Its only because morons with masculinity issues insist on getting what they perceive to be a 'tough' dog. Because they are also tiny brained wipers of other people bottoms, they abuse the animal, and make it mean. You can do that with any dog, its just that pinheads get dogs on the monkey see, monkey do program, so they all end up with pit bulls.

70% + of dog attacks, and 90% of dog deaths are done by intact males. Many people who get pit bulls as status symbols do not neuter their males. I have know dozens of pit bulls, and not one has ever attacked. I have known 5 golden retrievers, and 2 have attacked. Coincidentally, all my friends' pit bulls are fixed, and the retrievers that attacked, were intact.

I'm getting to the point where it's hard for me to feel sorry. In spite of stories like these, many people insist that these dogs have to be trained for aggression, and then they negligently leave the dogs with children and the elderly to prove their points. Wake up. It is in the dogs' genes. Dogs are essentially wild animals, and some breeds were bred for their aggressive traits. We should now start the putting owners of these dogs in jail when negligence is involved, call it negligent homicide or assault with a deadly weapon. There is now enough proof that these dogs cannot be trusted.

most non-dog people don't know the difference.

I don't consider myself a "dog person" and the difference is pretty obvious to me... yellow lab = short hair, golden retriever = shaggy hair.

That said, if these pit bulls were "family pets", I don't think it's very likely they were raised as fighting dogs, like you see with some pit bull attacks. And if I'm right, it's just yet another piece of evidence to reinforce my opinion that pit bulls are just naturally mean and vicious and not the gentle cuddle-buckets their owners like to pretend they are.

Hey PEAS - moron, you shouldn't be kicking ANY animal. You people are a true piece of work.

Since you are so worried about being part of most let me modify my statement so you no longer feel the need for snide.

What the f--k is your problem dude? I wasn't being "snide", I was just pointing out that labs and retrievers aren't all that similar. No need to get defensive.

Dog's are as mean as they are trained to be. If you spay/neuter your dog and provide it affectionate, positive training, I doubt this would happen. I bet the dogs are unneutered males raised by some macho low life who has to prove his masculinity by parading around fear-inspiring dogs.

It won't take long for the excuse makers to post about what wonderful dogs pit bulls are and how this is all the fault of the owners. It's strange how each owner of a pit bull that kills someone always says the same thing and that their dog had never previously shown any violent tendencies.

I know you pit bull owners and lovers are a rabid bunch and I get that you want to defend them, but the fact is that these (and other) breeds are dangerous and kill. If you need evidence, there are multiple links to these killings. For example, THIS ARTICLE. The dogs killed. Period.

Pit bulls are one of the breeds that don't distinguish between human children and other dogs, and bringing a new dog into the pack can often end up in a mauling such as this.

They are. Any breed can be gentle or aggressive. It is the owners that are at fault. I have a hard time believing that more than one dog needed to be taken away and the owners are surprised. These people raised these dogs to fight.

Very sad!

As a former animal control officer with years of experience, I'd like to weigh in on this one. "Pit Bulls" are not actually a recognized breed. They are derived from American Staffordshire Terriers. The Staffordshires, when bred by an experienced professional who takes temperament into account is an intelligent protective dog. The problem Pits are usually bred by stupid backyard breeders who don't breed for good traits, many breed for aggression and a willingness to kill other animals or even people. It the breeders themselves, many looking for fighting dogs that has all but ruined this type of dog.

Now as far as leaving a pit or any other dog with a small child, DON"T DO IT!!! Any dog can be aggressive in the right circumstances. One case I recall involved a small child and the family Great Dane. The dog had been purchased from a good breeder when the child was an infant so the two could grow up together. On the day I was called to the hospital by the Emergency Room staff, the child, now about 5 years old, had gotten between the dog and his food bowl at feeding time . The dog grabbed the boy by the head and mauled him. Luckily, the child survived, but he had well over 125 stitches and staples in his little head. The family demanded the dog back.

The worst mauling I ever got was from a cocker spaniel, he just shredded my ankle. ANY breed can and will bite. Some are more quick to act than others, but to trust completely any dog with any small child is risking the most important thing in your life, your child.

Actually, we got a full grown pit bull when I was about 5. That was the most even-tempered dog I ever saw. I did get bit by someone elses pit once. That was because she had puppies and I got too close. She bit my face (not hard. only a snip. no scars) as a warning. I backed off and so did she. She was always friendly toward me before and after that.

I really HATE when ignorant people group all pits into the "aggressive child-killer" group. As I've witnessed first-hand, it's how they're raised. Of course, there are some bad eggs, but that's in every species... including human. There are any number of reasons for the attack... especially since the whole story isn't available.

There are other dog attacks that aren't reported because they're not as deadly. A pit is a powerful dog and when it attacks, it can cause some serious damage. A lot of other dogs can't do the same damage as a pit, so they're not as lethal and hence not reported.

So, all you pit bull haters that think you know everything about dogs and think all pit bulls are natural born psychotic killers... just give it a rest.

Any dog has the propensity to be dangerous. The larger and stronger the breed, the more damage they can inflict. I ran a dog rescue for more than 20 years and have fostered almost every breed there is. I was raised with pits (Grandma) and German Shepherds (Dad) and the GSD is my favorite breed. As loyal, loving, and protective as my shepherds are, I still take pains to see them well-trained and I do not leave them unattended with children.

Whenever I see such a tragedy as this, my first thought is not to inquire about the breed, but rather the owners. Dogs are an incredible addition to your family and home, but they take an investment of time, effort and money. If you can't be a responsible pet owner, then please, do not have one. If you feel must have a dog, or any pet, then follow through on your commitment. 1) Spay and neuter. 2) Invest in at least basic obedience training. 3) Don't let your furry family member run loose and unattended. 4) Treat your pet with love, but keep firm behavioral boundaries through training and continuity. 5) Meet your pet's health and care needs. 6) If you find you cannot do these things, then relinquish the pet to a reputable rescue agency. (I'm sick of the number of pets abandoned to die horrible deaths out here in the country.)

This type of tragedy is avoidable, but it takes a responsible pet-owner to prevent it. Making a single breed the scapegoat is neither realistic nor honest.

I am an animal rescuer, animal lover, and I am an advocate for all bully breeds. I am a lead volunteer at a no kill shelter that educates, advocates for the bully breed. I.E. American pit bulls, Pit bull Terrier, Staffordshire terrier, and bull dogs. To say that this breed is vicious and should not be trusted, is to stereostype. Pit bulls in the early 1900's were actually nanny dogs. They were assigned to an infant, toddler, child to serve as a nanny. Back in the day, Dobermans, German Shepard, Rottweilers were all considered vicious, and unfortunately it is now the bully breeds. These dogs are gentle, loving, loyal, and want nothing more to be a loved family pet. It is human beings that train these dogs to be mean. To say all pits are vicious, is to say all Mexicans, Blacks, ect are criminals. I am hispanic and can vouch, I do not like to be stereotyped. Before you make a statement like that, I say, stop looking at how the media portrays the breed, and walk a pit, visit a shelter, and see how wonderful they are. I have 2 pits of my own, and they sleep with my cat. They are wonderful & have never been aggressive bc they are spayed/neutered, loved, and I am a responsible pet owner, no matter what the breed. I have seen dogs come to our shelter that were abused, tied up, used as bait dogs, used as fighting dogs, and should probably hate humans bc of what they were put thru at the hands of the people they trusted, but instead, they greet me with kisses, tails wagging, and just want to be loved. So before you banish a whole breed, stop, think bout it, and realize it is just simply ignorant to do so.

Its people like you that really give other compassionate humans a bad name.

@ Ro Mar

Well said! I wish more people would consider all those things when they get a dog. Many only consider how cute that little puppy is, never thinking how big will it get, do I have the time or experience to train it, what kind of medical treatments are needed, etc. And I heartily agree that the number one thing you should do is spay or neuter! Tens of thousands of gentle loving animals are either euthanized or abandoned every year because of the population explosion of pets. Spaying or neutering can avoid all kinds of health problems in the future, reduce aggressive behavior, avoid marking, or a female going into heat (that can cause chaos in an entire neighborhood if there are a lot of unaltered dogs). Spayed or neutering is a win for the owner and a win for the pet.

