61 Replies to "Update: Dogs attack man & dog in Westwood; shots fired"

• Christopher Boffoli February 26, 2008 (9:34 pm)

  According to the March 2008 issue of Seattle Metropolitan Magazine: Pit bulls rank as the 4th most common dog breed in Seattle. They go on to say that between January 2002 and August 2007 there were 1,519 dog bites reported in the City and 24 percent of those were by pit bulls.

• westwoodmom February 26, 2008 (9:45 pm)

  My husband was walking home at 22nd and Trenton around 810pm when he was attacked by 2 pit bulls who ran out from the house on the corner. A man came out and yelled at them and said that they were “not his but his crazy neighbor down the street”. My husband got away because he carries a large umbrella and the man provided a distraction, but only just. He called the minute he got home but obviously not soon enough. I am so very thankful that he was not hurt, but very sorry for the other gentleman, how irresponsible!

• doglover February 26, 2008 (9:49 pm)

  Nothing scares me more in this neighborhood – not the “pellet” gun drive-by shooter, not the gang shootings, not the home invasions — than the abundance of pit bulls in West Seattle. I go jogging with my dog at night right near 24th & Trenton – or at least I used to. There is no reason why someone’s animals should terrorize me more than any other nefarious thing in this neighborhood. Pit bulls are disproportionately responsible for bites and attacks, and should not be allowed in this city. Just so you know pit bull owners: every time I see one of you, I think of you and your dogs as terrorists. You sure terrorize me.

• JanS February 26, 2008 (9:49 pm)

  that’s a lot of pit bull bites, Christopher……I know that we hear that it’s not the breed, it’s the owner, who causes these dogs to be mean, to be vicious….but I’m starting to wonder if all the inbreeding, etc, doesn’t have something to do with it.

• Paul February 26, 2008 (9:55 pm)

  yesterday while driving on 35th ave sw, I watched 2 guys walking a pit bull without a leash and watched a SPD cruiser drive by, look at the boys and the dog and continue on his way. I thought that we had leash laws in Seattle…..

• mikev2 February 26, 2008 (10:12 pm)

  This is my number one frustration with my neighborhood. I’m more frightened of the aggressive dogs than of anything else.

  I firmly believe it’s the owner. I live in highland park, and what I see disturbs me. Owners get pit bulls as guard dogs and ignore them. Yeah the breed may be a tougher breed to handle but not impossible. I’ve seen multiple cases of owners who are derelict of their obligation to the dog.

• JT February 26, 2008 (10:36 pm)

  Paul, I’ve walked by those guys on 35th with my own dog and the pit bull was on a leash then. It was one of those long, thin, pull/retract kinds that might not be easily visible from a car. I know 2 young men with a pit bull isn’t always the best scenario, but they were polite and friendly and their dog was very sweet. If it’s the same pair, I don’t want to see them get a bad rap just because of the breed.

• chas redmond February 26, 2008 (11:41 pm)

  There are a huge number of dogs in Seattle, not just West Seattle. I walk around Green Lake a lot and there is at least an equal density of the same breeds. For my money, the most annoying dog is a 10 pound or under dog unleased and inside a chain link fence – obviously in search of company – who barks and barks and barks at any and all things which go by. I feel bad for all these animals left alone in yards all day. Must really feel like a prison to them. That being said, it’s still the owners and not the dogs, per se, who are the root of the issue.
  –
  There’s also a form of pit-bull hysteria going on. I can handily remember when the german shepherd was the “evil” dog and everyone had a story about being chased by one. I sense it’s the popularity of the breed and the numbers more than anything else. Oh, and some dogs, like some people, are just mean and cantankerous. Should we outlaw mean and cantankerous humans? (maybe, eh ;-))

• Jiggers February 27, 2008 (2:24 am)

  Pit Bulls are only used by drug dealers and drug abusers. I wouldn’t want one because of its reputation.

• WSB February 27, 2008 (6:24 am)

  Re: “pit-bull hysteria” – over more than a few years in conventional media, I saw my newsroom-of-the-time accused of that. Can’t remember whether it was justified or not but this time I can tell you – reviewing all the reports at the SW Precinct in the past week and a half, and covering major incidents like last night in person, we have only seen one breed of dog involved/mentioned in the reports, and in this case, it is the pit bull. In one of those cases, of course, the dog was the victim (the case where it was shot by the Mad Dog-drinking, 357-wielding boyfriend of its owner).

