Yeah, this definitely is a case of serious negligence or even malicious intent. The owner deserves to go to jail and not be allowed to own any kind of animal ever again.

Completely agree! These dogs were definitely trained to attack. I am glad this man survived and is healing well. Geez!

Not only should the owner be charged for having unleashed dogs running wild and attacking this poor man, but the owner should be responsible for every single medical bill Mr. Finley is incurring as a result of this attack.

A civil suit should take care of the medical expenses, and I'm sure Mr. Finley will have no trouble winning. Of course, the owner may have trouble paying up. Give him/her the option to pay or do lots of jail time.

@ JusBidenMyTime... you know that a revovler's safety is the user right? The safety is your finger not on the trigger? Yes the design is so that the gun "shouldn't" discharge if it falls on its hammer UNLESS the trigger has been pulled, but the only way to "engage" the safety is to not use the trigger.

As for caliber, .38 special is slightly better than harsh language! Get yourself a Glock 29, in correct loading you have 3 times the power in a 10mm than the .38 special in a far more concealable and controllable package.

OMG totally agree 8) Ruger LCR lightweight 38+p my bodyguard FTW

Good question. I am certain in my heart that Chicago has a leash law. The dogs were off the leash, they attacked a human being and were in turn put down by the (happily, nearby) police. The dogs' owner was given a citation, probably for not having the dogs leashed. If he is convicted of that particular crime then it's all over but bayonetting the wounded for the civil lawyers. The victim will then own everything the dogs' owner ever wished he had. Now I'm waiting for the animal rights activists to come out how the police shouldn't have shot those poor little puppies.

It's barely been 24 hours - undoubtedly charges will come... but they must file the proper charges, and investigations take time. I don't imagine it's as cut and dry when animals are involved.

I'm glad the man survived such a brutal attack. The dog owner(s) should be charged with attempted manslaughter or something along those lines. Hopefully he'll go to jail for a good long time and be sued for all he's got. Pit bulls can be wonderful pets but are getting a very bad rap because of the kind of training these dogs obviously had. For those of you who suggested jogging with a gun, I'm scared of guns but when you read this kind of thing, it almost makes sense (ditto with criminals who attack joggers).

Actually I prefer a nice illegally short sawed off pump shotgun with about 5 Double 00 buck cartridges in it.....

I dunno about that... it's kinda hard to jog with a shotgun, not to mention conceal. But overall, heck yes, I don't go anywhere without my CCW.

I carry a 6 shot .45 auto pocket pistol with 3 extra mags, those dogs would be dead if it were me being attacked.

Yeah, this guy's probably going to be sued. It's a dog, a piece of property with its own brain that you have to control. This is why we call them 'pets'.

The vast majority of "S&W .38 Specials" have no safety. The ones that do are usually difficult to remove, require an allen-key type of tool, which renders them worthless in a situation where seconds count. Carry that revolver ready to rock, and let your brain be the safety. What a shame that man had to lose his foot because of some pitbulls. If ever there was a breed of dog that should be obliterated from the face of the earth.....

If ever there was a breed of dog that should be obliterated from the face of the earth.....

I've seen plenty of pitbulls that aren't ferocious. It's the owners' / breeders' fault for this, not the dog's breed itself.

Not sure I can agree on that, Ruken, there have been studies done (with foxes, admittedly) that show that an aggressive animal can pass on their aggressive tendencies through bloodlines. This was according to a fifty year study where they separated aggressive foxes from relatively tame, docile ones, and the traits remained steady through the succeeding generations. When you hear about attacks like this, it is ALWAYS the pit bulls, german shepherds, dobermans, etc. I've even heard of young dogs, still puppies, coming from a loving family environment, that attack people for no apparent reason. Is the entire breed suspect? No, but given their training, it's possible that the species could simply have the aggression ingrained into them, and now, unless you know their bloodline, you never know if you'll get one that comes from an aggressive family line. It simply isn't worth the risk. If you want to have one as a pet, do the rest of us a favor and keep the dang thing secured.

Umm, if I had to choose between being mauled by poodles or being mauled by pitbulls, I'll choose the poodles. Breeds do matter.

I am with Ruken on this.

The same was said of German Shepherds, the Dobermans, the Rottweilers.

The owners are the real dangerous animals but we can't put them down so the dogs have to pay.

Chuck,

Ruken is absolutely right. Every pit bull I've ever met has been sweeter, more docile, and more submissive than my labs! It's people training them to kill that are the problem. Yes, they're naturally muscular with powerful jaws, but killing isn't in them inherently. It's placed there when they're forced to kill or be killed by scum humans.

flbikerchick - Just like simpson is doing so much time for his inability to pay?

hey chamberdoc...here we are!!!! pesky animal activists. The dogs were following what they were taught to do by a moron human being. Dogs-yes pits are loyal to people. The man who had these dogs is the person who should be charged. The animals paid with their lives for what an ass hole who taught them to do. I feel terrible for the victim but the dogs did not do this on their own. This just keeps feeding into the bad press for pit bulls...not the humans that really did the crime.

I don't understand why the owner of the dogs has not been charged. These dogs were obviously trained to attack. Now the breed has another strike against it which is unfair since these were dogs used to care for children in the past. They were known as the "nanny dog".

People who say "it's the training, not the breed" are 100% wrong. Dogs similar to pit bulls have been bred since Roman times to attack AND NOT BACK OFF. They fight to the death. You can't train away genetics, although you can certainly make it worse. How many people think that trained tigers are safe pets? You can't completely train away instincts. Just because a pit bull is "sweet and docile" most of the time doesn't mean and can't become a killer in an instant. You can never tell what will set these dogs off, but once they start attacking, almost nothing will stop them. Doberman's, Rottweilers, and German Sheperds have been bred as guard dogs, which means that they, too, are prone to biting. The difference is that these dogs have not been bred to keep attacking, and they have been bred for trainability, meaning that the owner is more likely to be able to control the dog.

It's interesting that people always blame the dog owner and rightly so, not for teaching them to fight but for owning these animals. An acquaintance had two pits since they were puppies, nice dogs who played well with others and liked kids and people. Sweet dogs who would never hurt anyone. Good dogs. Until one day, one of them snapped and tried to kill the other dog and then started after the acquaintance's children. The dog was put down. When will people admit that pits have a genetic disposition to attack and kill: ANYTHING and ANYONE. I bet neither dog in this attack were spayed or neutered either.

Thank you Helico and Crais.

The breed can be sweet and calm, but it seems the really cruel attacks are always carried out by Pits and Rotts.

There are so many other breeds,why do you have have a pit or rott?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl-ZIo-Wztc

Above is my weapon of choice although i prefer a elliptical machine to running or jogging in this day and time . It maybe the dog not the owner i will argue that but there are many stories of these dogs attacking mostly kids and older people . The owners seem to get a kick out of it. My next door neighbor and bad to the bone redneck tattoos and everything has a new attitude since he has met my little friend.

It's really sad that so many people use them to fight and care nothing for the animals. I know where I live fighting is such a big deal they inbred these dogs so much, it probably does make most of them totally nuts. I love all animals, but I would never own a dog that was so unstable, especially around children.

When I was young, around 10 I was attacked by our neighbors dog at a Birthday party at their house. I had been around this dog for years and it had always been sweet. For some unknown reason it lunged at me and grabbed me by the mouth and wouldn't let go. I couldn't scream because my mouth was clamped shut, so I kicked it as hard as I could in the stomach and it let go. It was a pit-rottweiler mix. I still have scares around my mouth where I was bitten, thank God they have faded with age. Unfortunately it's made me very wary of large dogs.

