All Breeds Lakewood organized a mass assembly at Monday night’s City Council meeting, regaling representatives with stories and context that underscore the callousness of the BSL.
Lakewood resident Jennifer Scott spoke at the meeting, calling the pit bull ban a “racist, classist law.” She asked council members to amend the law to conform with Ohio statutes.
Scott adopted a puppy earlier this year, and Lakewood’s animal warden reported that “the puppy would be welcome in Lakewood at this time,” though there seemed to be a concern that it may be a young pit bull. A DNA test was “recommended,” based purely on the dog’s appearance. If the DNA test showed that the puppy was more than 50-percent pit bull, the dog would be taken away from her.
When Scott’s puppy got loose through an open gate recently, the city scheduled a hearing and mandated a DNA test. With a 30- to 45-day window now on the books, Scott helped rally the Monday night gathering and this latest push against the pit bull ban in Lakewood.
Like many others, we’ve pointed out before the shortcomings of breed-specific legislation like pit bull bans. The black-and-white policies leave little room for case-by-case discretion, instead describing an entire group of dogs as guilty until proven innocent. This is obviously problematic for families who rescue and adopt pit bulls and for trainers who work with a broad spectrum of dogs.
Former Lakewood resident Kerry Stack, a dog trainer herself, organized All Breeds Lakewood last summer in an effort to reduce the stigma around pit bulls in the city. Embedded in BSL, Stack said at last night’s council meeting, there is an inherent and “sinister” theme. “We believe it has not been designed for the safety of our citizens,” she said, “but rather as a racial and socioeconomic profiling that has blemished Lakewood’s claim to being an all-inclusive diverse city.”
Stack promised ongoing action from All Breeds Lakewood. In a phone call with Scene today, she said that All Breeds will be taking it upon themselves to “fill in some of the voids that council and the mayor have failed to fill in, such as education and resources.” All Breeds’ blog boasts training materials and points out that there’s much more at work here than simply repealing a law; there are leash laws and dogs-at-large laws that can be strengthened in a city as densely populated as Lakewood. She advocated a “holistic” approach to dog policies, something that, more and more, cities and courts are starting to recognize.
Earlier this year, the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Ohio struck down an anti-pit bull law in Reynoldsburg, Ohio (near Columbus). As ASPCA leadership stated in April: “This victory should generate important momentum against BSL in Ohio: Absent review and reversal by the Ohio Supreme Court, the more than 80 municipalities in Ohio with breed-discriminatory ordinances still on the books now face the choice of either repealing them or defending them in court—with the law stacked against them.”
The city of Reynoldsburg did not fight back against the ruling, signaling a solid win for pit bull advocates.
The Fifth District decision covers 15 counties. Legal precedent assumes that if some sort of litigation were to develop in the Eighth District (Cuyahoga County), the court would rule similarly.
Until then, however, All Breeds and the many supporters of equitable policies in Lakewood will continue to keep this conversation in council chambers and at public events.
This article appears in Jun 14-20, 2017.
There needs to be a much more productive way to protect the citizens of Lakewood and other cities like it from potential dog bites. Instead of banning a specific breed, especially since it has not been proven to reduce dog bites in places with bans, they should enforce laws that are already on the books that place responsibility on the owner of any breed of dog. Laws such as leash laws, containment and so on are enforced sporadically at best. We did not buy a house in Lakewood for this exact reason and it is a shame because I grew up on Clifton Blvd. My grandparents and my and aunt and uncle also had houses on Clifton and they each also had… That’s right, pit bulls. In the 90’s when there was not a media created hysteria over pit bulls, there was 2 of them that lived their whole lives, peacefully with their families right on Clifton Blvd.
BSL’s are the typical fraidy cat legislation that politicians enjoy debating and approving — since it makes them appear to have meticulously tackled a complicated safety issue through tidy language.
My pit bull attack happened in April of 2007, just over a decade ago. In that decade 222 Americans have been killed by pit bulls, countless more mauled, disfigured, disabled. Sadly, the number changes regularly. There is no similar statistic for Americans killed by Poodles or Pugs, Beagles of Borzois.
The pit bull that attacked my horse and me in the Cleveland Metroparks was brought into Lakewood under a falsified state document, harbored in the lower half of a double house, directly across the street from a Lakewood City School, by this time uninsured. The pit bull was quickly ordered out of town by Lakewood Animal Control. The young woman asking for Lakewood to drop a proactive law was given a huge concession by Lakewood animal control but she failed to responsibly confine and control her animal. This is not a position of strength but is an indication of what Lakewood residents might expect in the future.
Insurance is a problem, pit bull owners rarely have insurance to cover the medical expenses of victims. Insurance is very expensive for those who harbor pit bulls. Insurance companies, using their own actuarial data, are very aware of the cost of a pit bull attack and simply refuse to sell policies to pit bull owners.
The recent ruling so favored by pit bull advocacy is a bit deceptive. The ruling refers to local laws based on former Ohio law, changed by the passage of HB 14 in 2012. Yes, a law based on a state law no longer in existence would be unconstitutional. Cities who want to keep their BSL just need to do a bit of tinkering with the language. BSL is constitutional and enforced all over the United States. Home rule in Ohio allows cities to make their own decisions.
HB 14, written by pit bull advocacy lawyers employed by Best Friends Animal Society headquartered in Kanab Utah has proven to be a disaster for Ohio and is currently being rewritten by the Ohio Legislature. SB 151 was passed unanimously in the Ohio Senate late in the last Legislative Session. The unanimous passage of the bill clearly indicates how strongly Ohio lawmakers feel about the current status of Ohio law. When was the last time anything was passed unanimously by the Ohio Senate? It is expected to be reintroduced into the Ohio House very soon. It would be cautious to wait for changes in state law before wholesale changes in local laws.