• Near Alki February 27, 2008 (7:44 am)

  Why aren’t pet license laws enforced? If you own a pet and take it out in public a current license “should” be prominently displayed…like an auto, motorcycle, business, etc. license. I take my kids down to Alki in the summer and I see lots and lots of pit bulls (and other dogs) rarely do I see a license handing from the collar. They should be color coated so as to easily identify current licenses. Alki should be “patrolled” in the summer and when unlicensed animals are seen by officers the pet should be “impounded” and when the owner wishes to “spring” it, he/she should be required to pay a fine and provide a current license. Why have a license law at all that is rarely enforced and failure to license holds little if any sequences?

• Kayleigh February 27, 2008 (7:51 am)

  Just charming that I share West Seattle with vicious pit bulls and people who get drunk and shoot them.

• Jerald February 27, 2008 (7:54 am)

  Does anyone know if the chihuahua is okay?

• Holly February 27, 2008 (8:27 am)

  Pit bulls terrify me. I was walking my dog and a pit bull was leashed by the owner who was riding her bike. Just as I was saying to myself how I great it is that she has so much control over her dog, the dog charged us, she fell of her bike and then my dog was being attacked. Her response, “he has never done this before.” Isn’t there anything that can be done besides calling animal control?

• T Prescott February 27, 2008 (8:43 am)

  Let’s be brutally honest here.

  Pit bulls are now looked at as an accessory in the hip hop/gangster lifestyle. Look at any rap video and every other one has a pit bull in it. Standing right next to the low rider and the so called “artist” that is in the video.
  The young wanna be gansters get these animals for this very reason. However, the dog is never taught how to behave, they are abused and neglected. Can you say Michael Vick???
  This story truly makes me sick to my stomach. I feel bad for the person and the dog that got bit,but my heart breaks for the pit bulls as well.

• grr February 27, 2008 (8:54 am)

  I hate this crap. I hate #*@) irresponsible dog owners. I hate the hysteria. I hate the fear mongering. I hate that the only dog bites that ever get reported on the news are when it’s a Pit. (fyi..Labs/Retrievers bite more humans than all other breed combined).

  Feel free to educate yourselves a little bit, and help BREAK the stereotypical ‘pit bull hater’ mold.

  http://www.pitbullproject.org/

  http://www.badrap.org/rescue/

  http://news.bestfriends.org/index.cfm?page=news&mode=entry&entry=AD2802EC-19B9-B9D5-9D9C19F7DD13ACF1

  http://news.bestfriends.org/index.cfm?page=news&mode=entry&entry=C7CE9083-19B9-B9D5-9DBCEF4815A35C17

• grr February 27, 2008 (8:55 am)

  Learn more about Seattle and its Pit Bull rescue group here:

  http://www.pitbullproject.org/

• Katie February 27, 2008 (10:17 am)

  Thank you grr!!! Thank you for introducing this group to these awesome websites that help educate people about pitties. If you have ever owned a pitbull you would know that they are the most lovable, goofy dogs out there that deserve to be stood up for.

  I wouldn’t trade my smart, well-trained, sweet pitbull in for any other breed of dog.

• WestwoodWriter February 27, 2008 (10:34 am)

  JAIL THE OWNER AND DO NOT LET THEM OUT! I live in this neighborhood. I’ve called Animal “Control” about these exact dogs. I have photos of them hunting in my yard on the other side of the fence from MY chihuahua. I have photos of these dogs (and others) chasing women with baby carriages down Trenton Street. Animal Control does nothing. If you can wait through their interminable holding period, the person who answers acts like it’s SUCH a chore to take down the information. The police do nothing. So, people are going to be mauled. Children may be killed. I don’t walk my dog in my own neighborhood any more, and it makes me so angry to watch Seattle Police cars just cruise right by dogs roaming free.

