Pit Bulls: To Ban or Not To Ban?

Recently the Rochester Hills City Council and administration discussed the need for a breed specific pit bull ban following a few occurrences of pit bulls attacking other dogs. This debate drew much discussion from community members on the pros and cons of banning a specific breed from the community. It is important during any emotional debate to take a step back and review the facts so that a knee jerk reaction does not cause an over reach of government.

Councilman Webber’s Response first;

In this case, I believe that the existing ordinance may need to be strengthened but that a breed specific ban on pit bulls is not warranted. I have come to this conclusion for several reasons:Pit Bull Info

-The focus should be on the owner and not the dog. One resident made the point that there are no bad dogs, simply bad owners. Most dog owners offer a warm and loving environment for their dog. A small minority of dog owners do not. The Michael Vick – dog fighting case comes to mind here. Years later, many of these dogs have thrived as a part of loving environments – the story has been well documented in Sports Illustrated and other media outlets.

– How do you identify if a dog is a pit bull and who is qualified to decide? This was a major point that was raised by community members. While I am not a dog breed expert, my understanding is that there are several different variations of pit bulls. There are also many mixed breeds. How can we expect our ordinance patrol to have the expertise to say one dog is a pit bull and one is not?

– Breed specific ordinances do not work. Around the same time that one of the problems occurred in Rochester Hills, there was another high profile pit bull attack of a child in Waterford. It is interesting to note that Waterford has had a ban in place on pit bulls for a long time. Clearly in this case the dog owner did not know of the ordinance or did not follow it.

– Where do you draw the line on what breeds are banned? During our research on this issue, the city found that of the over twenty reported dog bites in 2009, there were at least fifteen different breeds that had been reported. Any dog is capable of biting another dog or a human. If we banned one breed, we would need to look at all breeds in the interest of fairness.

– Would the ban be immediate or would we grandfather in pit bulls that currently live within our city? This is a major point when discussing how to implement any new ban. Taking an older dog away from the home and family they have been a part of because of this ban would be insensitive at best. Yet grandfathering in pit bulls would keep them in our community and so nothing would change for potentially several years.

So if we do not ban pit bulls, what is the answer? How do we keep our community safe? Government cannot ban everything that may be able to harm you or your family – it is impossible and to attempt to do so would be an over reach of government. But our city can review and strengthen the existing ordinance which requires dogs to be on leashes in public and for them to be licensed with the city, among other items.  
Click here for Pit Bull Items

It should be noted that there are many state and county laws on the books that compliment the ordinance that we have. A stiffer fine or penalty on the dog owner is perhaps warranted to reinforce the point of the responsibility an owner has for their pet’s behavior in public.

I am sure that the community will continue to deliberate on the issue and determine an appropriate response for what has been a series of tragic events that should be kept in proper perspective.

Michael Webber
Rochester Hills City Council
 

Councilman Brennan’s Response next:

There is no single, officially recognized breed of dog named “pit bull.” The term “pit bull” generally refers to dog breeds in the Molosser family, including American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Most dog laws include all pitbull types as pit bulls.  Any dog can bite or attack another animal or human, but pit bulls top the list when it comes to the number of attacks, the severity of injuries inflicted on people and animals, and the number of human fatalities in the United States from dog mauling.

According to DogsBite.org, between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008, “Of the 88 fatal dog attacks recorded by DogsBite.org, pit bull type dogs were responsible for 59%. This is equivalent to a pit bull killing a U.S. citizen every 21 days during this three-year period. The data also shows that pit bulls commit the vast majority of off-property attacks that result in death. Only 18% of the attacks occurred off owner property, yet pit bulls were responsible for 81%. The City of Rochester Hills is currently revising its ordinance in response to two recent incidents regarding pit bulls. In February, a puppy was killed after two pit bulls owned by a neighbor jumped a fence and entered the puppy’s yard. In August, another puppy was killed while out walking with its owner when it was attacked by two pit bulls running loose. We are fortunate that neither children nor adults were attacked by these dogs.

In neighboring Sterling Heights, the number of animal control and police runs involving pit bull attacks increased from 55 in 2008 to a projected 316 runs in 2010. Although pit bulls account for only 2% of the dogs registered in the City, those dogs account for 33% of the runs. Statistically, you have a significantly greater chance of being attacked by a pit bull in a public place than from all other dog breeds and mixes combined. Most dog bites and attacks occur on the dog owner’s property for all breeds except attacks by pit bulls. The majority of pit bull attacks occur after a pit bull has escaped the owner’s property and is running loose. This makes pit bulls significantly more dangerous to the general public because anyone in the dog’s way can become a target.

