Educational Editorials and Blogs


Daxton’s Friends for Canine Education and Awareness believes it is important to stay informed on current affairs and issues relating to animal welfare and public safety. The following news links will feature information that may play a role in our mission. Striving to serve as a resource for the canine community, Daxton’s Friends attempts to provide the most current and updated information available. Relying heavily on media coverage and established canine-related organizations, we pledge to do our best to provide factual information and research. In addition we will also leverage information from real life events, striving to be responsible philanthropists. If you have been involved in a canine attack, find a canine related incident that you think we should share, or just have a good dog story to tell, please e-mail us at [email protected]*Abusive and/or deceitful emails are subject to being published in full.* 


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When media members are pit bull apologists

Posted by:  – (1/11/16)

Pit bull attacks continue to soar in the US and Canada, and there’s already been more than 20 reported vicious attacks in the first week of 2016, but often the headlines will just state “dog attack.” Sometimes it will identify the breed within the article and sometimes it won’t. One of the reasons is that the media may not know yet. Another reason is the media wants to avoid the controversy and hostile claims of dog racism if the words “pit bull” appear on another report.

It also happens when the member of the media is a pit bull fan trying to protect the reputation of pit bulls.

On January 8, 2016 as Payton Lyric was fighting for her young life after being mauled in the head by a pit bull Rottweiler, Courtney Mimidis, a producer at WSLS Newschannel 10 in Virginia was writing pit bull propaganda to a volunteer of National Pit Bull Victim Awareness (NPBVA).

Her email was in response to facts and figures regarding pit bull attacks that were sent to the news outlet after they published the story of the 15 month old child getting attacked by her babysitter’s pit bull mix:

Hopefully Courtney Mimidis doesn’t learn the hard way like far too many people have. Here she is with Edgar:

Hopefully Courtney Mimidis doesn’t learn the hard way like far too many people have. Here she is with Edgar:

“Hi Sally. Thank you for reaching out, but I think you may have misunderstood the point of this story. This story was not meant to be an attack on the entire pit bull breed. It is specific to this particular dog “E.J.”, which is the reason why I did not mention the breed of the dog until further in the article. Any dog is capable of harming a child or an adult depending on how it was raised and the circumstances.
 
I understand there are similar attack stories out there, but there are even more stories of pit bulls who are not violent killers. My dog, Edgar, is one of them. We got him when he was just six weeks old. He was rescued from a state where owning a pit bull is illegal. Edgar would have been euthanized if he wasn’t rescued, just for being a pit bull, despite the fact he was only six weeks old and had virtually no human interaction, let alone involved in an attack.

Edgar enjoys long walks, taking naps, eating cheese & puppy cones from our local ice cream shop and visiting my grandfather & his friends at the nursing home; as well as hanging out at my dad’s karate school greeting all the students. The kids absolutely love Edgar. He also enjoys going to Oscar’s Pet Resort several times a week for agility class. There he has made many friends, both dogs and humans. He has never been involved in any violent attack or altercation (with human or dog) and most importantly, he’s brought much joy and laughter to our lives. Again, thank you for reaching out. Here’s my favorite picture of Edgar!”

After Sally, the NPBVA volunteer urged her to research pit bull attacks and educate herself on their MO, as well as who and where they attack to better protect herself, her family and her vulnerable neighbors, she responded with this:

“Just because I do not agree with you, does not mean you have the right to assume I am uneducated and should “educate myself.” I did read over the fatality lists. I still believe ANY dog is capable of an attack. Before pit bulls were the vicious dogs, it was the German Shepherds, the Rottweilers, and the Doberman’s. Are some pit bulls dangerous and mean? Absolutely. But the same can be said for EVERY breed.
 
Your argument that pit bulls have been bred for over 300 years to execute the grip, tear and kill bite is weak. Especially given the fact that DNA analysis has proven that dogs commonly identified as pit bulls are often a MIX of multiple breeds. Pit bull is NOT its own breed. The breed of dog that – as you say – was bred to execute the grip, tear and killing bite for over 300 years was NOT the pit bull. It was in fact the Olde English Bulldog (which is no longer around), related to today’s American Bulldog, which is its own breed, not a pit bull. The OEB was originally used in the UK to bait bulls. That was deemed illegal and then in the mid-1830s dog fighting became a replacement.
 
I leave you with yet another picture of Edgar. And just for the fun of it, here’s a picture of my other dog Samson! Woof!”

Shortly after receiving her misguided emails it was announced on social media that Payton Lyric succumbed to her catastrophic injures from the savage mauling two days earlier. It was only January 8 and she was already the second American child to lose her precious life from an attack by a pit bull type dog in 2016.

The WSLS didn’t report her death until late the next day. The identify of the type of dog was not in the headline for either the initial story or the announcement of death, even though it was in the police report supplied to the media. Many pit bull victim advocates complained on social media about that, as well as their comments not being accepted at the bottom of the articles.

This is a problem.

Members of the media should not be purposely trying to protect the reputation of the type of dog that is attacking people and animals at a staggering rate. Mimidis loves her pit bull, and that’s fine, but her unwillingness to share important factual information with the public is not fine. Knowing the truth about pit bulls can save lives and prevent attacks in the future. It could have saved Payton’s precious life if her mother or babysitters had understood the facts.

The emails from Mimidis were full of myths promoted by the well funded pit bull lobby – the kind of disinformation published regularly by the Huffington Post and other unscrupulous media sources. The obscuring of the truth and the spreading of untruths play a momentous role in the pit bull crisis that gets worse with each passing year.

It doesn’t matter if the amount of pit bulls that don’t attack outweigh the ones that do. What matters is that pit bull type dogs kill, mutilate and severely injure more people and animals than all other breeds combined. They were bred for centuries to kill, and they are unpredictable animals. No amount of love or training can stop a pit bull if their genetics kick in. “It’s all how you raise them” is a myth.

Sharing personal experiences and pictures of pit bulls that haven’t been aggressive is a common tactic by pit bull fans. It is no guarantee their dogs will never attack, nor does it negate the fact that pit bulls are inherently dangerous and the No. 1 canine killer of humans and animals.

