Nancy Grace has gone too far

[adoptashelterpettoday]

I was watching the news yesterday and started watching Nancy Grace's show. The show was about pit bulls and how "evil" they are. In the show, they showed footage of pit bulls ripping each other apart ON T.V. It was so discusting. I couldnt stand to watch it. It actually showed these pit bulls killing each other.

It also showed 2 aggressive pit bulls trying to be caught by animal control.
This show came about I guess because there was a young child mauled by 4 pit bulls not too long ago. The dogs were family/house dogs. Nancy Grace kept saying "why would you have 4 pit bulls??". I wanted to jump through that screen and strangle this lady.

There was one guy (an ACO I believe) on there who said that he had seen poodles also attack and hurt small children, so I thought well she got someone who will show the other side of pits.. However, the guy said later that pit bulls easily turn aggressive.

Please post your comments and let them know we wont accept this kind of ignorance. It was obvious that Nancy Grace knew nothing about pit bulls and kept talking about how bad they were.

During the show (or the part I could stand to watch), I only saw a couple seconds of people holding BSL signs and once nice pit bull for a split second. Those was the ONLY positive images it showed. The rest of it was dog's fighting and it made me so sick I had to turn it off.

Here is where you can comment: http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5c.html?24

It would have been different had there been someone knowlegable about pit bulls on the show but there wasnt. I thought the ACO was going to be knowlegable until he started talking about how easily aggrivated pit bulls get and that is why they attack. The ACO did say that it had nothing to do with bad dogs but bad owners. However, he still made pit bulls out to look like monsters.

Here is the transcript as well: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0611/07/ng.01.html

I think she needs to be fair and the people on her show, although they tried, were not very knowlegable about the breed..

She says all of these ignorant things about the breed while the *scary* pittie foster in my signature gives me kisses then tries to bury his head under my arm.

Please crosspost or ask everyone to write into the show and express their disappointment. Tell her we want a FAIR show where both sides get expressed, not just hers. But of course I am sure she wont do it because she knows if she has someone on there who is actually knowlegable about the breed she will look like an idiot.

Thanks..

 

[Rubylove]

Yup. I emailed her already. I've never heard of her before today, but she sure got a piece of my mind. It's outlined in another thread. I detest people like her. I doubt any of the negative comments or emails will actually reach her, or penetrate if they do

 

[muggsies16]

I beleive that Nancy Grace will respond, to all and any emails. She loves to receive emails with attitudes. We all better great ready for a big debate by her!

 

[Angel Chicken]

I sent her an earful as well!

 

[otch1]

Just read interview. This woman relies on sensationalism to draw viewers/listeners. It's certainly not due to her level of expertise or proffessionalism. She cut off every expert whose opinions were solicited the second they did not agree with her. A lisenced psyhcotherapist, a law enforcement officer dealing with k-9 units, a trainer. She has no credentials, she's simply the one in control of the microphone. That's what makes this debate dangerous. The other day, I heard of a horse trainer who entered the stall of an exceptionally well trained, well mannered hunter jumper/ (horse) He was not seen at the stable for several hours after that. Barn help started to look for him when the first student arrived for a lesson. He was found dead inside the stall, horse quietly finishing it's breakfast, next to him. He'd been kicked in the head. If it has teeth it can bite! Hooves it can kick, claws, ect, ect. We (humans) have to take responsibilty for some of these incidences and acknowlege this is the nature of the beast. You don't leave ANY dog and infant/toddler unsupervised, let alone with 4 (a pack) of them! You don't let your pet Boa out of it's glass enclosure for a stretch and leave it and your cat in the apartment. If you bend down near a horses hoof within striking distance, you don't take your eye off of it. Handler error!! This "journalist" refuses to acknowlege that crutial piece of the puzzle, as berating a 22 yr old whose just lost his son, due to negligence verses talking about dogs eating babies, heads being cut off, woman getting pants torn off during attack, got her the audience and ratings she obviously needs. If she's going to debate experts, at least make it an intellegent debate. I'll send these sentiments via email to her today. OH... "I've been frosted". Have to have someone make a siggy for me, as it's called. Lol

 

[squirtsmom]

jFirst of all bad press has been common for the APBT. She is just jumping on the band wagon for BSL. And there are idiots who will see that sh ow, know nothing about the pit, and agree with her. That is what is h urting the breed. People having dogs that should not have them. Dog aggression is normal for the APBT, and allowance for that must be made. True owners take that into account, and keep their dogs seperate. go to game dog.com

 

[Boemy]

I've never heard of this woman before, but that transcript reveals that she's completely unprofessional. The horrible part is that some people will watch her show and end up agreeing with her because she got HER point of view out--albeit in an unprofessional manner bordering on hysteria--while cutting off all the experts and trainers who could have actually educated the masses. Very frustrating.