Pit bulls are large dogs with tremendous strength and have powerful jaws. Unlike most other dog breeds, when pit bulls bite down, they shake their heads violently, causing internal damage to organs and bones. Pit bulls also have the jaw power to sever limbs with their bites. Pit bulls often go for the face and neck, crushing the throat and tearing out veins. Once an attack has started, even the dog’s owner or handler will have difficulty regaining control of the dog. When more than one pit bull attacks, it stimulates the “pack drive” in the dogs and most victims of a multiple pit bull attack will be severely maimed or killed.

Pit bulls are noteworthy for attacking adults almost as frequently as children. This is a very rare pattern: children are normally at greater risk from dog bite because they play with dogs more often, have less experience at reading dog behavior, are more likely to engage in activity that alarms or stimulates a dog and are less able to defend themselves when a dog becomes aggressive. Pit bulls seem to differ behaviorally from other dogs in having far less inhibition about attacking people who are larger than they are. They are also notorious for attacking seemingly without warning, a tendency exacerbated by the custom of docking pit bulls’ tails so that warning signals are not easily recognized. Thus, the adult victim of a pit bull attack may have had little or no opportunity to read the warning signals that would avert an attack from any other dog. With regard to a solution, any law strong enough and directed enough to prevent the majority of life-threatening dog attacks must discriminate heavily against pit bulls. Such discrimination will never be popular with the owners of these breeds, especially those who believe their dogs are neither dangerous nor likely to turn dangerous without strong provocation. Neither will breed discrimination be acceptable to those who hold out for an interpretation of animal rights philosophy which holds that all breeds are created equal. The mantra of pit bull lovers is that “ owners are the reason why these attacks occur in every single case irresponsible view, given the statistics and hyper-aggressive nature of these dogs. One might hope that educating the public against the acquisition of dangerous dogs would help; however, the very traits that make certain breeds dangerous also appeal to a certain class of dog owner. Thus, publicizing their potentially hazardous nature has tended to increase this breed’s popularity.

I would propose that the City of Rochester Hills adopt legislation that was enacted by the City of Denver, Colorado in 1989. The legislation banned pit bulls within city limits and the rate of pit bull attacks in Denver dropped from 27% to 2% over the next three years. Since 1989, more than 230 cities and 32 states have banned pit bulls within their city limits. Denver’s ordinance allowed for the pit bulls living in the City to be kept by residents if certain requirements were met:

• Increased annual registration fees.

• Maintaining a $100,000.00 liability insurance policy

• Keeping the dog muzzled and leashed at all times when it is off the owner’s property.

Dogs born in or transferred to the City after a certain date did not qualify for the exemption. The ordinance was challenged in court and in November, 1991, the Colorado Supreme Court upheld the ban when it declared that the Denver ordinance did not violate the State Constitution.

This is exactly the kind of ordinance we need in Rochester Hills to ensure the safety of the families that reside here. The statistics are overwhelming that pit bulls are inherently dangerous and pose a serious threat to anybody who gets in its way. There is no amount of money that can compensate a victim who has been maimed and disfigured by a pit bull. If you want to read some truly tragic and heartbreaking accounts of children and adults who have been attacked by pit bulls, send an email to victimvoices@dogbites.org. The only realistic solution is to ban the dogs from the city so that nobody will be terrorized by these vicious brutes. In Rochester Hills, people should not be afraid to walk down a neighborhood street, or worse, be on their own property and be assaulted by a vicious dog.

Council Member J. Martin Brennan represents District 2 in Rochester Hills.
He may be reached at brennanm@rochesterhills.org

Comments

  1. Darlene Janulis says

    Mr. Brennen should check with the Michigan Humane Society, which does not agree with breed specific laws or bans on pit bulls. THEY ARE dog experts and have more updated stats and information. In addition, they house and rehibilate ALL breeds on their site in Rochester Hills.

  2. Ken Oberle says

    Mr. Brennen … Maybe you shouldn’t get your information from a website called dogsbite.org. Check into the National Canine Research Society. They have the information that you are looking for. It’s correct too… (I know thats a hard thing to understand) In 2009 there were 31 fatal dog attacks, 2 were attributed to pit bulls, 21 were attributed to dogs that were abused and segregated. Unlike what the media reports … these are not family dogs, and the owners should be held responsible. Ownership is where the problem is. Punish owners who don’t comply with existing animal laws, and enforce your laws for animals in public instead of segregating breeds. Looking at the issue with tunnel vision is a costly and dangerous mistake.