• Trick February 27, 2008 (10:42 am)

  I’ll chime in with my experiences.
  The only time’s I’ve been attacked were at Watercress Park (off leash) Monday morning
  where my dog was attacked by a Pit Bull and Rotweiller (The owner was far away, yelling at his dogs but they didn’t pull off).
  Another was at Lincoln Park with my dog when a Pitbull cornered this young couple, with baby in arms, their dog (blind and deaf, later told by the owners) until I ran over there trying to distract it. The owners of the Pit ( kids from 8-12 yrs old with parents in the background) came over to leash it up.
  They yelled at the pit, didn’t even offer an apology to this couple, and went back to BBQ’ing while I watched the couple get back in their car and sit there, I think they were stunned to say the least…..I know the feeling of a dogs wrath.
  “Yes of course the dog is sweet” if you’re the owner, but there’s a pattern I think we can’t dismiss.

• Joel February 27, 2008 (11:50 am)

  Pitbulls should be outlawed in the city, period. I am sick and tired of folks defending them, they’ve proven to be a public safety issue over and over again.

• grr February 27, 2008 (12:06 pm)

  Westwood…EXACTLY> Throw the people in jail for a few months.
  -Trick..sorry to hear. It never ceases to amaze me how STUPID a lot of dog owners are, and how irresponsible they are with a strong breed.–

  Katie..give your blockhead an ear rub for me. :) We had two Staffies for a very long time. Our current dogs are a bit mellower :)

• old timer February 27, 2008 (12:31 pm)

  Dogs -all I can think of when I see ’em is the crap they’re gonna leave behind.
  As to the pits, well, that’s a chicken/egg debate that will go on between breed and owner advocates until the planet finishes warming.
  In the meantime, the problems fall to the pathetically underfunded Animal Control Department, and in a town where dogs are sacred, there won’t be much help coming on that front.
  So, I guess, we will continue to read stories of babies chewed by known pest animals for a long time to come.
  Carry a baseball bat when you walk in their areas, I guess.

• grr February 27, 2008 (12:44 pm)

  Good lord, Joel. Get a grip. Spend some time researching ALL dog bites. ANY dog can bite. ANY loose dog can be an issue. You want to ban dogs that bite the most? Ban poodles and labs.

  Don’t be ignorant of the facts. Breed banning is simply NOT a solution. ** Severely **punishing the owners IS. Seems to have worked for Vick.

  Did you READ the links I posted? Especially the ones from BadRap and Best Friends???

• Hera February 27, 2008 (1:45 pm)

  Pit Bull is NOT A BREED!!! It’s a term used to call dogs with a particular physical appearance. The term generally applies to three breeds, but over 25 other breeds have been mistaken to be pit bulls.

  And guess what, pit bulls ARE NOT the 4th most common dog in Seattle. As a group, pit bulls are the #1 most common breed in Seattle. The Seattle PI article that claimed pit bulls are #4 is incorrect because the reporter failed to include the number of dogs registered under American Staffordshire Terrier, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and quite possibly American Pit Bull Terrier, which are all pit bull breeds.

  So given that information, since pit bulls make up a larger number of bite cases, it makes sense from a statistical standpoint because they make up a larger percentage of the dog population.

  No matter what the breed is, the owner or whomever is taking care of the dog at the time, is and should be responsible for the dog’s actions.

• Joel February 27, 2008 (1:49 pm)

  Sorry grr, I did read your links. The view’s expressed there are exactly what I was taking about in my post. The truth is, certain breeds are more dangerous than others and the pit is #1.

  http://www.petsdo.com/blog/top-ten-10-most-dangerous-dog-breeds

• Kayleigh February 27, 2008 (2:02 pm)

  Some pit bulls are bred and trained to be aggressive. That’s tragic, and it doesn’t apply to all of them, but it’s till true.

  I am a huge animal lover and I respect Best Friends Santctuary (and have visited them in Kanab). I’m among the first to stand up for any animal, but honestly, I would not own any of the pit bull breeds. I don’t know what is lurking in the poor critter’s gene pool or background.

• grr February 27, 2008 (3:31 pm)

  Glad to hear that you been to Best Friends, Kayleigh. So have we. Amazing place!!!

  Sorry you wouldn’t own a pit breed..They can be just as wonderful as any other dog. They can also be jerks, just like any other dog.

