bulls in August 2005, critics said the decision was arbitrary, based on a few dramatic maulings and a sensationalistic press. The campaign was a result of prejudice, not facts, they complained.
But city data obtained by the Star points to a different possibility: that pit bulls really were the most dangerous kind of dog, in Toronto at least. From 2001 to 2004, pit bulls were more likely to bite people and domestic animals than any other breed, the statistics show.
In 2004, the last full year before the ban, there were 984 pit bulls licensed in Toronto and 168 reported pit bull bites. That’s more than double the rate of German shepherds, the next most aggressive breed.
The figures, compiled by the city’s Animal Services division at the Star’s request, come from comparing a breed’s licensed population with the number of times it was reported to have bitten a person or pet.
Nearly a decade after the ban was put in place, its purpose appears to have been achieved: pit bull bites in the city have virtually disappeared.
In 2013, the pit bull population was down to 501, and there were only 13 reported pit bull bites.
The decline in the per-capita rate is probably attributable to the age of the remaining dogs, and the requirement that pit bulls be muzzled in public and sterilized, procedures that tend to make dogs less aggressive.
The dogs still exist in Toronto despite the ban because Ontario residents who already owned pit bulls were allowed to keep them, as long as they met the requirements.
Advocates for the dogs maintain that the figures are misleading because the definition of “pit bull” is so vague. The law banning the dogs applies to four breed types — pit bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, and American pit bull terriers (the breeds included in the Star’s tally) — as well as any dog that has “an appearance and physical characteristics substantially similar” to those four.
“What people qualify as pit bulls are often mixed breeds and mongrels,” said Cheri DiNovo, an NDP MPP who has sought to repeal the ban. “When somebody said it’s a pit bull that did the biting, there’s no way to say that ‘this is a pit bull.’”
Animal Services spokesperson Mary Lou Leiher acknowledged that determining what constitutes a pit bull is difficult and “subjective.”
“There is no standardized DNA test to determine a dog’s breed,” she said.
When in doubt, city inspectors use an extensive checklist of physical characteristics describing everything from the muzzle to the tail of typical pit bull breeds to decide which dogs fit the bill.
“In Toronto, we’ve taken quite a hard line on what’s considered ‘substantially similar,’” Leiher said. “If we’re applying the legislation to a dog, it’s got to really look like one of the purebred pit bull dogs.”
Leiher said that bite reports come mainly from two sources: doctors, who are required to inform Toronto Public Health when patients have been bitten; and members of the public who self-report. That suggests the portion coming from doctors, at least, is unlikely to over represent pit bulls.
Such a relatively low rate reflects the fact that per-capita bite numbers are down overall in the past decade. Daschunds epitomized the phenomenon, with 594 licensed dogs and not a single reported bite last year. (While bite totals have remained fairly steady year-to-year, the licensed dog population has more than doubled since 2005.)
Leiher said bylaw enforcement and public education, as well as more responsible breeding and fewer strays, may account for the decline.
Still, few if any breeds have matched the plunge taken by per capita pit bull bites, down by a factor of more than six since 2004.
For now, though — and for better or worse — the ban appears to have done what it set out to do.
“There aren’t very many restricted pit bulls in Toronto,” Leiher said.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/10/03/pit_bulls_were_torontos_biggest_biters_before_the_ban.html#_=_
Mar 11, 2015 @ 12:35:36
Toronto dog bites fell after pit bull ban
Patrick Cain, Global News : Monday, November 14, 2011 02:12 PM
The number of dog bites reported in Toronto has fallen since a ban on pit bulls took effect in 2005, public health statistics show.
A total of 486 bites were recorded in 2005. That number fell generally in the six years following, to 379 in 2010.
Provincial laws that banned ‘pit bulls,’ defined as pit bulls, Staffordshire terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, American pit bull terriers and dogs resembling them took effect in August 2005. Existing dogs were required to be sterilized, and leashed and muzzled in public.
Bites in Toronto blamed on the four affected breeds fell sharply, from 71 in 2005 to only six in 2010. This accounts for most of the reduction in total bites.
The fall in bites blamed on the four breeds tracks a reduction in the dogs themselves, data obtained separately by globalnews dot ca under access-to-information laws shows. Some 1,411 Toronto dogs were in the four breeds in 2008, as opposed to 798 in mid-2011.
“It is encouraging to hear that fewer people are victimized by dangerous dogs,” Ontario Attorney-General John Gerretson said in a statement.
About 1,000 Ontario pit bulls have been put down since the ban took effect.