  3. Not only the Michigan HS dissagrees with BSL but the AMVA and most animal control and dog trainer organizations and across the country have voiced opposition to it.

    The looks of an animal does not create certain behaviors any more than does the color of a human’s skin. Basing on appearance is prejudice and has no place in law.

  4. Kelly Maloney says

    I fully agree … Mr. Brennen needs to do a little more research and do it fairly. It appears that the research he’s done has been merely an attempt to back up his poor opinion of pit bulls, which is very, very sad. ANY breed has the ability to display aggressiveness, especially if taught to do so, which unfortuantely can be the case with many pit bulls as they often end up with owners who have the worst of intentions for them (they’re the hot gangster/thug bad ass dog right now). Those of us who love and care for our dogs the way they should be are the ones that have to suffer along with the dogs. Owners need to be held responsible for making sure their dogs are trained, on leashes and kept in fenced yards. It’s such a shame that because irresponsible people got their hands on this breed and turned it into something it was never supposed to be that the animals suffer for it and not the individuals responsible. Way back it was the Doberman and then the Rottweiler and now they’re targeting the Pit Bulls. People who own, love and know these dogs know what wonderful dogs they can be if given a loving home. The monsers are not the dogs, but the people. Saying that ALL pitbulls are bad because there are more reported dog bites from pit bulls or whatever your excuse is is the same thing as saying that all people named Joe that have dark hair are bad because research shows that most pedophiles are named Joe and have dark hair … EXECUTE THEM ALL! Give me a break … this type of logic doesn’t work anywhere! Make people be responsible for their actions and the actions of their pets …

  5. Please continue to email the Rochester Hills City Council members in particularly J.Martin Brennan regarding his proposed BSL’s.

    hooperg@rochesterhills.org;
    pixleyv@rochesterhills.org;
    rosenj@rochesterhills.org;
    webberm@rochesterhills.org;
    yalamanchir@rochesterhills.org;
    brennanm@rochesterhills.org;
    klompn@rochesterhills.org

  6. Programs to prevent the public from “dangerous dogs” must be legal, fair and effective. Breed bans are unfair, penalize thousands of good dog owners to penalize a handful of irresponsible dog owners. BSL kills thousands of good, loving, balanced dogs in attempt to eliminate a few bad ones. Aggression is not a breed issue, it is a dog issue. Any dog breed can be “trained” to behave aggressively. The problem of dog aggression lies not with the dog breed, but the owners. This fact has been supported time and again. Organizations such as the ASPCA, American Kennel Club and the American Veterinary Medical Association are only a few who have spoken out against breed specific legislation. BSL will not work, as it target is misplaced to the dog and not the owner. It embodies faulty ideas about genetics and depends on a law enforcer’s subjective opinion about how a dog looks.

    Breed bans are ineffective. Shelters fill up with unadoptable dogs. No room for dangerous dogs of other breeds. Criminals ignore breed bans along with other laws. Other dangerous dogs continue to threaten community. Deeming entire breeds of dogs that fall under the term”pit bull” as “dangerous” is the same as saying that all politicians are crooks. It is untrue and unfair.

    Numerous jurisdictions have repealed breed specific legislation in favor of dangerous dog laws. Also, numerous jurisdictions did not see any decline in dog bites when they did ban pit bull type dogs. An increased number of competent animal control officers need to be mobilized to investigate abuse and or neglect, and other complaints so attacks by any dog can be avoided and laws enforced. Programs such as mandatory education classes on good ownership and obedience training need to be in place if a dog is declared dangerous or has been reported running loose/menacing an excessive amount of times. I feel that many rescues/shelters would help with programs like this to reduce cost to the county. If people are convicted of abuse/neglect they need to be ordered not have any other animals.

    Breedism is the same as racism and it is ordinances like this that are responsible for the deaths of so many loving, gentle and beautiful animals. Innocent dogs suffer every time they are passed because not only does it give false verification to the public that pit bull type dogs are vicious but it effects the ability of people in the communities to adopt these animals as well as rescues/ shelters to adopt out these animals.

    I encourage you to look at the National Canine Research Council’s site as well as take the time to do your own research instead of citing a CLEARLY anti- pit bull site for your facts. While you are willing to demonize entire breeds of dogs that fall under the term “pit bull” I bet you haven’t once spent time with any of the dogs that you are so quick to judge;

    Punish the deed not the breed!
    Sloane

    • Punish the deed not the breed!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is the owner’s responsibility and there are many pit bulls out there who are kind, affectionate and wonderful dog and this is indeed racism.

