If pit bulls are so sweet and cudly, then why are owners afraid of putting their money where their mouths have been for so long? This isn't a ban, it just makes you responsible for the actions of a pit bull the moment you buy it, rather than only after it has mauled its SECOND child. And, if the argument is why single out a specific breed, many states have the same form of liability that the Court of Appeals provided (strict liability) for all breeds of dogs, and I'd be perfectly happy with that too. But pit bulls, which are responsible for almost 28% of all human deaths from dog attacks from 1979 to 1998 according to the CDC, are a VERY good place to start. I would welcome the potential liability I may have for my 15 lbs dog if it means Pit Bull owners need to own up finally to their responsibility.

From now on, I will sue every time any little dog bites me, for emotional distress. It has affected me big time. I own a pit and a lot of my friends own pits, never, not once, has any of them ever bitten, harmed, or even scared me. But those little dogs, I refuse to go over to anyones house that has one. Everyone should be responsible for their dogs, knowing what they are capable of, and keeping them under control....... No dog breed should be singled out.

Pit bull owners don't want to blame their pets. They want to blame the owner. But they seem to also be fighting the Courts decision saying they are not liable. They want it both ways!!

Cindy, you have had no problems yet....that is always what you hear from the pit bull owners until they do attack.

Our pitbull is the most loving dog I have had in my life...including a black lab! Our pibble, Jessie, is family...along with two doxi's and two cats...they love each other! Jessie was a rescue and is now our baby. Since we've had Jessie she has been attacked three times by a Chi...once the little Chi broke the skin by her eye...Jessie just laid down...sad and confused. Our little boy doxi is in love with our pibble...he even cleans her mouth..sticks his nose right in her mouth...she loves it! My hubby didn't want a pitbull...now he falls asleep snuggling her. My Mom was terrified of pitbulls...being from England where there banned she only new what the media sold the public...she now is an English grandmother advocate of pitbulls! Not everyone should have a pitbull...but every pitbull needs someone...and I will never not have a pitbull by myside!

I have had pitbulls in my life for nearly 40 years. I was bitten by a poodle mix in the face as a kid and that left ne with a speech impediment and a torn lip with stitches. It was very traumatic. I git called mean names and it hurt like hell. Motto of the story? A dig doesn't have to be a pitbull to cause horrific damage. Do I hate poodles? No. Should they be banned. No. Dogs bite. All dogs. Pitbulls have never so much as growled at me. Do I need to tell hoe a Chihuahua chewed ny kids finger horribly too? My dogs never bit anyone. I wouldn't have dangerous animals around children period.

Pit bulls maul, poodles do not.

When they get rid of all the pitbulls what then? When a Dalmation attacks and kills someone do we ban them and euthanize the breed? How about Collies, which are in the top ten for breeds known to attack, or Labs, or Sheppards... the list could go on they tried to ban Dobermans 30 years ago because they where known to attack people, then it was Rottweilers, also known to attack and kill people, Pits just happen to be the villain breed of the time. When do we start banning certain types of people from society? Pits are responsible for about 25% of canine homicides , tho many have admitted to misidentifying the breed, about 25-30 people are killed by dogs each year in the U.S. so than means pits kill about 7 people per year in America, 10,228 people died last year do to drunk driving, 37,458 from drug overdose, and 4 women are killed in domestic violence cases DAILY in the U.S. So when are we going to ban alcohol, drugs, and marriage? Yes Dogs Kill people, Yes pitbulls are a large percentage of the responsible breeds. Does this mean we should ban and euthanize them when 1000 times more people die from other peoples stupidity and we do nothing about that?

You won't find Dalmations in the top killing breeds. Go to www.dogsbite.org for the statistics of deaths from pit bulls. Pit bulls also kill the most adults of any dog for those who think it is just young children and pets that are mauled.

To all you people who say that pit bulls always tear you apart when they bite. I am here to tell you differently. I have been bitten by a pit-bull and the dog felt he had something in his mouth he should not and let go immediately. Also I would like to let you all know that the German Shepherd and two other dogs have a greater bite force then a pit does. I firmly believe all dog owners should be held accountable for their dogs because they all have the potential to bite and be aggressive. what the media fails to tell you is the truth leading up to the event. We as owners have the responsibility to train them properly, as well as our children and selves on respect and common sense. Taunting, teasing and training to kill are not proper. You don't allow your child or yourself to approach a dog they do not know, even the smallest of dog or run a stick down the fence etc. We as society are all accountable for the actions of ourselves, children and animals, cut and dry. Because someone trains the dog to fight and kill, it is not the dogs fault it is the humans. The dog is actually being a very good dog, it is after all doing what it was taught to do.

