3.13.2012

Reflections on HB14

As pit bull advocates celebrate the recent passage of HB14 in Ohio, which repeals regulations on pit bulls by removing them from the definition of "vicious dog" in state law, a recent article in the Toledo Blade caught my eye. The article, titled "Move doesn't fix problem, Lucas County warden says" explains that simply removing pit bull regulations won't increase adoptions automatically; there are more pit bulls flooding the Lucas County pound than there are homes for. Despite the fact that the Lucas County pound intends to "loosen" requirements for rescue groups to take pit bulls directly from the pound, they still anticipate the continued euthanization of pit bulls, due to lack of homes. Which got me to wondering.... who in Ohio, is breeding pit bulls, if so many of the dogs end up homeless?

There is widespread agreement amongst dog lovers, humane advocates, and trainers as to what constitutes a responsible, ethical breeder of purebred dogs. The rubric for the ethical hobby breeder is defined quite clearly by hundreds of dog advocates, breed clubs, trainers, and humane groups and can be found easily in an internet search. Ethical breeders breed to "improve" the breed. They don't breed frequently, and have a well defined breeding program. They breed only titled dogs, and only to parents who have been screened for all genetic defects common to the breed. They require puppies going to pet homes to be sold with a spay/neuter contract. They belong to a breed club, and compete in some way in conformation or performance activities. Puppies are sold with the agreement that if the owner cannot keep the dog, it can be returned to the breeder at any time during the dogs life. They are there as a resource for puppy buyers, to provide help and advice on behavior, training, and health issues for the lifetime of the dog. Prospective puppy buyers will be carefully screened, and may be required to provide references. Puppy temperaments will be evaluated and the breeder will carefully match puppies to the right family.

In the case of working dogs, the breeder will not breed to any physical standard, but makes the dogs performance in the "work" he was bred for the basis of the breeding program. In the case of hunting dogs, the breeder will often have dogs titled as field trial champions. Breeders of working dogs will also screen prospective puppy buyers, and will refuse to sell a high drive, working dog to a "pet" home where it's need for exercise and meaningful "work" will go unmet. Again, dams and sires will be screened for any genetic defects common to the breed.

Breeders who fall outside of this description are "for profit" breeders, often called "backyard breeders". The goal of breeding the dog is simply to make money from selling the puppies. Obviously, there is a problem in Ohio with so many unwanted pit bulls flooding rescues and animal shelters... and that problem can be traced right back to the breeders, whose right to continue breeding pit bulls was defended and supported by the Ohio legislature. So who, exactly, are these people?

Imagine that I am a responsible dog owner who has decided that I want to purchase a pit bull puppy from a reputable breeder. I have researched what to look for in a breeder, and know exactly what I want. I do not want to rescue a dog; I have heard how "wonderful" pit bulls are at dog sports like agility and obedience, so I want to buy a registered dog from a breeder that I can "socialize" and start training from puppy hood. I decide to start my search on the AKC website, in the breeder classified listing, for an American Staffordshire Terrier. No Ohio breeders are listed. I then take my search to the national breed club listed on the AKC website.... The Staffordshire Terrier Club of America. I look at the national breeder listings here.... no Amstaff breeders listed in Ohio. I then tried to find a regional AmStaff club, based in Ohio, or even the midwest. No luck there.

I decided that I would try finding an American Pit Bull Terrier breeder from the UKC national website, based out of Ohio. There is only one name listed, with a phone number. Under "Health Screenings", there are "none listed". I google the name and phone number, hoping to get a kennel website, or at least find the breeder's name listed under UKC show results, but nothing comes up. This makes me uncomfortable, so I continue my search. I locate the national bred club..."The National American Pit Bull Terrier Club of America". I search for breeder listings, but none are listed. I search current events, looking for Ohio shows to try and find a kennel...no shows are listed in Ohio.

I next try to find a local breed club, and find the name of "The New Central Ohio American Pit Bull Terrier Club" listed on-line, with a name and phone number. However, I can find no website, or other reference to this club, no show listings, etc. I find no evidence that this club actually exists, so I move on.