First, second and third we want, need and should demand public safety and personal security.
Anything that stands in the way of this must be removed, not changed, not modified, not altered but Removed completely.
To argue in effect for breed neutral legislation that is not preemptive but reactive and dependent on responsible ownership is an oxymoron that has no purpose nor use and will not stand.
Yes Pit bull ownership going underground due to BSL would be a good thing, through this fact one would rarely encounter the owner or mutant undog and the likelihood of attack from them both would be drastically reduced into obscurity, what can’t access you can’t hurt you.
Having them hidden in far far smaller numbers in some basement or attic is far preferable to having the current numbers allowed to be owned where the safety of said community would be wholly dependent on the responsibility of pit bull owners when such ownership does not nor has it existed in the last 30+ years.
To think that if we merely ask and say pretty please and try to inform the pit bull owner of what his responsibilities should be that he will then undertake them is foolish, naive, and dangerous.
Their numbers will not decline, the pit bull owners will not become responsible and an ever worsening status quo will be the outcome of such viewpoints.
Most pit bull owners are fully aware of what they own, their history and capability, they just don’t care nor will they.
This battle is not about semantics, it is about truth, facts and life and death, these are what need to be imparted to the general public so that they understand the reality of what the pit bull type dog is so they can react accordingly, this must be phrased in a stark black and white contrast.
Playing word games & using PR obfuscation merely distracts the public from the real core safety issue involved, in the immortal words of Joe Friday they need the facts, just the real facts mame.
The pit nutters minds can’t be changed by facts or anything because they are not rational sentient beings, they are culls and a lost cause.
But facts will change and direct the silent majority to the reality of the situation and then they will do the rest for us all.
You can NOT be a responsible Lion owner in a residential suburban context, nor a responsible owner of a tiger, cougar, cobra or wolverine, to try to sell the concept that one can be a responsible pit bull type dog owner is as irrational as any of those options would be in regards to the vast % of pit bull type dogs and there owners.
Pit bull owners don’t care about your right of freedom to be safe, they don’t care about their obligation to be responsible and don’t recognize the existence of said concept.
They will never agree to any restriction placed upon them, even a leash law, S/N law or that they undergo a basic training course with their undogs are an anathema to them, how are you going to get them to agree to really serious restrictions like insurance, muzzleing, kenneling, short lease, getting their undogs fixed and chipped, registered with photos, if you believe any of that is possible you are living in a dream world that is a fantasy that will be the death of us all.
When it comes to pit bull type dog owners you are talking about narcissistic sociopaths who don’t care who don’t feel, to whom you, yours and anyone is expendable whose lives have no purpose nor meaning to pit nutters.
To think that one can get them to change and accept responsibility and restrictions on their undogs for our betterment is foolish and delusional.
They don’t even care about their own dogs and consider them disposable, so to think they will agree to these restrictions for their undogs sake is misguided at best.
Pit bull owners have lost their minds and never had their hearts, the only thing that will work is hard core enforcement of severe BSL unless you want the status quo expounded many times over in blood facts on the pavement.
BSL is the only solution, any breed neutral abstract application of psychology would be doomed to failure.!!!!
The All dogs are in danger by BSL is a red herring designed by pit bull type dog advocacy to deflect and obfuscate the focus from where it belongs, all dogs that are pit bull type dogs with pit bull Genetic lineage with a direction connection genetically to the Ol English Bulldoggee Butcher dog & Roman Alaunt war dogs are in need of extinction and are not fit to interact with the human race safely.
We are talking about maybe 15 Pit Bull Type Dogs out of over 400 breeds of dogs in existence, hardly a threat to all dogs and in realty it is the 3 main breeds with the rest mixes of them or not so distant cousins of them merely known by another name elsewhere in the world.
All other Dogs even other molossor dogs have no genetic connection to the Ol English Bulldoggee Butcher dog and are moot to this conversation and in no need of BSL.
If you focus on only the 3 most popular pit bull type dogs you risk them hiding their pit bulls behind the name of another allowed pit bull type dog or simply switching to it, no different from switching from a white pit bull to a brown one.
The answer is that you ban all pit bull type dogs which are: American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire bull terriers, American pit bull terriers, American Bulldog, Bull mastiffs, dogo argentinos, fila brasieros, presa canarios, Japanese Tosa, cane corsos, Bandogs, rhodesian ridgebacks and their mixes and any dog generally recognized as a pit bull or pit bull terrier and includes a dog of mixed breed with predominant pit bull or pit bull terrier characteristics.
It is all or none, otherwise the protected pit bulls will just keep on mauling, as well it will give an opportunity to allow pit nutters to call their APBT this other protected type of pit bull to avoid any BSL or simply get a Dogo Argentino for an example which would be even worse then a APBT in similar numbers.
It is exactly like saying only tan APBT’s are dangerous and that all Black & all White ones are safe, same outcome too i might add a hopeless failure of BSL in that context with no change in the number of attacks that Kill, Maul, Maim, Disfigure, Dismember, cause Life Flights or trips to the Intensive Care Unit.
No Kill Nutters and Pit Bull Nutters walk hand in hand off of the same cliff of insanity hand in glove, functionally speaking more often then not they are one and the same.!!
The difference between normal dogs and Pit Bull Type Dogs is that those non pit bull type dogs regardless of their size do not have an inherent genetic predisposition to Kill, Maul, Maim, Disfigure, Dismember, cause Life Flights or trips to the Intensive Care Unit.
They can be taken on a dog by dog basis and their ownership will determine their behavior.
All pit bull type dogs have an inherent genetic predisposition to Kill, Maul, Maim, Disfigure, Dismember, cause Life Flights or trips to the Intensive Care Unit due to their genetic connection to the Roman war dog Aluant & The Ol English Bulldogge precursor genetics that led to the creation of the Pi Bull Terrier, and will do so no matter how they are raised, it is a generic genetic reality which is why they all need to be banned to prevent there numbers from reaching greater numbers which would lead to carnage in the streets.