If you startle any living being, or torment, tease etc. eventually it will lash out some worse then others.... And by the way even after being bit by one, I now own two of them. I know not to let people they do not know approach them while on a leash or in my vehicle. I know to be outside when kids are around, only to keep them ( the kids) from throwing stuff over the fence at them, run sticks down the fence, stomp their feet and growl at them. Where are these kids parents why are they not teaching them not to do this to animals in and out of other peoples yards? Obviously you are all to worried about banning a breed instead of educating our young kids and selves on proper respect for animals. No wonder we have so many accidents involving animals not just pit bulls mind you. OPEN YOU'RE EYE'S PEOPLE EDUCATE

Terri you cannot ignore the statistics about pit bull damages. More and more people are becoming educated on this. That is why more and more people are taking them to shelters. Mandatory spay and neuter is necessary to remedy this problem with pit bulls.

FIRST OFF: there is NO SUCH BREED AS A "PIT BULL". Look it up: even the AKC has no listed dog called a "pit bull". The name "pit bull" is an overly used, uner defined street/slang name that was given to classify any dog used in the illegal sport of dog fighting. The name stuck around due to ignorance. There are over 50 breeds of dogs who can be mistakenly labelled as a pit bull, and no self respecting dog owner would allow anyone to call their dog a "pit bull" : I'm a proud owner of 2 bullies and they are NOT pit bulls: one of mine is an American Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the other isa Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Our Am Staff is a graduate of puppy class, adult basic obedience, and is a lifesaving blood donor dog. Our other one is a puppy 1 & 2 grad, who has already been approved by the AKC for her CGC (canine good citizenship) and is going to become a therapy assistant state dog soon. No dog is inherently dangerous: dogs imprint their personalities, characteristics, and traits from their surrounding, thus the people who raise and train them are responsible for their actions, not the dogs themselves. Its ridiculous to blame these dogs ad the responsible owners for the actions of retards who have no rights owning pets at all. Bad owners dont care what dogs they own, ban 1 breed and they will go get and ruin another. When They Come For Your Dog's Breed, May Others Be As Passionate In The Hunting Of Your Best Friend As They Are In The Hunting Of Mine.

Dogs are bred to have different behaviours and physical characteristics. Some have furry coats, tendency to point, etc. Pits are bred over the centuries to be fighters.

Justin Morgan were you there did you or anyone else witness this horrific act and yes that is what it is. Can you or his mother or anyone honestly state the dog was not provoked can you and fucking chihuahua bites more often then a pit does and 99.999% of all children think it fun to tease dogs or to go up to dogs they don't know it is our responsibility as dog owners and parents to educate get it you ass hole. I have been bit by a pit and it was my own stupidity and ignorance i now own them so go f yourself. the dog did not maul or mutilate me, it let go realizing it had something in its mouth it should not yes it hurt like hell yes it bled like hell but again the dog was properly trained and I was stupid. If you're too stupid to get that, you are not capable of being a responsible pet owner or parent. EDUCATE AND TRAIN. Do some more research German Shepherd are the worst and strongest and that would be why cops use them for police dogs............. Just because we responsible owners don't appreciate idiots like you and the ones who train these dogs to kill being a part of this world does not mean we have no empathy as long as you realize its not the dog it the owner and its the people not knowing or respecting the animal. What happen to this child is horrible just horrible. And no one should have to endure what he has, there is always two sides to every story before opeing your mouth so harshly you should know them....

Terri you seem really upset but the stats show that pit bulls are the biggest problem for maulings. Many cites and counties in the US already agree and have enacted regs to control their damage. Please see Dogsbite.org for more information.

pits were bread to be protectors not fighters they were actually used to watch over small children while the adults went out to work the fields. It wasn't until some idiot human decided to fight one they were used for that not bread for that again used for that

no you can not ignore them I do realize they are there and i will say this again if properly trained they are very good dog's any dog can be trained to fight even kill even the little ones and they will die doing so because that is what they know. We as society and the ones training them need to do just that in the proper way and if we see it happening the wrong way then we should also be responsible enough to help stop it. A animal dog only knows what it is taught....... Just as an un supervised child. Not one person on this plant can say honestly their child or themselves as a child has not teased or taunted an animal kids do it all the time until they are taught not to and the dangers of doing so.. Those same statistics also state they pass every test with 89% or higher that is i the top ten percent of all dogs for temperament disposition etc. they are also only in the bottom 25% of all dog attacks. You can not ignore the facts that German shepherds are ranked at the top 2% of the worst dog attacks and the top strongest bite force yet we dot want to ban them or kill them all do we.

Pits have been bred to be fighters for hundreds of years. Their trait to attack and destroy is documented before the 1800's. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_fighting Pits are mentioned in this link.

Pits are always at the top of the dangerous dogs. Check some other stats besides the ones you have. Most people have heard about the pit as being dangerous. Signing out....

