Pitt Bull News Yet Another Fatal Family Pit Bull Attack

[FirefightnRick]

BURLESON (CBSDFW.COM) – A 3-month-old baby is dead after being savagely attacked by the family’s pit bull.

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/09/25/family-pit-bull-mauls-kills-baby-dog-euthanized/

Rick

[kalebschumann]

I'm from Burleson. Definitely know the neighborhood.

I don't recognize the house though.

Not too sure what to think about pit bulls.

[FirefightnRick]

I'm from Burleson.

Me too.

Rick

[kalebschumann]

I didn't know that!

Did you grow up there?

I lived in Oak Valley (just across the street from the new HS) and graduated from BHS 2007

[FirefightnRick]

I didn't know that!

Did you grow up there?

I lived in Oak Valley (just across the street from the new HS) and graduated from BHS 2007

Yup, I grew up on a farm in Garden Acres. I went to Frazier Elementary, one block down from the residence where the attack happened.

Rick

[FirefightnRick]

http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/09/25/4286485/burleson-infant-dies-after-mauling.html

Says the dog had been involved in a previous bite incident and had been picked up running loose before that.

You have to wonder where some people's common sense dissappeared to when you read and see stories like this.

Rick

[GreenMachine]

I don't want any of my rights taken away but sure wouldn't hurt my feelings if these damn animals were made illegal to own.

[mattmartin817]

This is really sad stuff.

On another note, also from Burleson, lived (parents still live there) behind Cana Baptist church.

[Censored by Laurie]

Wonder which causes more accidental deaths per year...pit bulls or guns.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

People with dangerous dog breeds around kids are idiots. I broke into the insurance industry 17 years ago as an adjuster. Dogs mauling kids are the worst type of claims.

Everytime a dog owners told me, "He's never bitten before" I wanted to punch them in the face. It doesn't matter that the dog hasn't bitten before. What matter's is that you have a 100+ pound dog around toddlers and little kids who can in no way defend themselves against an animal that big when it decides to bite/defend itself.

Edited September 26, 2012 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[meangreendork]

Wonder which causes more accidental deaths per year...pit bulls or guns.

Well, a soldier accidentally killed his friend with a handgun while trying to scare the hiccups out of him. So today, it looks like it's 1-1. Maybe the real problem is people and how stupid they can be.

[foutsrouts]

People with dangerous dog breeds around kids are idiots. I broke into the insurance industry 17 years ago as an adjuster. Dogs mauling kids are the worst type of claims.

Everytime a dog owners told me, "He's never bitten before" I wanted to punch them in the face. It doesn't matter that the dog hasn't bitten before. What matter's is that you have a 100+ pound dog around toddlers and little kids who can in no way defend themselves against an animal that big.

They're not that easy for an unarmed grown man to defend himself against either. I got attacked by one while jogging two weeks ago, and the damn thing got a piece of my shoe as I was scaling a large fence. A very close encounter.

[adman]

People with dangerous dog breeds around kids are idiots.

Would you define dangerous dog breed for me please.

[KRAM1]

Would you define dangerous dog breed for me please.

Well...I think we can start with "Pit Bulls" and perhaps gop from there....

[FirefightnRick]

Would you define dangerous dog breed for me please.

According to the last stats I looked up and posted here..(where is that thread?) of the breeds most involved with attacks were Pits and Pit mixes, Chows, Rottweilers and any kind mixed in between.

Also, the last I checked there were over 200 cities and towns that have in fact made it illegal to own one within their city limits. Due to an increase of maulings the past 15 years, and I've witnessed two pretty bad ones, Fort Worth has been forced to strengthen its dog ownership regulations. Not sure if they have made a difference or not?

Rick

Edited September 26, 2012 by FirefightnRick

[adman]

Well...I think we can start with "Pit Bulls" and perhaps gop from there....