In North America, from 1982-2014, Bullmastiffs have been responsible for 111 serious attacks on humans, resulting in 63 maimings and 18 deaths.
In North America, from 1982-2014, Presa Canarios have been responsible for 111 attacks on humans that resulted in 18 fatalities.
In North America, from 1982-2014, Cane Corsos have seriously attacked 21 humans that resulted in 12 maimings and 2 fatality. In addition, a Cane Corso/Pit Bull mix attacked 1 person that resulted in a fatality.
In North America, from 1982-2014, Dogo Argentinos have been responsible for 5 serious attacks on humans that resulted in 1 fatality. This breed in rare in North America.
In North America from 1982-2014 Fila Brasileiros have seriously attacked 5 humans and were responsible for 1 death.
“The pit bull’s unusual breeding history has produced some bizarre behavioral traits, de- scribed by The Economist’s science editor in an article published a few years ago, at the peak of a heated British controversy over dangerous dogs that saw the pit bull banned in England.
First, the pit bull is quicker to anger than most dogs, probably due to the breed’s unusually high level of the neurotransmitter L-tyrosine.
Second, pit bulls are frighteningly tenacious; their attacks frequently last for 15 minutes or longer, and nothinghoses, violent blows or kickscan easily stop them. That’s because of the third behavioral anomaly: the breed’s remarkable insensitivity to pain.
Most dogs beaten in a fight will submit the next time they see the victor. Not a defeated pit bull, who will tear into his onetime vanquisher. This, too, has to do with brain chemistry.
The body releases endorphins as a natural painkiller. Pit bulls seem extra-sensitive to endorphins and may generate higher levels of the chemical than other dogs.
Endorphins are also addictive: “The dogs may be junkies, seeking pain so they can get the endorphin buzz they crave,” The Economist suggests.”
Finally, most dogs warn you before they attack, growling or barking to tell you how angry they are”so they don’t have to fight,” ASPCA advisor and animal geneticist Stephen Zawistowski stresses.
Not the pit bull, which attacks without warning. Most dogs, too, will bow to signal that they want to frolic. Again, not the pit bull, which may follow an apparently playful bow with a lethal assault.
In short, contrary to the writings of Vicki Hearne, a well-known essayist on animals whoin a bizarre but emotionally charged confusionequates breed-specific laws against pit bulls as a kind of “racist propaganda,” the pit bull is a breed apart.
http://www.city-journal.org/html/scared-pit-bulls-you%E2%80%99d-better-be-11995.html
I e-mailed them and this is the answer the
U of Cal Davis responded with:
Hello, Thomas
You are correct the DNA test we offer is for parent verification/genetic marker report is used to verify parentage of an animal when the parents are provided or as permanent identification (DNA fingerprint).
The test will not provide you with specific information, such as breed, coat color or disease.
https://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/dog.php
****************************************************************************
There is NO DNA test anywhere that can reliably test for breed, only for parentage and specific identity, this according to the U of Cal Davis in CA.
In fact all companies such as the wisdom panal that test for DNA in dogs specifically say they do NOT test for pit bull DNA as the capability to do so does not exist yet.
As well it is widely acknowledged that any test purporting to be able to determine dog breed or type is wildly inaccurate and useless.!
****************************************************************************
Lets take a closer look at this myth that a pit bull cannot be identified without the use of DNA tests:
And that science will begin with the Mars Wisdom DNA test. Lets see what that company has to say about their DNA test, shall we?
Does Wisdom Panel test for Pit-bull?
The term Pit-bull is a bit of a misnomer and does not refer to a single, recognized breed of dog, but rather to a genetically diverse group of breeds which are associated by certain physical traits. Pit-bull-type dogs have historically been bred by combining guarding-type breeds with terriers for certain desired characteristics. As such they may retain many genetic similarities to their original breeds and other closely related breeds.
Due to the genetic diversity of this group, Mars Veterinary cannot build a DNA profile to genetically identify every dog that may be visually classified as a Pit-bull.
When these types of dogs are tested with the Wisdom Panel, we routinely detect various quantities of the component purebred dogs including the American Staffordshire Terrier, Boston Terrier, Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Mastiff, Bullmastiff, Boxer, Bulldog, and various other Terriers.
Additionally, there are often other breeds outside of the Guard and Terrier groups identified in the mix depending on each dogs individual ancestry.
Lets look at the results with the information that the testing company provided to us:
1. significant Boxer with some Bulldog
2. distant traces of Smooth Fox Terrier
3. significant Chihuahua with some Cocker Spaniel
4. some Rottweiler and Boston Terrier
5. some German Shepherd Dog and distant traces of Affenpinscher
6. some Chinese Shar-Pei and distant traces of Rottweiler
7. some American Staffordshire Terrier and Australian Cattle Dog
8. distant traces of Basset Hound, Dalmatian and Pug
9. significant American Staffordshire Terrier and distant traces of Boxer
10. some German Shepherd Dog and distant traces of Basset Hound, Norwegian Elkhound and Samoyed
11. distant traces of Basset Hound, Dalmatian, Glen of Imaal Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Wire Fox Terrier
12. some Rottweiler and distant traces of Clumber Spaniel, German Wirehaired Pointer and Newfoundland
13. some Boston Terrier and distant traces of Bulldog
14. distant traces of Borzoi, Brussels Griffon, Dachshund, English Cocker Spaniel and Samoyed
15. some Boxer and distant traces of Bernese Mountain Dog, Briard, Dalmatian and Welsh Springer Spaniel
16.distant traces of Beagle, Boxer, Bulldog, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Dalmatian, Mastiff and Whippet
Breed identification DNA tests are a sure-fire way to make money for those who sell them, including veterinarians who are paid for product endorsement.