Throughout my life I have owned several dogs (labs and chows mostly) and just recently took in a bull terrier (pit bull in lawmans terms). Of all the dogs that I have owned, Tegan has been the sweetest and smartest dog. She is eager to learn, eager to love, and eager to play. Yes some breeds of pit bulls were bred to fight but there were also breeds of pit bull that were bred to be nanny dogs. Petey from little rascals was a pit bull and the Target mascot is a pit bull. I dont recall hearing any stories of either of these dogs going crazy and attacking their trainers. However the dog who played Lassie was known to bite and attack its owner. (something to think about)

The American Canine society ran temperment tests on pit bulls and found that 95% of the time, these "monster dogs" passed. They were ranked 4th best canine out of 122 breeds tested in the study. Also keep in mind that whenever there is a dog attack, many news reporters will write that the dog was a pit bull just to add to the scare factor. (Not trying to say these dogs were not pit bulls...just saying)

Another thing to remember is that any dog can be a killer. Not too long ago there was a story of a pomeranian mauling a baby to death. The size of the dog and the person/animal being attacked plays a major role in the outcome.

Sadly, an irresponsible owner trained their dogs to kill and attack and a man lost his foot because of this. This is a prime example of what can happen when the wrong people train animals. A responsible owner does their research and train their dogs in a proper manner. This means not killing random people who are taking a jog around the lake.

I missed the breed. Golden Labs again?

Jenn,

Petey from little rascals was a pit bull and the Target mascot is a pit bull.

Yes, Petey was a pit bull terrier. The target dog is a bull terrier. Those are two different breeds with different temperaments and tendencies. If you've recently taken in a bull dog, you might want to learn what breed your dog actually is.

Actually I prefer a nice illegally short sawed off pump shotgun with about 5 Double 00 buck cartridges in it.....

justbidenbytime - Don't you think that you and others are overreacting just a bit. According to dogsbite.ore, in all 2010, there were only 33 reported dog attack fatalities in this country.

I'll bet you bring your own parachute with you when travel by commercial airlines.

Not picking up for the dogs or the owner, but dogs are predatory, pack animals... they don't need to be trained for a coordinated attack... it's instinctual.

It is essential to NEVER assume any dog is passive or friendly, no matter what it's posture or demeanor. Dogs read body language and they can sense fear. They are reactive, impulsive and opportunistic. They can change attitude quickly and for no apparent reason.

The man should have stopped running the second he spotted the dogs and assumed a cautious posture of defense including staring directly at the dogs while backing slowly away. The second the dogs moved toward him he should have raised his arms and shouted at them... common commands, like, 'get down,' 'git,' 'hey,' 'no', 'stop that,' things the dogs master would say to them...

If he ran past them and they reacted as if he were running from them... that is a classic hunting exercise for them... Again, not defending the dogs or owner, but if he reacted fearfully and turned his back on them and ran, he essentially gave himself up like a wounded deer.

Something to keep in mind about all dogs is their two major weak points; the feet and the neck. If you are attacked and unarmed, first try and stomp on the dog's feet... really stomp and grind. If you can get one of your feet planted on a dog's foot you can crush it easily and even break the leg with your other foot.

This man had one dog on each foot so he was at a major disadvantage immediately, but pit bulls are not that big... he could have grabbed a hind leg and bitten the dog's foot.

Another defense method requires the sacrifice of an arm... preferably wrapped in whatever garment you have on... Allowing the dog to grab one arm, quickly lock the other arm behind the dog's head and forcing it's head back with the arm it has in its jaws you can break its neck.

The essential thing to do when confronted by dogs is to avoid showing fear and try to establish a kind of psychic superiority... become the alpha dog... not easy, I know but I speak from experience I was attacked on two separate occasions by large German Shepherds and barely escaped with my life.

On a third occasion I was approached by a Pit Bull in aggressive fashion and fought it off with a blow to the head with a small aluminum rod I carry on a key chain. I never turned my back on it.

Finally my daughter and I were attacked by a large Rottweiler one morning while walking to the train station. This was a hundred pound animal. The dog already had two other people trapped on top of a car and had already bitten one of them.

It came after us and my daughter started to run... I screamed for her to stop and instead we assumed a side by side posture and faced it down. I kept it at bay with a briefcase and landed one swift kick to it's throat and a shot to its head with my keys... it ran away back into the yard of the house it came from. It's owner subsequently disposed of the dog.

Helicohunter....Here we go again!! I really do not understsnd why you'all want to blame the dog and not the Human!! I truly do not.

I am a pit owner and my dog is the most loyal, beautiful, playful, sweet wigglebutt I have ever owned. I have owned many other breeds in my life and I have learned, the smaller the dog. the more vicious the dog....but they cant do much damage, so these incidents are never reported.... I was also a mail carrier for yrs and was attacked by small nippers all the time....never a pitt!!

America needs to wake up and rea;ize these are beautiful creatures and it is the humans that are training them to be this way....it is sooo sad!!

I as well hope this owner is charged as he should be...never let your pit off leash dumb-ass

:)

KevinMC-408868 Your post reminds me of Mr. Bean...

Nothing like carrying a "permitted" Smith & Wesson .38 Special for just such an occasion..... it's small, lightweight and VERY effective.......but keep the safety ON until your ready!

I agree 100% with his comment. I disapprove of the community collapsing his comment. There is nothing in it that is offensive. He was simply stating his opinion.

Unfortunately, the people who are drawn to pitbulls are exactly the type of people that shouldn't own one. These dogs are very loyal and powerful and will do anything for their owner. When you combine that with owners who are completely irresponsible or aggressive themselves, you have a lethal weapon on the loose. I was walking to the mailbox in my neighborhood when the next door neighbor's pitbull attacked me and my 3 small dogs. The dog ran out of the front door when the child came out. How we all survived with only stitches is a miracle. They had the dog destroyed. Mind you, I had known this dog since it was a puppy. I talked to the dog almost everyday across the fence and gave her treats all the time. My neighbors were nice people, but never exercised their dogs. They stayed in the back yard and barked and barked! After the incident, I found out that this pit had attacked their other dog, an older rottie mix, and injured it so badly they had to have it put down. I heard from the owners what a nice girl their pit was and they just didn''t understand why she attacked us. Even if a pit is people friendly, it doens't mean it's dog friendly! Very, very, scary!!!

People who own dogs like this usually don't have a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out of. He's probably hidden his beer can collection by now, and taken the wheels off of his POS car.

Keels1- Your dog may seem sweet today, but could kill someone tomorrow. You can NOT judge whether a pit bull will turn into a killer based on his/her normal behavior. My neighbor has a pit bull. Unlike many pit bull owners, he has extensively trained and socialized his dog. He wanted a dog to scare off burglars, but wanted to be responsible. The dog got loose and killed several goats and severely injured a grown bull! Glad it wasn't people who were killed. If you read the stories on pit bull attacks, you will notice that almost all of the owners say that their dogs have always been sweet, never shown aggression, etc. You are kidding yourself if you think YOUR dog is different from thousands of other pit bulls. I hope you never have to learn the hard way.

helicohunter....I wonder...are you for real? I am an upper middle class white woman.My dog is a very well trained/nutered/socialized animal and he WILLNOT be attacking me or anyone in my home at anytime!