C. Loffen, you sound the Muslims who repeatedly tell us that Islam is a religion of peace, just don't piss them off.

Like most Americans, I can only judge by what I see. I raised and showed dogs for many years. My son and I were around many breeds of dogs at shows and at home. The ONLY dog that ever attacked me was a pitbull. One day I was out for a walk with my dog, and this pitbull came out of nowhere and attacked both of us. I never found out who owned it. Luckily neither my dog nor myself was seriously hurt. I had a stick that I beat down on the attacking dog and he eventually took off.

I may not know everything about dogs, but I DO know that I would never let a pitbull in my house.

There's not a lot of detail in this article, but I don't understand why anyone would leave an 8mo baby alone with 3 dogs. Of ANY breed.

Frustrated,

You name one thing they're good at. They don't hunt, they wont retrieve. Just like I stated, completely worthless!!

I told you it wouldn't be long. Clearly you are right and I am wrong. This 8 month old baby obviously provoked the innocent pit bulls and got mauled. The poor pit bulls clearly were only defending themselves.

There are people on here even blaming the media for stereotyping. Read the article and countless others just like this one. The articles are the evidence to suport my comment. Innocent people mauled and murdered, but somehow I am spouting ignorance because we continually see this all the time. Ok

Need to edit to say this comment was in reply to Chooch

This has absolutely nothing to do with bad dogs, bad breeds, packs of dogs, or any other animals other than dumb humans.

Would someone please tell me why any parent would leave any baby with 3 anythings less than strong parental care????? You do not leave children, esp babies to be cared for by any wild animal, dog cat, or chimpmunk. When the parenting sucks,the child pays the price.

I'm sure this family needed THREE pitbulls to protect their Chevy Caprice with the 20 inch rims.

Let us suppose for a minute that the people defending pit bulls on here are correct and it is the owners who train them to attack. Unless you can find a way to prevent stupid people from getting these dogs, then the breed needs to be outlawed. This is the only way to protect innocent people from being attacked. The dogs referred to in this article need to be destroyed and the owners sent to prison. Sugeebabe said that it would be ignorant to banish a whole breed. I say it would be ignorant not to! How many innocent people need to be mauled or killed before people realize this is an aggressive breed of dogs. Sorry if it offends anyone that I feel human life is more important than your freedom to own one of these dogs!

I knew before I read the story that the dog was either a Pit Bull, Rottweiler, German Shepherd or a Doberman. There ought to be a law.

Hey schoolyard...

I have two rotty's,on my street there are 4 pitts(one mixed with yellow lab),one husky,one black lab,three chiuahua's(dont really care about the spelling),and two dogs that look like benji(dont know th breed).

The only dogs that have ever bitten anyone are the chiuahua's and the black lab.

BOTH of my rotty's and ALL THREE pits play fetch with fervor.All five of these "BULLY" breed dogs don't even need leashes to walk. I trained them all myself. YOU KNOW NOT WHAT YOU SPEAK OF!!!!

But as a responsible dog owner I would never leave or recomend leaving ANY large breed dog alone with any small child. this was def. the owners fault,not the breed!

I look at is this way. There are some dogs that are naturally more aggressive than others, big and small. And some dogs also have natural features that can make them more dangerous when they get aggressive. Unfortunately Pit bulls fall into both categories and that is why they have been breed to be fighters. However, it is still up to the owner to hone and channel that aggression. In most cases you will be fine and the dog will be a sweetie, but there may also be times where the dogs natural instinct comes to play and this can happen, something a good owner needs to understand.

Regardless we don't know if the dog had prior history of abuse from the owner or how the owner raised the dog based on the article. What we do know is that the owner is responsible for how the dog acts/what it does, not all pit bulls are bad, but by nature they automatically have a couple bad marks against them as I indicated above, and wild or tame, where the hell where the parents? You should never leave an 8 month old baby alone with the a dog, especially one of this size. Plenty of other things that could happen other than a mauling that the dog might not even mean to do. You don't have to watch your kids like a hawk but you need to be smart about leaving them unattended i.e. stepping into the other room for a moment, when they are this age. Sorry for the baby, rest in peace, sorry for the dogs, chances are you didn't know any better and were raised wrong, and shame on the parents. Hope the court throws the book at them. Another life (lives) lost for no reason.

It is time

I'm ok with these dogs being in the proper environment, such as in a farm with trained professionals. But unfortunately it seems 99% of the people who get these dogs, and the dealers or gangsta wannabes that feel their status symbol has now gone up because they have a tough dog. In this case, having three of them is a sure sign that my hypothesis is correct. Ilive in a quiet town with nice quiet neighbors, except for one family on the other side of the block. Their kids are notorious for causing trouble in school, and police problems. And guess what, they own 3 pittbulls. One of the sons who is now older put on his baseball cap and walks his dogs like he's hoping to be discovered by ghetto magazine. That is one big reason this dog has such a bad reputation. Sorry for that remaining 1% of owners, but these dogs should be banned.

Should we banish a whole race? That is the exact same thing. But you know what? People like you will never see the importance for looking at one dog, one person, for who or what they are. I personally would like to outlaw people like you but I can't. Ignorance, close mindedness, runs rampant in the human race. If anyone ever looked at my dog and saw her running, playing with kids, playing with my moms Yorkie, you would not say that dog should be banished. Have any of you guys read the stories bout pits that save lives? How bout the one where the family pit, saved a woman from a snake trying to bite the owner. How bout the pit that was being walked by its owner, the owner got hit by train and the pit pulled her off the tracks! Or, did you know they use pits for blood donors for all other breeds? My friend had a lab that needed a blood transfusion, and one of our shelter dogs donated blood and saved the labs life. Im so tired of you people, it makes me sick.

retrieverman.wordpress.com/2010/03/19/golden-retriever-mauls-child...

not just bully dogs attack!!!!

I said Ban, not bannish. There is a difference

I am a runner. I have been attacked and bitten twice in my lifetime- by a chihuahua and a black lab. Pit bulls abound in my area. Never had a problem with one. Following the logic of the fools above, I should press to ban chihuahuas and labs. I think instead that I should press for simple enforcement of leash laws, and holding owners responsible for the dog, regardless of breed.

Whoever the owners are they should be tried for murder.

Sarge, you can't deny the facts. anytime you hear of a dog attack it's usually a pit bull. BTW a pit bull wouldn't just bit you, they would take you down and go for your throat.

You find a lot of unleashed or loose Pittbulls during your runs Old Sarge??? If not you are comparing apples to oranges.

@ schoolyard I happen to own 3, over the years since I was a child we have had 15 that have all died of old age, none ever bit or attacked a human or another animal with the exception of one who attacked and killed a coyote that was getting to close to my son when he was 12 the coyote wouldn't back down or leave. the three I have now, one is my service dog, and two are therapy dogs, when the older grandkids are over and playing outside they always keep themselves between the kids and the street, and when they get to close to the street they give them a gentle nudge with thier nose back towards the yard. when the yougest grandkids are over that are still in diapers they will sit in front of whoever is holding the baby, if the baby goes to someone elses lap the dogs will move to sit in front of that person. and if there happens to be a repairman at the house he will keep himself betwwen my wife and the repairman, they are extremely well behaved and obey hand signals. and I have been bitten by a dog three times in my lifetime, once by a cocker spanniel, once by a golden retriver, and once by a poodle.

@ floyd 335513, there was a article a couple of years ago about a dog attack that occurred in Denver and when someone called the paper about it they were asked if it was a pit bull, when they were informed that it was NOT a pit bull the paper wasn't interested and never ran a story about it. just like a popular website that alot of people consider to be gospel. when working against the BSL in Denver and later getting exceptions to the ban if it involved a service dog, it came to light that the person behind the website was the same person that led the charge for BSL in the Denver area, and alot of the so called studies that he had cited were chastised by the people that actually did the studies. they said that he butchered their studies and slanted them to suit his interests that they were hardly recognizable

Just the latest example of the KILLER PIT BULL. When are all you ignorant apologists going to get it through your thick skulls that this "breed" is an unpredictable, uncontrollable, killing machine. It is breed into it. It is one of the few breeds that doesn't differentiate "humans" from "other dogs".

I've personally witnessed 3 supposed "gentle family pet" Pure-breed Pit-bulls suddenly and unprovoked attack someone. Two of the cases were children. In one the child survived only because an off-duty sheriffs deputy happened to be present with his service firearm and killed the BEAST, and and volunteer EMT/LPN was also there and had her trauma kit in her car trunk.

The second case the "gentle" PIT-BULL got up in middle of night, walked past two other children's open bedrooms, then broke through a solid wood door and jumped into the crib with the sleeping 18 month old and proceeded to tear her to pieces before her mother and father could get upstairs to stop the DEMON SPAWN. Try explaining that to 3 and 5 year old.