With totals of Toronto dogs by breed and ten years of bite data, it is possible to see which dogs are most likely to bite in Toronto based on a ratio between dogs of a given breed in 2011 and reported bites over the decade between 2000 and 2010. Below are the 20 most bite-prone dogs. The four prohibited breeds all appear in the top eight slots
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Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Pit bulls are not only problematic in large cities; they threaten mid-sized cities and small towns as well. Located in the heartland, Council Bluffs, Iowa has about 60,000 citizens.
After a series of devastating attacks, beginning in 2003, Council Bluffs joined over 600 U.S. cities and began regulating pit bulls.
The results of the Council Bluffs pit bull ban, which began January 1, 2005, show the positive effects such legislation can have on public safety in just a few years time:1
Council Bluffs: Pit Bull Bite Statistics.
Year Pit Bull Bites % of All Bites.
2004 29 23%.
2005 12 10% (year ban enacted).
2006 6 4%.
2007 2 2%.
2008 0 0%.
2009 0 0%.
2010 1 1%.
2011 0 0%.
Mar 11, 2015 @ 12:35:07
Research showing severe dog bites are fewer in Manitoba areas with pit bull bans.
The study, conducted by University of Manitoba scientists, shows the number of dog bites requiring hospitalization have decreased since pit bull bans went into effect in 2005.
It states the number of hospitalization attacks fell from 3.5 per 100,000 population to 2.8 after the legislation took effect.
Many people feel the breed is inherently aggressive.
The study doesn’t purport to be the last word on the issue but does contain some compelling data, particularly when comparing Brandon, which has never prohibited pit bulls and Winnipeg, which has, said study co-author, Dr. Malathi Raghavan.
“I would not claim this is the ultimate study … all dogs bite,” she said.
But she said the data collected from 16 larger Manitoba jurisdictions, along with recent Spanish and Texas studies suggesting similar results, is compelling.
“We should pay attention to the fact there is something going on here,” said Raghavan.
The Spanish data showed similar hospitalization reductions in the absence of pit bulls while the Texas research indicated higher rates of death, severe injury and treatment costs are linked to the breed.
Raghavan said she was careful to isolate the pit bull factor from others, such as changes in dog populations.
“The legislation was a variable coming out significantly,” she said.
Mar 11, 2015 @ 12:34:37
Thomas McCartney
In Calgary, by Bill Bruce’s own admission and documentation, pit bulls lead the serious bite count with 13% of the city’s serious bites attributable to pit bulls, yet pit bulls account for less than 1% of the city’s dogs.
In fact, pit bulls are responsible for nearly as many serious bites (13%) as the ENTIRE sporting breeding category (15%), which includes all of the most popular breeds (Labs, Goldens, Poodles, Spaniels, etc) and houses 70% of Calgary’s dogs.
Why aren’t these breeds attacking in the face of irresponsible ownership?
An example of why leashing and licensing laws don’t work to solve the breed-specific problem of pit bulls:
Pitbull supporters always point to Calgary Model as the perfect solution when dealing with dangerous dogs. The city introduced its responsible pet ownership bylaw in 2006.
Calgary’s bylaw department emphasizes responsible pet ownership through intensive licensing, hefty fines and owner education.
In Calgary, the largest city in Alberta, “confirmed aggressive dog incidents” and related criminal charges tripled in 2013, and in mid-2014 were up 15% more.
Has their model worked? The statistics from the past four years would indicate a resounding “NO”. For the past four years dog bites have risen steadily every year, and over 350% in the past 4 years, from 58 in 2009 to 203 in 2012.
And In 2010 Pit bulls led the ‘bite’ count. Meanwhile in Toronto, four years after implementing Breed Bans, dog bites were down 32%, from 486 to 329.
Bites in Toronto blamed on the four banned breeds fell sharply, from 71 in 2005 to only six in 2010.
Considering these breeds regularly inflict the most serious damage, this is an undeniable win for the citizens of Toronto.
Nov 22, 2011 @ 22:13:27
Fran, that report looks very fishy. It’s completely at odds with every published study of dog attacks I’ve ever seen.
I noticed that the spreadsheet was signed off by pit bull activist Karen Delise, and provides no reference, other than to say that breed identification was obtained from news reports. I’d say there was some selective picking of news reports at the very least, because the one thing you can count on Karen Delise to do is push a pro-pitbull agenda.