But do they work?
No. In fact, the results shown here are common: a pure-breed dog comes back as being a vague pastiche of three or four breeds.
Breed DNA tests are not too different from Gypsy Fortune telling, Fortune Cookies, the I-Ching, Numerology and Tarot Card reading: If you give a vague-enough answer, the believers will rationalize whatever result you give them, pounding the square peg into the round hole.
Please pick out a dog show to attend. Any dog show. They are held in every state, every weekend . They are all judged on a visual identification system.
Every dog show ever held has been judged on a visual identification system. Judges not only identify breeds but also minute deviations from breed standard. Watch the judges work.
Humans are capable of this and do it all the time. You can pick out a Poodle or a Pug, Irish Setter or Wolfhound, Corgi or Chihuahua but you have difficulty identifying a breed that you state is anywhere from 5% to 40% of the dogs in America?
The material that I have linked to is very clear that the ASPCA is telling us that their shelter volunteers can correctly identify pit bulls 96% of the time.
Heres the point: The NCRC uses the DNA when it is convenient to do so. It knows full well that the test does not test for pit bull and will often pick it up as other breeds, but it does not tell its readers.
It then uses the mix of other breeds to declare the dogs not pit bulls. Then it uses this sham of an experiment as cited research in their fatality reports to prove they cant identify pit bulls.
2016 Dog Bite Related Fatalities
Protect Children From Pit Bulls And Other Dangerous DogsThursday, January 19, 201783 Reads
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Protect Children From Pit Bulls And Other Dangerous Dogs
2016 Dog Bite Related Fatalities in the U.S.
Updated after each fatality following fact finding research.
Peer Reviewed.
30 Dog Bite Related Fatality by Breed.
24 by Pit Bull/Pit Bull Mix
3 Mixed Breeds
1 Pending
1 Doberman Mix
1 Belgian Malinois
1 Rottweiler
By Age :
13 – Children
17- Adults
By State :
CA – 5 death
VA – 1 death
NC – 3 death
OH – 1 death
WA – 1 death
FL – 3 death
MO – 1 death
TX – 3 death
ME – 1 death
CT – 1 death
MI – 1 death
AZ – 1 death
GA – 1 death
HI – 1 death
NV -1 death
CO – 1 death
KS – 1 death
WV – 1 death
NY – 1 death
Names and ages of the deceased:
Tyler Trammell Huston – 9yrs old – Linda, CA. – Pit Bulls – [1.3.16]
Payton Lyrik Sawyers – 15months – Grayson County, VA – Pit Bull – [1.8.16]
Talen Nathan West – 7yrs old – Lumberton, NC – Pit Bulls – [1.24.16]
Aiden Grim-Morelli – 3days old – Youngstown, OH – Mixed Breed – [2.7.16]
Suzanne Story – 36yrs old – Rquimans Country, N.C. – Pit Bull Mix – [2.10.16]
Gladys Alexander – 92yrs old – Thurston County, WA – Pit Bull Mixes – [3.8.16]
Bessie Flowers – 86yrs old – Charlotte, N.C. – Pit Bulls – [3.28.16]
Sonda Tyson – 66yrs old – Leesburg, FL. – Pit Bull – [3.31.16]
Sebastian Caban – 3 Days old – San Diego, CA – Pit Bull Mix – [4.21.16]
Manuel Mejia – 49yrs old -Homestead, FL , -Belgian Malinois-bulldog mixes – [4.28.16]
Adonis Reddick – 45yrs old – St Louis, MO. – Pit Bulls – [5.9.16]
Antoinette Brown – 52yrs old – Dallas, Texas – Attacked by approximately 4 to 5 dogs including 2 Pit Bulls – [5.9.16]
Hunter Bragg – 7yrs old – Corinna, Maine – Pit Bull – [6.6.16]
Earl Wayne Stephens Jr. – 43yrs old – Stockton, CA. – Pit Bull – [6.6.16]
Erin McCleskey – 36yr old – Austin, Texas – Pack Attack, Lab/Great Pyrenees mixes and two of the dogs appear to be a husky/Australian cattle dog mix. – [6.15.16]
Jocelyn Winfrey – 53yrs old – New Haven, CT. – Pit Bull Mixes – [6.27.16]
Susie Kirby – 3days old – Fresno, CA. – Pit Bull Mixes – [6.27.16]
Kayden Colter Begay – 3yrs old – Window Rock, AZ. – Pit Bulls – [7.14.16]
Elizabeth Rivera – 71yrs old – Detroit, MI – Pit Bulls – [7.16.16]
Michelle Wilcox – 30yrs old – SCREVEN CO., GA – Pit Bull – [8.1.16]
Crisencio Aliado – 52yrs old – Kalihi, HI., – Pit Bull Mixes – [7.29.16]
Derion Stevenson – 9yrs old – Las Vegas, NV. – Pit Bull – [8.17.16]
Michael Downing – 83yrs old – Jacksonville, FL. – 4 Dogs, Mixes Rottweiler, Chow, Shepard – [8.19.16]
Susan Shawl – 60yrs old – Jefferson County, CO. – 2 Pit Bulls – [8.29.16]
Baby Doe – 6 days old – College Station, TX. – Pending – [8.31.16]
Piper Dunbar – 2yrs old – Topeka, KS. – 2 Pit Bulls – [9.24.16]
Kiyana McNeal – 4yrs old – Sherman Township, Mich. – Doberman Mix – [10.23.16]
Daisie Bradshaw – 68yrs old – Staten Island, NY. – 2 Pit Bull Mixes – [10.25.16]
Isaiah Jacob Franklin – 6yrs old – Huntington, WV. – Pit Bull – [12.3.16]
David Fear – 64yrs old – Grover Beach , CA – Belgian Malinois – [12.16.16]
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Just counting the Pit Bull fatalities someone was killed every 15 days on average in the U.S.