SO FU all you killer Pit-bull lovers. The sooner this breed and all it bastard cousins is exterminated from the face if the planet, the better. I will never let one of those KILLERS near my kids, and I will kill any one I see within 100 yard of my property.

htdjpf...

if you killed something i loved for no reason whatsoever, I would kill something you love in response!

@htdjpf I'm sure you have no problems with people or dogs coming within 100 yards of your property. You sound like a really unpleasant person that seems to have a temper like the so called killer pits but people would most likely die at your hands then a pit. I feel sorry for you people. Anyone that talks that way scares me more than any animal ever would. You disgust me.

I bet you love God a lot don't you? Did God create vicious dogs? Why would he do such a thing?! I thought he loves everyone!!?

Theres no such thing as a pure bred pitbull. Pitbulls are a mix of breed that have a certain "look" to them which people automatically associate with PITBULL. Please source your stories or shut that hole in your face you use to spew your rhetoric. Please PLEASE for the love go back to your flock, sheep.

Instead of banning the pit bulls, how about banning stupid people? Stupid parents?

There are so many people on here that have made intelligent, knowledgeable comments. They speak of training, neutering the dogs, and treating the dogs with kindness, respect, and as a family member. All of us who know and love dogs know that you NEVER leave an infant or young child unattended with a dog. Would you leave a 2 year old in charge of an infant? Then why do you expect more from the dog? Probably has to do with the fact that they just don't care.

I have seen countless videos on Youtube and MSN which were described in various ways as "so cute". These videos showed a baby poking a dog in his eyes, grabbing his ears, hitting the dog, shrieking and making very erratic gestures directly in the dog's face. Just things babies and young children do. However, when the dog reacts, the dog is blamed and declared dangerous. Most of these unfortunate incidents can be attritubed to bad parenting. But what's important is getting a video on the internet and encouraging more bad situations.

If you ban the pitties, the thugs and gangsters will just turn their attention to German Shepherds, Dobermans, or some other breed. Despite the naysayers, it's not the dog, it's the owner.

Just a question. If pitties are so vicious, why aren't they used in police, military or other security type work? Does anyone know?

Okay People,

I am an animal behaviorist and work with dogs aggressive and non aggressive everyday, and I can explain this to you. Breed of dog does not matter, breeding of the dog matters, training matters, but it will not change innate aggressiveness or passiveness. Each and every dog breed around today has been created to do specific tasks. The pit bulls were originally created to take down bulls in a pit for entertainment, hence the name "pit bulls," they then turned to dog on dog fighting. Now the dog fighting of yesterday is not the same as is the underground dog fights of today. It used to be a sport, much like UFC in humans is. The dogs did not fight to kill, it was only until a clear winner was presented and the game ended. The animal rights activists did not like this so they put a stop to it legally and created the underground illegal fights of today. Pit bulls at the same time were created to stay in the home as a family pet, never having any human aggression. Dogs that ever showed any aggression towards humans were put down along with any pups from said dogs.

The problem comes not from the pit bull breed but from the illegitimate breeding of aggressive dogs; the pit bull is the "aggressive" status symbol right now, therefore, it is the unfortunate victim of poor breeding. To solve this problem, there should be strict regulation on breeding (NOT on a specific breed), puppy mills and back-yard breeders cause these problems and not reputable breeders. Reputable breeders carefully select non-aggressive dogs to be bred with non-aggressive dogs.

aggressive pit bull + aggressive pit bull = aggressive pit bull puppies

non-aggressive pit bull + non aggressive pit bull = non-aggressive pit bull puppies

This is breeding/domestication 101 and goes the same with any animal on Earth.

The owner of the killer dog/s should be held accountable for crimes caused by their dogs, in the case of a dog being raised to fight,etc... It's obvious certain breeds are more prone to violence, and dog types falling into dangerous categories should be required to be registered, insured and tested by authorities for behavioral problems.

Dogs (certain breads for the most part)cannot be 100% controlled, and are there fore a possible menace to society and should be regulated as such, a possible uncontrollable threat.

The owner/s of such violent dogs should serve prison time if the owner has been proven to raise the dog to be violent or has neglected the dog to make it violent.

A friend living in Florida was twice threatened by a pitbull which on the second aggression entered his yard. I told him to shoot the dog, but he was afraid of angering the owner(not known/available), although he did call animal control and they were able to catch the pitbull as it hung around my friends back yard. In a case like this, I believe the owner should have gotten a large fine and possibly jail time if it could be proven (in court) that the dog was raised to be violent.

It's easier to train certain breeds to be aggressive than others, but ALL can become vicious if mistreated enough or trained to be. A neighbor's St. Bernard had to be put down once he attacked Animal Control. Daughter's pit bull is a marshmallow. Her neighbors are not intimidated by him.

Important questions have been omitted. Who owned the dogs? How were they trained? Was the attack in the parent's home or someone elses? Was there an adult in the room? Was the baby on the floor or in a carrier?

Onlyyou and sugeebabe,

I have no problem with anyone, or any dog, or other animalwith the exception of PIT-BULLS come near my property. I don't have a temper at all and am a very pleasant person. I have just seen first hand what those killing machines can do. Like I said, you try to explain to a 3 and 5 year old why their "dogie" tore their baby sister to pieces for NO REASON. Maybe you would like to help pay for the therapy bills?? Didn't think so. Walk a mile in MY shoes and get back to me.

Onlyyou... As far as I'm concerned, If that thing you love is a KILLER PIT-BULL then it has already killed or maimed several people I love very dearly so better keep it out of range. If you aren't with it and it on a very short leash, well, try me. If it so much as lunges in my sight, Animal Control will be putting down your Vicious "baby" before you can spit.

Neverender, As for "sourcing" my stories. Pack sand. Out of respect for the families involved find it yourself. Since these events have happened over the last 40+ years, unless you plan to travel to the cities in question and dig through police, or micro-fish records at the local newspapers, (if such records even still exist), it wouldn't do you any good.

Pitts are usually about as peaceful as their owners are intelligent. The problem isn't with the breed, it's the typical irresponsible, low income, 'tough guy', moronic douchebags who are always getting these dogs because they think it makes them look tough or cool or whatever. AST/Bully owners should be held criminally liable for anything their animals do; especially in situations like this.

It must be the infants fault. We need to teach our infants how to act around pitbulls.

It seems the absolute worst thing that can happen to any breed of dog is for them to be "popular" That's when the ignorant or greedy backyard breeders come out of the woodwork looking for an easy way to make a couple of bucks or wanting to look macho. In the 70's it was Dobermans, in the 60's it was collies, etc. No matter the breed, when the backyard breeder gets involved, with no knowledge of desirable traits, genetics, health issues inherent to that particular breed, its a disaster for the dogs. Now we have golden retrievers dying young from cancer, german shepherds with constantly dislocated hips, and aggressive "pit bulls". Its not the dogs fault, its the fools that breed them without knowing what they are doing. It the backyard breeders, whether they are breeding toy poodles or rotties that need to be stopped.

A poor child was killed, The dog(s) will be destroyed, The dog(s) owner(s) should be newtered or spayed for allowing the situation to arise that this could happen. Having been a dog owner, trainer, boarding kennel operator, groomer.... I understand that owning a dog is a responsibility. The bigger the dog, the bigger the responsibility. This is a tragedy that could have been avoided if the owners had been responsible. I've been around dogs since I was born. Any breed can be aggressive. The size of the animal typically determines how much damage they can inflict in an instant. If only there were a way screen and ban irresponsible pet owners. The cause of the tragedy is PEOPLE failing to be responsible. My Rottweiler is a beautiful and intelligent animal but I don't allow her to be left unattended with strangers. She's a very good judge of character and I'd hate to have to destroy her because of a STUPID HUMAN. She's a member of the family and has been trained and socialized extensively, but god help the person that invades her territory without permission. Saddly, a huge percentage of of pet owners are as careless about training their dogs as they are about teaching responsibilty to their children. They are just too lazy to give a damn.

I am so tired of people giving Pitbulls a bad name. Who knows the background of these dogs. But because they are of the pitbull breed everyone is quick to jump to say they are horrible. You do not hear of a maltese or a Pomeranian attacking people. Wait thats because people can be nieve and think that they are sweet dogs. All dogs no matter what the breed can be mean and do horrible things.