Mimidis was correct when she stated “any dog is capable of an attack,” but any dog is not capable of ripping off body parts and disembowelling it’s victim. Every breed is not dangerous. In fact, the vast majority are not.

Another popular response she used was the comparison to other dangerous breeds. To try and take the heat off, pit bull fans started saying: “In the 70s it was German Shepherds, in the 80s it was Dobermans, and in the 90s it was Rottweilers. Now it’s the pit bulls.” The reality is, in the 70s German Shepherds killed 10 people, in the 80s Dobermans killed one, and in the 90s Rottweilers killed 17. In the last 10 years pit bull type dogs have killed over 200 and disfigured and injured thousands. No breed has ever been a menace to our communities the way pit bull type dogs have been.

The tired “it’s NOT it’s own breed” was also used. Pit bulls refer to the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and their mixes with predominant pit bull characteristics. All pit bull type dogs are closely related genetically and behaviorally. They were all descended from dog types that were used either to maul bears, cattle and humans to death for entertainment, as well as to eradicate native populations in various colonies, and/or from fighting bulldogs that were pitted against each other and wild boar. Pit bulls are a result of hundreds of years of human selection for a specific tenacious and deadly bite, grip and shear attack pattern. Their physical characteristics were designed to overpower their prey, and they do.

Over 3000 people were reported as attacked by pit bull type dogs in the U.S. and Canada in the last 10 years. Over 2000 were disfigured, disabled or maimed, and 244 people were killed. Severe and fatal attacks from all the other breeds combined did not come close to the horror inflicted by the pit bull type dogs.

The public has a right to know this. Every dog attack story should name the type of dog in the headline if it’s known, so people are more likely to make an informed decision about the kinds of canines they want to own or be around. And all dog attacks resulting in the death of a human being should go national. They rarely ever do.

If members of the media can’t be honest and forthcoming in their reporting, they should get out of the business. Their job is to seek the truth and report it, regardless of their personal  opinions about the subject. And they certainly should not respond to a pit bull attack in this manner anymore than they would react to a drunk driving accident with personal pictures and claims they drink and drive all the time, but haven’t hit anyone yet.

Rest in peace beautiful baby, Payton. Your sweet little face and glorious smile will not be forgotten. Please CLICK HERE for Payton’s GoFundMe account for her funeral expenses.

NationalPitBullAwareness.org, DogsBite.org, DaxtonsFriends.com, Animals24-7.org, BanPitBulls.org

Lori Welbourne is a syndicated columnist. She can be contacted at LoriWelbourne.com


Douglas Skinner, DVM Speaks on Pit Bull Type Dog issue

Wednesday, 7 October 2015

Time to neuter all pit bulls, jail owners for attacks
Another vicious attack by not one, but four pit bulls. Dare we say anything lest we raise the ire of the breed’s apologists?

“I have been in veterinary practice for 43 years and never have seen anything like the infusion of this breed. Having worked with more than 100,000 dogs of all breeds, I defy any apologist to offer up such experience.

Sure, there are sweet pits, but telling one from the bad ones, the Jekyll and Hyde ones that can be incited to violence by some catalyst, is near impossible. While most apologists fancy themselves good trainers, 95 percent of owners are clueless.

Many breeds have a history of use based on genetics; the border collie’s is herding, German short hair pointers find birds, and pits have a history of violence. With that information, it still makes sense from the “it’s how you raise your dog” crowd that any dog could be made to herd or point; I mean, it’s how you raise them, right?

A border collie herds instinctively, pointers find game birds, and a pit bull? Well, it wants to chase two girls across a field with three of its buddies and maul them.

Neuter all pit bulls, require high, double fencing, and give severe fines/incarceration of owners for such attacks. I’ve had it with pit bulls and their mixes trying to bite me during exams or scaring other pet owners. Six weeks old, three months old, you can’t trust them; you can only make excuses for them.”

http://banallpitbulls.blogspot.ca/2015/10/douglas-skinner-dvm-speaks-on-pit-bull.html


Censored by pit bull bullies

lori-welbourne-gag-order-pit-bulls-lori-welbourne-jim-huntPosted by:  – September 23rd, 2015

I received a call last week from the owner of a media company that’s been publishing my column for almost four years. He claimed my recent article “Pit bull propaganda is deadly” had caused such a negative backlash that he and his wife felt it necessary to cancel my column.

“We love your work,” he said. “And we don’t disagree with you on this issue, but these people are very hostile and they won’t let up. They’re relentless.”

Yes, many of them are. That’s what my article titled “Won’t back down” from two weeks ago was about. His news site didn’t run that column, though. Not the next one either, despite it having nothing to do with pit bulls. The aggressive vocal minority accomplished what they set out to do: I was removed from the list of columnists, and my voice with the media company’s readers was silenced.

This is certainly nothing new. Any media that’s dared to publish facts about the inherent dangers of pit bulls has had to deal with mob campaigns conducted by pit bull fanatics from all over North America threatening to harass advertisers or whatever else they can think of in order to convince editors and publishers to shy away from this topic in the future.

“Don’t bully my breed” is a common message from the pit bull advocacy camp. Ironically, they have no problem bullying anyone who speaks the horrifying truth, and that includes the bereaved parents of dead children who were killed by pit bulls.

Celebrities and high-profile people have felt their wrath as well. In 2012 it was reported in the Vancouver Sun that Miss Universe Canada believed the provincial government should either adopt a pit bull ban or at least require them to be leashed and muzzled at all times. After the story came out the ferocious reaction against her was widespread, sparking an online petition from California asking for 10,000 signatures to strip Sahar Biniaz of her title. It ended up garnering 6718 supporters and oodles of vicious comments accusing her of being a hateful, lying, moronic, breedist bimbo. The fact she’d been attacked by her own well-raised, much-loved family pit bull at the age of 14 only proved to them that she was a whiny loser who obviously did something to provoke the dog.