I finally find myself at the ADBA registry, the American Dog Breeders Association. This is the breed club dedicated to "preserving" the American Pit Bull Terrier in its "original" form.... the registry for "game-bred" dogs, the dogs from fighting bloodlines. While the registry publicly condemns the "sport" of dog fighting, I am uncomfortable with this groups desire to "preserve" the trait of dog aggression that has proven so deadly to innocent pet dogs across the country. Since I am looking to be able to compete in dog sports, a game bred dog may be a bad choice for me, since a dog aggressive pit bull would be dangerous to have in off leash competitions and at dog shows. Still, I decide to see if I can find a local breed club to get more information....but none are listed in Ohio. I then turn to the breeder classifieds, where there are two litters listed in Ohio. Neither listing gives a breeders name, just a phone number and e-mail. I try to google what appears to be the kennel name of the sires and dams with no luck. Again, I am looking for a "responsible" breeder, who is proud to put his name and kennel out there, and show the public what his dogs have accomplished. However, I find another dead end.

Ultimately, I simply google "American Staffordshire Terrier breeders, Ohio", to see what I can find. I am encouraged to find a web page of AmStaff breeders, with four listed in Ohio... but none of the kennels can be found on-line, and although I can find some names of conformation champions in on-line pedigrees with two kennels, the information is dated; there is no indication that these kennels still exist. I do get several on-line classified ads for back yard breeders, or individuals with limited command of the english language looking to sell their pit bull which they can no longer keep, sell puppies, or stud out their male pit. I decide to try googling "American Pit Bull Terrier breeders, Ohio". I find a back yard breeder of hideous looking "American Bullies", selling untitled dogs with no health screenings...even though the OFA current data suggests that Amstaff and APBT suffer from some of the worst rates of hip dysplasia of ALL dog breeds. About 25% of the dogs tested... by their responsible breeders who actually test... are dysplastic. Imagine the rates of HD in these, bow-legged, cow-hocked monsters known as "American Bullies"?

I decide on one last try, and google "pit bull terrier breeders, Ohio". I get more back yard bully breeder/puppy mills selling puppies over the internet to anyone with a credit card. And of course, plenty of on-line classified where teenagers are trying to get 50 bucks for unvetted, six week old pit bull puppies. More of the same on Craigslist, where young women and wanna-be gangstas are trying to unload their pit bulls because the landlord is threatening eviction. So what can we conclude from this exercise? Does this mean there are NO responsible pit bull breeders in Ohio? Not exactly. I am quite sure there are a few kennels breeding and showing Amstaffs or APBTs that would meet the criteria of responsible, ethical breeder. But it appears that an average person looking for a "responsible breeder" of pit bulls would be unable to find them. It means that the handful of "responsible breeders", if they do exist, are in no way contributing to the crisis of unwanted pit bulls in Ohio. Most pit bulls being bred in Ohio are the product of unscrupulous back yard breeders, whose ONLY goal is to make money, and who are ignoring the health and temperament problems that plague the breed. Sadly, that is the best case scenario.

According to Pet-Abuse.com, a clearinghouse for information on animal cruelty cases across the country, there have been numerous cases of organized dog fighting across Ohio in the past decade. Game-bred pit bulls from fighting bloodlines can command top dollar in the underground world of dog fighting; judging from the number of large scale dog fighting rings that have been discovered in Ohio, dog fighters are also breeding pit bulls that end up in the Ohio shelter system. Add to this the fact that drug dealers in Ohio, like everywhere else in the country, are using pit bulls for guard dogs, and it becomes clear where all the homeless pit bulls are coming from.

So, who is breeding pit bulls in Ohio when thousands of pit bulls are euthanized in shelters each year across the state for lack of homes? We have the dog fighters, who are trying to breed animals that are so aggressive they will race across a pit to slaughter another dog in an unprovoked attack. We have criminals, gang members, and drug dealers, breeding human aggressive guard dogs. We have back yard breeders breeding macho dogs as thug fashion accessories. And we have the lazy, the uneducated, and the clueless kids who think they can make a few bucks selling pit puppies to their friends. None of the people breeding pit bulls care about the welfare of pit bulls... they don't care about breeding dogs that are healthy, and they don't care about breeding dogs with safe temperaments. The public has been asked to believe that the types of individuals breeding pit bulls in Ohio are somehow producing wonderful family pets, even when its obvious that many are selecting for aggressive temperaments, and the rest are ignoring temperament altogether.