Just counting Rottweiler fatalities someone was killed every 365 days on average in the U.S.
All breeds combined someone was killed by a dog every 12 days on average in the U.S.
80% of all fatal dog attacks came from a Pit Bull type dog.
Why would anyone want to reduce the stigma around pit bulls? Pit bulls are averaging two killings per month. Three in April. Pit bulls have ripped arms off of two people this month! And a foot. On June first, a rescue pit bull killed a ninety year old woman. You would have to be insane to want pit bulls in your neighborhood.
Here’s a list of Large and small cities with successful BSL. Please note, these are city leaders, police chiefs, Animal Control officers, and municipal lawyers who are saying these laws work, are affordable, and provide an improved quality of life for citizens. BSL works to save pet and people lives.
http://blog.dogsbite.org/2010/06/cities-with-successful-pit-bull-laws.html
Since being called racist is possibly the worst possible thing in this day and age, it’s really very clever for the pit nutters to use words like “dog racism” and “inclusivity” and “diversity” to try and guilt people into fighting against their natural inclinations not to want these mutant maulers in their neighborhoods.
I also find it very rich that the person who has the suspected pit bull has already established a precedence of her dog “somehow” escaping her yard. I hope her neighbors are well aware of the irresponsible pit bull owner living in their midst.
June 2017, Virginia Beach, VA
Margaret Colvin, 90
Fatal pit bull attack
May 2017, Kent County, MI
Susannah Murray, < 1
Fatal pit bull attack
May 2017, Clark County, NV
Kamiko Dao Tsuda-Saelee, < 1
Fatal pit bull attack
April 2017, Lehigh County, PA
Lisa Green, 32
Fatal pit bull attack
April 2017, Montgomery County, OH
Maurice Brown, 60
Fatal pit bull attack
April 2017, Oklahoma County, OK
Cecille Short, 82
Fatal pit bull attack
March 2017, Calvert County, MD
Jase Patrick Fohs, < 1
Fatal pit bull attack
February 2017, Los Angeles County, CA
Valentine Herrera, 76
Fatal pit bull attack
January 2017, Fulton County, GA
Logan Braatz, 6
Fatal pit bull attack
December 2016, Cabell County, WV
Isaiah Franklin, 6
Fatal pit bull attack
October 2016, Staten Island, NY
Daisie Bradshaw, 68
Fatal dog attack involving pit bull(s)
September 2016, Shawnee County, KS
Piper Dunbar, 2
Fatal pit bull attack
August 2016, Jefferson County, CO
Susan Shawl, 60
Fatal pit bull attack
August 2016, Clark County, NV
Derion Stevenson, 9
Fatal pit bull attack
August 2016, Screven County, GA
Michelle Wilcox, 30
Fatal pit bull attack
July 2016, Honolulu County, HI
Crisencio Aliado, 52
Fatal pit bull attack
July 2016, Navajo County, AZ
Kayden Begay, 3
Fatal pit bull attack
July 2016, Wayne County, MI
Elizabeth Rivera, 71
Fatal pit bull attack
June 2016, Fresno County, CA
Susie Kirby, < 1
Fatal dog attack involving pit bull(s)
June 2016, Penobscot County, ME
Hunter Bragg, 7
Fatal pit bull attack
June 2016, San Joaquin County, CA
Earl Stephens Jr., 43
Fatal pit bull attack
May 2016, Dallas County, TX
Antoinette Brown, 52
Fatal pack attack involving pit bull(s)
May 2016, St. Louis County, MO
Adonis Reddick, 45
Fatal pit bull attack
April 2016, San Diego County, CA
Sebastian Caban, < 1
Fatal pit bull attack
March 2016, Lake County, FL
Sonda Tyson, 66
Fatal pit bull attack
March 2016, Mecklenburg County, NC
Bessie Flowers, 86
Fatal pit bull attack
March 2016, Thurston County, WA
Gladys Alexander, 92
Fatal pack attack involving pit bull(s)
Februrary 2016, Perquimans County, NC
Suzanne Story, 36
Fatal pit bull attack
January 2016, Robeson County, NC
Talan West, 7
Fatal pit bull attack
January 2016, Grayson County, VA
Payton Sawyers, 1
Fatal pit bull attack
January 2016, Yuba County, CA
Tyler Trammell-Huston, 9
Fatal pit bull attack
December 2015, Butte County, CA
Maria Torres, 57
Fatal pit bull attack
December 2015, St. Clair County, MI
Rebecca Hardy, 22
Fatal pit bull attack
December 2015, Wayne County, MI
Xavier Strickland, 4
Fatal pit bull attack
November 2015, Oneida County, NY
Carter Hartle, < 1
Fatal pit bull attack
November 2015, Nassau County, NY
Amiyah Dunston, 9
Fatal pit bull attack
October 2015, Oklahoma County, OK
Edgar Brown, 60
Fatal pit bull attack
October 2015, Orange County, TX
Tanner Smith, 5
Fatal pit bull attack
September 2015, Berkeley County, WV
Lamarkus Hicks, 2
Fatal pit bull attack
September 2015, Riverside County, CA
Emilio Rios Sr., 65
Fatal pit bull attack
August 2015, Davie County, NC
Cathy Wheatcraft, 48
Fatal pit bull attack
August 2015, Spartanburg County, SC
Porsche Nicole Cartee, 25
Fatal pit bull attack
July 2015, Wagoner County, OK
Carolyn Lamp, 67
Fatal pit bull attack
July 2015, Cuyahoga County, OH
Annie Williams, 71
Fatal pit bull attack
July 2015, Henderson County, NC
Joshua Strother, 6
Fatal pit bull attack
July 2015, Reeves County, TX
Norberto Legarda, 83
Fatal pit bull attack
June 2015, Comanche County, OK
Jordan Collins-Tyson, 3
Fatal pit bull attack
May 2015, Cook County, IL
James Nevils III, 5
Fatal pit bull attack
April 2015, Dallas County, TX
Brayden Wilson, < 1
Fatal pit bull attack
April 2015, Nye County, NV
Kenneth Ford, 79
Fatal pit bull attack
March 2015, Jefferson County, AR
De’trick Johnson, 36
Fatal pit bull attack
March 2015, Mellette County, SD
Julia Whirlwind, 49
Fatal pit bull attack
March 2015, Ohio County, WV
Roy Higgenbotham Jr., 62
Fatal pit bull attack
February 2015, Allegheny County, PA
TayLynn DeVaughn, 2
Fatal pit bull attack
February 2015, Johnson County, AR
Frederick Crutchfield, 63
Fatal pit bull attack
January 2015, Page County, IA
Malaki Mildward, 7
Fatal pit bull attack
January 2015, Hernando County, FL
Declan Moss, 18-months
Fatal pit bull attack
January 2015, Frederick County, MD
Eugene Smith, 87
Fatal pit bull attack
Pit bulls are dangerous and pit bull advocates continue to make asinine excuses for them. Beagles and collie’s, and hundreds of other breeds are not attacking at the rate of pit bulls.