American television personality Kelly Ripa experienced similar fallout later that year in October after she made a rather innocuous inquiry on her talk show while interviewing actor Christopher Walken about the breed of dog his character had in the movie he was promoting: “I mean, if it’s a gangster, it would have to be a dangerous pit bull kind of dog, right?”

Word quickly spread over social media about her ignorant stereotyping of the poor misunderstood breed – during “Pit Bull Awareness Month” no less. On at least one of the petitions against her, they falsely changed her quote to: “Pits are dangerous and only gang bangers and thugs own them.”

The multimillion-dollar-funded pit bull advocacy camp is very efficient. As soon as an article or interview perceived to be maligning the reputation of the pit bull has been posted to the internet, the troops are gathered to launch their assault. Nancy Grace, Judge Judy, Dr. Laura and many radio hosts, journalists and TV personalities have experienced it first hand.

This menacing group may be able to intimidate some into silence, and they may be able to trick some into believing pit bulls are just like any other dog, but they can’t seem to stop the ongoing daily attacks reported in the news. They also can’t change the fact that pit bulls only make up 6% of the dog population in the U.S., yet maim, disfigure and kill more children, adults, pets and livestock than all other breeds combined. None of the other 160+ breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club even come close.

Censoring this message isn’t just disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands of human and animal victims, it’s highly irresponsible to the public at large.

Read full story: https://blogs.theprovince.com/2015/09/23/censored-by-pit-bull-bullies/


pit-bull-fire-ext.-300x12715 real-life tips for surviving a dog attack

by Merritt Clifton

For Dog Bite Prevention Week 2015 the American Humane Association and American Veterinary Medical Association have offered more than a dozen tips for avoiding ordinary dog bites and minimizing the damage when/if a person is attacked by a dog––but for at least 284 children and 316 adults in 2014, none of their advice would have helped.

Those 600 Americans were attacked by dogs,  often several dogs at once,  who were hell-bent on mauling, maiming, and/or killing their victims.  Among those dogs were 627 pit bulls and pit mixes, and 50 other dogs of closely related breeds,  among them Rottweilers,  boxers,   and a variety of pit/mastiff crosses such as the Presa Canario,  Dogo Argentino,  and Cane Corso.

Among the 600 human dog attack victims, 497 suffered permanent disfigurement, 454 of them injured by pit bulls;  49 people died,  32 from pit bull attacks.

Read more: https://www.animals24-7.org/2015/05/16/15-real-life-tips-for-surviving-a-dog-attack/


Screenshot-2015-05-17-12.41.54Murder By Pit Bull

Your Lawscholar

Answering Questions You Never Knew You Had

There are many groups out there with the sole purpose of spreading misleading information about Pit Bulls. A quick Google search will return dozens of websites, articles, even respected news organizations that portray Pit Bulls as “misunderstood” and unfairly maligned sweet, lovable babysitter doggies. If you navigate through several pages, you may come across an occasional headline reporting a pit bull attack, but even these headlines are often watered down in an attempt to minimize the exposure of these dangerous animals. Headlines will say “dog attack” instead of “pit bull attack,” relying on the searcher to click the link to find, buried in the body of the article, a sole mention of the dog breed responsible for the attack.

You would have to go through a several more pages of search results to find a handful of websites and articles criticizing Pit Bulls and the propaganda machine that seeks to flood the homes of middle America with these potential maulers. You really have to look for honest education on the subject. One reason it is so hard to find pro-victim advocacy is that the Pit Bull people viciously attack (not unlike the dogs they promote) any person who dares to mention the obvious disparity in dog-bite injuries and deaths. Anyone who stands up for victims of violent dog attacks, anyone who argues for better regulation of dangerous animals, anyone who asks why Pit Bulls make up only 6% of the dog population but cause 62% of serious and fatal maulings, are immediately and vociferously bombarded with hateful vitriol. I have firsthand knowledge of this fact (there are currently at least 2 online Petitions to have me disbarred because I wrote a book about Pit Bulls[1][2]).

In other words, it is incredibly easy to find pro-pit bull propaganda claiming how sweet and innocent Pit Bulls are, and how breed has nothing to do with the carnage they cause, but it is incredibly difficult to find truthful information about why Pit Bulls maul at a rate 2 times higher than all other dog breeds [400+] combined. Thus, I would find it very difficult to hold the average casual owner criminally liable for unforeseen actions by their dogs. How can you blame someone for leaving a child alone with a Pit Bull for a few minutes when numerous popular media outlets and celebrity activists insist that Pit Bulls are “nanny dogs?”

Click here to read full story: http://www.yourlawscholar.com/?p=103


a01_jd_31mar_dogsgirl-301x400

Complaint: Dangerous dogs being released by city

By  – PUBLISHED: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 12:02 am

They have names like Pappy, Taz and Smokey – pleasant names to make them better candidates for adoption.

But these and dozens of other dogs adopted out of the city of Albuquerque’s animal shelter last year have something else in common: They have killed and maimed other pets, bitten children, attacked their handlers or displayed other signs of aggression.

In more than 100 cases last year, the Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department has allowed the dogs to be adopted by families or returned to their owners even though they flunked nationally recognized standardized tests that showed the animals had dangerous tendencies.

One dog was so aggressive he couldn’t be tested, but was still adopted out. Some volatile dogs were even taken to the Lucky Paws adoption site in Coronado Center.

These are among the explosive allegations in a complaint filed with the city’s Office of Inspector General by the Animal Welfare Department’s second-in-command and its behavior specialist, who said Monday she has resigned out of frustration and alarm for the community.

Both say they have taken their concerns to city animal welfare director Barbara Bruin, who has dismissed their complaints, overruled their recommendations and even reprimanded them for raising the public safety concerns.

Read more: http://www.abqjournal.com/562535/news/is-city-releasing-dangerous-dogs.html


Saving Man’s Best Friend

saving-mans-best-friend-from-pit-bullsHow Dangerous Breed Advocates are Redefining Our Relationships with Dogs and Why We Should Stop Them

By Branwyne Finch
A guest writer for the DogsBite.org Blog.

