Family outraged killer dog is back with owner

^{By Gabrielle Burkhart – Published: April 6, 2015, 10:15 pm}

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – A woman said she felt helpless as she watched a pit bull violently attack and kill her small dog. She said the pit bull yanked her dog from her own yard. Even worse, she said the pit bull is back with its owner, and the victim’s family is outraged.

Animal Control said there’s not much they can do until the court case is resolved. Meanwhile, the family who’s dog was killed, fears for the neighborhood’s safety.

“I got to this point right here and that’s when I saw them shaking her,” Nicole Chavez told KRQE News 13.

Chavez said she watched a pit bull yank her small Maltese named “Minnie,” out from under her own fence Friday afternoon, in their southwest Albuquerque neighborhood.

“This is the hole where they drug her under,” Chavez pointed to a small dirt opening under her wooden fence.

Chavez said she heard her dogs Mickey and Minnie barking. When she saw what was happening, it was too late. She said the dog on the other side of the fence had a grip on Minnie.

“She was just demolished,” Chavez recalled seeing Minnie’s body, mangled and bloody. She said she feared for her five-year-old son.

The American Pit Bull Terrier has a history and bloodline deep rooted in the blood sports of animal baiting and dogfighting. As with all breeds, they retain their original traits. They often to do not accept other animals, especially dogs, and can be extremely aggressive towards them. They may accept animals they are raised with, but have been known to kill other family pets even after years of living together happily.

Most APBT puppies get along fantastically with other animals, including dogs. Puppies often love to play with and have companionship with other animals. This often gives owners a false sense of security. As the APBT matures, their relationship with other animals can change drastically. Often dog aggression issues emerge from 1-3 years in age, but some dog’s exhibit aggression as early as 6 months of age. They often will actively seek out other dogs to engage in fighting with and have broken their collars, crashed through windows, and torn through fences to do so, and one recently leaped from an apartment 2^nd story balcony, to get to a dog. They can get along with other dogs at times, but things can escalate quickly and they can attack suddenly and for no apparent reason. They often redirect onto humans who try to break up the fight¹⁴. Extreme caution should be used with all animal interactions and owners should never be completely comfortable. They can be unpredictable and a dog that plays nicely with dogs for years can suddenly change. Many owners have been shocked to see their beloved pet’s fighting instincts suddenly surface. It is highly recommended that the APBT is separated from other animals in the household when they cannot be supervised¹⁵. This is not a breed that is suitable for interactions at off leash dog parks¹⁶.

It is recommended that American Pit Bull Terrier owners have and carry a break stick¹⁷. A break stick is a device designed to open a Pit Bull type dog’s mouth while it is engaged in fighting. Pit Bull type breeds have a very distinctive fighting style and often will latch on their opponent and not let go. They usually will shake the other animal violently when they are latched on. This can cause horrific damage quickly. The break stick was designed by dog fighters to be inserted into the Pit Bull’s mouth and release his grip. The original purpose was to safely end a dog fight. The break stick often is the ONLY thing that will release the dog’s grip. People have been known to hit Pit Bulls with objects such as a bat or even shoot them and the dog still will not let go. Bully Breed owners should always have one handy in cause of an emergency. The break stick is not safe to use on other breeds of dogs and is only recommended for dogs in the Pit Bull family that were once used for dog fighting purposes.

Click here to read more about the American Pit Bull Terrier

POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOG BREEDS

This is a list of dog breeds that have a history of being potentially dangerous to people, especially children. Daxton’s Friends for Canine Education and Awareness understands that any dog has the ability to bite or inflict serious harm to humans. This list consists of several dog breeds that have a higher than average number of recorded human fatalities. Please use extreme caution if you choose to bring one of these breeds into your home. Rental communities and homeowners insurance may restrict many of the dog breeds on this list due to the likelihood of a serious incident.

Pit Bulls, Mastiff, and Rottweiler lead in fatalities and are listed first. The rest of the breeds are listed in alphabetical order:

Pit Bull Terrier Family