Why pit bulls look bad

[Gempress]

http://www.sanangelostandardtimes.com/sast/news_columnists/article/0,1897,SAST_4955_4792870,00.html

I can't believe this. That poor jogger: he must've been terrified. According to the article, these pit bulls have caused trouble before. Yet the owners still let them run loose. It's sad to see what stupid owners are doing to the pit bull reputation.

[Amstaffer]

Link is dead....could you summerize? or copy and paste it if you can still get to it?

[Melissa_W]

It worked for me.
Jogger set upon in College Hills

With breakfast over, I folded my morning paper and prepared for a day at the office.

Suddenly, from the usually quiet street in front of our College Hills home, came screams of obvious distress.

My wife and I opened the front door to see a husky jogger being attacked by two ferocious pit bulls.

The dogs weighed at least 60 pounds each, with heads the size of bowling balls.

The man couldn't run from them, nor could he defend himself. He looked like a man treading water, hands and feet flying in all directions, but going nowhere.

To see huge, snarling animals - one in front and one behind a solitary, defenseless man - is terrifying. The street was empty of traffic.

For what seemed like a minute or more, the jogger shouted at the dogs while he tried to retreat. The pit bulls kept advancing.

If this was their idea of sport, it was blood sport. They looked intent on taking the man down and mauling or killing him.

The man saw death in those fangs.

I stepped onto our front porch, hoping to help the jogger without risking my own safety.

When the golden-haired dog went for the man's left ankle, the man kicked him in the mouth. The pit bull was unfazed.

Like members of a tag team, the chocolate-colored partner attacked the man from behind, going for his haunches, while the man tried to fend off the attacker in front.

''Come over here,'' I shouted, hoping he could reach our front door and safety.

The noise was so loud from the growling pit bulls and the man's frantic shouts that I doubt he heard me. To me, two pit bulls constitute a pack.

For several more frightening minutes, the trio seemed locked in a duel that would leave the man seriously injured or worse.

Only an hour earlier, my wife had taken our dog for his morning stroll down that same street. An elderly couple - she with a walker - regularly passes our house in the cool of the morning.

Thinking about what might have happened still makes me shudder.

I kept shouting for the man to come inside our house.

Suddenly, the dogs must have realized their victim wasn't alone.

Inexplicably, they halted their attack, turned and loped casually down the street.

The exhausted jogger collapsed in the middle of the street, then picked himself up and walked in our front door. He was drenched with sweat. The flesh on his right elbow was peeled off from slamming into the pavement.

''I thought they would kill me,'' the shaken man said as my wife handed him a glass of water.

All three of us were furious that owners of such dangerous animals could be so careless about their neighbors' lives and safety.

I immediately telephoned 9-1-1 and requested animal control. An hour later, I spoke to a patrolling officer, who said he had seen no trace of the pit bulls in my neighborhood.

Once things settled down, I drove the jogger back to his home. We didn't see any more of the dogs.

En route, we passed a young woman walking nearby, stopped and warned her to avoid that neighborhood.

Leslie Hart has been San Angelo's animal services director for 20 years. I asked her what she would have done if she had been that jogger.

''The best thing to do if you know you're going to be bitten,'' she said, ''is to play dead. Go to the ground, get into a protective position with your face down, curl up like you're taught in school and cover your neck with your arms.''

She doesn't advise people to fight back. Or run. Or use Mace or pepper spray.

Such defensive measures can aggravate animals.

''I've known some mean pit bulls, and I've known some nice ones,'' she said. ''I've also known some mean German shepherds and some nice German shepherds.''

Dog bites are serious problems in San Angelo, she continued, estimating that her office receives about two reports a week.

Vicious attacks like I described are less frequent - about once a month.

''We have ordinances to punish people who let their animals run loose,'' Hart continued. ''The trick comes when the officer comes out and finds the animals back in their yard.''

Hart said that's what happened in my case. The animal control officer eventually found the two pit bulls I reported, but they were back in their yard.