“When the “experts” in animal welfare organizations excuse pit bull attacks by telling us that “any” dog is capable of killing us, what does this mean for the future of our pets? Can we believe these same “experts” who tell us that therapy dogs are perfectly safe to have around children and the elderly? If explosive and unpredictable aggression in dogs is considered a “normal” part of dog behavior, can we expect to see dogs banned from more and more public places? If injury from a dog attack is considered an acceptable risk for dog owners, will dog ownership eventually be banned by all rental properties, homeowners and condo associations as “too risky”? Will our children grow up believing that all dogs are dangerous and unpredictable, and that they can never approach or interact with any dog they don’t know? Will they be robbed of the joy of relationships with various canine friends?”

Click here to read more: https://blog.dogsbite.org/2012/01/saving-mans-best-friend.html


2015-03-26_22h11_03Insurers, activists clash over danger of dog breeds

A grassroots campaign is fighting House Bill 5361, a proposal to prohibit homeowners and rental insurance providers from setting increased premiums – or denying coverage altogether – if certain types of dogs live on the premises.
By Elizabeth Regan For The Bulletin – Posted Mar. 26, 2015 at 6:03 PM

Liz Marsden has worked for almost 30 years as a dog trainer, including working with 11 of NFL quarterback Michael Vick’s pit bulls after he was sent to prison in 2007 for his role in a dogfighting operation.But the Chaplin resident has disavowed the animal rescue community and taken an activist role in opposition to efforts at the state Capitol to prevent dog breed discrimination.

“These are animals that were purposely bred to fight to the death,” Marsden said of pit bulls, a classification encompassing breeds such as the American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier and bull terrier. “They’re strong, they’re muscular. They have the physical traits to get the job done. And the job is to kill.”

Marsden is beginning a grassroots campaign to fight House Bill 5361, a proposal to prohibit home and rental insurance providers from setting increased premiums – or denying coverage altogether – if certain types of dogs live on the premises.

Testimony from the Property Insurers of America says dog bites cost insurance companies more than $483 million in 2013, with the average dog bite claim coming in at $27,862.

The bill, introduced by state Rep. Brenda Kupchick, R-Fairfield, precludes the use of breed as an underwriting factor unless additional criteria are also taken into account – though it does not specify criteria. The measure is making its way to the House floor after the Committee on Insurance and Real Estate passed it by a vote of 15-4 earlier this month. Committee members state Rep. Emmett Riley, D-Norwich, and state Rep. Christine Rosati, D-Killingly, voted in favor. A separate vote requiring a study to examine the costs to insurance companies for dog-related claims failed by a vote of 13-4.

Written testimony submitted on behalf of the Property Casualty Insurers of America referred to a 2000 study under the auspices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that analyzed dog attack fatalities from 1979 to 1998. The CDC study found at least 25 breeds were involved in 238 human fatalities during the 20-year study period. Pit bull-type dogs and Rottweilers were involved in more than half the deaths, with pit bull-type dogs responsible for 66 and Rottweilers for 39.

Once an active member of the types of organizations supporting the bill, Marsden now says she was misguided. The culture in the shelters she’s worked at puts the mission to protect animals from cruelty before concern for public safety.

“I came from this background working with dogs and believing the propaganda that pit bulls were no worse than any dog statistically,” she said. “It just isn’t true.”She disputes arguments that blame owners for attacks by pit bull-type dogs.

Read more: http://www.norwichbulletin.com/article/20150326/NEWS/150329602/10414/NEWS


Parallels between the messages sent by advocates for aggressive dogs, and

Rice-victim-Klonda (1)

Above: security video of Ray Rice assaulting fiancé; below, security video of Klonda Richey, killed by two Cane Corsos in Dayton, Ohio, on February 6, 2014.

the messages internalized by victims of domestic violence

by Branwyn Finch

As the mother of a teenage daughter, I am very aware of the cultural messages young women receive regarding interpersonal relationships, especially those surrounding the issue of domestic violence. The recent media firestorm over NFL player Ray Rice’s assault of his fiancé in an elevator has brought renewed focus on how we, as a society, view violence against women when perpetrated by a husband or domestic partner. Preventing teen dating violence and educating young people about healthy relationships has been the goal of a domestic violence prevention group in my community. I once served as a parent representative in a focus group held by this organization, and have watched a few of their presentations to our Parent/Teacher Organization. I also attended a very moving lecture sponsored by this same group, where a young woman described her own experience as a victim of domestic violence.

I have come to notice striking similarities between the messages sent by advocates for aggressive dogs, and the messages internalized by victims of domestic violence. In particular, pit bull rescuers/supporters and the perpetrators of violence against women and children seem to share the same techniques for convincing victims that they are to blame for the injuries they suffer at the hands of a violent partner.

Click here to read more: https://www.animals24-7.org/2014/10/16/parallels-between-the-messages-sent-by-advocates-for-aggressive-dogs-and-the-messages-internalized-by-victims-of-domestic-violence/


BERNARD WEIL / TORONTO STAR Star probe shows a remarkable drop in pit bull bites in Toronto in the wake of the ban.

Ontario’s pit bull ban is working and mustn’t be repealed: Editorial

Ontario’s pit bull ban has produced a remarkable reduction of bites in Toronto. It’s further evidence that the ban should stay in place.

Published on Mon Oct 06 2014 – Bernard Weil

The evidence is in, and it should be enough to muzzle any further attempt to reverse Ontario’s successful pit bull ban.

Of course, we don’t expect passionate defenders of pit bulls and associated breeds to quit their emotional campaign on behalf of these animals. No amount of data will convince them that pit bulls pose a hazard.

But responsible legislators need to look further, examine the facts and put public safety first. In doing so they mustn’t ignore compelling new evidence from a Star investigation showing a remarkable drop in pit bull bites in Toronto in the wake of the ban. Indeed, reported incidents of such attacks have almost disappeared.

Anything that reduces the number of such outrages is welcome. But pit bull fanciers find Ontario’s law overly oppressive and they want it gone.