On the other hand, the animal people organization provides a fully transparent methodology, and also use news reports in their research. But unlike Karen Delise, they have no agenda and there is no whitewashing. They report the facts, and let the chips fall where they may.
What the animal people found is that in all of the US and Canada between 1982-2011, pit bulls led all other breeds by a huge margin, both in maimings and human fatalities (well over 200 verified pit bull fatalities during that period) Rottweilers are a very distant second with 76 fatalities, while Huskies are way down at around 20 fatalities, about the same as German Shepherds and Wolf Hybrids.
Fran, how do you explain the huge disconnect between the large scale 29 year study by the animal people and the specific, very selective study by Karen Delise?
Sep 14, 2011 @ 00:01:30
sorry fran, but pitbulls are the most useless violent breed of dog there is.
part of the problem with pitbull owners is, they are often people that shouldnt own any pets at all.
so this notion of making dog owners more accountable is hogwash,most dog owners are responsible
people when dealing with their animals.
Sep 13, 2011 @ 23:57:14
Attached is a file of the Fatal Dog Attacks in Canada that goes back to 1964. There are 46 fatalities and I believe one recent one is missing which brings it to a total of 47. I believe it was a baby and the two dogs involved were huskys.
Out of the 46/47 all but 3 of the deaths were children. If the link does not work, one can look up the fatalities at the National Canine Research Council under dog bites.
Most of the child deaths were unsupervised children around unsocialized dogs or free roaming pack dogs.
It has been said the dog bit before. Where was the owner and why did the visitors NOT know this particular dog was unstable? Calgary, Alberta has the lowest bite statistics in the whole of North American per capita. They also have the highest licensing compliance rates.
Onus should always be on ownership rather than type of dog as not a one of the 44 children killed in Canada would have been saved if “pit bull” type dogs alone were taken to task.
http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/DBRF-Canada-Copy-for-website.pdf
Aug 31, 2011 @ 21:17:07
Pit Bull Dangers Part 1
Defining the Pit Bull Problem:
Pit Bull type dogs kill, maim and seriously injure more people each year than all other type dogs combined. This means that one type dog that makes up about 5% of the dog population kills more than 60% of all people who die in dog attack related fatalities.
Pit Bull type dogs are notorious for actions unique to these type dogs.
Pit Bulls once they start an attack will not stop even when subjected to intense pain in many cases.
Pit Bull type dogs attack in the manner of many wild animals in that they grab, hold and shake the victim to do even more damage similar to the way large cats, sharks and other predators do.
There have been several studies done over several decades and while the opinions of the authors may differ the numbers are generally consistent in proving that Pit Bulls kill more than all other type dogs.
Another unique trait of Pit Bulls is that they are the only type dog known to attack adults as often as children. An example is the “Mortality, Mauling & Maiming by Vicious Dogs” study, published in April 2011 in the Annals of Surgery. Where it shows that in the age group 21 to 54 Pit Bulls were responsible for 82% of the deaths.
Let me close by saying that this is a serious and persistent issue that must be addressed. We have to find ways to stop the senseless and vicious maiming, mauling, and killing of our children and others by these animals. These attacks and deaths are preventable and we as a society must act to prevent them.
Pit Bull Dangers Part 2
These Attacks are Preventable
I want to discuss the most sensible and effective solutions, and why we need them. Because discussing any problem without discussing a solution is counterproductive. Most will agree we definitely have a problem though they may disagree on exactly what the problem is.
While no solution to any problem is ever 100% effective. Proper laws, and effective controls properly enforced will prevent the vast majority of attacks, injuries and deaths caused by these animals today.
Many people will say laws do not work, if that is so then why do we have laws? Because they do work, not everyone will obey them but most will and those that do not will eventually wind up in court or in jail.
Many will say we have existing laws and enforcing them will solve the problem. Again this is not true. Since existing laws are reactive not proactive and provide little punishment for the owners in these attacks, they are ineffective where it matters the most. Preventing these attacks and the resultant maiming, mauling, permanently life altering injuries, disfiguring, dismemberment, disabling and deadly effects should be our number 1 priority.
You can return a child killed to its parents after an attack, you cannot give back what is lost to a victim after a hand arm or leg has been amputated. You cannot hide or cure the effects of permanently disfiguring scars that so many suffer from the rest of their lives. We have to stop these attacks and we have to do it now.
Pit Bull Dangers Part 3
The Solutions
I feel that the steps listed below are the most sensible and effective solution possible for this issue.
1. Making sure all animals are registered and assessing stiff penalties for not doing so in a timely manner or violating other restrictions placed upon the animals and their owners.