"Any individual dog may be a good, loving pet, even though its breed is considered to be potentially dangerous. A responsible owner can win the love and respect of a dog, no matter its breed. One cannot look at an individual dog, recognize its breed, and then state whether or not it is going to attack. "()

So stop beating up on the poor pitbulls.

Also where the parents. Who would leave a small child alone with any dog!

RIP little angel.

This is a very sad and tragic story, and hopefully the parents were not the owner of these dogs, and if they were, then they need to be held accountable for putting their child in danger with these dogs that have a bigger record than any breed of dogs that attack and kill little kids.

Why would any parent of a tiny baby want dogs like this around their child is beyond me. When I was a baby, we had German Shepherds, and our dog old Flow loved me as a baby and as a growing kid. Slept with me, and protected me from strangers, but never once did she ever think about biting me or wanting to kill me.

She lived to be about 14 human years. German Shepherds are a beautiful breed of a dog, and great family dogs as well.

"Petey" on the "Little Rascals" was a Pit Bull. Indeed, for MOST of this century, Pit Bulls were considered ideal dogs for children, because they are, in fact, gentle by nature. We had a Pit - and nobody was safer than our granddaughter, whom the Pit adopted as her own puppy (despite every kind of unwitting abuse a little kid can dole out to a dog). The worst thing the dog did was to allow the kid to have "first dibs" on the dog's dinner - much as she liked her dinner, she always let the kid eat first, much to our chagrin (tho' we could never get the dog - or the kid - to change, tho' I've lots of photos of my granddaughter mowing down on the dog's dinner with which to embarass her when she starts dating). The Pit's favorite thing to do (besides steal all the balls in the neighborhood - she kinda had a "ball addiction") was to bury her nose in flowers and sniff them - which was the source of a couple of her nicknames ("Ferdinand" and "The Little Pit Bull Who Loves Flowers").

The viciousness of Pit Bulls is entirely the consequence of idiot owners who deliberately train the dog to aggressiveness - and they are a dangerous dog to do that with, because they are fearless and formidable. Certainly, these dogs need put down, but while we are euthanizing animals, let's not overlook the animals who owned these dogs, because they are to blame at least as much.

Bad parents make bad kids. Bad dog owners make bad dogs.

D-Con + Italian meatballs = Neighborhood free from pitbulls. Nom nom nom...

I hope you have a few dozen of those meatballs yourself Jamie. What an a55! Hopefully you've been fixed so you can't breed.

Any dog regardless of breed can attack. With that being said, what scares me from this article is that the dogs were aggressive, i.e. they had already killed cats, and the owners did not see this sign of aggression as harmful. As a dog owner you are responsible to make sure that your dog is trained correctly, feed correctly, taken to the vet, etc. When a dog shows that kind of aggression it needs to be put down because it will have the taste for the violence and will do it again. Why take the chance?

As Stephanie, the poster WAAYYY at the top said, pit bulls can be wonderful and goldens can be aggressive. This I know from having many goldens over the years and friends who are breeders. For a period of about 10 years, 20+ years ago, the golden retriever was on the top 10 biting dog list. Why? Bad breeding. People were so anxious to make big $$ off the perfect family dog they bred the line too closely together and you had what were called the "killer goldens." Even now, there is a gene in the goldens that produces almost an ADHD hyperactivity in them and those males/females should not be bred. I have a beautiful golden boy now and instead of breeding him, I had him neutered because he has the wild gene, just like his mother had. (didn't know it at the time)

I dog sit/walk all sorts of dogs. I was a little unsure of the pits at first and talked long and in detail with my vet. As she pointed out, you can train any smart dog, even a poodle, to be an aggressive killer. The pit bulls have the same "wanting to please" disposition as the goldens, when bred correctly and raised correctly. I have yet to run into a pit I am afraid of. All the strong breeds require a good owner.... Personally, if this sort of thing happened in my family, a child being mauled by someone's dogs (assuming it was not the child of the owners), I'd have been outside long before this with gun in hand... Yes, I would have gone to jail, but oh well. It might have kept folks safe. As always, it's not the dogs fault, its the stupid owners. If these dogs were owned by the child's family, they are in their own hell now.

I want to know why that particular breed of dog is allowed to be. I have heard of so many pit bulls attacking children. IT's time to put this to a stop. I certainly hope the owners; if there are any, of the dogs are brought up on charges.

JK-4363698 Of course it is always one of those breeds you hear about. It does not get national attention when its a lab or a standard poodle. All dogs attack and all dogs can kill. All dog attacks are the responsibility of the OWNER!! If you cannot give the appropriate attention and training to a dog you should not own it. End of story. The parents and the dogs owner are murders.

Yabbut it added 4 inches to my otherwise substandard penis!

I think the moral of the story is DO NOT LEAVE YOUNG CHILDREN UNATTENDED, EVER, unless they are asleep in their beds. The problems all come from PEOPLE; people who make their dogs (no matter what breed) aggressive and people who leave their children unattended. There was a story about a dog who ate an infants legs off a couple of months ago... it was NOT a pit bull. You hear about unattended children injured and who have died because their parents left them unattended. If you do not want to be saddled with the responsibility a) don't get pregnant or b) put the child up for adoption.

Any dog that has not been selectively bred for disposition and temperament is a gamble to leave alone with children regardless of the breed. Even selectively breeding for good personality traits will not guarantee there is no problem. Selective breeding would be preferrable to the current state of the "Pit Bull" where any two dogs that can mate are paired together haphazardly by irresponsible breeders looking to get the most size and muscle mass at the expense or without thought of the animal's personality traits .

Oh, my 5 lb. Chihuahua, who's teeth are so small she can't even penetrate skin, is such a danger to people everywhere, especially children. I think your generalization is a bit broad...all dogs? Please, grow some common sense.

A 5lb chihuahua bit me and required 7 stitches in my lip. So yes... ALL dogs. If I had been a child that bite would have done much more damage.

Well that 5 lb. Chi clearly had sharper teeth than mine. Idiot. Reread my post.

Oh, my 5 lb. Chihuahua, who's teeth are so small she can't even penetrate skin, is such a danger to people everywhere

Chihuahuas are one of the meanest dog breeds. Almost all of them bite. Apparently, yours does too if you know her teeth can't penetrate your skin. They're just so small it's like being bitten by a cat, that's why no one cares. I still kick the little f--kers across the room when they come at me, though. Chihuahuuas, not cats.

This SKI is pretty much the idiot in this thread.

Had my advice been heeded, this child would be alive (destroy the breed). Go ahead and tell me again how great these fighting dogs are. See you next month when the next child is killed.

Ski. all dogs are capable of causing severe and even fatal damage to a child. Pomeranian and Chihuahua's are both listed as causing a death on the CDC site.

You should grow up and stop using sarcasm to bully people into thinking you are educated on the topic.

Ski-I'll repeat what the "idiot" said. NO dog should be left unattended with a small child, even your five pound ankle bitter. She may not be able to penetrate your skin, but could very well harm a baby. Will she kill it, probably not, but better to be responsible and just not let it happen.
I have the world's sweetest border collie, loves kids more than anything, very gentle with babies. I know she would never, ever intentionally harm anyone, especially a child or baby, but I would still NEVER leave her unattended with one. All it takes is one poke to the eye or suprise pull of the ear and she may snap in suprise or pain. Not cause she's aggressive, cause she is a DOG!
I don't care what the breed or size, DO NOT leave your dog unattended with a BABY!!!

Come on people!!! NO DOG should be left alone with a small child. I have two beagles (which are known to be one of the least aggressive breads) and I would not leave them alone in a room with a small child. My children were also taught not to approach other dogs or even ours when they are eating (not once have they had food aggression issues but you can't be too careful).

Also, Children need to be taught right along with the dog the proper way to handle each other and what boundries need to be respected.

Pitts are wonderful dogs. I may adopt one once my children are fully grown but not until then. And please....always have your animal fixed.

liv-I have to agree-there is no way to predict what triggers a reaction and what that reaction will be. The sweetest most loving cat I ever owned was frightened by a loud, unexpected noise (trash can blew over on a windy day) and I now have 10 little white scars where his claws got me-I would never leave a small child alone with any loose animal-you just never know........AND it isnt fair to blame the animal when they are just being animals.....

Peace -- you said it. I, too, have cat scars and my cat will bite me when she wants me to stop petting her even though she begged to be pet earlier. She doesn't draw blood though and the scars are from a different cat. Have never been bitten by any of our dogs and neither have my kids. It's all in the training and of course all our pets are spayed or neutered.