They have long insisted that what exactly constitutes a pit bull is vague and open to interpretation. Therefore assorted mixed breeds and mongrels could be responsible for much of the damage attributed to pit bulls.

The correct response to that is: it doesn’t matter. If using the existing, fuzzy definition of a pit bull produces a 92-per-cent reduction in bites, the law is working remarkably well. The public is being protected. There’s no need for repeal.

Another argument against the ban is that there are no bad pit bulls, only bad owners. Abusive, irresponsible or violence-prone people are the real culprits when these animals go rogue. So it doesn’t make sense to target the breed.

This sounds familiar. Firearms owners, resisting gun control, have long argued: “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” But it’s no reason to allow open access to pistols. The same goes for unrestricted ownership of pit bulls. Public safety must come first. Statistics show these dogs can pose a serious risk. And the best way to protect society is through broad regulations covering every owner — both good and bad — the same way gun restrictions apply to all.

Pit bull fanciers remain upset that Ontario’s law stops them from breeding or importing the pet of their choice, or letting their animal run free as other dogs do. But that’s a small price to pay for a major boost in public safety. The so-called pit bull ban should stay.

Read full article: http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2014/10/06/ontarios_pit_bull_ban_is_working_and_mustnt_be_repealed_editorial.html


03-ice-bucket-challenge-pit-bull-attack-thumbnailVideo: Grandmother Viciously Attacked by Family Pit Bull During Ice Bucket Challenge

Video Captures Unprovoked, Unpredictable Attack

DogsBite.org

DogsBite.org – A dog bite victims’ advocate alerted us to this video on the day it was published on YouTube, February 27, 2015. For several reasons, we believe it will be taken offline in the future — we preserved a copy in case this occurs. For those who can bear to watch it, it is a classic “unprovoked, unpredictable” attack by a pit bull, the very type of attack that appellate courts have described for over 25-years and why cities and entire countries choose to regulate this breed.

“pit bulls are especially dangerous due to their unpredictability. It is impossible to tell from looking at a pit bull whether it is aggressive or not. American Pit Bull Terriers have been known to be friendly and docile at one moment, willing to sit on your lap and lick your face, and at the next moment to attack in a frenzied rage. – Court of Appeals of New Mexico, Garcia v. Village of Tijeras (1988)

CONTENT WARNING Readers who have been viciously attacked by any breed of dog and suffered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder should not watch this video. It might reignite this emotional trauma. Our emphasis on this warning cannot be stressed enough. Once seen, there is no going back. This video does not show gore or injured body parts during the attack. It is the idyllic setting of the video, hijacked by sudden violence, and parts that are not shown that will shudder your core.

The setting is an innocent Ice Bucket Challenge performed by a grandmother in a residential backyard. The grandmother is seated in a chair when the video begins. Three young children, her grandchildren, hold modest sized bowls filled with ice water. “Okay, press the red button,” she says, indicating to the camera holder to start filming, as is required in the ALS Challenge. The grandmother is not thrilled about being nominated for the challenge and vows to return the favor.

“I appreciate the nomination and as you can see the children are thoroughly going to enjoy doing this. Me, however, I’m not. However, I do think I am going to nominate somebody and he’s standing right in front of me.” – Grandmother

At 35 seconds, she covers her face with her hands and braces for the icy cold water. The unpredictable violent attack by the pit bull begins just seconds later — at 43 seconds — which is the first time the dog is seen. If you’ve ever questioned the veracity of an unprovoked, unpredictable attack by a pit bull, in this case an attack on a family member, you won’t again after watching this video. Now that you have read this far, along with our warning, below is a link to the grim video.

 

Read more: https://blog.dogsbite.org/2015/03/worst-ice-bucket-challange-grandmother-attacked-by-pit-bull.html


2015-02-22_15h19_15

Two-Thirds Of Fatalities: A Pit Bull Apologist Confesses!

By All American, Mon, May 23, 2011

Ah yes, pit bulls, don’t you just love them? I love them to the point that it doesn’t matter the amount of damage they are doing, people need to change their ways to avoid the attack of a pit. I say that you need to lock yourselves in your homes, don’t take out your trash, don’t let the kids play in the backyard, don’t walk down the street, especially with another dog.

Another excuse you can make is that pits are always misidentified. We pit apologists invented a wonderful way to prove that they are misidentified. Who cares when the police, the vets, and animal control identify a pit, what do they know? https://thetruthaboutpitbulls.blogspot.com/2011/04/find-pit-bull.html And always refer to the media conspiracy to “get the pits”.

Remember to always bring up the National Canine Research Council. The public falls for those big names, deceptive or not. Yeah, I know this is not a national type of thing, yeah, I know that the main person is a self published author who basically has failed to get her books picked up by a reputable publishing house. The point is the public doesn’t know that. There are more sources you can quote such as the AKC. Sure the AKC allows puppy mill cruelty but they don’t want any cruelty on their big litter producing money maker, pit bulls and Staffies. By the way, pits have several names and staffie is just one of them. The ignorant public may not want a pit as a pet but they might take a Staffordshire Terrier, sounds better.

Even HSUS and the ASPCA stand behind the pits. Yes, they are donor driven and would lose donations if they came out against pits but does the public know that? It’s easy to see how they have been bought with the dogmen’s money because of the change over the years. Sure they bust dogmen, but it is the little ones, not the big guys. The big guys use their donations to support this because it is the easiest way to “get rid of their competition”, just turn them in to HSUS. Keeps them all in business. Dr Michael Fox, Director of the Institute for the study of Animal Problems, Scientific Branch, Humane Society of the United States:

“I spent 20 years studying  the behavior of dogs and it’s not in their nature. Man, has created a monster, If you wish…These dogs were selectively bred to fight, they have greater propensity to fight than other animals.”

“They can attack people, and because the attitudes of Pit Bulls it is more likely they will attack people.  The worry is the power of the dogs jaw…to bite and not let go. It’s quite sufficient to crush right through a child’s arm or leg.”