2. Requiring proof of shots, micro-chipping and a minimum of $100,000 liability insurance for any dog weighing 30 pounds or more.
3. Requiring that an annual up to date photo of the animal is provided to animal control at the time of registration.
4. Requiring proper fencing and or kenneling is provided for animals not living in the house or home of the owner. This fencing or kenneling should meet minimum standards to ensure the safety of the public from the animal and the safety of the animal from the public.
5. All dogs weighing 30 pounds or more must be on a 4 foot chain link leash and have either a muzzle or a halter in use whenever outside the dogs fencing or home.
6. Passing a law that makes dog owners responsible for their animal’s actions and liable both civilly and criminally, yet making sure that the law is clearly written and does provide protections for animals defending the owner, family or property.
7. Passing a law making it illegal to allow anyone under the age of 18 to be in control of or be allowed to take out for a walk any dog weighing 30 pounds or more outside of its home or kennel without adult supervision.
8. Mandatory spay neuter laws are very effective, but would need to allow for exemptions some cases.
9. Preventing the owners of these animals from taking them to places frequented by children, such as schools, day cares, church, playgrounds, etc.
10. Strict regulation of breeders, pet stores, shelters and rescues.
Pit Bull Dangers Part 3A
Necessary Legislation
Dog owners must be held accountable for the actions of their animals. This should be done in the same way drivers are held culpable in areas such as drunk driving.
The fines for the regulations listed in part 3 must be heavy enough to actually motivate people not to violate them. Repeatedly violating the steps should end in jail time for offender.
We must recognize that people and human life come first, everything else comes after. Thus we have to act to stop these attacks, the injuries and deaths they cause.
Pit Bull Dangers Part 4
Myths and Misinformation Part 1 of 2
Most people can find a ton of information online easily about Pit Bulls and Dangerous Dogs. The problem is the vast majority of this information is not cited, sourced or accurate. Even when it is sourced most sources are just other sites spreading the same opinions, rumors, or misinformation. This leads many well meaning people to repeat these statements as if they are fact when in truth they are not.
Myth: Temperament testing by the ATTS proves pits are less dangerous, less aggressive etc.
Truth: The temperament test was developed by Alfons Ertelt in 1977. Mr Ertelt was not an animal behaviorist, he worked in the print industry but his passion was dogs and he was involved in schutzhund. (schutzhund is a dog sport that mirrors the training of police dog work and it is dominated by german shepherds) The ATTS test was initially intended to test working dogs for jobs such as police work. When looking at its scoring system you realize that it rewards aggressive dogs and penalizes timid or calm dogs meaning it in no way tests for the suitability of these dogs to be around people or be pets at all.
Myth: Pit Bulls have been called the Nanny Dog
Truth: This myth was started by statements made by two people. Mrs. Lilian Rant, President, Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club of America, magazine editor said they are referred to as a nursemaid dog in an interview published in the New York Times in 1971. Second in 1987 Toronto Star article where Breeder Kathy Thomas, president of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Association said “In England, our Staffies were called the nanny-dog”. No sources or evidence just two heavily vested and bias people’s statements started this whole myth.
Pit Bull Dangers Part 5
Myths and Misinformation Part 2 of 2
Most people can find a ton of information online easily about Pit Bulls and Dangerous Dogs. The problem is the vast majority of this information is not cited, sourced or accurate. Even when it is sourced most sources are just other sites spreading the same opinions, rumors, or misinformation. This leads many well meaning people to repeat these statements as if they are fact when in truth they are not.
Myth: It is always the owner never the dog
Truth: While the owner can make a difference no amount of training, nurture or socializing an animal can change its nature, genetic heritage or instinctual behavior. Pointers will point, retrievers will retrieve, fighting dogs will fight, and this is true without training or even after being trained not to. Humans can choose to act upon instinct or not act upon it; dogs do not have that choice. Many type dogs are owned by the same type people as pit bulls, are abused like pit bulls, and are trained to fight like pit bulls. Many of these type dogs out number pit bulls yet pit bulls maim, maul and kill more people than all other dogs combined. This proves that it is not just the owner or treatment of the animal that makes them so dangerous.
Myth: BSL and Laws do not work
Truth: If laws do not work then why do we have them? Because they do work, while some may not obey the law most people do. Most of those people who do not will eventually wind up in court or in jail as it right. Thus laws do work and are needed in many areas especially in protecting human life from dangerous animals and their irresponsible owners.