Leaving any dog unattended around a small child is irresponsible and just plain stupid--even one of those yappy, annoying chihuahuas.

We have a 7-year-old Rottweiler who is gentle as a lamb. And we do NOT leave her alone in a room with our grandchildren. She's never given us reason to fear for their safety...and we don't want her to. Just being prudent...

It does not matter how sweet and even-tempered your dog is, a dog should never be left completely alone and unattended with a small child. Most dogs seem to be great around kids but again, anything can happen and with your child its just not worth the risk. What if your 2-year old is just petting the dogs, touches a sore spot, and the dog snaps in the child's face and gets a chunk? Even if it is extremely unlikely your dog would ever even hurt a fly, is it worth risking the life and health of your child? I love dogs and I firmly believe if a dog is raised right it will be just fine, but you never know for sure nothing bad will ever happen when you're not around. As for aggression in dogs, it has to do with how they're raised and whether or not they are "fixed". My boyfriend and I have a 10 month old puppy who is not fixed- he is the biggest baby in the world, we can do anything to him and with him and he is completely submissive and just wants love. However, he is very wary of strangers and doesn't like to be pet when he doesn't know the person petting him. If he sees another unfixed male dog, he puffs out his chest and growls and curls his tail. He's still never been aggressive, and seeing him at home around his family you would think he would never hurt a fly- but it depends on the situation. When our friend got a puppy we closely supervised them playing until our dog got used to the smaller puppy, there is no WAY I would play it even that loose with a human child. I had a friend whos coworker had 2 adult labs and a baby- left the baby in the carrier with the dogs 'watching' baby and left the room for a while, dogs killed the baby. her two trusted, gentle dogs. Yep, not worth it.

I'm a dog lover, I choose dogs over kids anyday. I totally agree that leaving any dog alone with children is irresponsible. Doesn't matter the breed or size. Children look at the dog as a play mate, they do not realize that some things they do would irritate the dog. Many kids like to get into dogs faces, this is one of the main reason children are attacked you should never grab a dogs face and then put your face in theres. Even the calmist well mannered dog could fall victim to a child (I know many people aren't going to like that statement but again I love dogs not kids) whom wants to rough house and play. These attacks are not the dogs fault, it is the fault of the owner of the dog and/or parents of the children.

Thank GOD, Scott... the voice of REASON AT LAST!

My response to this ended up on page 3 and I have to be honest, the level of ignorance I've seen in the posts between yours and mine is simply staggering.

When I was pregnant, a pediatrician visiting our childbirth classes said that most dog bites are triggered based on something the child does, not initiated by the dog. We have always had mellow dogs, but NEVER left them alone with our children - just seemed like common sense to us. Even though we've trained our dogs to let people approach their food, and take their treats, and pull tehir ears and tail, you never know what will happen. My heart goes out to this poor infant - with a baby this small, this was an unprovoked attack, and with three aggressive pits, these owners should be prosecuted. As for destroying the breed - that's not sensible. Pit bulls (or, more correctly, American Staffordshire) dogs are a cross between pit terriers and bulldogs. So, once you destroy all the pit bulls, you need to destroy the terriers and bulldogs so they can't interbreed. Then, well, might as well just destroy all bully dogs, since they could potentially create a new breed. Breed-specific laws don't work. What they do is give extra legal power to people attacked by specific breeds - anyone attacked by a vicious dog should have the same protection, regardless of whether that dog was a pit bull, mastiff, doberman, or cocker spaniel! And most people can't correctly identify a pit bull - any dog that attacks is labeled a pit bull automatically. Check out the "find the pit bull" web page: http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

Go ahead and tell me again how great these fighting dogs are.

Bad owners end up with bad dogs. Pits are not used for fighting because of their natural temperament, they are used because they are the strongest. Do you have any idea what is done to dogs to train them to fight? They are starved, beaten, and tortured. Many of them have their ears sliced off. The ones that still won't fight are used as bait.

Occasionally, you will get a dog that is naturally aggressive, but it is rare and can happen with any breed. Mostly it depends on how their owners treat them.

After years of working in vet clinics, shelters, and rescue, I have been lucky to never be bitten, but that is because of quick reflexes. But, out of all the dogs that have tried to bite me, 99% have been small breeds; usually Pomeranians or dachshunds.

DING DING DING we have a winner folks!

use google image maps and you can see the area.

I a huge animal supporter but I've come to the conclusion that breeding these dogs should be outlawed and when the breed goes extinct, so be it.

In the meantime, the owners of animals who do this kind of thing should be fined and jailed. I don't care if they're the little kids parents or not.

Sorry, but when the story about the pit bull killing its pregnant owner came out, that was proof that it is NOT just how the dog is raised.

Has absolutely nothing to do with the breed of dog. Let me introduce you to my pit, the worst she'll do to you is scratch you by accident when she jumps up because she's excited to see a new person. Or she may step on your foot, which does hurt. If people would actually raise them right, just like they would a Golden Retriever or a Labrador, they wouldn't have a bad rap.

Three dogs together are too much. Any breed, they are going to take on a pack attitude. But what is wrong with parents that think it is okay to leave a baby unattended, even for a moment, around animals?

Ski - you are fooling yourself. Even if these dogs are 'bred to be loyal and peaceful, blah blah blah' they have many times mistaken small children for toys. This happened recently in Ohio within sight of the dog owner. They are powerful and determined animals, and they are indeed animals.

However, many of these dogs are NOT playful, they are aggressive and mean. And bred to fight. So spin the barrel and pull the trigger all you Pit owners. This attack is not a surprise.

Taylor - yes it does have to do with the breed. Look at the statistics. Look at the dogs. Look at the DEAD FREAKING BABIES. Be as smug as you want about your well-bred peaceful loyal Pit. Given the chance, it will PLAY or ATTACK a small human to death.

ALL Pits Bulls, Rotts, and other triangular-shaped-jaw canines should be euthanized this minute.

We had a pit bull/lab mutt. Looked mostly lab. Sweetest dog ever. She spent a couple years doing therapy dog work at the local nursing home.

Watch any single episode of the Dog Whisperer, and you immediately realize that its not the dog, its the owner. Always.

And I have come to the conclusion that people like nosferatu and herculect should be neutered or spayed so they can not bring anymore morons into the world.

Now, what I said was not an indication that 100% of the time, good owners lead to good dogs. You are taking my words out of context. I do, however, see a correlation between said attacks and the types of owners who handle these breeds. Agression can happen in any breed, and I'm not too naive to admit that. But I did not say that good training is indicative of a dog who will never attack. Please do not take my words out of context. I truly believe there is a cause and effect between rough owners who are rough with their dogs, thus increasing the likelihood of attack.

hey BOOB, I mean Bob, care enlighten us as to your statement? Or has your ADHD kicked in again?

Pit bulls were NOT "bred to fight". The American Pit Bull Terrier was like any other medium breed dog and was for hunting, herding and companionship. They are a very trainable breed, which is why stupid humans turned to fighting them for profit. They will do anything to please their owners and are extremely loyal. That's why they rarely attack the person who abuses them, sadly. In fact, in the first half of the twentieth century, the pit bull was a VERY popular breed as a companion dog. It was only until the the 1980's that they got a bad rap with an article by Sports Illustrated magazine, that was picked up by many other news outlets. Before pits, it was Dobermans and Rottweilers and, before that, German Shepherds, which have now gained favor again. Most of the dogs that Michael Vick abused have since been rehabilitated, with some of them now working as therapy dogs. It's NOT the breed. No one breed is a bad breed. It's the humans and how they treat the dogs. Any good dog trainer will tell you this. I have a rescued female pit bull and she was severely traumatized. Her issues are severe abandonment and, if I leave her, she whines and cries! She loves everyone and I have to keep her from jumping on people. She's afraid of one of my cats! She is utterly useless as a guard dog and she is forty pounds of lap dog. Right now, I have to find restaurants that have patio access, so that I can bring her along with me because she is so afraid to be left alone. Everyone loves her and I am working with her to train her. I took her in because I felt so sorry for her! The person who had adopted her just didn't have the time to devote to her neediness and I do. She needed a family. Believe me, she's a lover, not a fighter. If you heard her whine, it would break your heart. If you saw her cower when you picked up a broom, it would make you so sad. And if you saw her badly cropped ears, you'd want to throttle the idiots who first had her and abused.

I think you're right.