Randall Lockwood is often used as a source but he has changed his stance because of the pressure that us pit apologists have placed upon him. How dare he call our dogs canine pschopaths.http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/660427671.html?dids=660427671:660427671&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+19%2C+1986&author=Dianne+Dumanoski%2C+Globe+Staff&pub=Boston+Globe+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=A+HOT+DOG+GETS+THE+COLD+SHOULDER%3B+PIT+BULL+BREED+BANISHED+IN+LYNN%3B+LOYALISTS+ATTACK+%22CANINE+RACISM%22&pqatl=google

Let’s hope no one delves into the background of the AVMA. People think of vets in the same vein as doctors and don’t question their motivations. The AVMA stands on the side of breeders because they are agribusiness friendly. Plus their vets make a lot of money taking care of the victims of pits so their stance insures their members of continuing to make money and send the AVMA dues. Who cares that they issued to their vets a brochure about pits being dangerous in their waiting rooms and how to handle them. It’s an old report.http://www.scribd.com/doc/13616704/Dos-and-Donts-Concerning-Vicious-Dogs-by-Donald-H-Clifford  Board members change and so do positions. We don’t have to worry about them.

And never mind the statistics that show regulation is reducing the euthanization of pits in shelters like Denver. Denver now has the lowest euthanization rate of pits in the entire country but don’t tell anyone.https://www.dogsbite.org/pop-pit-bull-death-chart.htm Quote instead the stats from the hospital on bites. It works because the hospital serves outlying areas without regulation and all those bite cases are added in.

Makes it look like Denver has more bites since installing regulations. Aren’t stats wonderful, you can always make them show what you want them to show. And if someone says anything about the Lancaster, California mayor who proclaims a 45% reduction in their crime rate since regulation and credits pit bull regulation for that reduction, just say that the mayor doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Read full article: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/two-thirds-of-fatalities-a-pit-bull-apologist-confesses


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Fatal Dog Attacks Reach Record High in 2014, Off-Property Attacks Surge and Other Annual Trends by DogsBite.org

https://www.dogsbite.org/

In 2014, dogs killed 42 people in the U.S.; the highest DogsBite.org has recorded in a single year. Pit bulls and their mixes contributed to 64% of these deaths.

Austin, TX, February 11, 2015 –(PR.com)– On February 11, DogsBite.org, a national dog bite victims’ group dedicated to reducing serious dog attacks, releases its 2014 annual dog bite fatality statistics. Last year, dogs inflicted 42 deadly attacks in the U.S., the highest ever recorded by the Texas-based nonprofit. On average, a fatal dog attack occurred every 8.7 days in 2014. Pit bulls inflicted 64% (27) of these deaths. Rottweilers, the second most lethal dog breed, followed with 10% (4).

In 2014, the majority of breed-types that killed a person historically have been associated with lethal attacks. The combination of pit bulls, rottweilers and mastiff-type guard dogs and war dogs — the kinds used to create “baiting” bull breeds and fighting breeds — accounted for 83% (35) of all dog bite-related fatalities. Removing this small group of dog breeds leaves 7 dog bite fatalities in 2014, an annual death rate similar to the mid-1970s, before these breed-types rose in popularity.

Surge in Off-Property Attacks

In 2014, loose dogs off their owner’s property inflicted 40% (17) of all dog bite fatalities. The combined 10-year rate — from 2005 to 2014 — of fatal off-property dog attacks is 24%. Last year, 88% (15) of these attacks involved dog owners that were direct or close neighbors to the victim or nearby property owners unfamiliar to the victim. Of this subset, 6 of these attacks occurred in large and midsized cities including, Houston, San Antonio, Modesto, Dayton, Paterson and Killeen.

2014 annual data shows that 57% (24) of all dog bite fatalities involved more than one dog in the deadly attack; 19% (8) involved a pack attack of four of more dogs; 31% (13) involved breeding on the dog owner’s property, either actively or in the recent past and 5% (2) involved tethered dogs. At least 5% (2) also involved “rescue” dogs — both attacks were inflicted by rescued pit bull-mixes. Of all dog attacks resulting in death last year, family dogs comprised 48% (20) of the aggressors.

Southern States Dominate

In 2014, the majority of all dog bite fatalities, 60%, occurred in the Southern United States, up from the combined 10-year rate of 54%. Texas once again led the nation in lethal dog attacks with 7 deaths. Florida followed with 5 deaths, North Carolina with 4 deaths and Alabama and Ohio each with 3 deaths. Two jurisdictions in 2014 — Bell County, Texas and Montgomery County, Ohio — each incurred 2 dog bite fatalities. Both fatal attacks in Montgomery County occurred in Dayton.

Visit DogsBite.org to read the full 2014 report, including our annual discussion notes, also download the related chart, 10-Year U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Chart – 2005 to 2014, and view the 2014 fatal dog attack breed identification photographs.

2014 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Statistics

About DogsBite.org

DogsBite.org is a national dog bite victims’ group dedicated to reducing serious dog attacks. Through our work, we hope to protect both people and pets from future attacks. Our website, www.dogsbite.org, was launched in October 2007 and contains a wide collection of data to help policymakers and citizens learn about dangerous dogs. Our research focuses on pit bull type dogs. Due to selective breeding practices that emphasize aggression and tenacity, this class of dogs negatively impacts communities the most. Our website hosts important dog bite studies, U.S. dog bite fatalities and other key bibliographies. In the Legislating Dogs portion of our site, we offer examples of breed-specific laws (state-by-state) and documentation of the constitutionality of these laws. The Victim Realities section provides a glance into the unforgettable histories victims leave behind and much more. DogsBite.org operates out of Austin, Texas and can be contacted via: 512-650-8510 or [email protected]. Research contributions and active website participation stems from individuals that span the United States of America and across the world.


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Pit Bull Owners Attack, Too

Charles Leerhsen –Charles Leerhsen – 3/28/10

After his dog was attacked by a pit bull, Charles Leerhsen sparked outrage by writing the breed was a natural-born killer. He responds to his misinformed critics.