Douglas Wolfe
PitBullDangers.com
07/28/2011
Aug 28, 2011 @ 11:24:19
You may be interested in a letter to the editor of the Richmond News (August 26th issue) from a 16 year old boy who commented on his experience at a park where dogs were to be on a leash. Of course, many owners do not leash their dogs and in this case, the younger brother wouldn’t go into the park because he’s afraid of dogs.
I love dogs and we own a dog. We are not great dog owners and unfortunately our dog has nipped a few people in our home. While that is not acceptable he is 15 pounds and really can’t do any damage. However, it is an entirely different situation with a large and powerful animal. There is a reason why is not legal to attempt to keep and domesticate large animals like bears, tigers, etc. I agree with the people who say that the majority of the ‘blame’ goes to the owner but we know that there are plenty of bad owners and people who are tremendously irresponsible. It’s kind of like that trite saying; ‘Guns don’t kill people, people kill people’. Well it’s a lot harder to shoot someone if you don’t have a gun and it’s lot less likely a small child will be injured by a powerful animal if people are not allowed to own and keep large, powerful and potentially dangerous animals. I agree that there needs to be better restrictions on owning and maintaining large animals of any type.
Aug 28, 2011 @ 10:50:50
OMG Finally! A journalist speaks back to the pit nutters. Your friend should not of bowed down to the pressure of the pitbull cult and taken down her page. It is normal for them to blame the victims, deny the severity of the bites, ridicule the persons intelligence and even threaten physical harm to try to get victims to go away. Bowing down to them only makes them win and another person is hurt. Instead she should record any threats from all communication medias. I am so glad someone from the media finally answered back to the crazy BLAME THE MEDIA excuses. We need to ban pitfulls across our nation. The Military has banned pitbulls in all branches of the armed services for a reason. Wimpy politicans are the reason civilians are not protected with a ban of this breed. It is crazy that the Woman who lost her face to a monkey attack resulted in regulations against owning monkeys, but people lose their faces, arms, legs, and lives to pitbulls regularly at a rate thousands of times more often than the rare monkey attack and NOTHING is done. We need to see the hypocracy in this and get politicans to LEAD or get out. Leaders don’t cover and bow down to crazy pitbull advocates who hold prayer vigals for the DOG when it kills a child (as they did in Chesterfield, Va recently for the dog Polar). Thank you for speaking out!
Aug 28, 2011 @ 10:50:29
Unfortunately, Mace won’t do a thing to a pitbull. They have fewer pain sensors than other dogs and much higher aggression when they get angry. Other dogs rarely even break the skin, or bite and release. Pitbulls keep mauling and latch on to the victm and shake for as long as a half an hour or more. You are more likely to die if attacked by a pitbull rather than any other breed. You are also more likely to loose a limb. Sometimes they continue to maul police officers after they are shot. It is sort of like we are living with LIONS running loose now and they expect us to pay taxes for pulbic transportation when it is not safe to walk.
Aug 28, 2011 @ 10:50:01
i was chased by a pitbull only 3 days ago, and it was the scariest thing i have experienced in a long while.
the incident ocurred over by the valley6 theaters in auburn,while i was out on a sunday walk.
this huge wall of muscle and teeth ran up on me so fast, i didnt have hardly time to respond.
it was with another pitbull in their yard, with no fence i might add.luckily the idiot that owned these two killing machines,came out after hearing me screaming profanities.i am carrying mace from now on, and i will spray and ask questions later… “¨
Aug 28, 2011 @ 10:49:27
I am very sorry to hear about the pit bull attack on this little boy, and the attack by pit bull advocates on the family. I received the same treatment after my horse was attacked by a pit bull in a public park, with hundreds of witnesses. There is no “media conspiracy,” behind every pit bull attack story is a very real victim, like your friend’s son, and like my good horse. Many victims do not live, we are very lucky. Please continue to work for stricter dog laws, every victim says the same thing “nobody should have to go through this.”
Aug 28, 2011 @ 10:37:18
Stricter laws and common sense are needed. Perhaps breed should be immaterial and not mentioned. The first attack by any dog should be a warning to the owner and a second should never be allowed to occur.
In my view if a pet is killed or more than three stitches are needed in a human, the attacker should be put down and the owner forbidden to keep a dog for at least five years.
Gotta agree with the sign!