I live in an uppermiddle neighborhood and all my neighbors know my dog. I never let him off leash when he is out of my home, I never chain him in the backyard and forget about him...I treat him with respect and kindness and I guarantee you this dog would lay down his life for me and that my friend brings me great comfort.

:)

keels. Are you for real??/ You state that your dog will not be attacking anyone, and yet you also say tha tyou never let him off leash and you live in an uppermiddle neighborhood.

What does living in an uppermiddle neighborhood have to do with anything? That is just your own hoity toity crap speaking. That just strikes me as snobbish.

And what if your dog gets off leash?? You cannot EVER positively say that your dog, or any dog would not attack.

I guarantee my dogs would protect me also. But.. I would never say that they would not bite! I doubt they would, but they might.

There is no way in hell that you can guarantee your dog will never attack. NO ONE can!

The facts are. Pit bulls and all similar type have a tendency to attack and kill.

cmach.....

1]I would say 99pct of attacks are from un-netured males - my dog is neutered

2]the reason I said I live in an upper middle class neighbor hood is the posts here have stated pitbull owners are drug dealers/basically lowlifes. untrue

3]I never let me dog off leash because I am a responsible owner...If I had a beagle I would do the same.

4]my dog has NEVER shown any agression toward any dog or human....don't you think it behooves the owner of a pit[who attacks] to say the dog has never shown agression....cause if it had and tha owner did nothing about it...they would be in serious trouble.

5]there are millions of pitbull in the US...and compared to the number of attacks each yr...there are millions more that don't attack anyone.....please get your facts straight people....

I also find it Ironic that the same people that hate this dog because they say it kills....want to kill them all!!!!! How can you hate an animal because you say it is a killer ....yet you want to kill??? I guess its ok when its you...right??

Safety off? So you can put a round through your gut or butt when the gun is pulled out? The safety can be quickly released when the gun is drawn - just practice the move in a safe and careful way. Practice until you get it right, then practice more until you cannot get it wrong.

It might be difficult to legally jog with a gun in Chicago - strict gun laws.

Only the criminals are allowed to jog with guns in Chicago. Thank god for gun laws that protect us from the criminal element.

its actually impossible to carry in chicago. yet another example of failed gun laws

Safety off? Are you kidding me? See, it's people like you that make responsible, knowledgable, gun owners look bad. Yes, carry a gun. If it's a revolver, don't have one in the chamber. If you have one in the chamber and it falls out of your waistband and lands on the hammer, you'll shoot your eye out!! If it's a semiauto, don't have it chambered, you should have enough time to chamber the pistol, then shoot the dog. Oh yes, the only good Pitbull is a dead Pitbull.

... or a hambone.

the solution to a dog attack is a 9mm JHP through its head. idk how sweet the dog is to its owner. when it starts attacking others then it should be put down. pit bulls were bred to fight and be aggressive just like border collies were bred to herd. my grandparents border collie had lived with them since it was a couple weeks old. that dog had never seen a sheep or anything herdable in its life. yet it would still try to herd people at parties into the kitchen (it was a strange feeling when you realized that something the size of a skunk just herded 20 people into a tiny kitchen without anyone being the wiser. but the same principle applies to pit bulls. they were bred for agression and to fight. it doesn't matter how they were raised. they all still have that instinct and will turn at a moments notice. i honestly can't remember when there was a vicious maltese or border collie or lab or german shephard running around. its just pit bull after pit bull. if you want to own one fine but if that thing so much as growls at my child im going to put a slug through its head without a second thought. they are dangerous. thats what they were bred to do and thats what they do best.

I'm gonna take a shot here (pun somewhat intended), and guess that Sam's post was intended in jest. If so, I thought it was a hilarious reference to the story about Perry killing a coyote with a .45(?) during his morning jog about a year ago. If not, I still think it's pretty funny, but for very different reasons.

Although I agree that is prudent to have a functional weapon in case of dog attacks due largely to stupid owners. Other things I learned from Rick Perry:

1. Rick Perry is an idiot - or at least gives a remarkable impression of one.
2. He was probably not the president of his high school debate club.
3. His idea of economic development is not necessarily affordable unless all the other states send him money first.
4. See point 1; repeat .... because he will if you let him.

Rick who?.......is he relevant in some way?

ALWAYS carry with a round chambered. Just get a Springfield Armory XD. Trigger safety, and a grip safety. It will ONLY fire if you depress the trigger AND have the gun held properly in your hand (depressing the grip safety). If you carry any other way, you're asking to be shot. The ONLY people trained to carry without a loaded round are Israeli military...and it's because they are trained to immediately rack the gun upon drawing.

sam adams

This is Chicago, most of the people who carry firearms are criminals.

Most Revolvers DO NOT HAVE A SAFETY 8)

just keep your damn finger off that trigger until you are ready to fire 8)

Basic safety rule my pops taught me at like 5 years old 8)

Places like Chicago, New York, DC and California would rather want there citizens disarmed and easy to kill by criminals. The only folks who do get to carry in those states are politicians, elites

I agree Rick Perry is a douche but he was smart enough to carry when jogging 8)

Rick Perry "claims" he shot the coyote (he was just so happen to be jogging without his security detail that day) with his .380 Ruger w/ laser sight... Come on Perry.. You'd think you'd be smarter to have a better gun to carry or to put laser sights on. There are PLENTY of compact 9mm (yes, the .380 is a short 9mm), 40 S&W and 45 APC.

I find it hilarious that rubberduck is lamenting bad ownership as the reason guns get a bad rap but then ends his post with "the only good pit bull is a dead pit bull." How ironic. Bad ownership is also the reason pit bulls have a bad reputation. Pit bulls CAN BE dangerous and CAN BE deadly, just like guns. However, if you are a responsible owner, you shouldn't have a problem. Most pit bulls (who aren't forced to kill in order to survive) are incredibly sweet and calm dogs.

A neighbor carried a gun for protection, and he kept it under the mattress at night. One morning, he dropped the gun while pulling it from under the mattress. It went off and the bullet passed through his buttocks, out his abdomen, and through his wrist. Amazingly, he lived. Guns have their place, but it's better to get rid of the pit bulls so you won't NEED a gun while jogging in a public place. EVEN RESPONSIBLE OWNERS have pit bulls that attack. Pit bulls are a loaded weapon, without any safety lock.

"...you should always jog..."

Sometimes I like to drive that way too.

I own two pistols, a SW 38 revolver and a 357 Ruger revolver, both have a hidden hammer. They don't have a safety just pull the trigger and shot, neither gun would go off unless you really wanted it to. The trigger takes quite a bit of strength to pull the trigger and shot it, I love both of them and they never jam.

seriously? Shut up. These dogs AND owners are vicious. I’m so sick of hearing people say it’s not the dogs. The dogs are a breed that is inherently aggressive. That’s like saying a it’s not the lion, but the bad owner that caused it to attack you.

We had a pit bull kill a 1 year old child in Houston last week, when are they going to ban these vicious dogs. The news article said 71% of deaths from dog attacks are by pit bulls.

really hate to disagree because I am an animal lover as well. But the sad fact is that pit bulls were bred to do one thing. ever wondered where the name came from? because "humans" would dig a pit and put a bear or a boar or another large dangerous animal in it then toss in pit bull terriers to fight the animal to the death.

They were bred to fight and kill, they had no other purpose and the strain has not lost that instinct unfortunately.

Unfortunately there are a lot of bad owners with a lot of dangerous dogs out there. Great for you if you're a 'good' dog owner! Too bad for the person that was mauled because they happened to walk past the drug dealers' house.