“The dog is a gentleman,” Mark Twain wrote in a letter to William Dean Howells. “I hope to go to his heaven, not man’s.” I’m not sure if I’d want to spend eternity drinking from a toilet bowl, or eating the canned mystery meat cunningly marketed as Cowboy Cookout, but I recently got a taste of how un-gentle both men and women can be when you critique their choice of canines. In the two weeks since I wrote an article for The Daily Beast in which I described a vicious (but nonfatal) attack by a pit bull on my Wheaten terrier as I walked her on a nocturnal byway in Brooklyn, noted how much mayhem pit bulls cause on a daily basis, and pointed out that you should question the motives of pit bull owners at your own peril, I have personally felt the force of that breed’s blitzing defense.

By listing similar recent attacks in my earlier piece, I was labeled a racist by people who think that you cannot “slander” an entire breed based on “isolated incidents.”

The piece so far has drawn 400 comments on this site, most of them bitterly opposed to my position, and I received many emails and Facebook messages informing me that I was an idiot, a pussy, a fool, a wimp, a racist (more about that in a moment), a crybaby, a puppet of the left, a typical New Yorker, a Nazi, and an ignorant hack for suggesting that people like them were hypersensitive. A few insulted my dog Frankie (who’s much better now, thank you) who at that point was still limping around post-surgically and looking like the carpeting at the No-Tell Motel, saying she was “not the kind of animal I’d want guarding my property” and was “too stupid to defend herself”—a failing that of course led to the real tragedy here: more bad press for pit bulls. Gee, and I thought people only came tolook like the dogs they favored.

The people in my camp tend to come off as an unorganized but pop-culturally savvy bunch who for example knew, when the opposition tried to engender sympathy by noting that the dog in the Little Rascals comedies was a pit bull, that the pibald Petey was on record as having chomped a few of the child stars. Meanwhile, when it came to clichés and other low language, the pit-bullies stooped faster than a professional dog walker on Michael Bloomberg’s block, and they backed their claims that pit bulls were no more dangerous than, say, Chihuahuas, with sketchy studies (fabricated by pit bull lobbying groups, according to at least one commenter) and anecdotal evidence.

Besides dragging in other dog breeds, many commenters who took umbrage at my remarks revealed that guns, automobiles, and alcohol are also capable of causing problems. To those people I say without hesitation that Santa Cruz de la Sierra is the largest city in Bolivia and that unless Jose Reyes stays healthy the Mets are doomed. None of these facts has anything to do with the fitness of pit bulls to live among people and other animals. Such blather does, however, take the focus off the inconvenient truth that pit bulls are always updating their bloody résumés.

By listing similar recent attacks in my earlier piece, I was labeled a racist by people who think that you cannot “slander” an entire breed based on “isolated incidents.” But isn’t it racist to think that certain people (blacks, Asians, and Muslims were the groups that had the dubious honor of being defended) are analogous to dog breeds? The number of races in the world is a controversial subject, but however anthropologists divvy up Homo sapiens, no group aggregates traits that make it more or less fit for a certain kind of employment, or more or less fit to be around other living creatures, than any other race. Meanwhile, the various dog breeds owe their very existence to man’s desire to, for example, hunt, herd, travel by sled, have companionship, live without rats, impress the ladies, and watch dog fights. If we couldn’t generalize about dog breeds, there wouldn’t be any. Why is this even an issue? We generalize about the African lion and, based on our shared perceptions of its habits, have banned its ownership in all but a few special circumstances. Cats are legal as pets, lions are not because a lion, by the standards of civilized society, is a cat taken to ridiculously dangerous extremes.

Read full article: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2010/03/28/pit-bull-owners-attack-too.html


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Pit bulls have been bred for centuries to attack other animals.

How many other animals did pit bulls kill in 2014?

BY

Fifty thousand dogs per year, including at least 34,250 pit bulls, attack other animals, according toANIMALS 24-7 analysis of dog attack data from 2013-2014.

Of the 82,000 animal victims per year, 59,000 die; 23,000 survive their injuries. Among the dead are 15,500 dogs, 95% of them attacked by pit bulls, and 6,000 hooved animals, 93% of them attacked by pit bulls.

Pit bulls also inflict at least 60% of the 29,000 fatal attacks on domestic birds and small mammals, and at least 60% of the 8,250 fatal attacks on cats. About a third of the fatal dog attacks on domestic birds, small mammals, and cats are by dogs who are not caught and identified,  so might also include many pit bulls.


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The pit bull who mauled the donkeys. (KS photo)

Pit bulls committed more than 60% of fatal attacks

Pit bulls appear to have inflicted not less than 60% of the total fatal attacks on animals (68,500),  and probably considerably more,  since pit bulls might also have inflicted a significant share of the 49,000 fatalities on other animals in cases where the attacking dogs were not identified.

Altogether, pit bulls inflicted 95% of the fatal attacks on other dogs (30,466); 93% of the fatal attacks on livestock (10,583); 95% of the fatal attacks on small mammals and poultry (56,400); and at least 61% of the fatal attacks on cats (21,226), of which 35% involved unidentified dogs.

About 90,000 pit bulls were involved in attacks on other animals in 2013-2014: more than 90% of all the dogs inflicting attacks who were identified by breed.

There are about 3.5 million pit bulls in the U.S. at any given time, according to the my annual surveys of dogs offered for sale or adoption via online classified ads.  (See “Large retrievers still nearly twice as popular as pit bulls,”  http://wp.me/p4pKmM-BA.)

Thus in 2013-2014 more than one pit bull in 40 killed or seriously injured another animal, compared with about one dog in 50,000 of other breeds.

Read more: https://www.animals24-7.org/2015/01/27/how-many-other-animals-did-pit-bulls-kill-in-2014/


B9316028458Z.1_20150130174406_000_GO29Q0277.1-0Column: Public needs protection from all pit bulls

Carol Miller – 12:17 a.m. EST January 31, 2015

The Advocate recently asked about cities where pit bulls are not automatically classified as vicious. I give you Cincinnati. Pit bull advocates demanded a city breed ban be dropped in favor of a law that “mirrors state law” passed in 2012. The same demands are now being made in Newark. Nine Ohioans have died in dog attacks since passage of current Ohio law in 2012. This is the model for the proposed Newark law.