I disagree. I dont believe there are any dangerous dog breeds only dangerous owners. I think it would be a wonderful study to track dog bites on a socio-econimic scale and see if there is a correlation between being poor and the propensity of your breed to bite. Why? Because the breeds that are vilified as dangerous or aggressive are kept by many undereducated, poor people as status symbols/4 legged hand guns for the purpose of frightening others/protecting themselves. Meaning, they want their dog to be mean. Counter that to educated, middle class persons that own the same breed(s). My gut says you'd see telling evidence that it isn't the breed at all.

Random dog bite fact - over half of all dog bites are to the face of a person. That's not the fault of any breed. That's a dog being a dog and feeling challenged when another animal goes nose to nose with him.

[Harry]

The problem is Pit Bull owners all think they are the kindest animal breed on the planet. I have never gotten that myself. They always make me nervous and I don't like my dog to even be around them.

[KRAM1]

Adman...I see where you are coming from, but even the breeders of Pit Bulls describe them as having "aggressive tendancies". As I understand it, they were originally bred to be aggressive. Now, while all the attacks by Pit Bulls may indeed be owed more to the owner than the dog itself, there is no denying that Pit Bulls do pose a threat and need to be watched much closer than many other breeds. The question i have is...why, other than what Adman describes here, would one want a dog that has the very real potential for aggression such as a Pit Bull when there are so many other and more "people and pet friendly" breeds to choose from?

I do agree...if owners would act responsibly, many of these attacks could/would have been prevented. Problem is..people do not act responsibly many times. Not a risk I care to take nor wish my family to be around. As I understand it, some communities have designated these breeds to be aggressive and owners must "register" these dogs.

Why take the risk of ownership in the first place?

[MeanGreenTexan]

Resisting urge to comment on ignorance in this thread..... oops, .

Not going to look at this thread anymore.

[adman]

Adman...I see where you are coming from, but even the breeders of Pit Bulls describe them as having "aggressive tendancies". As I understand it, they were originally bred to be aggressive. Now, while all the attacks by Pit Bulls may indeed be owed more to the owner than the dog itself, there is no denying that Pit Bulls do pose a threat and need to be watched much closer than many other breeds. The question i have is...why, other than what Adman describes here, would one want a dog that has the very real potential for aggression such as a Pit Bull when there are so many other and more "people and pet friendly" breeds to choose from?

I do agree...if owners would act responsibly, many of these attacks could/would have been prevented. Problem is..people do not act responsibly many times. Not a risk I care to take nor wish my family to be around. As I understand it, some communities have designated these breeds to be aggressive and owners must "register" these dogs.

Why take the risk of ownership in the first place?

I've heard Ceasar Millan ask the question: "Which breeds of dogs are aggressive?" His answer: None. It's all in how you raise/train/socialize your pet."

ANECDOTAL FLASHBACK

When I was a kid it seemed there was a rash of Cocker Spaniels biting kids in the face but since it is grandma's dog you didn't see it vilified. And the point to this is that at the end of the day, dogs are dogs, animals, that no matter what kind of goofy clothes we put them in, doggie day cares we send them to, or ribbons we put in their hair, they still have a little of the wild wolf in their blood and under the right circumstances all of them will let that wild loose.

NOT MAKING LIGHT OF A CHILD BEING KILLED

Im no apologist for the Pit that killed the the child in Burleson. I wasn't there. I don't know how it went down. But let's look at it as it relates to the nature of dogs in general.

There is a domestic disturbance severe enough the police are called. (DOG - there is something wrong with the pack. The alpha is not leading or the alpha is in trouble. The pack is falling apart. Confusion. What do I do?) The police come. (DOG - an unknown pack is encroaching.) Perhaps the police take command of the dogs owner. (DOG - F*CK! Alpha down! Alpha Down! Save the PACK!) TODDLER - is, much like the dog, losing its sh*t because it lacks the capacity to digest what is going on. (TODDLER - CRY!) Stressed dog, stressed toddler come face to face. (DOG - adrenaline coursing by this point - Son of a B*tch! Save myself. Save the pack! Save myself! Save the pack! TODDLER - Screams! DOG - BITES!

To the dog it all makes sense. To us it is simply a bad dog. But that isn't aggression. That is a scared dog.