Actually there are very few other dogs killed by pit bull type dogs. The term pit bull describes a type of dog… not a breed. There are over 20 breeds of dogs that people will call a pit bull.. this is underscored by the woman that was killed in Pacificia. The reported pit bull weight was 125 pounds. The American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier at the most weigh 80 pounds.. yet they are the breeds of dogs that will take the blunt of the blame.”¨Most dogs that are called pit bulls are just big headed muscular dogs with no specifice breed. “¨So when you talk about extinction of these types of dogs you must want to get rid of any big headed muscular dog… may be like a labrador or boxer.. that pretty much fits the description
As a true lover of human beings AND animals, I extend my sympathy to your friend’s family.
Pit bull promoters contribute to many injuries and deaths, both of pits, other pets and humans. They want so much to believe that pit bulls are “normal” dogs that they have convinced themselves. They tell the public that misinformation, and naive people acquire pit puppies, and more homeless/dying pits is the tragic result.
Pits are THE choice of dog fighters because of their fighting abilities and instincts created by humans thru centuries of breeding. Now that dog fighting is illegal, no one benefits from these skills. Let them gradually become extinct thru free, mandatory, spay/neuter microchipping.
“fanatical animal protectors “
Tragically, they are not animal protectors. The daily news reports (and how many do not get reported) of other dogs/animals being killed by pit bulls would make true “animal protectors” want to work to reduce the killings.
The “pit bull promoters” or “pit bull pushers” are more accurate names.
Well said. It is never the dog’s fault as dogs do not have morals and do not understand human laws. Dogs have no control in regards to their breeding/heritage (pit bulls were created to kill), their management (off leash, flimsy fences) or their sexual status (intact dogs attack more). That means it is society’s responsibility to address these predictable attacks. Â
Pit bulls suffer disproportionately from severe abuse, neglect, abandonment, young death (euthanasia and otherwise).
Even if pit bulls only killed other dogs (they are the best at that), why would anyone who truly loves dogs, and wants dogs to live long happy lives, be opposed to letting pit bull breeds gradually become extinct?
Free mandatory spay/neuter microchipping for all pits and pit mixes. Everybody wins, including this handicapped breed.
Aug 26, 2011 @ 09:30:56
It’s not the breeds, it’s the way they are raised. I live with a pitbull/rotty cross and she is the biggest baby you will ever meet. She hasnt barked or growled or bit anyone since Ive met her (aside from sounding off when she has her morning piddle.) Anyone who looks to animal control to only control certain animals are creating the frenzy that has people naming breeds when attacks happen. There are many attacks with poodles and german shepards but you have to admit, those dont surface as fast in the media as the words Pitbulls and Rottweilers do. It isnt fair to the breeds or the owners of these breeds who have kind animals who just want to enjoy their lives too. This is a case by case basis and nothing is going to change that. The day we let people tell us what dogs we can own we slowly start losing our freedoms. Where will it end? What is the next thing they will ban or take away “for our own good?” I love that dog and will defend her until the end. I am so sorry for the family of that little boy but instead of targeting a breed, target the owners.
And when I say “since ive met her” I mean she has never bit anyone, ever, including since ive met her which was 5 years ago.
Aug 25, 2011 @ 12:09:45
I read your column STRICTER DOG LAWS NEEDED and agree that something needs to be done, not just in the Okanagan but all over the country. The answer is NOT through banning certain breeds. The problem is that there is not enough RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERSHIP. As mentioned, the dog owners knew the dog had a history but they did not divulge that information. Also, it seems, they did not address the issue. Clearly, when a pit bull or other bully breed bites, it can be devastating. When a yorkie bites it can be a problem.
we need to initiate ownership/handling training just like we do with other dangerous good. How many dogs who bite have had ANY training, or guidance at all? How many people are aware of dog communication/language, which is a difficult thing to read in some cases. There are videos that can be shown to kids to help them learn to read a dog’s signals of uneasiness or nervousness. I say yes, we need stricter dog laws, but we need SOME OWNER laws and public eduction. Dogs can be a wonderful addition to a life but they are animals and as such are in need of GOOD human management. I will try to find you a good video if you want to see it. Just cannot locate it at the moment.
PS. I have a friend who goes to schools to show videos and educate children about dog body language. We should have that here. Here is the link:
http://www.dogscatskids.com/index.html
Aug 23, 2011 @ 16:27:00
I have to say I am disappointing in you Lori. We do not need any dog laws, rather we need to make one that makes sure that the owners should have a dog. I grew up with 2 German Sheppard’s and a pit bull, my parents had the common sense to not let us run around unsupervised with them. None of the dogs were viscous but my parents both knew that kids move around erratically and that can startle animals.