I absolutely love dogs but that is full on BS. Pits were bred to fight and KILL just like a hound is bred to hunt. They can be the nicest dog in the world until one day they ain't!...and they maul a person or kill a child. They're very unpredictable and you just never know when this could happen. No way...I'm sorry but the breed should be outlawed. Be sensible...

How many times have we all heard the story like this and the owner says..."Well he has always been wonderful with kids"...or "He's NEVER so much as growled..." or "I only left the baby alone with the dog for just a minute!"... But when this happens it's too late. Then, on top of that, when you combine an aggressive and unpredictable dog with a poor owner it just makes it inevitable that a tragedy will occur. Sorry...get rid of them. There are plenty of other breeds of dog. One less isn't going to hurt anybody.

In this case, they were bad dogs and yes, they had a bad owner. I however disagree that all pit bulls are dangerous. Yes, there is proof that breeders and dog fighters purposely breed these dogs to be aggressive however, they are breeding for dog aggression, not human. How many human dog fighter owners would be alive if the dogs were bred/trained to be human aggressive?

People forget that pitbulls are animals, the same as every other breed of dog. They all have instincts that we humans don't understand. People treating them just like humans (how many times have we heard "they are my baby) and then being shocked and appalled that their baby bit someone set that dog up for failure. Any parent who allows their child to be left alone with any big dog irregardless of breed is setting themselves up for tragedy. Children and dogs should never be left alone together. There is no excuse. If you need to leave the room, then take the child or the dog with you.

I hope that the owner of the two dogs involved in this held fully accountable for what he allowed his dogs to do and that he is never allowed to own any animal ever again. I really hope there is a civil suit as the owner owes Mr. Finley for the rest of his life.

@SShadow All dogs have this fighting instinct. Except in pitbulls it's fighting/killing instinct is intensified greatly and their self preservation instinct is decreased while in the heat of battle. Very dangerous.

Agree rx7...most dogs, if they attack in the first place, will back off if another human gets involved and tries to pull them off. Pits WILL NOT LET GO...They don't care what happens. You could be beating them with a tire iron and they won't stop. They are extremely strong and have a bite that is comparable to an alligator's. When they are in attack mode you have to kill them to stop them. You cannot compare getting bitten by a lab to being attacked by a Pit.

Pitbulls are just like any other dog and to say otherwise is ignorant. Dogs are not inherently vicious. They are trained vicious. People show their stupidity by labeling certain breeds as more violent than others.

Pitbulls are just like any other dog and to say otherwise is ignorant. Dogs are not inherently vicious. They are trained vicious. People show their stupidity by labeling certain breeds as more violent than others.

This.

Saying all pit bulls are vicious is like saying all [insert your choice of human demographic here] are vicious and violent.

I agree with DiverDown1

My friend had a pit bull and that dog baby sat their little boy while he played in the yard. He was one of the nicest, well-trained animals I've ever met. The dog got along with everyone and other dogs. The dog was never beaten or mistreated. Nor did his owner hang one of those stupid heavy chains around its neck. All in all, a very lovable, friendly animal.

IT AIN'T THE DOG! IT'S THE "OWNER".

The dogs in this article should never have been free-roaming'. I do hope the owner of the dogs in this article is taken to the cleaners. NO EXCUSES FOR THIS KIND OF ATTACK.

Bull...Pitbulls are a wasted breed and should be outlawed

More often than not it's the owner and the dog. People select pit bulls for the macho affect which they transfer to those owners. Any mistreated dog can become vicious but there are so many peaceful breeds to choose from why have a dog specifically bred to be aggressive - same goes for wolves or wolf hybrids. There is just no reason to have the dangerous breeds around. I agree they should be outlawed.

Just another dumb@!$%# owner who has caused a man to be hurt and his dogs to be killed in the process. Yes, they should have been shot...they were maiming a man who did nothing but run by...but I also owned a pit (had to give her back to someone who placed her with me because I had to move) and she was a doll. Everyone that met her loved her.

But I was also responsible. I always had her on a leash, and the only problem I had with her was if another animal came into her yard. That happens with a LOT of breeds, yet we tend to treat them like little people and forget what "rules" dogs live by. Once you introduced her the proper way, she had a new friend.

I hope that, among other things, they forbid this jerk to ever own another animal.

I have only told this story to a few people as it is embarrassing, but it has a point.

Many years ago I was walking down a dirt road to meet a friend, I thought I was alone and never saw anyone let alone a golden retriever. Wall I was walking, all of a sudden, it felt like someone had just shot me in the ass. Too my complete surprise I turned and a very angry upset golden retriever (not barking though) was coming at me again this time toward my throat. I moved aside and he missed me, but he was turning and coming for more, at the same time, out of nowhere came my friends Siberian husky (the dog new me) and quickly got the retriever off me. Thank god. Turns out the dog was lying down about fifty feet from me (as I never saw him) and for no apparent reason, or history, attacked me. I personally have had a few Golden's and have never witnessed this kind of behavior. So go figure.

You stupid suburban jerks are wrong. It's the OWNER, not THE DOG. You idiots need to learn some basic animal behavior and come back and make judgements when you are educated...and not like the MAJORITY of reality television watching American IDIOTS.

Most of the comments I've read here are a great example of why America is finished. And good riddance to bad rubbish.

No, those are very bad dogs.

Apparently pitbull brains aren't the only ones that aren't "wired" correctly.

First, kill the dogs

Never got past the first sentence or two, did you?

More people are bit, and more dogs are killed from German shepards, not pitbulls. The problem is the type of person that owns a pitbull often trains them to be aggressive. In order to do that, they train them to be fearful of people. There was a special made about the dogs that Michael Vick owned for fighting. All but 2 dogs were given up for adoption, most of them to families. These dogs were trained to fight other dogs but not to be aggressive to people.

That's pretty naive, Cliff. Pitbulls are not bad dogs, pitbulls are the breed that is most often trained to kill. If you ban pit bulls, then next you will start hearing about a rash of Rottweiler or Chow attacks, or whatever breed becomes the new popular fighting breed.

Dogs are dogs. Deal with the owners, the trainers, the soulless bastards that teach them violence from birth.

So what about all the other dog breeds including mutts that have attacked, bit or charged someone??!!! Do we just kill them all?? How bout humans take responsibility for this!! Can't fix Stupid!!!!

That’s right, because we see so many Cocker Spaniel’s mauling and killing people every day. Your argument, Animal Lover-2853739, is invalid

re :

patricia-761359

More people are bit, and more dogs are killed from German shepards, not pit bulls.

What you say may to true, but I have NOT heard of ANY German shepard attacks in years.

Pitbulls are not bad dogs. I have a 12 year old pitbull. We did the right thing by her, took her to obedience school and educated ourselves in how to properly care/train her. In this situation the owner clearly did not have control of his animals, the dogs and this poor man paid the price for his negligence. He now needs to also pay the price.

Does anyone have any statistics on the percentage of dog attacks by breed? In relation to the actual number of dogs of that breed.

For example, it's meaningless to say that there were, say, 415 attacks by pit bulls and 1312 attacks by German Shepherds ( the numbers here are entirely fictious) without knowing how many of each breed there were.

Sure, it looks like in this case there were about three times as many attacks by German Shepherds as pit bulls, but if there were a total of, let's say, 3,000 pit bulls and 11,000 German Shepherds the numbers would look much different.