No I'm not saying they all were but if the story were told the whole story not just the media hype. I'd bet more then half were. Everyday 5,6,7 times a day kids walk by my yard barking at stomping their feet at banging on the fence when my dogs are outside. Does not matter how many time I tell them and their parents it needs to stop, the same kids everyday do the same thing. any animal including humans react aggressively to being taunted & teased. My dogs are both bully breed Am Staff ( for the ignorant people you call them pit bulls). Also it's not the fact of spaying and neutering that has us bully owners mad ( i believe that should be a given with all domestic animals to cut down on the amount of animals that die in the shelters daily)It's the fact that society is so

dam ignorant and want to eradicate a breed, do to ignorant humans. And this is for the woman claiming all so called pit bull attacks end in mutilating mauling and death, again i have been bitten by a bully it did let go the second it felt it had my ankle in its mouth it did not rip me apart it did not mam me it did not tear my foot or leg off I did not even have to go to hospital nor did i require stitches. My dogs drop it when told to do so they do not tear shit apart and the do no keep tugging they do exactly what they were told to do DROP IT, they even do that for everyone else not just me. The 3 year old across the street threw his ball in the yard,he told them to drop it, guess what they dropped it he came into the yard

and got it, OMG imagine that. It's called proper training, love and care. They do show signs if they are going to attack something or if they don't like what is going on, again know your dog before you get it so you know how to train and care for it....... EDUCATION. Simple really you don't know the animal don't approach like you do, do not tease torment or even fight around any animal none of them like it and all of them will usually

try and stop it it's not the dogs fault it's the humans fault. The dog is a good dog no matter what anyone says because that dog is doing what it was taught to do. good dog bad human ignorant society for not taking accountability for our short comings.Will all you haters finally be ok when in fact there are no more large breed of dogs around because you were all to ignorant to take accountability for our actions because if the succeed in this breed then whose to say the next one on the chopping block wont be your family pet. This is not to offend anyone we did not stand for gassing and eradicating the Jewish race why on earth are we all ok with doing it to an animal what makes you all think you are above these dogs and you deserve to be here more then them. the feel and hurt and suffer and love just like you or me. They are living beings with every bit as much of a right to be here as you do it is called cohabitation get used to it animals were here long before us...

I own a pit mix. She has the incredibly large mouth. She is a fuzzy brick. I read these articles from time to time. She is licensed, I pay extra for my home owners insurance. I have friends over. I crate her when anyone comes in the house. She never stays in the backyard for more than what it takes to do her business. She is a kind and good dog. ---- With that all being said. She is a pit mix. I am not stupid. I know she has the potential to maul and kill. I chose to adopt a pit at 3 years old. If she hurts someone. I will do what it takes to make it right and take responsibility. But I do appreciate having the right to have her. So when I say don't ban the breed... I am not stupid. I take care to keep her safe and those she has the potential to harm. I don't think she will ever attack anyone. She has spent hours on end with toddlers, elderly, loud teenagers, cats and other dogs. I feel for those that have been mauled and the families of the victims that have passed. But I take my dog ownership seriously. Just as I take driving seriously, home ownership, and owning firearms. It is all a matter of know the potential and never taking it for granted.

Wow. Why bother trying to discuss anything with someone like Deb Bell? She is obviously an extreme case of phobia. It appears to be her life's work to fear and hate a "witch" (in this case dogs of a certain appearance). These kinds of people try and act like they "love" dogs and kids, and want to protect them, but when you look closely at their actions, their is no "love" or "protection", just hate and fear directed at animals who are only as dangerous as their owners allow them to be. The fact that the VAST majority of the millions of "pit bull" type dogs living in the US are fine companions means nothing to her and her kind. They are filled with hate and fear and I pity them. Sadly, they are more destructive to "innocents" than the dogs they fear could ever be.
Diane Jessup
www.WorkingPitBull.com

Agreed. Paranoia based on 2nd hand facts and ignorance do more harm then good. Maryland should count the actual number of these dogs living in peace w responsible owners. And keep to facts. Many pit bull terriers pass canine citizen tests, work as therapy dogs, tracking and rescue dogs. 100s of thousands live peaceably as part of families and cause no problems for anyone. Should all of these decent dogs be taken from their families due to ignorance based on the actions of a few? Come on people have the guts to look at the whole picture and the truth of the matter. Think of what you are doing.

Not to mention people like Deb Bell and Merritt "Craven" Cliffton act like they only have a problem with "pit bulls". But it begs the question what they would have thought about Dobermans during the 1970s, when THEY were the fad breed, or Saint Bernards when THEY were the fad, or what ever breed will soon replace the pit bull as the fad breed with another poor breed. The problem has been - and always will be - poor management of poorly bred fad dogs. That is why there is almost no record of "pit bull" attacks despite their popularity in the USA, prior to the mid 1980s when they became a fad breed, and popular with dangeous owners. When pit bulls, rottweilers, and other breeds that frighten these types are gone, believe me, their hate and fear will turn to the next breed.