  …I’m reminded of a rescued collie that Mrs.Grr had…perfectly fine for two days, then bit the crap out of her hand while she was brushing him..

  and, yes, Joel. certain breed can be more dangerous, simply by their sheer power, size, and strength. But I stand by my statement that Breed Banning simply is NOT the answer. If you ban one, you have to ban the all. If that’s the case, who’s stats do you go by? # 4 on your link is Huskies? Should we ban them as well? #4..German Shepards…so much for police dogs..

  YES. The Pit Bull thing IS an issue, an it kills me to see what’s happened to the ‘breed’. I think the whole VICK thing (and the massive success stories that have come from rehabilitation for many of those dogs), has opened up Americas eyes to the issue.

  …and,just remember, it wasn’t that long ago that ‘pit bulls’ were America’s Dog (remember Petey from The Little Rascals??”

  :)

• barmargia February 27, 2008 (3:55 pm)

  In regards to only drug users and drug dealers use pit bulls, I have friends who have pit bulls, and they are neither drug users nor drug dealers. They are people who love and respect and take care of their dogs, they are not people who tie the dog up to a post outside and let it starve so that it will get vicious. They have taken the dog to a trainer who said the dog is a great dog. I understand people’s fears but they can’t become hysterical talking about banning these dogs. Jack Russell Terriers which are small “cute” dogs are mean little creatures, should we ban these also?

• 3 dogs later February 27, 2008 (4:25 pm)

  King 5 ran Breaking News last night on Pitbulls that attacked a man out for walk.

  http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_022608WAB_pitbulls_KC.312f460b.html I was horrified, and sad. Nothing was mentioned as to the owners accountability.

  In light of this “Breaking Story”

  It is important to send a message to the public that regardless of the “breed” of dog it is ultimately the owners fault.
  I would like to see lobbying and a law passed against irresponsible dog owners. The irresponsible “People” should be “banned” from ever owning a dog ever again. Perhaps an online registry should be developed listing all animal abuse/neglect offenders making it accessible for public viewing, and a useful too for Animal Control Officers. This would help crack down on the people that offend by never letting these types of people have pets. Resulting in a safer environment.

  I would like to see the Media blast the “owner” of the dogs and put their name on the tv screen and underline the heading “irresponsible owner” accountable for dogs terrorizing the neighborhood” gets jail time and never to own a dog again.

  Once again the “owner”, should be tracked down and penalized and the focus be put where it belongs not the breed. THEN RUN A FOLLOW UP NEWS STORY.

  These stories need to be counteracted with “articles of owner accountability” educate the public. Please give some positve insight for the “Good” Pit bulls of Seattle.

• westseattleite February 27, 2008 (4:37 pm)

  Unfortunately it is often the owners that make these dogs agressive and I also think that they are given a bad wrap. My friend has had her pit bull for the last 10 years and she is an absolute sweetheart, in fact she cowers when she sees other dogs being agressive-she enjoys the quiet life. She was even taken out of my friend’s yard once by a drug dealer who was planning on using her as bait for other pits. Fortunately someone told her where she was and she was able to get her back.

• WestwoodWriter February 27, 2008 (5:25 pm)

  When a dog attacks, the fault rarely lies with the dog. The fault almost always rests with the owner/handler and their treatment of the dog. Please urge the Seattle City Council to find a way to allow the Animal Control services and Police work together to require licenses for dangerous dogs. Owners of problem animals must be held accountable in hopes of setting an example for other dog owners. The dogs who attacked my neighbor last night frequently ran loose in this neighborhood where young children from Highland Park Elementary School walk home. The powerful dogs rarely wore collars and usually prowled together along Trenton Street. They crossed busy 16th Avenue and Delridge and were within attack-range of Westwood Village shopping center. Imagine the national headlines if two pit bulls went on a rampage at a crowded shopping center after school! The owner of these neglected, vicious dogs MUST be jailed and fined to send a message to the hundreds of dangerous, negligent dog owners in Seattle.

• barmargia February 27, 2008 (5:39 pm)

  I agree WestwoodWriter, punish the people who deserve it, NOT the people who own this type of animal and treat the dog right, act responsible, abide by the laws of leashing and train the dogs.

• iloveapbt February 27, 2008 (5:58 pm)

  Joel,

  You said “The truth is, certain breeds are more dangerous than others and the pit is #1.”