Pit bull advocates who successfully lobbied the Ohio legislature to pass HB14 have not scored a victory for pit bulls... they have scored a victory for pit bull breeders. By removing insurance and containment restrictions, its easier for more amateur dog fighters to become involved in this underground "sport". Its easier for more young men who lack the drive and ambition to get an education and a real job to make money breeding "Monster Blue Pits" with bad hips and sketchy temperaments. Demand for hard looking dogs amongst irresponsible, transient youth will continue to feed the cycle of acquiring and abandoning pit bulls. Rescue groups that celebrate the passage of HB14 won't be celebrating when they realize that most families looking for a pet still don't want a pit bull. Insurers still won't sell policies to pit bull owners, based on their actuarial data; landlords still won't rent to pit bull owners because of liability issues. Home owners associations, condo boards, and military bases will still restrict them. The criminals, thugs, animal abusers, gang members, kids and losers who are breeding them will continue to create dogs with unstable temperaments. Pit bull attacks will continue to make headlines, as unstable dogs are adopted out into pet homes whose owners are unprepared to deal with them. Rescue groups and shelters will still be flooded with dogs that no one wants, and will continue their desperate attempts to market the dogs and make them more popular, while lowering their standards on who can adopt. In the end, permanent homes with responsible owners who contain, train, and manage the dogs appropriately will remain rare, and the cycle of acquisition, abuse, and abandonment will continue. Instead of addressing the problem at its source, and working for meaningful change to end animal suffering, pit bull promoters instead protect and support the very people who are hurting the breed they claim to "love". Until some animal welfare advocates have the courage to stand up and address the real issue of pit bull overpopulation by advocating restrictions on pit bull breeding, the number of homeless pit bulls euthanized will likely increase after the passage of HB14.

And that is definitely not worth celebrating.

Branwyne Finch

16 comments:

Small Survivors said...

"Pit bull advocates who successfully lobbied the Ohio legislature to pass HB14 have not scored a victory for pit bulls... they have scored a victory for pit bull breeders."

It is time someone shined the light on these vampires.

thank you so much, Branwyne!

DubV said...

Thanks for this Branwyne. I'm sure the nutters are dancing somewhere.

Ohio has permissive laws regarding exotic animals which contributed to the slaughter in Zanesville and untold suffering of non-domesticated animals that must be kept in inhumane conditions if they are to be kept at all, safely or otherwise, by a private citizen with limited funds.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/zanesville-animal-massacre-included-18-rare-bengal-tigers/story?id=14767017#.T2Avc1HIwqY

After the above incident occurred, I predicted a severe tightening of laws in OH related to dangerous animals. Instead, they changed their dog laws to match their laws regarding lions, tigers, and other animals.

Jake said...

Very informative Branwyne, thanks for writing this up.

cinnamon2005 said...

Aesome write up!

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

the regrets of HB14 are beginning to mount.

april 29 said...

This quote is taken from an article published today in an Ohio newspaper.

"In light of a recent pit bull attack on its owner in Celina, an Auglaize County official says state legislators may have acted irresponsibly by eliminating the “vicious dog” label on pit bulls in a new state letter.

The Ohio General Assembly passed a bill in light of public opposition the Breed Specific Legislation (BSL), which had labeled pit bulls as a vicious animal. The state’s Judiciary Committee, which did fact-finding into the legislation, recommended the law change to remove pit bulls from the vicious dog label. The bill was approved by the House and Senate and was signed into law Feb. 21 by Gov. John Kasich. The law officially takes effect May 22.

However, the Ohio Dog Warden Association recently released a three-year study showing pit bull attacks dropped significantly since stricter regulations had been placed on pit bulls. They suggest those numbers will again increase as the ban is lifted. Bailey said he felt those numbers were believable."

There was no "fact finding" done by the Judiciary Committee. This bill was simply a gift given to a very vocal and very well funded special interest group.

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

felicia, i have strict commenting rules here but the sky is the limit at craven desires.

please visit and leave your comments there. thank you.

S.K.Y. said...

Excellent article. This is not only true of Pit Bulls, but of many other breeds as well. Try finding an ethical AKC show/sport toy poodle breeder in a sea of about a million puppy mills selling "teacup poodles" and "mini labradoodle" designer dogs. The great poodle breeders are out there, but hard to track down unless going through the national breed club... which 99% of puppy buyers would not know to look for.

I wondered why my new Papillon's breeder didn't have a website advertising puppies, showing off her gazillion show wins, etc. Now I know why. She breeds an average of 4 puppies a year (not litters, puppies), and has a waiting list a mile long of top competitors wanting their next obedience/agility/conformation champion. The "right people" already know how to find her, and puppies are reserved up to 2 years before the female is even bred. A website would only be a nuisance, with a ton of inappropriate people calling to buy one of her high-drive sports Papillon puppies as a Christmas present for their 3 year old.