When victims are left with 6 to 7 figure medical bills, the pit bull owners often do not cover any of the costs. Keep the safety of citizens a priority and do not cave-in to the pit bull advocates.
Pointers going to point, retrievers going to retrieve, pit bulls going to kill. It is all instincts they are born with after countless generations of breeding for those traits. Pit bulls are ticking time-bombs. They are weapons that can pull their own trigger.
These dogs are banned or restricted in so many countries, in many places in the United States and on ALL US MILITARY BASES for a REASON. Pit and other dangerous breed owners like to say that a dog is only bad because of it’s owner, but statistics and testimonies prove otherwise. As a support team member with the National Victims of Canine Attacks Support Network I work with victims of all Canine Attacks. All of the people who contact us are family members of severely Or fatally attacked victims. The majority of the Canine perpetrators were/are pit bull terriers. Am Staffordshire Terriers, Am Bulldogs and their mixes. There are occasional Rottweiler, Bull Mastiff, German Shepherd, Husky or Wolf Hybrids but very few comparatively. Also telling is the fact that most all of the attacks came from well raised family pets, not abused, neglected or fought dogs.
While supporters of these breeds blame the owners, they cannot control the people who do or will own them. In fact, the most vocal of supporters, and likely those who will speak out about any type of legislation, are oftentimes involved in “saving” rescue pits that they have no background on and sending them into homes with children and other animals, which is not responsible and causing much of the mayhem. NONE of the pit bull rescues or major pit supporting organizations such as Best Friends Animal Society, HSUS, or the Canine Research Center have EVER reached out to ANY OF OUR VICTIMS organizations. In fact, most statements that come from these groups, which benefit $$ heavily from the proliferation of dangerous breeds, are in defense of the attacking dogs and inappropriate and insulting to those already suffering.
Injuries from these breeds are not like those that come from normal dog attacks where there may be bite marks and or bruising. Injuries from these breeds that have been sustained by hundreds of victims include: scalping, dismemberment, degloving, disembowelment and death.
ONE MISTAKE on the part of the owners and someone (often the owners themselves) pays the price. The price for irresponsibly owning and handling one of these dogs is JUST TOO HIGH. Pit and other dangerous dog owners will tell you that not all of the dogs from these breeds are attacking and that they don’t feel that anyone should be allowed to discriminate based on the breed of an animal. Well we certainly don’t allow tigers and lions as pets in our neighborhoods, and they do far less damage to their victims. We must use COMMON SENSE and prohibit these dogs from having access to further victims. We can ONLY ACHIEVE THIS THROUGH LEGISLATION. Until we can cull all of the inherent?aggression genes from dangerous breeds and come up with a FOOLPROOF way to tell the dangerous dogs from the dogs that will not attack to kill, we must be vigilant in protecting our most helpless and innocent in society. We must stop pandering to the loud and often self important pit bull advocacy who DO NOT PLACE HUMAN LIVES FIRST. It’s up to City Councils and legislators across the country to stand up and say “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! We will no longer accept thousands of attacks, mutilations, mailings and deaths!”
#ITSTIMETOBLAMETHEBREED
It is pretty offensive to equate racial discrimination with the desire to buy the breed of dog you want.
Fortunately times have greatly changed, and now anyone with Internet can Google “pit bull attack” to find a current stream of news reports from North America and beyond about pit bull attacks on people, pets, and various livestock. Most of the many daily reported mauling events involve 4-7 figure total bills for injury, trauma, disfigurement, plastic surgery, rehab, and often life flights. Typically, these expenses are covered by the health care system and taxpayers. It is now difficult to underplay, disguise, or hide well documented pit bull incidents and hazards when anyone can do a Google and YouTube search. The communication landscape has vastly changed since Vick’s pit bulls first made the news and sparked unfortunate popularity of the breed. Google “pit bull history.” Pit bulls are zero-error dogs. No mistakes allowed. Animal control laws almost everywhere were established when the thought of someone’s pet dog killing or maiming people, livestock, and other pets was outside of everyone’s experience. If the pit bull were another dangerous human engineered product such as a hoverboard or defective auto air bag, it would be highly regulated and/or banned long ago. Pit bulls have killed and maimed far more people than defective air bags ever will.