He could not verify a violation, so no further action was taken.City officials said they were unable to furnish the names of the dogs' owners.

Hart added that the dogs and their owners have a record with her department because this isn't the first time the pit bulls have menaced the public. State law requires owners of vicious dogs to post $100,000 liability insurance, document all required vaccinations, install secure enclosures and register the animals with authorities.

''I've heard too much about these dogs,'' Hart continued, urging anyone seeing them roaming free to call animal services or police immediately.

[dr2little]

Thank god it wasn't a child, or the elderly couple on the street before that man...or someone with a dog. It's insane that while there were clearly 3 witnesses, nothing could be done once the dogs were identified, especially since they had prior issues with the same dogs.:mad:

[Jules]

I just don't like how this article is written. An incident that could have been reported in a couple of sentences is done up to a lurid "report". I'd like to see an article that focuses on the bad owner, too, since the public already (only) knows about how mean and bad Pits are.

[casablanca1]

The officials in this case seem crazy and stupid.

Leslie Hart has been San Angelo's animal services director for 20 years. I asked her what she would have done if she had been that jogger. ''The best thing to do if you know you're going to be bitten,'' she said, ''is to play dead. Go to the ground, get into a protective position with your face down, curl up like you're taught in school and cover your neck with your arms.''

Am I the only one who thinks that sounds like a great method for getting killed? Going to the ground? With an animal whose only disadvantage is that he's too short to reach your face and neck easily?

'We have ordinances to punish people who let their animals run loose,'' Hart continued. ''The trick comes when the officer comes out and finds the animals back in their yard.'' Hart said that's what happened in my case. The animal control officer eventually found the two pit bulls I reported, but they were back in their yard. He could not verify a violation, so no further action was taken.City officials said they were unable to furnish the names of the dogs' owners.

If the witness verified that these were the dogs who bit someone, their being on their owner's property at the time doesn't matter. The 'at large' violation should have been secondary to the attack. If I didn't have bitter experience with AC, I'd be tempted to question the report - as it is, I totally believe that this scenario is true, and the AC just didn't do their job, while dispensing dangerous advice to the public.

[PFC1]

''The best thing to do if you know you're going to be bitten,'' she said, ''is to play dead. Go to the ground, get into a protective position with your face down, curl up like you're taught in school and cover your neck with your arms.''

Am I the only one who thinks that sounds like a great method for getting killed? Going to the ground? With an animal whose only disadvantage is that he's too short to reach your face and neck easily?



My thoughts, exactly.

[gaddylovesdogs]

I don't think I'd lay on the ground. If I thought it'd work, I would, but I'd be much more likely to kick them in the ribs or something than to lay on the ground.

[pup-man]

It's sad to see what stupid owners are doing to the pit bull reputation.

With all the bad publicity, they no longer have a good reputation anyway. I'd say about 90% of all Pit owners are irresponsible, hence the reason why we read these kind of stories.

[Melissa_W]

The officials in this case seem crazy and stupid.

Leslie Hart has been San Angelo's animal services director for 20 years. I asked her what she would have done if she had been that jogger. ''The best thing to do if you know you're going to be bitten,'' she said, ''is to play dead. Go to the ground, get into a protective position with your face down, curl up like you're taught in school and cover your neck with your arms.''

Am I the only one who thinks that sounds like a great method for getting killed? Going to the ground? With an animal whose only disadvantage is that he's too short to reach your face and neck easily?

'We have ordinances to punish people who let their animals run loose,'' Hart continued. ''The trick comes when the officer comes out and finds the animals back in their yard.'' Hart said that's what happened in my case. The animal control officer eventually found the two pit bulls I reported, but they were back in their yard. He could not verify a violation, so no further action was taken.City officials said they were unable to furnish the names of the dogs' owners.