  Please post/submit your scientific proof published in a scientific journal that so-called “pitbulls” are dangerous dog breeds.

  I am waiting for your answer.

• Holly February 27, 2008 (7:33 pm)

  If you scroll down on this page, there is a link to study published by the CDC on violent animals, see page 3.

  http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/biteprevention.htm

• iloveapbt February 27, 2008 (7:55 pm)

  Holly,

  You forgot to leave this out:

  It does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic. Each year, 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs. These bites result in approximately 16 fatalities; about 0.0002 percent of the total number of people bitten. These relatively few fatalities offer the only available information about breeds involved in dog bites. There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill.

• Bob February 27, 2008 (8:42 pm)

  http://dogbites.org

• Adam February 27, 2008 (10:07 pm)

  I looked at the study. It does not say which breeds are most likely to bite, but it does list pit bulls as the breed that has the most reported fatalities and bites. It can seen either way, if there are 100 pit bulls to every lab, perhaps, but I don’t know if that is really the case.

• Debra February 27, 2008 (10:11 pm)

  I am the owner of 2 APBT’s. They are loving and well mannered. They sleep with cats and love people. My dogs are NEVER allowed to roam. They are the funniest/goofy dogs I have ever had the pleasure of owning. Please check out the websites that grrr posted. Ban the deed, not the breed.(I also am not a drug dealer or drug user, thank you)

• chas redmond February 27, 2008 (11:48 pm)

  Isn’t pepper spray legal here? Why not just use it on aggressive animals when necessary. Carry pepper spray and a cell phone, when the owner complains that you peppered his/her dog, call 911 and report a violent dog attack and report the human owner too. I’ve actually had good success with Animal Control in my neighborhood. I also handed out Animal Control complaint forms to neighbors in an area where a “pit” type dog was running loose. I’ve had similar success both with Animal Control and neighbors in getting owners of persistent noisy dogs to quite down the incessant barking.
  –
  Point being, if you want things to change, sometimes you actually have to work for it. Everyone was complaining about the loose “pit” type dog, no one but me was calling Animal Control. Handing out complaint forms allowed other neighbors to easily weigh in and that helped Animal Control realize there really WAS a dog which needed removing. The owners were also fined $125 and again later $250 (repeat offense causes fines to double). That also had the effect of correcting bad dog owner habits. Losing money hurts. Ignoring and/or abusing a pet doesn’t.

• grr February 28, 2008 (12:12 am)

  just to add to Debra…NO dog (or cat, or ferret, or anything else) should be allowed to ‘roam’ without a leash and its owner. And I EMPHASIZE that about cats. Then again..they make the coyotes less hungry.

• WSB February 28, 2008 (12:12 am)

  The police report on this incident had more unsettling details than have appeared so far, here or in citywide-media accounts. I’ll be writing a separate report on them tomorrow morning, since the Denny-Sealth wrapup (plus other police reports) are taking up the rest of tonight — TR

• Myra February 28, 2008 (2:57 am)

  To Chas Redmond:
  Right on! Yes, just complaining and citing statistics about Pit bulls or anything else solves nothing. Sometimes we have to take care of ourselves, whether it involves locking our car doors or not going to a ATM machine at 2 in the morning or carrying pepper spray.

  I carried pepper spray and a small baseball bat when I walked my dogs in New York. It was not safe for me to walk my dogs because of other roaming and aggressive dogs of many different breeds. A few times I was VERY frightened, and one time I was attacked by loose dogs. I was mad as hell, but it had nothing to do with which breed of dog was currently loose and harassing me and my dogs – I was flipping mad at whoever allowed their dog to upset and unnerve me and my leashed dogs.

  When on earth are people going to stop talking about “Pit bulls” and starting realizing this is simply a case of some people not giving a crap about their own dogs or the safety of others in the community.

• iloveapbt February 28, 2008 (6:28 am)

  Adam,

  There are currently 7.5 millions “pitbulls” in the US. That is about 10% of the total population of dogs.

  As Mark Twain said: There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.