A terrible tragedy for everyone but replace that pit with any other breed and I'd wager in that circumstance the dog would still have bitten someone.

All that said - Im fine with the fact they put the dog down.

[oldguystudent]

I'm certainly no dog genius, but I've got a 100 pound shepherd who is the sweetest, gentlest thing...within the family. Someone breeches the perimeter, and they don't tend to stick around for long after seeing/hearing her. Because of this, I'm really careful about introducing her to new people or dogs, and always have her on about a six-inch leash when outside.

[mgfan]

Im from burleson too.

[LongJim]

Had a lhasa one time. Belonged to my ex-wife. They are very protective, and sometimes high strung, and will bite if cornered. Ex-wife decided to bend down one night and "kiss it". Had been telling her for years: "Don't get in a dog's face. Don't do it."

It was backed against a chair leg, and bit through her lower lip, tearing it in two almost down to her chin and completely through into her mouth. Emergency room. Plastic surgery. I was pissed, but resisted the urge to say those 4 words you never say to a spouse--even a stupid one.

The problem with pits is that their bite is crushing, and they do not typically stop until they or what they are attacking is dead. That is why they are dangerous. Their bite is to a Lhasa's bite as a Great White is to a dogfish. If a Lhasa bites an infant, the infant will (hopefully) only get stitches and spend a day or two in the hospital. If a pit bites an infant, that infant is probably either going to be in more than one piece, or torn into tatters. That makes them more dangerous than many other breeds.

While I agree with much of how Millan views pack animals, one has to keep in mind that you are not dealing with a weak-willed breed with a pit. They are strong-willed and will attack threats if not kept under control by an alpha.

Dogs are animals and are not human beings.

[Green P1]

Had a lhasa one time. Belonged to my ex-wife. They are very protective, and sometimes high strung, and will bite if cornered. Ex-wife decided to bend down one night and "kiss it". Had been telling her for years: "Don't get in a dog's face. Don't do it."

It was backed against a chair leg, and bit through her lower lip, tearing it in two almost down to her chin and completely through into her mouth. Emergency room. Plastic surgery. I was pissed, but resisted the urge to say those 4 words you never say to a spouse--even a stupid one.

The problem with pits is that their bite is crushing, and they do not typically stop until they or what they are attacking is dead. That is why they are dangerous. Their bite is to a Lhasa's bite as a Great White is to a dogfish. If a Lhasa bites an infant, the infant will (hopefully) only get stitches and spend a day or two in the hospital. If a pit bites an infant, that infant is probably either going to be in more than one piece, or torn into tatters. That makes them more dangerous than many other breeds.

While I agree with much of how Millan views pack animals, one has to keep in mind that you are not dealing with a weak-willed breed with a pit. They are strong-willed and will attack threats if not kept under control by an alpha.

Dogs are animals and are not human beings.

Exactly.

[GreenMachine]

Had a lhasa one time. Belonged to my ex-wife. They are very protective, and sometimes high strung, and will bite if cornered. Ex-wife decided to bend down one night and "kiss it". Had been telling her for years: "Don't get in a dog's face. Don't do it."

It was backed against a chair leg, and bit through her lower lip, tearing it in two almost down to her chin and completely through into her mouth. Emergency room. Plastic surgery. I was pissed, but resisted the urge to say those 4 words you never say to a spouse--even a stupid one.

The problem with pits is that their bite is crushing, and they do not typically stop until they or what they are attacking is dead. That is why they are dangerous. Their bite is to a Lhasa's bite as a Great White is to a dogfish. If a Lhasa bites an infant, the infant will (hopefully) only get stitches and spend a day or two in the hospital. If a pit bites an infant, that infant is probably either going to be in more than one piece, or torn into tatters. That makes them more dangerous than many other breeds.

While I agree with much of how Millan views pack animals, one has to keep in mind that you are not dealing with a weak-willed breed with a pit. They are strong-willed and will attack threats if not kept under control by an alpha.

Dogs are animals and are not human beings.

Can I get your dog to bite my ex-wife?