As for people blaming the mother??? WTF its not her fault it rest only on the dogs owners and not supervising the kids.
Aug 21, 2011 @ 21:37:43
Shawn Werre: Don’t bring up the subject of dog laws where I live. There’s so dang many dog fanatics its not funny. I like dogs too, but choice between a dog and a child? Please. Especially one which can rip a kid to pieces. It’s a no brainer, but tell the dog lovers that. They’d forsake their kids first. Seriously.”¨
Andy Campbell I read somewhere that a pregnant woman was killed in SF recently by a pitbull so something clearly needs to be done; whether it’s the owner’s fault or not if you’ve got a potentially lethal weapon there needs to be limits put on it!
“¨Lori Welbourne: The pregnant woman getting killed happened in California – I refer to that in the article. A four year old girl just lost her life in Melbourne from a Pit Bull attack. The reports never stop…”¨
ҬChintu Parikh Lori, Thanks for writing this article. Also, last week, NPR SF had a good discussion on this topic. I was not ever about the extent to which Pit Bulls could cause the harm to humans especially the little ones. Needless to say but the owners have a biased view on this topic.
“¨”¨”¨Anne Gray-Schroeder: I can see part of this article being very applicable, and as well there is always 2-sides to every incident. However most often than not its not the animals most of the time it’s the Dog, Cat, pet of any kind Its the owners. Sometimes the adult or child as well as they think all pets are ok to pet rech out and touch and so on. I am not playing what happened down in anyway, howevwer the owners are the biggest at fault, or somwetimes the parent when you say don’t reach for a dog when you don’t know it and especially when a owner tels them not to pet or reach for a strange dog, some rules are absolutely needed, but so is common sence and caustion for any animale. If your totally unaware of the animals behaviour stay clear unless the owner says its ok, and then still be very careful. I know it happens, but not all pitbull are bad and uncontrollable, I have seen more sweet tempered than not So we all need to be educated and aware that pets of all kinds are all different and it is how they are trained and treated that makes the difference to avoid this type of insident from happening.I hope the little guy is healerd in all ways, and he losses his fear of dogs, as there is alot of good thing for him to enjoy with a pet.
Lee Paluck: people need to be ALOT MORE responsible for thier pets and thier pets actions….why kill the animal when it is not the animals fault but the idiot owners ? …. there will always be an incident but there would be so many less attacks and such if a pets owner was more responsible…it seems pit bull owners have these dogs plus a few other breeds for the sheer “look at my cool dog” factor and not have the tact or responsibility it takes to own one of these dogs, ive seen these breeds with good owners that are not at all vicious or wanting to attack everything in sight, if you need a license to drive and even catch a fish then surely we need to have a license with a training course of some kind to raise and keep a dog of this kind
Darin Thomas West: shoot the owner, poodles bite too…. To all the owners of stupid dogs, a dog is only as smart as the person that trained it……
Kathy Scott: Darin – you say it best … T-R-A-I-N-I-N-G. Get CONTROL of your pet…be it a bird, cat, dog, horse, goat…just do it and be responsible for the actions of your choice of pet. It’s a tough job but anyone should know that, going in – something like … kids???7 hours ago · Like”¨
Andy Campbell: To me this seems simple enough. Why don’t people have to muzzle this particular breed, it clearly has violent tendencies and lethal consequences. In the privacy of your own home or closed off yard then the dog can run free. How hard is this?!?!?”¨”¨ To me this is a weapon in the wrong hands. There are gun law so why aren’t there pitbull laws too. A poodle is the equivalent more or less of a water gun, german sheperd a water cannon and a pit bull an oozy
Aug 21, 2011 @ 20:50:29
Dear Lori,
This is a reply to your column, “Stricter Dog Laws Needed”.
I, unfortunately, did not read your entire column as I’ve never seen the paper in our house (we just moved to Kelowna). My Dad happened to leave the latest, and what seems like, the last part of your column on our kitchen counter this evening (August 20th, 2011). I read it and didn’t understand it. My Dad briefed me on the story on how the boy startled the Pit Bull while it was sleeping.
The dog did nothing wrong.
You never disturb a sleeping dog. ANY dog would do exactly what the Pit Bull did if they were startled when sleeping. It is a natural defense because, in the dog’s mind, it thinks it’s being attacked. When a dog’s sleeping they are the most vulnerable.
Stricter dog laws are not needed in Kelowna, Pentictin, Peach Land, Kamloops, the Okanagan or anywhere in general, because the dog did what it would do naturally.