This could also be true of the ethical AmStaff breeders--they likely only sell to show and sport homes... and those people will already know them through word of mouth and see them at competitions. They don't want to deal with daily calls from ganstas wanting fighting dogs, or people looking to rehome their own pit bulls, so they don't bother putting up a website.

Still, this doesn't help people find ethical breeders, as you say.

If nothing else, it would be nice if the show breeders had websites showing dogs displaying friendly temperaments, genetic testing, proper collars/leashes, etc. to set a good example. And maybe a link to AmStaff rescues and to a rigorous temperament test for screening these dogs, such as the one from Sue Sternberg's "Successful Dog Adoption."

Branwyne Finch said...

Thanks to all for your feedback...and to Sharon, you are dead on about ethical breeders not bothering to have a website. Since many have waiting lists for puppies, they have no need to advertise anywhere. I know my friend's Golden was from a much anticipated breeding of a very "famous", multi-titled performance dog, and people traveled from across the U.S. to be interviewed by the dam's owner before she would consider selling a puppy. The puppies all went to show homes, after a rigorous screening of prospective owners. No website, or need for one....but a google search of the kennel name would tell someone all they would need to know about the quality of the dogs sire and dam.

Ironically, the cost to my friend for this dog...from multi-titled parents, all health and genetic screenings, OFA, CERF, etc., from a litter which had been carefully socialized and exposed to elaborate puppy enrichment and beginning training....was less than many "desighner dog" mutts I see advertised in the local paper! And certainly less than what the average "American Bully" puppy, advertised on-line, goes for!

The point is, I can go on my regional breed club website for Golden Retreivers and find a wealth of information about the breed, breeder referals, info on health problems common to Goldens. They also have information about why you SHOULDN'T choose a Golden...constant shedding, annoying mouthiness, etc. I can look at the brag lists and see many, many examples of dogs which have won titles in almost everything...agility, field trals, obedience, etc. I can see the kennel names, and it would be quite easy to find which kennels were breeding the kind of dog I wanted. It's obvious that a lot of very responsible people are doing many fun and versatile things with their much-loved Golden Retrievers. If I look on Petfinder in my state...Massachusetts, there is not one PUREBRED Golden Retreiver listed for adoption. Despite the overwhelming popularity of the breed, the people involved with Goldens here in the Northeast have proven to be ethical stewards of their breed, and have managed to keep the suffering and abandonment of Goldens rare.

The same cannot be said for the folks involved with bully breeds, whether here in the Northeast or elsewhere in the country.

katiehe said...

I read your post and I have a few points id like to address. To start, I'd like to say that I love dogs. I think dogs are some of the greatest companions and truest friends that a person could ever have. They are loving, loyal and just adorable. I come from a multi animal household; we have a cat, a yorkie, a Maltese (who is completely blind aside from what is directly in front of his left eye) and an eleven month old pit bull, who we adopted at seven months. She is one of the sweetest, happiest dogs I have ever met. On walks, she's more interested in squirrels than other dogs. She loves my Maltese and frequently kisses him in the face. She loves being around people. She is not in any way aggressive. In fact, I've only ever met one aggressive pit bull in my life.

Being a veterinary technician, I feel that I've experienced a wide variety of breeds as well as a wide variety of individual dogs. We have quite a few pit bull patients and I have to say that not one of them are aggressive, and we have a variety of ages. The one I have met that was aggressive did need to be put to sleep because he was deemed dangerous by the county due to three human bite incidents. He honestly was an aggressive dog, but he also had a brain rumor that affected his behavior. At my work, we muzzle every animal for any diagnostics and for nail trims. But we don't have any pit bulls that need to be muzzled for examinations. The same cannot be said for chows, Rottweilers, chihuahuas, corgis, poodles, German shepherds, etc. of course this doesn't mean that every chow is aggressive or every pit bull is well behaved. However, I don't think it's fair to say that the majority of pit bulls are aggressive either. The average disposition of a pit is typically good. They like people, they like to give kisses, they're constantly wagging their tails. In my experience, the problem is usually with the owner. A lot of pits come in completely filthy and ungroomed. We have one pit who is not allowed to live in the house and who's owner sees him as a way to make money by breeding, even though he only has one testicle. The dog ended up with an infected penis that would not go away (it basically looked like a constant erection) and needs it amputated. The owner can't, or won't, pay for the surgery and we made a slit incision with a local block to try to get the penis to go back into the prepuce, or cover. We used only an ecollar for protection and the dog was very well behaved, even though I'm sure it was still uncomfortable. That does not sound like a genetically aggressive dog to me.

