Okay, I'm really irritated. One of my FB friends posted a quote from their local radio station that stated that Pit bulls kill 2,900 people a year. Then whenever someone commented on it, he just replied "Tell that to the family at the funeral." Are people really that stupid. I'm a pit bull advocate. If you had told me four years ago that I would own a pit bull I would have told you "You're nuts." However, she has been the best dog I've ever owned (and the smartest). She was adopted from our local humane society.
Anyway, so I made a couple of comments and posted a few links to this person's profile. Apparently, he didn't like the fact that I had a clue, because it didn't take him long to unfriend me. (I'm not saying that a Pit Bull can't attack a human, I'm saying that any dog can be agressive towards people. I also believe that if you can't find a reason -through a vet, or animal behaviorist as to why the dog has become agressive {assuming they weren't before} - then I do believe that a human agressive dog should be destroyed no matter what the breed.)
Here's part of my comment to him:
Look at it this way, human beings made dogs what they are. Now, humans are blaming the dogs. Whose really at fault? The humans who do not take the time to train their dogs. ANY dog can be human agressive. Pit bulls can be dog agressive. They usually are not human agressive. A dog is what we make him. If you take any animal and breed it for certain traits. Is it that animals fault or the humans who chose to breed it for those traits.
From the CDC: Each year, 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites; half of these are children. Of those injured, 386,000 require treatment in an emergency department and about 16 die. (since I posted this I did find a reference to 34 people dying of dog bites last year - however no one has whether it was the bite itself or an inffection of the bite).
I also mentioned that Jack Russell Terriers are included in the "Pit bull-type".
There are some fantastic websites out there for pit bulls. As with any dog, consult your vet, they can help you decide if a certain type of dog is a good idea for you and your family.
BSLs are not the answer. (Humans are as much if not more so to blame for the dogs behavior as the dog is.) Being a horse person too, I know that everytime I get on my horse I'm training him. If he does something I don't like I have to go back and ask myself, who's at fault, me or the horse. It should be the same with dogs.
Here's a list of websites regarding statistics on dog bites (and safety):
I will try and get off my soapbox now.
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