The ones that were to blame in this whole story are the parents for not educating the kid to not disturb a dog when they’re sleeping.
There is no such thing as a bad dog, only a bad owner. If the owners do not know how to train their dogs (or educate people on the dos and don’ts of being around a dog), then they shouldn’t be dog owners.
Response from Lori: I encourage you to read the entire column. CLICK HERE if you’d like to.
I don’t know if the dog was asleep or awake when the child pet him. He says it was awake and the owner says it was asleep. To me that’s irrelevant. I disagree with you that any dog would do exactly the same thing. I have two dogs who have been woken up when we pet them and even startled awake and they certainly didn’t bite our faces off. Stricter dog laws are for the owners of the dogs and this incident is a prime example of how much we do need them. This was a dog that had already attacked another child and dog, yet the family of the boy wasn’t informed of that or even of it’s existence in the home. I do agree with you that if the owners don’t know how to train their dogs or educate people on the do’s and don’ts of being around a dog that they shouldn’t be dog owners. Perhaps stricter dog laws could enforce that through a license of some kind.
Response from Greta: I personally believe that it’s how you approach a dog that should also be taken into consideration. Maybe the boy pulled its fur accidentally when he went to pet the dog? Maybe he accidentally leaned too far forward and accidentally knelt some on the dog’s paw or tail? There could be a number of factors that are hidden from anyone’s view that we can’t know about.
However, I do agree that maybe dog education classes or something may be required if you’re a first-time dog owner so that you know how to raise a dog properly if you haven’t already owned one. The course could also be available for seasoned owners that want new information or just because. It’d be at a reasonable rate but that way you’re prepared and know what to do…just like baby classes for new parents 🙂
These are my thoughts.
Aug 21, 2011 @ 11:06:49
Hi Lori,
Many years ago I was bit by an Australian Blue Heeler when I was 8 months pregnant with my youngest son. I did not even see the dog, it bit me twice as I put my foot on the homeowners driveway. This was not the first time this animal had bitten either. The mail man refused to deliver mail to the street because of the dog. Because the dog was owned by a prominent member of the city I lived in at the time, authorities left it up to the homeowner to decide what should or should not happen to the dog. I was and still am traumatized by the dog bite.. the dog was not put down.. the owner paid a fine, that was it. Needless to say I was not impressed. I wholeheartedly agree with stronger laws!
Aug 21, 2011 @ 09:18:54
Good article Lori (again). It is good that you cover so many issues in your column. I found it particularily interesting to read the advice put forward by both Jan Eachus nd Coleen Lynn on this subject.
Aug 21, 2011 @ 08:54:48
Very good article on Stricter dog laws needed. I’m a retired Chief Inspector for the Royal SPCA in the UK. For the past 34 years I’ve worked with and investigated 100’s if not over a 1000 incidents involving either dog on human or dog on other pet animal.
In most all cases it was the fault of the owner.
In the case you reported it could have all been prevented by simply removing the dog to a safe area( NOT CHAINING IT UP) or strict supervising of the dog while people outside the family were on the property.
The dog has already indicated from a previous incident it was not happy with what it thought was a stranger on the property.
Although it’s easy to say stricter laws are needed it is also important  that the right laws are asked for.
Multnomah County in Oregon http://www.multcopets.org has a very good example of a workable law to control dangerous dogs yet is fair to the owner, dog and victim.
Calgary in Alberta also has a very good dangerous dog law which again is fair.
It’s important there is not a third time for the same dog.
I’m not suggesting the dog should be put to sleep but certain strict control orders need to be placed on both the owner and dog.At least until such time it can be proven the dogs behaviour has changed.
Thank you.
Jan Eachus – Chief Inspector RSPCA (Retired)
Canine Welfare & Legislation Specialist
Helping the needs of Dogs through Legislation
Aug 21, 2011 @ 08:51:44
Lori,
I just read your wonderful (and sad) piece about the Okanagan family who tried to organize to get better laws (http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/aub/opinion/127952843.html). I just wrote a piece about this that I think this mother will find useful. She needed to have turned commenting OFF on the Facebook page. It’s very difficult with so many of the pro-pit bull crowd being the ages 18-24. They’re highly organized online and many person’s like this poor mother are derailed by them. Here is the post: How to Pass a Local Pit Bull Ordinance (http://blog.dogsbite.org/2011/08/how-to-pass-local-pit-bull-ordinance.html)
Colleen Lynn
Founder of DogsBite.org