On the topic of breeding, while I can understand the benefits of going to a reputable breeder and having paperwork from the parents, I don't think that every 'responsible' owner goes to a breeder, especially for a pit bull. There are so many homeless dogs out there of every breed, why pay hundreds of dollars for a dog unless you specifically want a purebred? Going to a breeder doesn't insure anything. Some breeders are awesome and they genuinely do care about the well being of the animals but to others those puppies are just a check, the same as some of those 'gangstas' selling puppies on the street. A lot of shelter employees do care about the animals there. I don't see any reason to justify saying that 'responsible' owners buy from 'responsible' breeders. But I do think a lot of the problems can be traced back to the owner. A lot of attacks happen because the dog is not on a leash. It is irresponsible and negligent to walk any dog without a leash, not just a pit bull. It's dangerous for other dogs, other people and the dog itself. Anything could happen. At the end of the day, a dog is a dog and their behavior can always be unpredictable, regardless of the breed. If a dog is never socialized, how is it supposed to know how to behave with other dogs? That is up to the owner. Only so my responsibility can be placed on the dog.
-continued in next comment.

katiehe said...

-continued..
I believe Michael Vick was mentioned at some point and it was said that one of his outs attacked his adoptive owner. Of course that is horrible but you also have to take into consideration that the owner knew the background of this dog and knew that his/her behavior would most likely be extra unpredictable. But think of everything those poor dogs went through being in that environment. The dogs are the victims and anyone who suffered is a victim of Michael Vick. To blame the dogs after living that environment is not fair. That is an extreme situation and many people suffer mentally and emotionally when living in horrible conditions as well. he hung dogs, he drowned dogs, he fed dead dogs to other dogs. Michael Vick is the monster, those dogs are victims of their environment and anyone harmed is ultimately the fault of Vick.

You also stated that pit bulls have horrible hips. Being someone who can appreciate OFA and someone who understands the technique of taking pelvic radiographs as well as what 'normal' is, I can say that I'm not entirely sure how accurate that statement is. When I think bad hips, I think German shepherds, not pits. Pits are actually relatively healthy dogs, they are prone to allergies but in the scheme of things, allergies typically aren't that bad.

While I think you do make some valid points, quite frankly I think it is ignorant and rude to refer to pit bulls as 'bow legged, cow hocked monsters.' that is an uneducated statement and is completely unnecessary. In my opinion and experience cats are much, much more aggressive and fractious than pit bulls. I do not refer to them in general as monsters though. My dog is not a monster. It is opinions like that that are damaging to this breed and why people will never be able to help these dogs they way they should. Are you familiar with the case currently going on in Florida? I'm interested in your opinion. A woman was walking her dog, buddy, who is a pit bull, and two other, non pit bull, dogs attacked her. Buddy fought the dogs to get them off of his owner. Buddy is now being held to determine if he is dangerous or not. Nothing happened to the other dogs. Now, please tell me what dog wouldn't defend his owner who is being attacked by other dogs? Why is it fair to punish him and do nothing to the other dogs, who started the attack? General ignorance an placing blame on pit bulls when not warranted is not okay.

Sorry for writing an essay, but this is a topic I'm very passionate about, which I'm sure you understand.
> -Katie

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

from diane jessup's website:

There has traditionally been a reluctance to embrace testing and selective breeding against HD in the American pit bull fraternity. The reasons vary and are beyond the scope of this article. Of great concern, however, has been the recent influx of mastiff and show bulldog blood into “purebred” American pit bulls, and the resulting loss of quality. The breeds most often utilized in producing “bully” type and “giant” type “American pit bulls” are breeds ranked4 the very worst in order of incidence of hip dysplasia in the breed: the AKC show bulldog (#1), dogue de Bordeaux (#3), Neapolitan mastiff (#5), cane corso (#10), American bulldog (#15), and presa Canario (#17). As well, “pure” American pit bulls are increasingly mixed with “pure” American Staffordshires (which rank #20). These heavier built “hybrids” are likely responsible for a breed considered the “gold standard” of athleticism - the American pit bull - to place a miserable 25th place in the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals’ hip dysplasia ranking.