If the witness verified that these were the dogs who bit someone, their being on their owner's property at the time doesn't matter. The 'at large' violation should have been secondary to the attack. If I didn't have bitter experience with AC, I'd be tempted to question the report - as it is, I totally believe that this scenario is true, and the AC just didn't do their job, while dispensing dangerous advice to the public.

I saw a piece on the news that said to stand perfectly still without making eye contact.

[Dixie]

Id gotten out my double barrel shot gun and solved the problem myself. I know it sounds vicious, but so where those dogs. If they are attacking humans they have no place in my neighborhood. End of story.

[bubbatd]

We've had 3 more attacks here in 2 weeks. One was an 18 month old in a stroller... lost one eye and needs very extensive reconstruction.. which they can't do until her punctured lungs heal. ( That dog ran from the inside of house when door was opened ) The other was a man walking and was attacked by two Pitts... a woman driving by saw it and told the man to jump up on her car... which he did without too much injury. The 3rd was one after a dog on leash...luckily someone heard it and ran out of his house with a hammer and hit the Pitt on the head. Our Mayor had a public meeting about these growing attacks and luckily many showed up who owned Pitts and the overall agreement that it's the bad breeders and bad owners. I still wish there was more licensing.........this would bring in so much money for local rescues, HS etc and would help with the spay and neutering policy. They said that even at$1 a dog , it would bring in more than $100,000 a year nationally .

[Amstaffer]

With all the bad publicity, they no longer have a good reputation anyway. I'd say about 90% of all Pit owners are irresponsible, hence the reason why we read these kind of stories.

In many cities the vast majority of dogs are Pit Bulls. If your stat of 90% stat is correct (and I see many bad owners) it is a true testiment to how wonderful pit bulls are. If that many are bad owners and you only have the few attack that you do....it must mean that this breed is very good at compensating for idiot owners.

The few that do go bad, really make news.

[julieandchili]

I am interested in teaching my kids what the proper thing to do is....should they encounter a dog that they feel threatened by or shows signs of attack.
Ive always told them to "make like a tree", hold their branches in (arms) and look down at their roots (feet). No eye contact.
?
Im wondering now if this is correct, or if they should be doing something else?

[elegy]

With all the bad publicity, they no longer have a good reputation anyway. I'd say about 90% of all Pit owners are irresponsible, hence the reason why we read these kind of stories.

or maybe it's just that you hear about the bad ones and you don't hear about all the good ones, the ones who are responsible, the ones who aren't stupid and don't let their dogs get into trouble.

and maybe because you don't hear about the dogs of other breeds getting into trouble (and they do) because it's not as exciting and front-page as the more stylish Evil Pit Bull Attacks.

i think it's bogus what happened to that guy. i think it's bogus that nothing was done about the dogs who had been running loose previously. animal control is so understaffed and overworked around this country, and i think that's a big reason why we have the dog problems that we have. because while we've got these nice leash laws, we don't have anybody to enforce them, and when they are enforced, there's no real bite behind it.

[GSDlover_4ever]

The officials in this case seem crazy and stupid.

Leslie Hart has been San Angelo's animal services director for 20 years. I asked her what she would have done if she had been that jogger. ''The best thing to do if you know you're going to be bitten,'' she said, ''is to play dead. Go to the ground, get into a protective position with your face down, curl up like you're taught in school and cover your neck with your arms.''

Am I the only one who thinks that sounds like a great method for getting killed? Going to the ground? With an animal whose only disadvantage is that he's too short to reach your face and neck easily?


Not necessarily. If the dogs knocked me on the ground already, I would just lay there and cover my head. It is really stupid to try to fight them off acting crazy, putting them higher into drive. If a dog was charging me I would stand there put my arm out to protect my body and let the dog chew on my arm. It might hurt as all hell but moving and making a huge commotion is only going to put them into a higher drive and the desire to kill the prey item (in other words me) will increase tremendously.

[GSDlover_4ever]

I am interested in teaching my kids what the proper thing to do is....should they encounter a dog that they feel threatened by or shows signs of attack.
Ive always told them to "make like a tree", hold their branches in (arms) and look down at their roots (feet). No eye contact.
?
Im wondering now if this is correct, or if they should be doing something else?