I don't recall ever seeing any statistics based on this, so if somebody has any...

patricia....speaking of German Shepards. My sister is a mail carrier and has been "attacked" three times on her route, two of them being German Shepards and one being a lab mix. She is terrified of Shepards with her history with them. She does encounter a couple Pit Bulls and has no problem whatsoever with them.

You really can't blame the breed..........just the owners and how they are trained.

The owner should definitely be charged, but at least should be sued. No one should be attacked like this - no excuse! Don't they have any leash laws?

Any dog can be trained to attack and kill - they don't learn this on their own. The owner is probably a professional dog fighter, thinks having a killer dog gives him some type of "tough guy" status; or deals with drugs. That's pretty much the only reason to have a vicious dog. Don't know if these dogs escaped, were allowed to run free or what they were doing without a leash on and someone in control of them. Not that it matters anymore, since they are now dead.

Also, keep in mind that pit bulls are not naturally aggressive towards people. The pit bulls that are not trained to attack or display any aggressive tendencies - which most do not - are also used as "bait" dogs and are horribly mistreated.

BSL is not the answer, as Ernie stated above. Presa Canarios, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Chows, etc., will then become the next popular fighting dog. BSL not only bans certain breeds, focusing primarily on the pit bull, but any mix of pit bull, as well.

I have two dogs right now, a mini-poodle and a lab/hound mix, but the best dog I ever had was a pitbull mix. Sweetest temperament ever! Ever. Our lab/hound mix used to steal biscuits right from her paws when she wasn't paying attention and there was no retaliation, only confusion wondering where her biscuit ran off to. The little Yorkie down the street - who wasn't leashed - used to run right up to her to pick a fight. She would just stand there and take it, as I tried to walk her down the street.

Please people, no matter what breed of dog you have - spay or neuter them. Do NOT chain them or isolate them from your family - this only promotes anti-social behavior. Socialize them with all types of people, animals and take them to obedience training. Walk your dog consistently every day and treat them with love and respect. You will have a much better pet for it.

PocketClam-20

That’s right, because we see so many Cocker Spaniel’s mauling and killing people every day. Your argument, Animal Lover-2853739, is invalid

I find you reply kinda funny, the worst animal bite i've ever had came from a Cocker Spaniel. I still have the scar to remind me.

Pit bulls are exactly like other dogs. Every dog has the capacity to cause harm. Humans are continually mixing breeds to come up with new breeds (labradoodle anyone?) and to have specific traits. Right now, we all see pit bulls as being the most dangerous breed because the media hypes up the stories of their attacks. They are also the most popular and over bred animal breed right now. Have you been to an animal shelter and seen the percentage of pit bull type dogs there? Also, in most cases, the witnesses involved in a dog attack cannot verify the breed of the dog so the go to answer is a pit bull mix. Even if there is further investigation, you never see the media come back and correct/update the story with the correct breed.

Big dogs need responsible owners. Owners in turn need to know what their breed of dog is capable and need to not only continually train their dog but also train the humans who interact with the dog. Children can be taught not to approach a strange dog, not to stare directly into a dogs eyes, not to reach to take something away from a dog, etc. If more humans were more responsible and educated, there would be less attacks.

If you truly want to reduce the number of pitbulls in the world then work on stopping the source, dog fighters. As long as dog fighting continues to earn a profit for humans, there will always be an animal that is a target for hate. Today its pitbulls. Maybe next time it will be some special breed of lab that breeders have been crossbreeding and trainers have been teaching aggression to. You can scoff but it could easily come to happen until we humans take responsibility.

Breed specific legislation doesn't work. Anyone lobbying for it should first educate themselves with how effective similar legislation has proven in countries where it's been implemented for years. Ban a breed, and they'll still exist in one form or another. Ban pitbulls, and you have a variety of pitbull mixes. You have a policy in place to ban anything that looks pitbull-like, you end up euthanizing breeds like American bulldogs, Staffordshire bull terriers, mastiffs, etc. There's nothing forensic about gauging whether or not a pitbull is in fact a pitbull. It's all subjective.

Regardless of how many dogs are euthanized, more will be bred, and the story repeats itself. Sooner or later the people who abuse these dogs to be vicious will focus their attention onto another breed, who will subsequently be demonized by the public and in a few years we'll find ourselves commenting on a message board just as we are now. The only difference is that we'll be discussing banning another breed -- maybe Great Danes. Or even more ridiculous -- English bulldogs.

BSL has been tried in other countries and failed. It was enacted in the UK in 1991. Guess what? They're still struggling with the issues, and dog rescues are inundated with pitbull mixes.

Let's work on the people abusing the animals, and then we'll help people like the victim attacked by the dogs in this article AND we'll be helping the dogs that were abused and mistreated to behaving that way in the first place. Both are victims.

Cliff-1587172

First, kill the dogs. Second, ban pitbulls completely or make owners pay $2500 per month for insurance. Finally, charge the owner with attempted murder. Steve, there are bad dogs. Pitbull brains are not wired correctly so they are very unpredictable. Read the news about maulings and breeds, pitbulls are bad dogs - period.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that you've never owned a pit bull before. I had never considered having one myself until I met my wife. When we meet she had a pit pup I wasn't crazy about the idea of her having the animal because I had the same mind set that you do now. I came to love the dog very much. We spent time with her, Trianing her not to jump up on peple, Because they are far to big of an animal for that. Not to even bark at people. House trianed, So easy going , She was liad back never met a stranger. I'm almost 50 now And I've owned a lot of dogs, And I have to say she was the best dog I have ever had. Loyal, loving, kind. She was great with kids. Most of all she was a friend, companion, a family member. And my wife and I loved her dearly. Her name was meatball. She's been dead now for a little over a year, And I think of her daily, And miss her dearly. As with the human animal, You/we have killers all around us waiting to snap at any giving moment. Should we ban the human race because you have the few that go over the edge and attack/kill someone? I think not. Before you are so quick to be a judge, juror, and executioner, And decide that an animal should be earased from the face of the earth take a peek at the way human beings treat other human beings. And we supposedly have the mental capacity not to commit such crimes/behavior towards each other. The animal is a creature that doesn't have that ability. Just saying.... RIP MEATBALL.

TheLum

Cliff-1587172

First, kill the dogs. Second, ban pitbulls completely or make owners pay $2500 per month for insurance. Finally, charge the owner with attempted murder. Steve, there are bad dogs. Pitbull brains are not wired correctly so they are very unpredictable. Read the news about maulings and breeds, pitbulls are bad dogs - period.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that you've never owned a pit bull before. I had never considered having one myself until I met my wife. When we met she had a pit pup I wasn't crazy about the idea of her having the animal because I had the same mind set that you do now. I came to love the dog very much. We spent time with her, Training her not to jump up on people, Because they are far to big of an animal for that. Not to even bark at people. House trained, So easy going , She was laid back never met a stranger. I'm almost 50 now And I've owned a lot of dogs, And I have to say she was the best dog I have ever had. Loyal, loving, kind. She was great with kids. Most of all she was a friend, companion, a family member. And my wife and I loved her dearly. Her name was Meatball. She's been dead now for a little over a year, And I think of her daily, And miss her dearly. As with the human animal, You/we have killers all around us waiting to snap at any giving moment. Should we ban the human race because you have the few that go over the edge and attack/kill someone? I think not. Before you are so quick to be a judge, juror, and executioner, And decide that an animal should be earsed from the face of the earth take a peek at the way human beings treat other human beings. And we supposedly have the mental capacity not to commit such crimes/behavior towards each other. The animal is a creature that doesn't have that ability. Just saying.... RIP MEATBALL.