Consider these Cincinnati attacks:

•Within weeks of dropping the breed ban, Cincinnati had a fatal pit bull attack. Ronnel Brown was killed by his previously hidden pit bull designer dog mix.

•Medical bills following 6-year-old Zainabou Drame’s catastrophic mauling last June are around $1 million. She will require more surgeries and a lifetime of medical care. Zainabou was in a medically induced coma for weeks, lost her tongue, her face massively damaged, she is unable to speak, swallow or eat.

•Virginia Whitman was mauled by a pit bull while campaigning for her husband.

•Senior citizen Beulah Sheafe was mauled by pit bulls while out for a walk, lost part of her scalp and a quarter pound of flesh from her leg. She favors a return to a pit bull ban.

•A long hospitalization and rehab followed Tammy Tucker who was attacked by her own pit bulls. Police described the dogs as “eating her alive.” This was Tucker’s second attack by the same pit bulls. Tucker saw a specialist in aggressive dogs for help after the first attack to “change herself” but finally admitted that the dogs were the problem after all.

First responders, police, medical helicopters, rehabilitation costs, who pays this? Taxpayers. Is this really what you want for Newark?

Just three weeks into 2015 there have been three fatal dog attacks in the United States. The killer dogs? All pit bulls.

Two no nonsense entities have given this issue due consideration and made decisions based on facts rather than emotional talking points. The United States military bans pit bulls from military housing and the insurance industry, dictated by actuarial risk, refuses coverage or raises rates for pit bulls. Pit bull owners are seldom insured.

The cure for the recent unprovoked attack by a pit bull on a Newark man and his dog is not to throw open the doors welcoming in countless more pit bulls with absolutely no regulation and no insurance. Residents of Newark attacked by pit bulls will pay their own medical bills as this victim is doing. This will be the new norm. Wouldn’t enforcement of current law be a better deal for Newark residents?

State lawmakers promised a revision of the current failed law. Two bills are expected in the new General Assembly to deal with the problems that came with the 2012 changes. The new law is expected to include accountability, enforcement and tracking of dangerous dogs. Wait to see what the new state law offers. Don’t be rushed.

Carol Miller lives near Cleveland and was the victim of a pit bull attack.

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/opinion/readers/2015/01/31/column-public-needs-protection-pit-bulls/22613173/


potentially-dangerous-dog-300x300The Sacramento Bee Claudia Buck column

By Claudia Buck, The Sacramento Bee – 2/6/15

Feb. 06–Rocky’s a big, lovable lunk of high-energy dog who wouldn’t hurt anyone.

At least that’s according to his owners, Moyses and Shirley Baldizan of Sacramento. But to many insurance companies, he’s a bitingly big risk and a potential liability.

That’s what the retired couple recently discovered when they were redoing their homeowners’ insurance policy. Their longtime insurer, The Hartford, said it could no longer provide coverage after being informed the family’s pet was a 65-pound pit bull, one of the breeds many insurance companies classify as too risky to insure.

Randy Brown, a longtime independent insurance agent with McDowall & Keeney Insurance in Sacramento, said he works with seven or eight different insurance carriers and “literally, none of them will write policies for pit bulls, even mixed breeds.”

Similarly, David Belez, owner of a Farmers Insurance Group office in Cameron Park, said some insurers will cover pit bulls or other breeds, but exclude liability coverage for bites or attacks. Others flat-out won’t offer coverage because “the risk is greater than the average breed. There are too many bites, too many claims.”

Read more: http://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/2015/02/06/the-sacramento-bee-claudia-buck-column-a-592009.html#.VNjtQvl4o8o


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Is BSL Ineffective, Expensive, and Difficult to Enforce?

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

BSL is ineffective, expensive, and difficult to enforce.

These claims are as common as air; they’re made so often that few of us question if they’re actually true.

But who is it that makes these claims? And are they true?

Last month Mike Hendricks of the Kansas City Star published an article which claimed that

research . . . shows little correlation between fatal dog bites and the breeds of the dogs inflicting those wounds, . . .1

Mr Hendricks fails to cite the source of the research, but he may have been referring to any of the numerous “studies” authored and published by pit bull advocacy groups. Independent reports, which Mr Hendricks neglects to mention, leave little doubt of the correlation between pit bulls and fatal or disfiguring attacks.

Mr Hendricks’ acceptance and publication of this misinformation follows a now common pattern. Advocates of fighting breeds have repeated these unsupported assertions so often that many journalists accept them without fact-checking.

Read more: http://sruv-pitbulls.blogspot.com/2014/12/is-bsl-ineffective-expensive-and.htm


APBT 2Information needs to be provided regarding pit bulls

Posted: Friday, January 16, 2015 8:32 pm – Julie Wall – Rochester

Pit Bull Rescue Central, the leading pit-bull authority, recommends pit guardians have a “break-stick,” a wedge-shaped piece of wood used to pry open a pit bull’s jaw during an attack.

PBRC says “Since pit bulls have a strong fighting background, we recommend that owners also have a breaking stick as a precaution. … Breaking sticks are not something to brag about and the general public might have the wrong impression if you walk around with a stick in your hand. Breaking sticks are not illegal, but they are considered dog fighting paraphernalia in certain states and/or with certain law enforcement agents.”

PBRC also says “It is a fact that our pit bulls, (American staffordshire terriers) and pit mixes come with a built-in fighting heritage. It doesn’t matter where we get them from, whether it be the pound, a stray we pick up or a puppy we buy from a breeder. The majority of pit bulls will, at some point in their lives, exhibit some degree of dog-on-dog aggression. … Yet, chances are that a ‘normal’ pit bull will not share his affection with other animals. We cannot predict when or where it will happen and we can’t love, train or socialize it out of the dog. Pit bulls may not start fights, but they will finish them.”

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