Yes, stand there at about a 45 degree angle towards the dogs with your arm out away from your body, in front of your chest, and no eye contact (that is will be seen as a challenge). Do NOT scream or move, just stand there and if the dog decides to bite, let them do it (positioning your arm so that your arm is what the dog grabs and not your actual body where your necessary organs are located) , but whatever you dog DO NOT make a commotion because as I said before, setting an attacking dog in a higher drive will make the desire to kill less valuable.

[casablanca1]

Not necessarily. If the dogs knocked me on the ground already, I would just lay there and cover my head. It is really stupid to try to fight them off acting crazy, putting them higher into drive. If a dog was charging me I would stand there put my arm out to protect my body and let the dog chew on my arm. It might hurt as all hell but moving and making a huge commotion is only going to put them into a higher drive and the desire to kill the prey item (in other words me) will increase tremendously.

Leslie Hart - ''The best thing to do if you know you're going to be bitten,'' she said, ''is to play dead. Go to the ground

She's actually advocating that you collapse to the ground voluntarily if attacked by a dog. It's possible that she misspoke in excitement, or that her words were misrepresented by the writer, but her advice is similar enough to common ideas on how to react to animal attacks - albeit those by much larger animals than dogs, say a bear, - that I think there's a good chance she simply made some vague mental connections between animal attacks and threw out generic advice about not provoking the attacking animal.

By the by, I was reading a book about bears the other day, and was interested to see that even with animals as large as adult grizzly bears, experts say that playing dead/being passive and nonthreatening is a good idea only in certain circumstances. There were stories about people who'd survived serious grizzly attacks because they'd fought back. They weren't strong enough to physically overcome a grown bear, obviously, but all predators have to weigh the advantages of killing with the risks of being injured, and these people apparently convinced the bears that the risks of being hit repeatedly in the face with a flashlight (for instance) was greater than the reward of eating a hiker.

[casablanca1]

I am interested in teaching my kids what the proper thing to do is....should they encounter a dog that they feel threatened by or shows signs of attack. Ive always told them to "make like a tree", hold their branches in (arms) and look down at their roots (feet). No eye contact.?
Im wondering now if this is correct, or if they should be doing something else?

Kids are at the worst risk for serious injury and death in a dog attack, and I think your advice is good. I'd just add that they if they're near a dog who's acting nasty - growling, staring, stalking, etc. - they should try to be very, very calm, pretend to be an adult when they walk (kids have such swift, jerky motions, and that does seem to excite even nice dogs) and get away from the dog and near an adult as soon as possible without running. The dog will think twice, or should, before tackling a a group of people, especially a grown person. If there's no person around, look for high ground, a fence, something to put between the dog and you, or to make you taller than the dog. Worst case scenario, the first bite won't be to the face and neck if your child has even a minor height advantage on the dog.

If the dog attacks, I think your kids should scream the heavens down. It might excite the dog more, but at that stage, your kid's already in serious and imminent danger and screaming will hopefully bring help.

[whatszmatter]

Leslie Hart - ''The best thing to do if you know you're going to be bitten,'' she said, ''is to play dead. Go to the ground

She's actually advocating that you collapse to the ground voluntarily if attacked by a dog. It's possible that she misspoke in excitement, or that her words were misrepresented by the writer, but her advice is similar enough to common ideas on how to react to animal attacks - albeit those by much larger animals than dogs, say a bear, - that I think there's a good chance she simply made some vague mental connections between animal attacks and threw out generic advice about not provoking the attacking animal.