  7. Amy Oberle says

    First of all, THANK YOU to Mr. Webber for a well written and researched opinion. It’s so encouraging to see officials doing their homework on “pit bulls” when decisions regarding their fate are being made.

    To Mr. Brennan here are some actual and researchable facts to refute the pseudoscience, myths and hysteria on dogsbite.org:

    “On average, dogs bite with 320 lbs of pressure per square inch. The bite pressure of a German Shepherd, an American Pit Bull Terrier and a Rottweiler were tested. The American Pit Bull Terrier had the least amount of bite pressure of the three dogs tested.”
    Dr. Brady Barr, National Geographic

    “The American Temperament Test shows pit bulls consistently score above the average for all breeds tested, year in and year out.”
    The American Temperament Test Society,
    http://www.atts.org

    “Pit Bulls signal like other dogs.”
    The Institute of Animal Welfare and Behavior of
    the University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
    temperament tested over 1,000 dogs.

    All dogs shake their “prey” Mr. Brennan. Have you ever seen a dog play with a squeaky toy? All dogs are instinctive predators. By shaking their toy, they are “killing” it. This is not unique to the dogs lumped together into the term “pit bull.”

    Breed discriminatory laws do not make communities safer.

    -According to a report released by the Toronto Humane Society, the province of Ontario has just as many dog bites now as it had before it enacted breed discriminatory regulation.
    After Winnipeg, Manitoba passed breed specific regulation, dog bites went up!
    -A study in Spain comparing the total of dog bites reported for the period five years before breed regulations were enacted with the period five years after revealed no reduction.
    -After Denver, Colorado enacted its breed ban, its citizens continued to suffer a higher rate of hospitalization for dog bite injury than Colorado’s breed-neutral counties in Colorado.
    -In Omaha, Nebraska, reports of dog bites were declining until breed regulations were enacted. Then bite reports started to rise.
    -In the United Kingdom, almost 20 years after Parliament passed breed specific regulations, reports of serious incidents involving dogs have continued to increase.
    National Canine Research Council

    If you want to quote facts and case studies, please read “The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media, Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression.”

  8. Please do not emulate Denver! As a Denver-area resident and dog owner, I have had a ringside seat for the real impacts of this law. I have not seen a safer city, nor a city in which people treat their dogs better, nor a city in which dogfighting has disappeared. Here’s what a Pit Bull ban has done for Denver:

    * Forced Animal Control Officers to seize and kill well-behaved family pets simply for living in Denver
    * Empowered criminals to continue keeping vicious dogs by stretching law enforcement so thin with the additional burden of breed ban enforcement that there is less time to investigate vicious dog complaints that aren’t Pit Bull related
    * Helped dog fighters continue torturing dogs and endangering humans by keeping law enforcement busy chasing safe family pets out of Denver, leaving fewer resources to investigate cruelty or dogfighting
    * Forced Denver’s animal shelters to destroy Pit Bulls surrendered to their shelters as nobody in Denver can adopt them, increasing “kill” rates and jeopardizing these shelters’ ability to fundraise at a time when donors are VERY sensitive to statistics on shelter killing
    * Caused the deaths of dogs that are not Pit Bulls but happen to be mistaken for them
    * Encouraged citizens to be lax about training and safety with dogs by blaming dog attacks on specific breeds rather than the poor training and management that more often causes dog attacks
    * Placed citizens at risk by perpetuating the misconception that strange dogs that are not Pit Bulls or Pit Bull mixes are unlikely to be dangerous or vicious–any frightened dog can and will bite if it feels you are a threat!
    * Damaged local businesses by halting all tourism in Denver by dog owners who travel with Pit Bulls or dogs that look similar to Pit Bulls
    * Forced caring and responsible Pit Bull owners to move out of Denver to keep their canine family members safe
    * Denied homeowners one option for keeping themselves and their belongings safe. A well behaved Pit Bull, even one that would never bite, is a great deterrent against home invasions, particularly for single mothers and women living alone.

    Don’t let BSL advocates convince you that Denver has benefited from this foolish legislation. Denver residents are no safer, and many families have had to give away beloved pets or risk seeing them killed for no reason!