I had to make a few spelling changes...... :)

Unlike pit bulls, the Shepard is a extremely intelligent breed.

MRZ-1191248

Unlike pit bulls, the Shepard is a extremely intelligent breed.

A teenage girl was savagely attacked by her own German Shepherd after the puppy 'suddenly flipped', tearing off part of her face.

Iona Manson from Birmingham, needed two hours of facial reconstruction surgery and more than 50 stitches after the mauling, which tore a chunk out of her nose.

And the 13-year-old, who had raised Fidden since he was nine days old, is still mystified why her 13-month-old pet suddenly attacked her.

TIERRASANTA, Calif. -- The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office determined that the death of a 2-year-old boy mauled by the family's German shepherd mix in a military housing complex was an accident. Police say the family dog attacked Aaron Carlson with his three siblings -- a 3-year-old brother and 5- and 7-year-old sisters -- in the same room on Saturday in the Tierrasanta neighborhood. The children's mother was downstairs in the house during the attack.

Child bitten in throat by German shepherd

A 5 year old girl from Pennsylvania is in the hospital after being attacked a German Shepherd which bit her in the throat. After several hours of surgery, she is on a ventilator and will likely be in the hospital for about a month. The dog bite attack happened at a farm that the girl and her mother went to visit. The dog was roaming the property unleashed and unattended, and the girl and her mother had petted the dog several times before the attack.

A nine-year-old Corner Brook, N.L., girl was hospitalized Saturday after she was attacked by a German shepherd.

Police say her head and upper arm were injured.

She was kept in hospital overnight and released Sunday.

A Royal Newfoundland Constabulary spokesperson says the dog broke free of a tether on its owner's property and was running loose before it attacked the girl. The animal is being tested for disease.

Police say the dog's owner has decided to have it euthanized.

And you were saying how smart a German shepherd dog is?...... I think you are sadly mistaken..... You may want to do a google search and find out just how smart and vicious your favorite dog is.... Seems to me they are just as dangerous as Pit bull dogs..... Think we should have them banned also?

Severed Head -

From my experience as an animal shelter volunteer - most of the bites we get are from small breed dogs. In particular, chihuahuas, dachshunds, and min-pins. American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshires, Mastiffs and other "pitbull" types are extremely unlikely to bite. They are more likely to be animal aggressive, but not usually human aggressive. Unfortunately, when they do bite, they do a massive amount of damage, and bites are much more likely to be fatal.

It's really, really difficult to find a good source to cite. Most of what is up on the internet is biased one way or the other, and victim identification of breed is notoriously unreliable. People see what they expect, and right now, that means "pit bull," even if it really was a Labrador.

Here's some general information about dog bites and the dogs that are most likely to bite. For those that don't want to click on the link - MALE, UNALTERED dogs of any breed compose the vast majority of attacks, dogs chained up, and loose, free-roaming dogs.

http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/stop-animal-abuse/fact-sheets/dog-bites.html

I was just about to post that I would trust my Pit Bull before I trusted my smaller breed Min Pin. I have to put my Min away if there are children at my house, but the Pit, the kids can do anything to him and he just licks them and loves it!

This was on the news awhile ago, someone called the police and the responding officer fired the shots and killed the dogs, most likely saving this mans life. The name of the owner was in the previous stories I believe, but I can't remember it.

You're right about not having to train pitbulls to kill, unfortunately they seem to just have an instinct, like a switch in their brain and when it flips on there is almost nothing you can do short of killing the dog. Unlike other breed types, pitbulls will not halt their attack for anything short of death. I blame irresponsible breeders. Unlike with other breeds there are no breed clubs setting breed standards, licensing breeders or determining which dogs are fit to breed in the first place. When you buy or adopt a pitbull there is no way of knowing anything about its genetics. It's just too bad the dogs have to suffer so much because of this.

first of all - mailman8, please use spell check.

second - all of you that are saying that the dogs are just doing what comes "naturally" are so far away from being educated about dogs.

you all need to do more research into all of the pit bulls that are rescued from the monsters that break them and turn them into something they would normally not be. you all need to do your research on all of the dogs rescued from Vick's horrible compound that were tortured, and trained to kill. most of them have been repaired and rehabilitated and adopted to good loving, nurturing homes with children and other animals. the light has been put back in their eyes and the love restored to their hearts. animals are just like children, they are going to turn out the way they are raised. if they are in a good nurturing loving home, they will grow up and be the same. if they are in an abusive, law breaking, drug filled, alcoholic environment, chances are they are going to grow up that way unless they can be taught to break the cycle. we are the animals voice. we have to speak for them that it is wrong the way they are broken and abused.

Unfortunately these seem to be a preference for pit bills by the very people who shouldn't have them. These are the people who want to have "the baddest dog on the block" to prove how manly they are.

Historically pit bulls have been bred for aggressiveness. This not to say they can't be good, non-agressive dogs, but for the most part they aren't owned by people who would choose to raise them that way.

as was Clearly stated in the article, the police fired the shots and killed the dogs.

Gemini- you're so right! Those poor Vick dogs are great pets now and are so much happier! I loved the show I saw about them, it was terrible at first but then it just warms your heart!

Read the post above. You know nothing at all about dogs and their behavior. By the way, a pit bull is not a breed! Shows how much you know. Bonehead.

The American Pit Bull Terrier is, indeed, a breed and is shown at all professional dog shows. While it is true that they were initially bred for fighting other dogs, they should show no aggressive tendencies towards humans...at all. This is a temperament fault. These particular dogs were trained to kill and were let loose, without a leash, or escaped. The owner should be sued to the max, but will probably deny that he/she owned them.

The problem with the term "pit bull" in all media stories is that this could apply to a myriad of "bullish" breeds. The American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, etc., plus ALL the various mixes of such breeds with other breeds can be attributed to the "pit bull" term being used.

These dogs that attacked are the fault of the owner/trainer. UDunnoBro (how appropriate) - Had you read the article a little further, you would know that the police already killed these dogs.

FYI - Did you know that not one incident of a "pit bull" attack has been attributed to a spayed/neutered dog? Which means, obviously, that all these attacks are done by "intact" dogs, usually trained dogs, dogs that are chained or isolated.

The American Pit Bull is actually an American Staffordshire Terrier. It must be registered so by the AKC. In the UKC, they can be registered as an American Pit Bull Terrier. The UKC Pitt Bull line has been closed by the AKC because they did not feel that the Brits where making enough effort to control the line. Most Pit Bulls in the U.S. are a mixture of Staffordshire and anything else.

I own a Pitbull German Shepherd mix. No problems with her whatsoever. You people should do some research. There are no bad dogs. Owners are bad and I can guarantee that if an owner is killed by their dog, they did something to deserve it. I have 6 dogs and have been in rescue and Pitbulls are no different than Collies. The line of thinking is similar to racism back in the dark ages of this country. Black people are the same as white people, just the color of the skin is different. Deep down we are all the same.

I have had the pleasure of being the guardian of a 70 lb Dobermen who was the biggest lovable baby. People told me he would turn on me so I trained him to turn around in a circle when ever I said "Baron, turn on me." I 've been the guardian of a Pitbull Rottie mix. She was the sweetest dog. Her nick name was Licky Lou because after every meal we fed her, she would come over and start licking us to beat the band. I am now the proud guardian of a 130 lb Rottie with issues. He was a rescue and is aggressive. I do not know his background or what happened to him but we've had him for 4 years and ha has become much calmer and nicer. He is NEVER allowed out without being on a leash. He is always on a lead or in his kennel when it's a nice day. If you treat an amimal nicely, the animal will respond in kind.