By the by, I was reading a book about bears the other day, and was interested to see that even with animals as large as adult grizzly bears, experts say that playing dead/being passive and nonthreatening is a good idea only in certain circumstances. There were stories about people who'd survived serious grizzly attacks because they'd fought back. They weren't strong enough to physically overcome a grown bear, obviously, but all predators have to weigh the advantages of killing with the risks of being injured, and these people apparently convinced the bears that the risks of being hit repeatedly in the face with a flashlight (for instance) was greater than the reward of eating a hiker.
i've seen stuff like that as well, situations where you startle a bear or happen upon one, playing dead is acceptable, the bear just doesn't want you threatening them. If the bear is already in attack mode then fighting is your best option otherwise playing dead will get you dead.

[Violet21]

Here is what i read:

* Do not let your dog run free in the neighbourhood. Even if your dog is as friendly as Lassie, a stranger does not know this and is seriously inconvenienced by a large, free dog in his or her path. The irresponsibility of owners who let their dog stray is compounded when children or joggers suddenly collide with a strange dog. A startled stranger may frighten even a passive dog into an aggressive response.
* Children should be taught to not approach or attempt to pet strange dogs.
* As there will never likely be a law which can effectively prohibit idiots from owning dogs, dog attacks can and will happen. Here's some tips to protect yourself:
* Avoid eye contact with an aggressive dog.
* If you are jogging, stop jogging and walk by the dog, avoiding eye contact and sudden movement.
* Avoid the temptation to rebuke the owner of an aggressive dog for allowing their menacing and unleashed dog to remain in your direct path. Aggressive dogs are often a reflection of their owner's character. If you notice the aggressive dog unleashed again, contact the police with a good description of the dog, the owner and time of day. Try to remember the dog's name if it was called during your presence.
* If the dog runs towards you exhibiting aggressive behaviour (growling or barking), stand your ground without sudden movement. Brace yourself and command the dog as if you were its owner: "No!" "Down!" "Sit!" "Stay!" Do this repeatedly. Do not raise your hands in a fight stance prematurely as this may antagonize the dog and you might lose your one chance at stopping the attacking dog through commands.
* If the dog is small and presents no danger for your neck area, you may want to try to kick it. A good blow to the nose or to the body will stop most small dogs.
* If a large dog attacks, take a fight stance with one leg in front of the other to maximize balance and protect your inner body. If you are athletic, you may want to use your foot as a primary weapon. This response could mean jeopardizing your balance. Should you fall, you lose your height advantage to a dog.
* Special note for pit bulls: these dogs can be unusually aggressive. Some experts recommend that the best response to an attacking pit bull is to fall to the ground, roll into a ball with your chin tucked in and cover your face, ears and backs of your neck with your hands. Keep your knees pulled up into your chest. The idea is to play dead and hope that the dog will give up the attack. {Editor's note: we have received many e-mails on this topic. Typical is the following: "When (pit bulls attack) a person or other animal, their first instinct is to grab ... and hold on. If laying down on the ground, there is a higher possibility of the dog biting in to a fatal spot. Standing upright is a much better strategy."}
* A large dog may lunge for your throat. Protect this area of your body first and foremost with your arm tucked into your throat as far as you can without pulling back.
* Punch the dog on the nose as hard as you can. Twist or pull the dog's ears. The dog's eyes are another soft spot which you should attack if required to defend yourself. Another stregy is to kick the dog in the rib cage. This will wind it and could stun it enough to ward off any more attacks. Yell for help.
* If you frequently encounter stray or aggressive dogs, pepper spray or electronic whistles (adjusted at a frequency to cause dog's extreme discomfort) are inexpensive and excellent safeguards against dog attack.
* If an attacking dog appears to be aimlessly wandering, biting at stationery objects, wild-eyed or with a thick ropy saliva covering it's chest, it may have rabies. Note that dogs may have rabies even if not exhibiting these symptoms so in all cases of dog bites especially if the skin has been broken, seek medical attention immediately. Rabies is a universally fatal disease if left untreated. You must first ensure that the dog is quarantined and observed for symptoms of rabies. Don't try to corral the dog yourself; call the police. If you have any doubts about rabies, consult a doctor for possible anti-rabies injections.