So, the problem is here; the American pit bull is not somehow immune to the problems of “lesser breeds”. The serious breeder takes advantage of the relatively inexpensive tests which can remove diseased hips from their breeding program and, having done that, scientific research shows that even more can be done to ensure the hip health of our canine athletes.


and

What makes an ethical breeder different from a backyard breeder - specifically?
In this day and age, there is NO excuse not to health test for certain diseases which are genetic in nature. Any breeder who makes excuses as to why they don't health check their stock, or who has no idea what a health check is (perhaps thinks it is getting their dog its shots at the vet) cannot be taken seriously. The AMERICAN PIT BULL RANKS AS THE 26th WORST BREED FOR HIP DYSPLASIA OUT OF 148 BREEDS! The American Staffordshire is 22nd. Over 22% of all pit bulls tested were dysplastic!

Bare minimum health checks are:

OFA or Pennhip for canine hip dysplasia and/or elbow dysplasia
OFA heart
CERF eyes

For ELBOW DYSPALSIA, American pit bulls ranked 21nd, and Am Staffs 12th (right above American bulldogs!) There is a LOT of work for serious breeders to do.

The CARDIAC rankings show the American Staffordshire at a shocking 7th place while American pit bulls are at 23rd.

Anonymous said...

Between 1982 and 1988 Ohio sustained 6 Pit DBRFs...In the 25 years since they had 4. one being an outright murder and one being a nutter ripped apart at his unlicensed rescue operation.

The law saved lives...Let the lifeflights begin!

katiehe said...

I think it's concerning that there have now been three different claims for how bad pit bulls hip dysplasia is. The original article states that pit bulls have the worst hip dysplasia of all breeds, and above comment states they are fourth, then 25th. Whether they are fourth, twenty fifth or sixtieth is not the point, the point is that the original post has a glaring error. Pit bulls do not have worse hips than many breeds. I have met multiple dogs who were referred to Michigan State University for hip evaluation. All were German shepherds or golden retrievers. 

However, even if they were first, that doesn't make their breed horrible. So they have bad hips? Maybe they have some heart disease. Some are allergic to everything. That can happen in any breed of dog. Boxers are notorious for dropping dead of cardiac disease. Golden retrievers get consistently get cancer at a relatively young age. That doesn't make them bad dogs. And for people who assume that every pit bull is aggressive, wouldn't hip dysplasia be a good thing to them? After all, if nothing fits correctly its a lot more difficult for a dog to walk, let alone run or attack anything. 

The difference is clearly stated between an ethical breeder and a backyard breeder. It is not the dogs fault if the person breeding them doesn't care enough to be ethical. Do you also blame the puppies who contracted parvo due to their breeders not vaccinating the adult dogs? I would certainly hope not. Just because there are bad pit bull breeders does not mean that every owner does not care. I love my pit bull and would do anything for her. They are great dogs when they aren't surrounded by hatred. 

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

"even though the OFA current data suggests that Amstaff and APBT suffer from some of the worst rates of hip dysplasia of ALL dog breeds."

read it again, this time without emotion and temper tantrum. SOME of, not THE worst.

the most recent information i could find on the AKC is 161 breeds. there are of course many more breeds that they do not recognize, like the APBT, dogo argentino, american bulldog, and presa canario.

for the sake of this argument i will use the AKC numbers (it helps you btw). if the pit bulls rank 25th, that means only 24 breeds are worse and 136 are better. that supports the writer's statement that pit bulls have "some of the worst rates of hip dysplasia of ALL dog breeds."

now, stop reacting emotionally to facts that are uncomfortable for you. learn how to read, learn how to think or just go away.

JeremyR said...

Greetings Craven.
I wanted to leave a comment on your nanny dog thread, but you've closed comments.
Here is my take. A nanny is some one you hire when your child needs constant supervision for their safety as well as the safety of others. A nanny dog is a mutt that needs constant supervision for their safety (lets face it, some pits attack things that kill ratehr quickly, like armed citizens and police) as well as the safety of others. That would make the owners of nanny's ninnies, or nitwits. I worked animal contro lfor several years. I've been bitten many times by many breeds. I have never sustained serious injury from a poodle or chihuahua. I have suffered severe bites from gentle pits, and bouviers,
We need BSl. We also need legislation that addresses all dog bites. I would like to see legislation that requires any do that causes substantial injury to be put down unless the animal was clearly defending persons or property form an actual threat. It would need to be worded in such a way as to mandate that if a dog attacks a small child, regardless of whether the kid was jumping on its tail, it is to be put down. NO REHAB EVER!!
I am in property maintenance. I have been attacked three times by pits, once by another dog, not sure its breed, it cornered me in a bathroom, it was defending the house. Did not bite.
Keep up the great work.