Look, I don't give a dang what you own so long as you are responsible for it. You can be afraid and scared of pit bulls all you like, for all I care it can be your personal crusade to rid the world of this terrifying breed and for some it is and on many levels they've had success and yet they never focus on issues so much greater than the tiny percentage of people killed by a small percentage of irresponsible owners. This has always intrigued me where each individual finds proverbial boogey man. Heaven forbid they ever focus on the amount of people that are killed in car accidents due to drinking and driving or just simply speeding, heck some of these pit bull haters are probably replying to this article from their cell phones while driving drunk for all I know. The point is we don't see laws being passed so that cars are governed only to go as fast as the fastest posted speed limit in the USA, not saying that these fear mongers wont focus on that as well some day and I didn't intend to give them more ideas, just saying. Fear is a powerful motivator there is no doubt and while I can have compassion for these people I find it hard to do when they themselves don't take a serious look at the numbers and find compassion for the greater majority of responsible owners. By the way I don't mean to scare you anymore than you already are but some where there is a peanut lurking and they kill even more people than pit bulls =-O BAN PEANUTS BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!

debbie bell, when you read something do you actually comprehend what is being said? Now to me if someone stated that daily the have to tell someone to stop something they are not allowing it to happen. Maybe before you speak you should actually comprehend what has been said or don't open you're mouth. My dog's do not even give a rats ass these ignorant humans are doing this it really does not faze them, but see not all dog's are like mine, so it is my responsibility to educate stupid people such as yourself on proper educate with animals.Especially because I am totally sick of the media hype and the ignorance of humans like you giving my dog's a bad wrap not to mention the idiots who train them to be fighters. You do not and can not breed anything to kill it has to be taught. A human is not born with the knowledge to kill it's not until he becomes a hunter or joins the military, or his parents let him watch the shit on T.V. do they know how to.

So you see we must train something to kill and be aggressive. all puppies tug and pull until they are taught not to so are you say because my dog as a puppy played tug o war he's a killer if so then every f'n dog that does that are killer's. Also I might add every day my dog's leave my yard and play street ball with the neighborhood kids, and o my gosh there are cats, kids and dogs around, imagine that they still just play ball in the street with the kids. Wow I really thought they would chase and maul to death any thing in it's path because that is what they were breed to do.

More people die in car crashes every day then from a Staffordshire attack so maybe we better ban them because these are actually made with no emotion and don't know better if taught because you cant teach them. Lord knows the human is not responsible now are they. Ban the gun because the person hold the gun pulling the trigger is not responsible for killing that other person the gun did it. Fuck how pathetic humanity is you think owners don't take accountability what about all of you. By the way even someone saying let go or no or even ouch my dog's will let go.If they haven't already let go they know when it's something that is ok to have in their mouth or when it's not. So go ahead and keep saying its the dog fool. that's what I would do because we idiot humans are not the ones who have trained them now are we. Damn when did society become such a ignorant species on this planet?????If the occasion should arise that my dog bite hell yes I will take accountability, that is what responsible owners do, We also know the potential of our dog's we train them and take the necessary measures to ensure their safety as well as society's.

All you ignorant people out their let me ask you this when it's your kind of dog being discriminated against what are you going to do how are you going to react and are you even sure you're breed is not all ready on the dangerous dog list for hell sakes they have a pug on that list folks. Again let me reiterate for ya all do you're research and know what the hell rolls out you're mouth's because you could just be signing your dog's death warrant as well.. Happy thoughts all.

but I also know if someone try's to come in my house rape me or kill me or my family or the neighborhood kids my dog's will not allow that and if it ever happens hell no it will not be my fault this person got his ass tore apart by my dog it will be that persons for being in my home for trying to cause bodily harm to me. I have the right to protect myself I just chose not to do it with a gun I chose to did it with my dog... And yes he will do that I know this. So don't go sneaking into my home.......

Remember the good old days when dog owners were generally stable and sane individuals. Where did all of these nuts come from and could we get them to go back to just owning cats? They're giving us all a bad reputation.

Agreed. Responsible owners and good dog's should not be punished for the actions of a few.

It is a complete and utter myth that any of the Bull Terrier types' bite is stronger than any other dog. A) Science has never done a conclusive dog bite study. B) Bully's do NOT have locking jaws - those are on fish and snakes. C) General science has found that "domestic dogs" average 320 psi (pounds per square inch), with ABPT being on the LOW end of that scale. Have you not seen the latest attack of a Labrador who mauled a little boy's face? ANY breed can attack. Chihuahua's are known for being aggressive little monsters, but hey, since I can't fit my AmStaff in my handbag I guess my dog must be the meaner right? Responsible owners, education and DEED Legislation. http://www.understand-a-bull.com/PitbullInformation/Urbanlegends.htm