Anyone that owns a pit bull, or other vicious dog, when this occurs they need to be tried for first degree murder. Every month we read these stories and nothing is done..

Denver has banned the breed in their city. Good for Denver and I wish all other cities across this country would do the same. Just visualize what this poor child endured. Three cases last month in the San Fran, Oakland area. Hey Moonbeam, its time to do something about these horrible attacks and murders.

Bob-1440886: I am a Mensan, not a moron. And referring to my son as a moron is despicable. Your arguments automatically have no value. We're talking about a dog that killed a child, a substory to the larger epic of Pit Bulls killing children. I am sorry that you are so offended by my defense of small children that you stoop to the level of calling my family names.

God bless you.

Anyone that claims to be an animal or dog lover and wants to outlaw a breed hasn't done any research into dog breeds. If a dog is taught to be mean, they'll be mean. If a dog is treated badly, they'll most likely be mean. A dog that is tied up, they'll probably be mean. This is not breed specific. The problem with the pit bull is they end up being pets to mean people. I'm not saying every pit bull family is mean, there are some good people whom have taken these dogs in to their families as well. Those families are a good example of how these dogs can be. The mean people that have them, that is an example of how terribly wrong things get with this breed. I would bet that the people that had these pit bulls weren't very nice people. They probably were not nice to these dogs.

These incidents would not happen IF 1. people would NOT allow their children to be left alone with ANY dog. 2. If mean people would STOP getting dogs! 3. So make people get a license to own a dog, sorry more regulation and most of us don't need this but be honest there are stupid people out there that not only shouldn't have kids but shouldn't own any pets. 4. If a person is caught abusing an animal in any way take the animal and if they are caught with another give jail time. Stupid solution? Maybe, but if it saves a childs life it's worth it.

Last, look at the dogs Michael Vick abused. Some of them have be rehabilitated and they are good dogs, all pit bulls. That is an example of how good these dogs can be when treated like EVERY dog should be treated.

ms.hoo you have got to be kidding or did you just never take the time to actually read that story? It was an unaltered male. Big difference in a dog's behavior but I won't waste stats on you considering you apparently never got past the headline of that story.

Herculect, you may be a mensan, but that does not make you an expert on every subject. With your IQ you should realize that you would need to research both sides of the story before jumping on a bandwagon so that you can feel "correct". Please do some UNBIASED research on all dogs before jumping to a conclusion. I am quite certain even the "Sheldon's" of the world realize this.

Any breed can attack. They are animals and like any animal, we do not know what may trigger them. As for your statistics, we all know those can easily be skewed to favor any one person's point of view. For example, did you know that in 1988 all dog attack fatalities were a result of Labradors? Yes, Labradors. The #1 favorite dog in America. I guess its in their blood and they too need to be destroyed immediately.

Stating that "all triangular shaped jaw canines should be euthanized immediately" is absolutely absurd and extremely narrow minded. I have never heard of a canine described as having a triangular shaped jaw. That is just a silly comment. I did check on the AKC website and they have nothing listed or described as having a triangular shaped jaw. Perhaps you heard this somewhere and took it as fact since its the bandwagon you choose to jump on.

Any owner who does not properly socialize their dog and have control over their dog simply should not have a dog. Period. It doesn't matter what the breed is. Too many individuals choose this breed because it is perceived as "tough and cool". These individuals are the ones who should be punished as they cannot and will not control their dogs. It would be the same way if they owned a dalmatian. Again, ANY ANIMAL is capable of this. The simple fact is that if you are not a responsible pet owner you should not have the right to be a pet owner. I do agree that people should be required to pass a test and be licensed to own a pet. Most likely they could not even pass a social services visit to retain custody of their children. Heaven knows we do not need them pro-creating. Many rescue groups and humane societies will not allow someone to adopt a pet without doing their research first. This is why there is an application to complete and in some cases, a home visit required to ensure the environment the animal will be in is acceptable. Sadly, due to the severe epidemic of pet over-population, SOME shelters are just happy to find any owner for the pet. That brings up the topic of "puppy mills" and how they should be more regulated and shut down. Their are literally millions of dogs needing homes. There are over 7 million companion dogs surrendered to shelters every year. Who is responsible for all this? Well, as Americans, we are. Why would someone go pay a large sum of money for an animal they can get for $50.00 to 60.00? If we keep the puppy mills in business the overpopulation will continue to grow. By the way, most puppy mill breeders don't care who they sell to or what that individual is going to do to the animal. Lab testing, fighting, etc.

Can we now see where the root of the problem is? It lies with the owner!!!! I will not even get in to discussion about how irresponsible the parents are for not monitoring their child. Don't you think some blame is due here? Another example of individuals who should not be pro-creating.

As for the comment "Given the chance, it will PLAY or ATTACK a small human to death", I have never heard of someone or something as being played to death. I guess coaches should be euthanized too as they are responsible if one of their players died in practice or a game from being worked too hard. We have all heard of this happening too much. I don't really believe "attack a human to death" is proper phrasing. Did you mean to say "given the chance, it will kill someone"?

I'm done here. If you still can't figure it out, you do not deserve your "mensan" status.

Ulzie - if you know the difference between a discussion and a debate, you would know that this is a discussion. If you'd like to debate, then source your 1988 statistics and back up your argument that I do not deserve my Mensan status. For the record, most statistics are very thin in this category when you consider that not all dogs are registered or licensed, and not all dog bites are reported. In addition, many dogs are a mix of several breeds, making attribution difficult.

Read through these posts. You are in the minority. Several municipalities do not allow the adoption or ownership of Pit Bulls, and most airlines will not allow transport aboard their aircraft.

Yes - owners are responsible, and there are ways to prevent attacks from aggressive animals. Muzzles and secure living areas will help, but most owners don't consider those options.

If we're going to discuss grammar and syntax, then you should check yourself there as well (surely you proofread your post). My statement about PLAY or ATTACK was phrased that way for effect. See the story of the Toledo baby that was allegedly mistaken for a toy, and you will understand what I meant. The wonderful thing about English is that we can be colorful if not grammatically correct, but that conclusion requires wisdom... C wut I meeeen doo yuh? By the way, "it's"="it is" and "its"="belongs to it".

The 'triangular-shaped jaw' label was first mentioned to me by a long-time dog breeder, and then again at the local shelter while I was adopting a rescue dog.

As for my mention of Mensan, it was simply to point out that I am not the moron the Bob intimates that I am. His post was despicable.

ulzie - it appears you need to do some unbiased research. It took me about 1 minute to find this in the JAVMA:

11 DBRFs attributed to purebred Pits. Another 3 to Rotts. Pit Bull type and Rott type mixes account for another 32 deaths. This combines 1997 and 1998. There is NO mention of DBRFs attributed to Labs.

Source your argument, please.

I have not condemned the dog...I am saying that before all else, you should protect your child. These dogs have a history and if the parents don't follow good judgement then so be it.. Try them all for murder and you will see just how fast they get rid of these dogs or better yet, start parenting. What a concept huh? As I said earlier, this makes three cases in California in the last couple of weeks. Time to do something. Government gets involved in everything we do , but this. Figures.

As I said earlier, this makes three cases in California in the last couple of weeks.

Best to just ban Californians. The state that gave us Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer and Jerry Brown seems to have a serious lack of judgement and common sense.

Well, hey, thanks for commenting.

Dogs of the world thank you

I'm a dog person, just not a fan of Pitbulls. I don't care how gentle you say they are. I wouldn't be near one.

As for cats, they serve two purposes. Door stops and bookends.hhehe..Just kidding.

Thanks for your input, my dogs hate cats.

The other day my dalmatian decided he wanted a ball a pit bull had, the pit bull was tired and irritable from playing so long. The pit bull went after my dal and I thought it was over. The owner of the pit bull corrected the dog, whom stop the attacked, and sat down. Wish my dog was that well mannered. Pit bulls are not the problem, it's bad owners that are the problem. A good owner will have a good dog no matter what the breed, I was happy this pit bull at the dog park had a good owner because my playful dal was just wanting a ball.

Stephanie - Here is a news flash for you in reference to neutering dogs. It does not always work on the dog. I had a 135 lbs German Shepard that was very protective of my yard and family. To say he was aggressive was the understatement of the year. But we always kept him in the backyard and away from people. His job was not to be your buddy but to rip intruders a new one. He had a halo affect on the block. People were scared $hitless to come near the house, because when he barked you thought we had King Kong instead of a Shepard. Some unfortunate fool tried to climb over our fence and the dog met him in midair. The guy was literally knocked back over the fence and landed on his @$$. He got up screaming and yelling that there was a monster in the backyard. You see, it was dark when he did it. Our dog had been neutered a year earlier and it did nothing to chill him out. In fact, it might have pissed him off more. He was still aggressive but a baby around our family. He only allowed certain members of our family to approach him.