  9. Councilman Webber is on the right track, in my humble opinion. Selective enforcement is not the answer. ANY dog will teeth can bite. Responsible pet parents should NOT be punished for a few who do not care for their dogs. Up the fines & penalties, create a ‘dangerous dog’ ordinance that covers ALL breeds, since ALL have teeth. The dogs are just dogs who don’t choose to be born nor do they choose who takes them home.

    Mr Brennan, there are already several comments pointing out more accurate & current statistics, so I won’t repeat them. Suffice it to say, dogsbite.org is slanted and Denver is certainly NOT the city to follow. Consider Portland, OR – they have the same ‘stats’ as Denver and do NOT have BSL.

    I live two hours from Denver. Mariah’s Promise has taken MANY of the dogs banned from Denver. Mr. Webber is 100% correct in asking – how do we really know the breed of dog? I can personally atest that some of the dogs from Denver were MISIDENTIFIED as ‘pit bulls’. Some were GREYHOUND mixes, some American Bulldogs, some Boxers, some Mastiffs … In other, more blunt words, Denver is KILLING THEIR MISTAKES!!! I had the heartbreaking experience meeting nearly one hundred of the HEARTBROKEN families and children, not to leave out the confused dog, forced to give up their beloved!! Denver’s BSL took dogs FROM HOMES, loving, responsible, GOOD HOMES and contributed to an already overly burdened society of HOMELESS PETS.

    There are MANY other options and ways to keep your town safe. In parting, BSL is like telling your citizens you’re safe now – we’ve taken all the CHEVY TRUCKS off the roads, so you can drive in safety … never mind all the other vehicles on the roads … it doesn’t make sense!!!

    Respectfully!
    Toni Phillips, Director/Founder
    Mariah’s Promise Animal Sanctuary
    Woodland Park, CO
    719-687-4568

    Have you investigated the deficit Denver has incurred upholding their BSL ban??? Ledy Vankavage & a team from Best Friends created a calculator to show how expensive BSL is for a city to enforce. Not to mention that BSL is ONLY effective in killing innocent family pets.

    I urge you to either contact Best Friends (bestfriends.org), check out their ‘Saving America’s Dog’ campaign. Contact the groups Sloane mentioned above.

  10. Stuart Fisk says

    Councilman Brennan needs to understand that the internet is full of misinformation (but I thought this was common knowledge amongst adults anyway). Take a look at the organizations that took in and showed the real temperament of pit bulls when they took in the Michael Vick dogs, and look at where those dogs are today (therapy dogs, search and rescue, etc.).

    Also consider that Pit bulls are estimated to comprise some 30-40% of the dog population, making it by FAR the most popular breed. Considering that there are an estimated 53,000,000 dogs in the U.S., and assuming that pit bulls make up only 20% of that population, there would be approximately 10,600,000 pit bulls in our society. In 1998, five pit bulls were involved in 2 fatal attacks. That is roughly ONE dog out of 2,120,000 – or .0000004716 percent of the pit bull Population. Even using Councilman Brennan’s bloated number of 21 deaths per year, the percentage comes to .000002.

    I’m guessing Michigan, including Rochester Hills, has bigger issues to deal with, and that whatever issues they tackle, including this one, should be done based on facts rather than emotion or their troubles will never end.

  11. Mr. Brennen…Please dont kill family pets… In Denver, many kids have had their loving Pitties ripped from them and exterminated. Dont have this on your conscious. Be honored for your courage and not hated for your stupidity and ignorance.

  12. Another Denverite here to say that BSL is NOT the answer. People have been forced to move or re-home their dogs, dogs with no history of violence have been killed and dogs have been misidentified and killed. Even when dogs are proven not to be pit bulls they can still be killed under our BSL if they “have pit bull-like characteristics” (so…any muscular breed). This is not acceptable! Having a muscular boxer-mix my biggest fear is that she’ll be misidentified as pit or deemed as having “pit bull-like characteristics”. Friday, January 21 there’s going to be another anti-BSL at the City and County Building. Does that sound like we’re happy with the current situation? The answer isn’t BSL, it’s holding bad owners responsible regardless of breed.

    Check out Bill Bruce’s “Calgary Model” – they have achieved very low bite rates through education and holding OWNERS responsible. Councilman Brennan should also check out the amazing success stories of the pit bulls rescued from Michael Vick before he declares “pit bulls are inherently dangerous”. Those dogs have been through the worst of situations but thanks to rescue organizations like Best Friends they’re becoming safe, well trained, adoptable dogs.