Abstract
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
December 15, 2013, Vol. 243, No. 12, Pages 1726-1736
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.243.12.1726
Co-occurrence of potentially preventable factors in 256 dog biterelated fatalities in the United States (20002009)
Gary J. Patronek, VMD, PhD; Jeffrey J. Sacks, MD, MPH; Karen M. Delise; Donald V. Cleary, BA; Amy R. Marder, VMD
Center for Animals and Public Policy, Department of Environmental and Population Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 01536. (Patronek); Sue Binder Consulting Inc, 3958 Preston Ct NE, Atlanta, GA 30319. (Sacks); National Canine Research Council, 433 Pugsley Hill Rd, Amenia, NY 12501. (Delise, Cleary); Center for Shelter Dogs at the Animal Rescue League of Boston, 10 Chandler St, Boston, MA 02116. (Marder)
The National Canine Research Council supported the efforts of Karen Delise from 2006 to 2011 for assembly of case reports and data abstraction and Kara Gilmore, JD, for assistance with data abstraction and validation from case reports.
Donald Cleary is Director of Communications and Publications at the National Canine Research Council and Treasurer of Animal Farm Foundation, parent organization of the National Canine Research Council.
Presented in part as an oral presentation at the AVMA Annual Convention, Chicago, July 2013.
Address correspondence to Dr. Patronek (gary.patronek@tufts.edu).
ObjectiveTo examine potentially preventable factors in human dog biterelated fatalities (DBRFs) on the basis of data from sources that were more complete, verifiable, and accurate than media reports used in previous studies.
DesignProspective case series.
Sample256 DBRFs occurring in the United States from 2000 to 2009.
ProceduresDBRFs were identified from media reports and detailed histories were compiled on the basis of reports from homicide detectives, animal control reports, and interviews with investigators for coding and descriptive analysis.
ResultsMajor co-occurrent factors for the 256 DBRFs included absence of an able-bodied person to intervene (n = 223 [87.1%]), incidental or no familiar relationship of victims with dogs (218 [85.2%]), owner failure to neuter dogs (216 [84.4%]), compromised ability of victims to interact appropriately with dogs (198 [77.4%]), dogs kept isolated from regular positive human interactions versus family dogs (195 [76.2%]), owners prior mismanagement of dogs (96 [37.5%]), and owners history of abuse or neglect of dogs (54 [21.1%]). Four or more of these factors co-occurred in 206 (80.5%) deaths. For 401 dogs described in various media accounts, reported breed differed for 124 (30.9%); for 346 dogs with both media and animal control breed reports, breed differed for 139 (40.2%). Valid breed determination was possible for only 45 (17.6%) DBRFs; 20 breeds, including 2 known mixes, were identified.
Conclusions and Clinical RelevanceMost DBRFs were characterized by coincident, preventable factors; breed was not one of these. Study results supported previous recommendations for multifactorial approaches, instead of single-factor solutions such as breed-specific legislation, for dog bite prevention.
Pit bull owner here. Nonetheless, let’s be truthful. Pit bulls were bred for hundreds of years under intense selective pressure to attack and kill other animals. Though just about 5% of dogs kept as pets they are responsible for over 90% of serious attacks on people and other animals, killing over 40 animals a day and a person every 17 days in the US. Their manner of attack, with little warning and a bite, shake and great refusal to release is what allows them to do so much damage in a short amount of time. Thanks to the misguided efforts of pit bull advocates, pit bulls are the most bred, abused, neglected, fought, abandoned and euthanized dogs in the country. Breed specific legislation turns off this faucet of tragedy.
All dogs hold on and shake. This is just not a pit bull thing. I had an Irish Setter that would catch ground hogs and shake them.
Ban pit bulls if you are interested in saving the lives of children, adults, and pets.
Why are we still breeding fighting dogs?
Why are we still breeding pit bulls when they were created for such horrific purposes?
Ignoring dead and mutilated children is not the answer.
Banning the breeding of pit bulls everywhere is!
A great leader would have said ask not what you can do to protect pit-bulls ask what you can do to protect children and citizens
We are seeing a lot of pit bull attacks because pit bulls are extremely popular right now. Go to any animal shelter in the inner city and nearly all of the dogs are pit bulls or pit bull mixes. People who think they are cool tough guys like to own them and train them to attack and fight. You can do that with a lot of breeds. I’ve have been bitten twice by dogs over 30 years ago. Neither one was a pit bull. I don’t recall even knowing what a pit bull was back then. Any dog can bite you and if more people are being bitten by pit bulls it’s because there are more around.
Whats funny all these people saying their “pitbull” attack bla bla bla you do realize sence ignorant people and the media have made the breed pitbull more into a lable chances are yall werent even bit by a real pitbull…. And Chihuahuas attack way more than “pitbulls” you just dont hear about those because they can’t do much damage… And all yall that have so much hate for a pittie have you ever owned one?? If not than you really need to shut the fuck up because you know NOTHING that is true about the breed all you know are LIES!!!!! To have a pittie or any dog in the bully breed for that matter is to know love and loyalty!!!
As for being bit by a pit bull, my unprovoked pit bull sidewalk attack was on May 30, 2013 with full 911 police response. I got off easy since the dog walker reacted quickly, and the well cared for pit bull was young. She was being walked by a paid walker. Fortunately, she was on a leash when we passed on the sidewalk. The dog suddenly without warning jumped up and started attacking. There was some blood, but it was luckily minor. Were there more serious injuries, I would have filed a lawsuit, but the police officer patched me up with his first aid kit. The dog was quarantined for 10 days and now has a record. I’ve never had pets and was unfamiliar with pit bulls. Out of curiosity, I studied up and got to know of their genetically inherited blood sport drives. Also learned how people, kids, other pets, and livestock are regularly mauled by pit bulls.
James Duncan – I had the same thing happen to me with non-pit bull dog. Any dog can do that.