Amen...uh, so to speak.

God always gets all the credit but never any of the blame, even though he has the power to alleviate all the world's suffering with a wave of his hand. Or at least he would, if he existed, which he doesn't.

BSL doesn't work. It's been proven ineffective in other countries where it was enacted 20 years ago.

I barely made it through the first paragraph of this dribble. You are closed minded and obviously don't know much about pit bulls let alone dogs in general. Do you even realize a lot of these so called "pit bull" attacks aren't even perpetrated by actual pit bulls..?

david johnson-2110159: They say truth hurts.

well then I guess all black labs need to be "exterminated" too then right?

ALL dogs have the capability of attacking, I'm not defending the two pits in the article, and agree THEY should be (as they were) exterminated.

I've raised labs (all colors) most of my life and there's something off in your personal recount, out of all the labs I've owned only ONE ever bit anyone and that's because he was protecting ME, obviously it's the trainer not the dog.

If you'd read past the first paragraph, you'd have seen that Leatherneck's post supports your supposition about attacks by breeds other than pit bulls. But maybe it was too long for your attention span. Try Twitter.

Problem with these statistics is that most all attacks by large dogs are classified as pit bull attacks. Most of the people coming up with the numbers can't even accurately discern what breed the dogs are.

Pit Bull is NOT A BREED!!!!!

And I hate to say it but a lot of these areas with poorer neighborhoods where drug dealers/users are prevalent will have a lot of mixed breed/pit bulls that have little to no training or have been taught to be mean. I could take a dosile labradore and chain him up in my back yard for a while and certainly make him capable of anything pit bulls are being accused of.

To leatherneck..

You need to address your dogs possible anxiety issues before letting him around your kid. If your dog ever snaps at you or tries to bite you that's a red flag that needs to be addresses asap. And no my pits have never tried to bite me I've been raising dogs for a long time now.

patricia-761359:

Pit Bull is NOT A BREED!!!!! yes it is................

Like many modern breeds, it is impossible to be completely sure of the details of the American Pit Bull Terrier's long history. However, many pit bull enthusiasts believe the origins of the breed can be traced back to antiquity and the Molossian family of dogs. The Molossian family of dogs bears the name of the people with whom they were most often associated - the Molossi tribe, a group of people who lived in ancient Greece and favored the use of robust, muscular dogs in warfare. Officially termed canus molossi (dogs of the Molossi), these animals were reknowned for their fierceness, and for their innate ability to intimidate the enemies of the tribe.

Pit bull=War dog

Black Lab= Hunting dog

1SGFitzsWife4ID: No the problem is you don't see black labs running around killing its owners, kids, neighbors or others now do you. Biting and killing or attempting to kill someone is two totally different things.

Pit bulls for thousands of years were breed to kill, black labs are not.

david johnson-2110159: Problem with these statistics: Sorry but completely BS.

About your other post yes, I am checking into a few things to see about the issue.

Good Lord, Patricia!!! Who cares whether or not they are technically a breed! That is irrelevant to the issue at hand. Get over it!

The Mastiff, Cane Corso and other dog breeds were also descended from the Molossian family. Many breeds of dogs were used in war. In fact, in the movie, "Gladiator", you see a German Shepherd used against the Gauls/Germans in the first war scene. I don't see these dogs on the BSL list. Most dog breeds descended from wolves, but I don't think the Bichon Frise poses much of a threat to humans. The current dog, regardless of breed, has gone through quite a few changes genetically and through breeding practices and no longer resemble the wolf or their canine predecessors. The American Pit Bull Terrier was a popular breed in the early 1900s and could absolutely be trusted with children. So much so, that they were nicknamed, "The Nanny Dog". If you remember, "Petey" on the Little Rascals was a pit bull or pit bull mix. I don't think the movie studios would allow such a dog to work so extensively with children if they thought it was potentially dangerous.

Since these dogs have recently become the acceptable status symbol of gangs and drug dealers, how manly would it be to have one that just lies on the floor waiting for a belly rub? No, these dogs are trained to kill and guard their owners. Most are isolated in the back yard, chained without any affection at all. Honestly...which dog would a gang member most like to be seen with - a viciously trained pit bull or a Shih Tzu? Shih Tzus don't exactly strike terror in the hearts of your rivals or maintain your street cred.

Regarding Labs, I have heard more people complaining about lab bites within the past 10 years or so, but this could be related to inbreeding, since they are popular. Also, Labs (all colors) are considered "sporting" dogs, since they don't really hunt, they retrieve what humans have already hunted and killed.

I was simply making the point that if one doesn't know enough to know what a Pit Bull is, perhaps they shouldn't being making such ignorant comments. The UK has American Pit Bulls. America does not. We have American Stafforshire Terriers. Most pit bulls are a combination of different breeds.

Kris, I was not referring to you! (see the post above yours). You are correct. I just hate to have people randoming attacking a breed because the breed has been abused. I now have 2 French Bulldogs and I cannt tell you how many people ask me if they are `fighting dogs'. I live in Germany any kind of pitbull type dog, including bull terriers, must be muzzled and cannot be kept in certain apartment complexes.

Good post leatherneck. Pit bulls are vicious dogs and should be banned in this country, as they have been in several cities here and in England. Pit bulls attacked someone near here in her own yard and she died an agonizing death over a period of months. This is just one of more than 10 attacks recently. A woman in the L.A. area was attacked by her own dog and killed in a blood stained scene; evidently it was her time of the month, and she should have known to take precautions, according to some pit bull owners. Others said her family must have abused their "pet", even though there were nothing but positive postings from the family regarding the "dog".

As is shown, this type of dog has killed over a hundred and twenty people in the last several years, and probably maimed thousands. The most recent mauling means that this innocent jogger in Chicago HAS NO FOOT left to jog with. You can't replace that with money. Every pit bull owner should be criminally liable for this type/breed of dog. And if it attempts to attack you, (and pit bulls don't let go) the owner should be charged with attempted murder, and if it is a "successful" attack by these gd'ed crazy acting animals, the owner should be chaged with murder.

I don't remember growing up with dogs where if you were innocently walking down the street you had to worry and be concerned about being attacked and killed by these killing machines. But people do now.

They have without provocation killed children in loving families, relatives, parents, by-passers, neighbors, owners. I cannot stand this breed nor stomach the type of people that defend them. They can act good for 10 years and then kill or maim someone without any warning or provocation. How much evidence does it take.

Leatherneck918 - there is an article in the UK from June 2011: Boy, three, left with horrific facial injuries as Labrador savages him. You can google it and find the story.

Any dog, irregardless of breed, has natural instincts that we humans will never, ever understand. They are animals first, then dogs. We all have heard stories about how gentle and loving any breed can be but all it takes is one instinctual reaction that WE will never understand to cause fear and hate.

Did you know that over 2,000 children a year die because of abuse and/or neglect from a parent or guardian? I am not trying to diminish the loss of life or injuries caused by a dog attack, rather than spending millions of dollars and hours trying to eradicate a breed of dog, it would be better spent on education and enforcement of animal laws to prevent attacks in the first place. If we make stronger animal laws and harsher penalties that are enforceable, than maybe we humans can find a more humane way to deal with an issue that we ourselves have created.