  Why don’t the media use this study done by:

  Pickney & Kennedy

  Traumatic Deaths from Dog Attacks in the United States, 69 PEDIATRICS, Feb., 1982, at 193-94. The report identified the following as responsible for human fatalities during the study period from May, 1975 to April, 1980:

  German Shepard (16)

  Husky (9)

  St. Bernard (8)

  Bull Doggies(6)

  Great Dane (6)

  Malamute (5)

  Golden Retriever (3)

  Boxer (2)

  Dachshund (2)

  Doberman Pinscher (2)

  Collie (2)

  Rottweiler (1)

  Basenji (1)

  Chow-Chow (1)

  Labrador Retriever (1)

  Yorkshire Terrier (1)

  mixed and unknown breeds (15).

• iloveapbt February 28, 2008 (6:45 am)

  Regarding statistics:

  In the decade between 1966-1975, less than 2% of all dogs involved in fatal attacks in the United States were of the breeds which today are targeted so frequently as the solution to canine aggression, (Pit Bull or Rottweiler).

• Adam February 28, 2008 (8:27 am)

  I agree with the pepper spray and calling Animal Control, I have called them a few times myself. I blame the owners completely. In my experience, it has been pit bulls, but I know that is not always the case, it just seems recently that it is the most talked about and reported. If we talk to our neighbors enough and get them involved instead of just being one of a few people to complain, that may help.

• Joel February 28, 2008 (12:28 pm)

  Those of you defending this breed really scare me. What do you tell the 9 year old who was bit in the face? I guess she should have been carrying a baseball bat and mace?

  How can you possibly justify having this breed around? Punish the owners as well, fine.

  In addition to locking up the owners, we need to stop breeding child mauling animals and calling them pets.

• dairmuid February 28, 2008 (12:57 pm)

  Ok, we’ve got statistics going one way and going another. I guess you can’t trust any studies. What I *can* trust is that I’ve lived all over Seattle, and there seems to be way more pit bulls in West Seattle than anywhere else. They may be sweet dogs, but they’re sweet dogs that can rip your scalp off with no provocation.

• iloveapbt February 28, 2008 (1:39 pm)

  Joel,

  Why are you avoiding answering the question?

  Please submit your scientific proof published in a scientific journal that “pitbulls” are a dangerous dogs breed.

  And we need to stop breeding kids that go to highschools killing innocent people, because the irresponsible parents don’t know how to raise their kids. Rolling my eyes.

• Duchess February 28, 2008 (5:04 pm)

  God people who think all pits are vicious are sooo stupid!!! My god, my pitbull has slept right next to my daughter in the same bed since she was 8 years old!!! She has never done anything to my daughter. Some of you may think I am irresponsible for doing this, but I trust that dog completely.

• ALS February 28, 2008 (6:01 pm)

  “And we need to stop breeding kids that go to highschools killing innocent people, because the irresponsible parents don’t know how to raise their kids.”

  Well said, iloveapbt. That brings up a closely related topic – how eerily similar breed discrimination is to racial profiling. Just because the jails are populated by mostly minorities doesn’t mean all (insert race here) are killers/gangsters/rapists/whatever.

  Dogs, like people, are a product of their environment, and just because the pit bull happens to be the dog of choice for many bad people, doesn’t mean banning the breed will take care of the problem. They’ll just move on to the next big and powerful breed (Akita, Husky, Malamute, Great Dane… any dog can be vicious in the wrong hands).

• ALS February 28, 2008 (6:03 pm)

  One of my favorite quotes from Cesar Milan:

  “In the United States, in the ’70s, they did the same thing to the Doberman. In the ’80s they did it to the German shepherd, in the ’90s they did it to the Rottweiler, and now they’re doing it to the pit bull. So whatever dog is in fashion, people are going to blame them for things.”

• jen20 February 28, 2008 (6:14 pm)

  Kudos to those of you defending pit bulls. I have loved them a very long time and have never met a vicious one. I feel terrible that a child was mauled by one, but again, the blame needs to be placed on the owner. Any dog is capable of hurting a child – not just a pit.

  A rule to remember, a dog chained up in a yard is much more dangerous to approach than one running free. Dogs feel trapped when they are chained up and are more likely to defend themselves, so never approach an unfamiliar dog that is chained up in a yard. And please do not misunderstand that I think dogs should run free. Quite the opposite. All domesticated pets should be kept on a leash when out doors. Cats that are are allowed to roam free out of doors have an average of 1/3 the lifespan of an indoor cat.

