Pit bull owners often say that the dog is not dangerous, and most of the time they are correct. Pit bulls have not been proved to bite people more often than other dogs bite people. Nevertheless, the pregnant woman who recently was mauled to death by one of her own pit bulls belonged to a group which was campaigning to convince people that pit bulls are not dangerous. The name of that group was "Dog Lovers Responsible about Pit Bulls." Her dog bit her dozens of times in her body and face, killing her and her unborn child. (Read the article.)The question we must ask ourselves is whether the risk of this being repeated is worth taking. When any other dog has a bad day, somebody can get hurt; when a pit bull has a bad day, somebody can get killed. Although the appalling lack of statistics cannot reliably tell us the number of victims from this breed of dog, the news reports as well as an important recent study confirm that attacks by pit bulls result in far greater injuries, hospitalizations and medical costs that attacks by other dogs. In recent years, most human fatalities, if caused by a dog, were inflicted by pit bulls. (Read the abstract.)If this breed is not to be banned altogether, it certainly must be restricted in several important respects: who may own it, where it may live, and how it is to be confined and restrained whether on public or private property. It should not be owned by minors, ex-criminals, were people who violate leash laws or any animal control laws. It should not be allowed to live in multifamily dwellings or upon premises used for day care. It should be confined in dog runs with a floor, four sides, and a roof. It should only be permitted in public when it is on a 4 foot leash wearing a secure muzzle designed to prevent biting. In a court of law it should be presumed that if a pit bull is running at large, a person who kills it was acting in self-defense.If the mayhem continues, stronger measures certainly might be warranted. To prevent that from happening, dog fanciers and breeders should immediately commence the following strategy: pit bulls should be carefully bred for nonviolent tendencies, all violations of animal control laws should be immediately reported whether or not the involved dog is a pit bull, and pit bull owners should be educated as to the proper care, handling and confinement of their dogs.
Posted on: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 04:35:33 +0000
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