Pit bulls, like any other dog has the territorial attitude bred into them; it usually comes natural. But what makes Pits so damn dangerous is the massive jaw power and the locking jaw. I have heard repeatedly on TV and heard on several occasions that police officers had to shoot the Pit Bull off of the victim. And in some cases, the bullet ricocheted of the skull because of its thickness, which forced them to empty the clip into it. I have also heard law enforcement officers make the comment that, "A Pit Bull is the perfect pet for every punk or wannabe gangster." And if you look at a lot of the owners the shoe definitely fits. I can understand a single woman living alone having one for protection. But you should never own one if you have children around. They can be very jealous for attention and may take it out of the child. A lot a people are forgetting about the American Bulldog which I am quite familiar with since my family and I were victims of an unprovoked attack by an American Bulldog. There is also Presa Canario which is a super-sized pit bull that was specifically bread for dog fighting. People need to understand clearly that pit bull-type dogs with locking jaws are ticking time bombs. I don't care how sociable they are around children and people. Instinct is instinct and you can never breed out unpredictability in any animal. What is the one thing you hear a lot from Pit Bull attacks? You always hear people say who knew the animal or owned it, that he was so sweet and friendly around family and friends. If that is the case, then why did he try to eat one of them?

That is the best comment so far.

Daryl,

"Yet how many out there have a loaded gun in their nightstand and cry about leaving children and dogs unattended?"

Inapt comparison, dude. A gun is an immobile piece of metal. It has no needs, desires, or decision-making process. It does not move around the room. Correct education of all peoples with access to that gun will completely remove any danger, for the gun requires people to operate it.

You can train a dog all you like, educate the people around it all you like, and there is still the possibility that fright, anger, or instinct will cause the animal to react unpredictably or unexpectedly.

Your dog might kill your child. Your gun never will. Your child, if uneducated, may accidently kill him/herself with your gun, but in that case, the fault is clear and obvious.

That may be, but babies should not be alone around dogs. Not even for one instant.

You are right that care and how a dog is raised go a lot into its temperament, but to ignore centuries if not millennia of breeding is moronic. Dogs seen as exclusively as pets is a relatively new phenomenon. Some breeds were used for aggressive purposes and breed to enhance that aggressiveness. Training and caring for your dog appropriately can help dampen/hide that aggressiveness but it is still there.

Your comment about the size of the dog and the Pomeranian example is one of the stupider things I've ever read. Most adults and many children could adequately protect themselves from a Pomeranian attack. The same can not be said of a pit bull, rotweiller or other large breed of dog.

Taylor, Why wouldn't this have something to do with the breed, or size? These dogs have a history of violence, for tons of years. People are the ones that are responsible for their children...People place the dogs in the presence of their children. I really don't care about all the pit lovers here, this poor child went through hell last night. Good old fashioned common sense comes in mind. There need to be laws passed, to prevent people from having these dogs around children.. Try the parents for neglect and murder one and you will see a great turn around..

God bless this little child that was mauled...

And again, it's not the dogs fault, it is the fault of the owners/parents. No one knows really what went on, what we do know is the dogs and the child were neglected. There is no other way around that. This could have happened with any other breed, you only hear about it with the pit bull because there are a lot of idiots that get the dog as a status symbol. They want other people to know they are tough and so is their dog. The dog has no choice when they are taken home by an idiot. If this idiot had taken home any other big dog I would bet the possibility of this happening would still be good, which is sad. And yes, try the parents for neglect and murder one, totally agree. Once we start making the idiots pay for the crimes that their dogs do maybe they'll stop getting them.

All dogs are dangerous if prevoked.

I have 3 pits. Have raised them from 5 weeks old, they are now 3 years old. With my family there are loveable lap dogs that love attention and belly rubs. But I dont think for one minute that they would not tear up a stanger or intruder if they entered my home. These dogs are very protective of their space. I have 5 grand children and would never leave the dogs alone with children no matter how "calm" the dog is. When the children visit the dogs go in their kennels. They are allowed out 1 at a time with adult supervison to say 'hi' to the kids and then return to their kennel. The kids love the dogs but no child should be left alone with a dog no matter how small or large the dog is. If you own a dog please be a responsible pet owner. Dogs get enough bad publicity because of idiot owners.

There have been several attacks by german shepards and other breeds where I live but they didnt get a lot of publicity, only the pits get that. But I dont see a lot of publicity about the pits that were saved from a fight ring and rehabilitiated and now are used is hospitals as companions for cancer patients....GO Pits!!!!!

And next we outlaw and kill people who put up stupid posts!!!

Your timeline is interesting. There's a correlation between these things. $10 to whomever can figure it out.

Careful, you might be the first one killed.

First, when someone places small babies or children around these dogs, they don't have many brain cells. I think its time to pass a law, that people have to get a license, schooling, before becoming parents. Its so obvious these idiots had or have no clue on how to raise children. Try them for murder.

Talkin' to me, Sag? lol

nosferatu-the cycle of fads? Otherwise, not a clue.

You are an uneducated individual. Anyone who leaves 3 dogs, regardless of breed, with an 8 month old child for long enough for this to have happened is a fool. I wouldn't leave an 8 month old with a single teacup poodle, let alone 3 large breed dogs.

Agree. Shame on these parents too, who left their 8 month old, for God's sake, in a position where this could happen. This totally could have been avoided.

Also, it should be illegal for STUPID people to own dogs, period.

Punish the deed not the breed is our motto, bc it is true. But like i said, morons like you will never understand. Yesterday I took a 1 1/2 yr old american staffordshire pit bull to a middle school to help cut off the ignorance at a young age. The kids swarmed the dog. Pet him, gave him kisses and he returned the favor with nothing but kisses. He came to our shelter as a fighting dog, and he is the most gentle wonderful dog. He had a blast at the school, so i am off now, to take another one of our shelter dogs to another middle school, and I guarantee, you will not see us on the news for a mauling at the school. What you will see on our 6 o'clock news is a video of the dog being loved by tons of kids, and another one of our dogs that visits a woman & child crisis center her in our town, on a monthly visit to bring them joy and happiness, so all you ignorant people, go back to your day to day life of judgement because i guess ignorance really is bliss.

Thats all nice and a cute story but what happens when that loving pit decides he wants to attack some old lady .....oops too late....old ladys dead or maimed ...and you just say sorry ...the doggy was nice yesterday ..guess he got pissed today ... I really don't know why ..so sorry ! If one of those punks walking one of these dogs hurts anyone of my family first I shoot the dog than I go after the owner !!

No, not all people are stupid. I can tell that you are however. Please re-read your comment. Get your head out of your ass, get an education and maybe then you will understand. Please do not perceive to know the breed or any breed for that matter. Clearly you do not know dogs and are probably a dog hater like most others making comments on something they know nothing about. You don't find it absurd that an 8 month old child was not being supervised more closely? The owner needs to go to jail for murder.

My father in law has several large breed dogs at his place of business. Has always kept rescued animals. He hasn't had any Pit Bulls but has had several of the other "dangerous" breeds-rotties, shepards, mastiffs, etc. When people say "do the dogs bite?" My father in law says "They have teeth, don't they? It's an animal, if you don't know how to act around it...just walk past it" None of his dogs have ever bitten, his mastiff knocked me over once trying to lick my face. He takes care of his spayed/neutered animals and trains them. If someone doesn't like dogs and just walks past the dogs lose interest and go find someone who will pet them.

Well I'm right here Sag-876555 and I'm still amazed that no one else seems to wonder why an 8 month old was outside unsupervised to the point that 3 dogs could get to it.

And I still love my pitbull. As well as about 150 other pitbulls that I know and have known over the course of 20+ years. NONE of whom ever bit or mauled anything more than a stuffed animal. Why? Because they were raised, trained and supervised by responsible owners.

Once again you idiots want to blame the dog when the responsibility lies SQUARELY on the owner. Same with the husky that killed a kid a few months ago, and the lab that killed on a couple weeks ago, and the pack of mixed breeds that took down another kid.

great post 100% agree!!!

Didn't bother reading any of the comments ahead of your own tunneled opinion, did you?