  Everyone needs to take responsibility for their pets. I love my pets dearly and am broken hearted when I see an animal mistreated. It is sad that animal control was not more helpful in this situation.

• barmargia February 28, 2008 (6:48 pm)

  Very well put ALS

• angelescrest February 28, 2008 (9:05 pm)

  But none of those other breeds were bred for fighting, or were they? Watchdogs, yeah, but…

• Dog lover but.... March 1, 2008 (3:26 pm)

  My rat terrier mix bites more than any other breed I have ever had. The difference is that it can’t do any damage when it does.

• 3 dogs later March 2, 2008 (7:44 am)

  Amongst this debate does anyone know how “Rosie” the chihuahua is?

• Trisket March 4, 2008 (6:05 am)

  iloveapbt- it appears Joel did provide a link to support his opinion. However there are many opinions and many beliefs in the world not supported by scientific evidence or statistics. Just ask anybody who believes in God… So please iloveapbt, unhinge your second jaw and release Joel from your attack…

• Faith March 25, 2008 (12:27 pm)

  I must respond to Doglover who stated “There is no reason why someone’s animals should terrorize me more than any other nefarious thing in this neighborhood. Pit bulls are disproportionately responsible for bites and attacks, and should not be allowed in this city. Just so you know pit bull owners: every time I see one of you, I think of you and your dogs as terrorists. You sure terrorize me”.

  Pitbulls are often seen as causing a higher proportion of dog attacks in this city (or anywhere) because you will never read about a retriever or border collie attack, due to the sensational factor. Also, unlike you with your bias towards pitbulls and their owners, I believe that I also have a right to walk my dogs (on leash) in public places without having to protect myself and my dogs from the actions of irresponsible dog owners who let their aggressive – often termed family dogs – run off leash in public places that are designated as ON leash areas.

  As a responsible owner of two pitbulls, I am also angered by innocent people and pets who are attacked by any breed of dog. Dog attacks are preventable, but to blame pitbulls for every attack is both naive and ignorant. It would make more sense to have tougher penalties for all irresponsible dog owners, as there are too many to count who do not own pitbulls.

  I live in a lovely area in Seattle and walk my dogs daily for 1.5hrs, but am often forced to walk different routes because of the number of off leash dogs I am confronted by in ON leash parks and neighborhoods. One weekend I was harassed by a retriever, a labrador, a maltese terrier, a german shorthaired pointer and a cocker spaniel. All of these dogs lacked proper retraints, all were with their owners, and all were aggressive, with one even chasing us through a park!

  So in response to this pitbull hate campaign, this responsible pitbull owner is sick and tired of being discriminated against by non pitbull owners, and equally sick of dealing with other owners and their aggressive dogs! I too have a right as a citizen to walk my dogs and stay safe!

• CP April 18, 2008 (8:28 pm)

  “Pit Bulls are only used by drug dealers and drug abusers.”

  Wow. I really hope you aren’t being serious. Nice to see that Joel found another blog entry to spout his ignorance on aside from the original post. I’m not surprised, convinced or impressed.

• jodi December 5, 2008 (10:51 am)

  The American Pit Bull Terrier IS an acknowledged member of the bull terrier breeds. Ignorance points for you!! When a dog attacks it is rarely a simple case of a+b=c. It’s a pit + it bared teeth and bit = it’s the dog’s fault. If each situation was truly looked at (which will never happen), I guarantee it will be a much smaller percentage than people think. Dogs charge, challenge, and correct each other with their mouths. They are DOGS. Attacks occur when they are not taught or managed appropriately, SHAME on you. But, if your dog IS sentenced to live in your yard and be hostile, it should NEVER be able to get out (and personally, I think you should have to live out there with them). Dogs are territorial, nomadic creatures by nature. So are we. We are taught to respect others – those that don’t are part of our core violence against each other. We are animals, too. If dogs are not taught – THESE are your boundaries – and that they are NOT in charge, they will only do what comes naturally by instinct. THINK people. Any dog owner who has responsibility for a large, strong, dominant dog of ANY breed has the responsibility of MANAGING their dog. Pit bull schmit bull. If you own a powerful dominant breed (ANY breed – any animal, for that matter, including your children), you should know how to do so properly.

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