  13. cahsewdenver says

    I live in a suburb of Denver. I do not own a Pit Bull but saw the devastation that goes along with BSL. There are numerous studies that show that BSL does NOT in fact reduce bite rates- that is of course because ANY breed of dog can be dangerous in the hands of an irresponsible owner. What you need is a good Wreckless Dog/Owner Law. What people outside of Denver did not see was hundreds of loving family pets being taken from their homes with no justification. Those that were not picked up by local rescue groups were euthanized. They had no history of biting and in many cases were not even Pit Bulls as it is very difficult to determine what a “Pit Bull” is. It is also important to note that Denver is one of approximately 13 different cities that encompass the “Denver Metro Area” of those cities only 2 have “Pitt Bull” bans- the rest, some of which are separated by only 1 street, have rejected Breed Bans in favor wreckless/dangerous dog/owner laws and we have our own success stories! Denver and Aurora are currently under fire for violation of the American Disabilities Act because they have denied the rights of people living with service dogs that are are “Pit Bull” breeds. The citizens of Denver are constantly at work to repeal this law because it is fraught with ignorance and misinformation. Do not follow Denver’s expample. It is an example of how wreckless government can be when they decide to be reactive instead of proactive and refuse to listen to facts. BSL is an embarassment to the state of Colorado.

  14. I realize polititions need to protect there voters but to ban specific breeds of dogs is insane
    Any dog can become vishous and attack are you going to put a ban on all dogs? of course not. I beleive the proper direction that should be taken is to have all owners of dogs get proper trainning for there pets. obedeance and behavior trainning should be manditory. After witch the owners should be held liable not the dogs.Here in the dog rescue world we have a saying THERE ARE NO BAD DOGS JUST BAD HANDELERS AND OWNERS.
    THINK ABOUT IT.

  15. Candice Ericksen says

    WOW! It is clear that the site, DogsBite.org is bias and should not be used as a source for reliable and accurate information. The discrimination of pit bulls is absurd and together I believe we can come to a resolution that not only prevents prejudice against pit bulls but offers safety from ALL animals. Oh, by the way, DogsBite.org states there are “certain” types of pit bull owners…I am a high school teacher and my husband is a police officer on leave in the USMC.
    Thank you!
    Candice Ericksen
    Proud owner of an 8 year pit bull

  16. Wiggly Giggly Dog Toys says

    Epic post, I’ve just got a border terrier puppy to train.

  17. Finally, some people against the prejudice of dogs.

    You can’t stereotype a certain type of dog as much as you can a person, so much for the idea of equality. This is racism all over again, how is it we are making the same mistake twice? It’s not the dogs fault for biting, the owner should be deemed responsible and instead of attempting to ban a whole group of dogs put more restraints and regulations on breeding and ownership. Wiping out the breed isn’t going to solve anything, there is no evidence of a decrease in bite rates, all they are doing is getting people angry and more dogs locked away in cages and killed. Any dog can bite, a certain breed does not display certain behaviours, in fact chihuahuas, dachshunds and Jack Russels all have a significantly higher bite rate than Pit bulls and Pitbulls also rank third on the ATTS test (temperament test). I think the ban is a ridiculous idea, it hasn’t been though through, is ineffective, bias and sets the wrong idea in the media, especially to youth. It is the deed itself that should be punished, not the breed. Just because a kid is small and can’t cause harm doesn’t mean he can go around and punch people. Our form of justice is bias in the terms of dogs and we have to address the issue without doing so.

    You want to decrease bite rates? Stricter ownership laws, breeding laws and more EDUCATION. Most bites are caused by a lack on knowledge, no dog doesn’t bite for no reason. A lot of people mistake and misread a dogs behaviour and the reason they get bitten is because they simply did not realize. Their are no bad dogs, only bad owners. Look at Cesar Millan for example, every dog he owns – regardless of their past, age, gender or breed, they are all good dogs because he is a good owner. Every owner should be able to control their dog and know their dogs limits, be responsible and put in steps to ensure that accidents do not happen.

    All this is coming from a 14 year old, I don’t get why my seniors are not seeing this.
    Thanks for reading

  18. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pit bulls should not be banned that is like racist in a dog way and I have a brindle pit bull and she is not deadly

    • Yes they should they are very dangerous anyone who thinks they shouldn’t be banned are crazy and apparently want to be mauled by a dog or maybe want to be killed or have their puppy killed by crazy rabie infected pit bulls.

  19. I don’t believe any cons side of this because pit bulls being banned is WRONG! Geez

  20. Wow, that was so anti pit bull, could a dog be a forth and it be leagl or half pit bull.

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