Breed specific legislation doesn't work. Anyone lobbying for it should first educate themselves with how effective similar legislation has proven in countries where it's been implemented for years. Ban a breed, and they'll still exist in one form or another. Ban pitbulls, and you have a variety of pitbull mixes. You have a policy in place to ban anything that looks pitbull-like, you end up euthanizing breeds like American bulldogs, Staffordshire bull terriers, mastiffs, etc. There's nothing forensic about gauging whether or not a pitbull is in fact a pitbull. It's all subjective.

Regardless of how many dogs are euthanized, more will be bred, and the story repeats itself. Sooner or later the people who abuse these dogs to be vicious will focus their attention onto another breed, who will subsequently be demonized by the public and in a few years we'll find ourselves commenting on a message board just as we are now. The only difference is that we'll be discussing banning another breed -- maybe Great Danes. Or even more ridiculous -- English bulldogs.

BSL has been tried in other countries and failed. It was enacted in the UK in 1991. Guess what? They're still struggling with the issues, and dog rescues are inundated with pitbull mixes.

Let's work on the people abusing the animals, and then we'll help people like the victim attacked by the dogs in this article AND we'll be helping the dogs that were abused and mistreated to behaving that way in the first place. Both are victims.

Truthin...are you saying that the dog attacked the woman because she was on her period? I don't believe that. I SCUBA and have been with sharks while having mine and animals are not attracted to menses. I don't believe that story. There is more to it.

Hi Diverdowns, I couldn't find the video on the site stated, although it alludes to same. There was a pregnant woman in Pacifica who belonged to "Bad Rap" and "Bay Area Dog lovers Responsible About Pit Bulls" who was savagely killed by her male pit bull, although the female pit bull did not attack her. The spouse forgave the "dog", and evidently planned to bury their ashes together. The article was from August 15, 2011. In a series of articles re: same, it also talks of a 2 year old and a 12 year old that had been killed by pit bulls within the previous 5 years.

I've had 2 pit bulls as pets for over 10 years. I also have a small miniature dog that lives with them. They even sleep together. These dogs are around kids, other dogs, and other adults all the time. Never an issue. They were raised right from the beginning just like any other breed should be. They were not raised like a fighting or killing machine like most pits raised by morons. These dogs wouldn't hurt a hair on anyones head and would happily give their lives in defense of the kids or us. They shouldn't be banned.. Stupidity on the part of owners should be HEAVILY prosecuted and this goes for all breeds not just pit bulls.

It depends on the dog and the owner. I've friends and a family member who own very sweet, kind pit bulls. Getting the breed banned won't work. Personally, the only pit bull I'd consider buying are AKC-certified or otherwise bred from show dogs. Responsible owners have responsible pets. I would not buy a pit puppy off from some person on the street, however. Environment and genetics go hand-in-hand, to say it's purely genetic is being simplistic and you're only reading things at face value. Generalizing the breed with actual wild animals is ignorant; look up the history of bulldogs, for they also had a horrible reputation about a hundred or so years ago. Heck, German shepherds, rottweilers, and dobermans used to have a bad reputation for being mean guard dogs. Go do some more research you clearly missed.

Totally agree. I have similar problems when bicycling, especially in rural areas. And if you dare say anything to their owners, you are the bad guy.

Read more than the headline.

Sono! Read the article! Fifth paragraph from the bottom: "Responding police officers killed the two dogs."

NOT A BREED!

How bout doing something about the useless POS that trains in innocent animal to kill!!!

Agreed!!

No, but we should start giving a test to people who want to own a dog. Not the dog, the owner...period.

preferably with a wood chipper.

Jim,

I just happened to notice your post AFTER I posted mine below on the same topic. Whenever I jog I carry my semi-auto .380 (I have a carry conceal license in Florida) for this VERY purpose. What has happened to this country where some cities (like Chicago) tell the public they are not allowed to protect themselves? These dogs would have been shot between the eyes before they got my shoe off.....

So sad this once healthy man (he was jogging for pete's sake!!) barely survives the attack AND lost his foot all because Chicago doesn't care about their citizens...........

I don't like guns because of accidents and alcohol related killings. I certainly wouldn't want to have to carry a loaded one to go for a walk or jog. My question to the gun owners and others is - wouldn't pepper spray be an effective deterrent for an attacking dog(s)?

Well said!

Actually, selective breeding for dog fighting probably has made the breed in general unpredictable over a period of time (probably true of Rottweilers and all the "tough" breeds). I don't think "banning" is the answer. Instead, breeders need to reverse the trend and begin selecting the docile dogs for breeding, and neutering/spaying dogs that show violent and unpredictable characteristics. Of course, you'll always have the idiots who want a "thug" dog, and the scum who breed for dog-fighting, but the general trend could be back towards a stable companion and guard dog, as pit bulls were a century or so ago.

Very insightful flbikerchick. Whenever I see some idiot owning a pit just to look cool or to have an intimidating dog it just makes me sick

flbikerchick - just fyi, Rottweilers were never bread for fighting, they were bread to protect herds of cattle. There are actually no other types of dogs that were bred exclusively for fighting besides pitbulls. All other breeds that are often considered "aggressive" or "dangerous" were bread for protection or guarding. They usually only become aggressive when someone threatens their pack (family) or their home.

THANK YOU M. JONES!!! Thank you!

This is the biggest load of crap I have ever heard...educate yourself on dogs before saying something like that

Yes, this is the correct response.

Thank you Animal Lover. This kind of stuff reminds me of racism. Ridiculous and unfounded. Love me some Pits, shepherds any dog. Dogs are more godlike than any human I know.

Dogs are more Godlike? WTF? Than Mother Theresa? Jesus? Assuming that your idea of God is the Creator of the world and universe, only man was given this power and ability to create. What have dogs ever created? How are dogs Godlike? Were these two in the story being Godlike?

And all the people saying dogs are all good and that the bad ones weren't raised well with love and affection and social skills - couldn't that also be said about most bad humans as well?

Because dogs are real things unlike the others in your list.

Growing up, our next door neighbor had Shelties. The herding instinct seems to be hard-wired in them! They herded our beagles all the time. They tried to herd the cat, but he just looked them like they were nuts and laid down in front of them.

<G>

It really frustrated the Shelties!

I owned a boarder collie once...she was the most agressive dog I ever owned! I could not even walk her with leash...she would try to attack everything! She even bit me trying to get to another dog.

She ended up dying of a blood disorder...I always wondered if one thing had to do with the other?

I now own a fully grown male [nutered] pit.....he is the best dog I ever had. I walk him every day and love it!!! he is a sweetie....and no he will never attack me, sorry haters...

Man I glad to hear that he is doing okay; I can’t imagine what he truly went through, and how scared he was during the attack. I own a blue nose pit bull and he has the sweetest nature, I can’t ever image him doing something so vicious. It’s a shame that PEOPLE give pit bulls a bad name, obviously these ones were trained to attack – they were trained by people! Dogs that are taken care of properly don’t generally do something like this, and of course all the dog fighting that people encourage their pit bulls to do don’t help either. For all you folks who are slamming the breed just because of their irresponsible owners need to really think about it. Any dog is capable of doing something like this. I also have a GSD who is trained in personal protection and can tear some up and down given the right command, he could do worse damage than my pit bull ever could…does that make him a bad dog? NO it does not. Let’s put the blame where blame should be…on the owners no the dog

Wow rubberducky76, nothing like taking the law into your hands, huh?

That's right. With two small children at home, I would be proactive in ensuring they do not end up as dog food for these mongrels.