Any legislation that targets specific breeds of dogs is ineffective, costly to the community, and a poor alternative to a generic dangerous dog ordinance which encompasses all breeds and places irresponsible dog owners accountable for the actions of their dogs.
Restricting breeds of dogs does little, if anything, to protect citizens in the community. Moreover, breed bans perpetuate the myth that certain breeds are inherently bad. It also indemnifies all of the unnamed breeds as being safe by exclusion. In doing so, breed specific legislation promotes a false send of security for the public.
The lack of enforcement of existing laws is the primary contributing factor to dog bites – not specific breeds of dogs. Every area should have strictly enforced leash laws since dogs at large are the primary source of the problem.
It has been found that breed restrictions are by far and large, unenforceable, and unfairly penalize responsible dog owners who properly train, socialize, care for and supervise their dogs.
For the expert’s posting long lists of undocumented dog bite attacks with no supporting evidence other than their Google searches and imagination: There is no uniform dog bite reporting procedure, nor is there a national agency charged with collecting such data. Dog bite data is collected and reported haphazardly. Animal control departments, hospitals, law enforcement agencies, and state health agencies may all collect different types of data, or none at all.
First, not all dog attacks are covered by the media, and it is unclear what criteria is being used by the news media to decide whether or not to report a particular attack. If all dog bites were reported, approximately 915 dog bites would be featured in the news every day. To date, no one is tracking all of these dog bites.
Second, the news media frequently misidentifies breeds and types of dogs. Breed identification is next to impossible, especially in the case of mixed breed dogs (the majority of dogs in the U.S.). It often consists of a wild guess based on appearance, not DNA testing or any truly scientific method of identification. Journalists may record a dogs breed based on statements from a victim, a neighbor, an animal control officer, a police officer, or a dog ownernone of whom may be experienced with breed identification. Journalists may also make a wild guess based on their own visual assessment of the dog. News media also tends to identify dogs as pit bulls even when they are not pit bulls. Corrections, if they are made, are usually obscure. Thus, breed-specific data from studies that rely on media sources to identify breeds must be considered non-scientific and unreliable.
Studies have shown that when it comes to dog bites and attacks media reports on them differently. Within a one month time frame, three dog attacks were looked at regarding their media coverage. A Labrador Retriever and a mix breed attack were each reported in one article in the local paper where the incident occurred; a fatal attack on a child by a mix breed was reported on by the media twice in the local paper; and a non-fatal pit bull attack on an owner was reported in over 230 articles, including major television networks (Denver Post). With the media hype surrounding pit bulls there leaves very little room for society to judge this breed fairly and without stereotyping..
Many media reports regarding injuries and fatalities caused by pit bulls will produce stories regarding attacks that were unprovoked and came out of nowhere. Any breeder will agree that a pit bull does not have a natural instinct to kill or harm a human; they become aggressive and may attack when the owner forsakes their own responsibilities to the dog. All dogs, especially the pit bull breed, need a ‘pack structure’ and without that structure, the rank issue becomes important and danger can arise from the dog. According to Leerburg Kennel, a pit bull that has unprovoked attacks is a result of irresponsible owners. A dangerous pit bull does not have a guardian/owner that has established the pack structure or a guardian has not trained their dog or they do not have control over the area or environment in which their dog has access to;, or they do not socialize their dog.
“…an entire group of dogs as GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT.” I had to re-read that part three times. Now we have to read the ‘Miranda Rights’ to dogs too? Geez! How about those Asian carp? Aren’t they protected by these same “animal rights”? They are god’s creatures too!
Every breed is different, but as usual it’s not the breed at fault its humans. A dog is a reflection of it’s owner. It’s the media that sensationalises these “Demon Dogs”. In the 70s they blamed Dobermans, in the 80s they blamed German Shepherds, in the 90s they blamed Rottweilers. Now they blame the Pitt bull. When will they blame the humans? Just like all the other dogs on this list, the Pit Bull is a victim of overbreeding, poor breeding, and bad media attention. But just like the other breeds listed, the Pitt Bull is nothing more than a dog, who, like a ball of clay, is ready to be shaped by it’s owner. Those who keep flinging around comments like “pittbulls are inherently more aggressive” obviously know nothing about the breed. Pittbull/Pittbull types (such as Staffordshire bull terriers) were originally bread as “nanny” dogs as they were seen as THE family pet and were trusted around kids, due to it’s unwavering loyalty, protectiveness and great nature. In fact, Pittbulls are the 19th most likely breed to attack a stranger and the 25th most likely to be aggressive to a member of their family. The breed that came on TOP for aggression to strangers, member’s of family and other dogs were Dachshunds. And behavioural tests conducted in 2009 by the American Temperament Test Society showed that bully breed dogs scored better than 121 other breeds, including beagles and collies….
Who created dog fighting = humans
Who beats that dog to fight for it’s life = humans
Who crops dogs ears and mutilates them = humans
What other animal in the world is as evil, malicious, calculative, selfish to each other and can force another animal to fight one another with no regard or empathy for that poor creature = Humans
Who then blames that ANIMAL (hence the word, Animal) and acts horrified when they react in a way which is unacceptable for our so-called high society = Humans
Who is actually at fault…ummm…that’s right = Humans
Let’s not fool ourselves and think we are a helpless and innocent society that has to be protected from these “killer dogs” when we are the ones who created them and continues to blame and target them as the problem. We humans are the ONLY animals on the planet that can cause the sheer amount of hate and damage to this world. When do you come off? When do you stop blaming a animal and start looking at what we’ve done.
IF we really want to be realistic and responsible – at the end of the day NO dog should be trusted especially around young children. No matter how much trust and how much you think you know your dog. At the end of the day dogs are still animals. The answer to the problem is not banning a particular breed. It quite clearly HAS NOT solved the problem and isn’t going to. The dangerous dog act is out-dated. It’s people that need to take responsibility and be held more accountable.