I'm right here. Still love my pit. Always will. I'll always own one. But here's the thing, I'm not a @!$%#ing idiot and actually CARE for my dog, I don't neglect or abuse her. And if new people are around her, I watch her. Why? Not because she's a pit bull, but because she's an ANIMAL.

Idiotic people owning dogs should be illegal, not any type of breed.

@!$%#ing ignorant @!$%#.

Wow, you may not be a effin idiot but sure do have a potty mouth. Did you teach those 3 kids in that picture with you how to talk like that to???? Come on Taylor why don't you tell us how you really feel.

All dog breeds can and will bite,maul and kill,dont believe me ? go here...

retrieverman.wordpress.com/2010/03/19/golden-retriever-mauls-child

Stupid people are at fault not the breeds

I am not a pit owner and have never had one. I also would never hesitate to rescue one!! Sag-876555 Hate to be redundant but don't you think an 8 month old should be supervised? ANY dog will bite or attack in various circumstances. Put a kid near their food bowl and most will bite. If you do not TRAIN your dog for situations like the food bowl you are going to have a very sad outcome. I guarantee that the owners (most likely a male owner) has these dogs trained vicious and encourages it. They have probably also suffered from severe neglect and abuse. A dog like that should never be left in a situation where this can happen. Well, a RESPONSIBLE pet owner would know that! I rescued an aggressive senior dog that was horribly abused. We never put him in a situation that would cause harm to others or him. Does that mean my dog should have been put down? NO. He lived out the rest of his life loving us and our beagle. As for the dogs also attacking cats, my beagle will eat a cat if it came in her yard. She also eats squirrels and rabbits. Does that make her a threat to my neighborhood?

We cannot emphasize it enough!!! IT IS THE OWNERS RESPONSIBILITY!!!! Not everyone should own a pet. If you cannot commit to training it, controlling it, taking care of it and being a responsible pet owner you do not deserve the right to a pet!! BTW- My step-mother's parrot bit me numerous times. I guess we should ban parrots too. just sayin...

Good for you, you are SO smart! OMG! **rolls eyes**

Agreed; had to vote you up. You probably won't see this, but for all our supposed intelligence, I have to wonder why we so often crap where we eat.

" A full grown pit bull has a bite force over 300 psi"

Lie.

It is over 600 psi.

And yet we know many families that have had pit bulls as pets without a hitch? And the pit bulls that attack, they generally come from homes where they were used as guard dogs, tied up, and generally not treated like a loving family member. It's a little obvious what the common denominator is. If you are not willing to treat your dog like a family member, with love and respect, then please just don't get a dog, not any breed. I guarantee if the people that just want a pit bull because they're known to be mean, or because they look mean, would stop getting them the attacks would be minimal. These people should have never had dogs, and deffinately shouldn't have been allowed to reproduce. Try them for murder.

Good for you,but that shouldn't mean I can't have one.

Great post, I wish all the haters would read it and take your advice. I am no pit lover, I've never had one. I have known people with them and when they are treated good they are a great member to the family.

So if the attack was by a german shepherd, you would not have anything to say? My neighbors shepherd atatcked his wife, and didn't make the news. Go figure. She got hospitalized, and the dog got put down.

You're an idiot.

Imagine what this child went through, being chewed up like a piece of meat.. Dragged, ripped up, legs and arms ripped off.. Now tell me what a great dog the Pitt is. Now your comment regarding a German Shepherd. The Pitt Bull has the worst history of any dog on this planet. How can you look away from that?

Remember what this little baby went through...Talk about the real issue here. BAN PITT'S from being around Children. Any and all aggressive dogs, but mainly Pitts.

Alrighty, I'll just start with what an idiot you are Jean. It's funny how people are killed by what's that? Oh yes people more then dogs ever could. And what else oh that's right you know personal responsibility, it's quite odd that your telling about all the pain that child went through but absolutely nothing on the what's that word? Oh Adults that should of been thinking and being responsible. Yet you want a creature that acts completely on instinct to take responsibility for something it couldn't control because it wasn't trained.
Your about as stupid as the person commenting on the end of the article. That no large breeds should be allowed near children. How about no stupid people are allowed to have animals or children they clearly have no interest in taking care of or bothing to be responsible for.

What happened is a HORRIBLE tragedy but it is NOT THE BREED!!! It is the owner. My step-mother had a sheltie that was extremely aggressive and bit numerous people. Who attacked a child. Why? His previous owner abused the crap out of him!! My last rescue was severely abused and had over 100 shotgun pellets in his body and organs. I knew he had aggressive tendencies because he was used and trained as a guard/attack dog. He was a mutt. We don't have children and slowly socialized him. We were very vigilant in keeping him out of potentially dangerous situations. He became a very social dog but never gave up the guard mentality. He loved children and loved to be scratched. Sadly due to the abuse and neglect we were only able to spoil him for two years before he died from injuries from his abuse and shotgun pellets.

My brother has had two rotties. Very protective but LOVED kids!!! They never hurt anyone ever. It is not breed specific people!!!! It is the environment the dog is brought up in. BTW, my beagle bit someone. Yes, that ever vicious breed the Beagle! She was cornered and scared. Be a responsible pet owner and this doesn't happen. The person she bit was a child who I had told not to go in our fenced yard. They went in when I was inside for a minute and when I came back out they had cornered her and she started growling (the child told me this). Was this my fault? Not according to the police

It is my belief that most "bully breed" owners are irresponsible and want the dog for different reasons. Not for a family pet. When we start treating our animals the way they should be treated, this will not be an issue. Understand the dog before you adopt and hold the owner responsible!!!!!!

ULZIE, you need a reality check.. I wish Judge Judy could get hold of you.. She would chew you up and spit you out..

There are people then there are people without brains.

Dogs are mostly products of their genetic makeup/breeding. This breed is INSTINCTIVELY aggressive period, end of story. All the pro pit bull propaganda in the world can't change that. What is bred to the bone will come out every time.

Jean, Ulzie is right. As for Judge Judy? She isn't always fair a lot of times she judges a person by their looks. You can't always read a bood by it's cover. You are the one without brains. Any dog can attack.

Ulzie, good for on on rescuing a dog that needed a second chance. There needs to be more people that will do that.

its ''cant tell a book by its cover'' just trying to help you out pal.

thanks Joe, a little typo, but you knew what I ment.

Jean-982597 ??? I need a reality check? And what the heck does Judge Judy have to do with anything?? She is a reality tv entertainer. Quite frankly, I don't have time to watch such made up nonsense. I would rather spend my time educating others about the truth. As outspoken as she may be, so am I (obviously). I will never be chewed up and spit out by anyone.

I am not quite sure what you are trying to say with "there are people and then there are people without brains". Perhaps if you think a little harder you can come up with an actual argument and then I will listen to you.

"STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES" That explains most dog attacks. By the way, did you know in 1988, the number one dog in dog attack deaths was the Labrador? Stupid people allowed to have an animal they have no intention of taking care of, let alone be responsible for, have no business with an animal. ANY dog can be aggressive. It only makes the news when its a "bully breed".

On that note, where are all my CHOW CHOW haters? Come on, I know you are out there.

Jean-982597 - I will mail you a quarter for your reality check! Apparently that is all you could afford.

Pitbulls are a gentle breed if they are raised that way. If you get a moron who believes they should be hostile that is how they are raised and things like this will happen. In the end as usual it comes down to the owners. Anyone who believes otherwise just isn't that smart. I can see that in this thread there are plenty who lack the ability to make an informed intelligent judgement on the situation.

Dee, you said it.. Genetics people. Speak with any Veterinarian Geneticist and they will tell you any breed can be vicious. But there are the ones with the propensity of genetically being prone to attack and viciousness. Any dog like so many have said has it in them. And if I was the humane society person who posted they took a Pit who had been rehabbed to see groups of children at school they had better be ready for anything especially if that Pit begins to feel "closed in on." Letting it give kisses and the poster didn't say ifthose kisses were on the children's faces, they had better be giving those kids and that teacher waivers for parents to sign before said visit. Even if you have a "clean" line genetic background of any said pooch with no history of parents and further back in the line never showing aggression, you still never leave that dog alone with children. Or even if you think when you have a leash on your dog and are in full control, a kiss can turn into a lunge and bite in a millisecond. I have seen it happen.

F-ing outlaw this breed already! How many people have to be killed and mauled? They were bred for aggression - IT'S IN THEIR GENES!