This woman relies on sensationalism to draw viewers/listeners. It's certainly not due to her level of expertise or proffessionalism. She cut off every expert whose opinions were solicited the second they did not agree with her.

I agree completely. I hate polarized talkshows and such for this very reason.

 

[otch1]

Agreed squirtsmom... stories like this get ratings. Ban people from owning large breed dogs, snakes, horses, ect .... No! Do something about the negligent actions of owners who have these dogs, yes!

 

[Bobsk8]

jFirst of all bad press has been common for the APBT. She is just jumping on the band wagon for BSL. And there are idiots who will see that sh ow, know nothing about the pit, and agree with her. That is what is h urting the breed. People having dogs that should not have them. Dog aggression is normal for the APBT, and allowance for that must be made. True owners take that into account, and keep their dogs seperate. go to game dog.com

OK, I'll bite. If people that shouldn't have Pit Bulls result in innocent people, children and babies being killed by these dogs, what suggestion does anyone have to fix the problem? Do we just let this keep happening, and say "Sorry, tough luck to the dead people's relatives?" Somone suggested that we " Do something about these owners". Is that before or after the death of an innocent person(s) has occurred?

 

[DanL]

It's too late to do it before, as it's already happening and has been happening for a long time. So you have to move forward from here. What is the answer? I don't know. Banning the breed isn't the answer, we all know that the irresponsible people will just move on to another breed. Somehow banning people from owning dogs without them having certain qualifications before they can have a dog is one way, but it'd be a huge task to implement.

 

[YorkieLover]

I do have to agree that Pitbulls just flat out have a bad reputation that puts so much fear into people. Some of it legit, some of it because of people like Nancy Grace.

My cousin has a pitbull and he is the most loving, gentle, well behaved, well trained dog I have ever seen. However...... I still don't trust him 100% around my children. And... the only reason being is because of the crap I read and hear. Is that fair? Nope, but I'd rather be safe then sorry later.

 

[Boemy]

How many children are killed a year by dogs in the US? Probably not even a hundred. Compare that how many kids are killed by cars or because they weren't wearing their bike helmets. Wouldn't it make more sense to try to fix the problems that are causing the greatest number of children deaths? (Which would probably be third world hunger, really.)

It's a tragedy when something like this happens. I do sympathize with the parents, even if they made mistakes (like leaving a toddler alone with four dogs.) But that's life. Kids are going to die. From poison, from car wrecks, from falling off playground equipment, from drowning, from diseases, and, yes, occasionally from dog attacks. You can't keep 100% of kids safe 100% of the time.

 

[adoptashelterpettoday]

Um...Pits arent the only dogs who kill people...

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/BSL/OtherBreedBites/AllDogsBite.htm

The reason that pits are always in the news is because the media makes more $ if the dog involved is a pit even if it isnt:
http://www.understand-a-bull.com/BSL/MistakenIdentity/WrongId.htm

Is that fair??

Well let's ban & kill ALL dogs???

Come over & meet my *vicious* pit bull foster but be prepared for plenty of kisses and love.

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/HeroicPitties/HeroicPitties.htm

I see you have a GSD mix?? Well GSDs also kill people, they might be banned next. As a matter of fact some places they are. I will have to dig up the links again.
But here are some more breeds :
"Travelers Rest SC
Unconfirmed Banned Rotties, Chows, and Dobermans "

"Saltillo MS Confirmed Pit Bulls, Rotties, Dobes and GSDs are declared dangerous. "

"Fairfield IA Confirmed Restrictions on Pit Bulls, Rotties, Dobes, Huskys, Malamutes, GSDs, Malanois AND ANY dog over 100lbs!!! "

"Yale IA Confirmed Banned, pit bulls, English mastiffs, Rotties and Dobermans "


So Um..it looks like YOU need to pick a different breed because pretty soon your GSD is going to (and has been) banned as well..

 

[Boemy]

A man here in Spokane got savaged by a cairn terrier--that's the kind of dog Toto is in the Wizard of Oz. The cairn was off-leash (which was legal in that area.) He knocked down the man, who was around 70, and savaged him so badly that he almost lost an arm. The dog attack in the paper a little before that was a boxer who kept attacking a police officer even after he'd been tasered multiple times!

One thing to keep in mind with pit bulls is that they're an extremely popular dog (at least around here they are.) Let's say there are 5000 pit bulls in an area and 5 Portageuse Water Dogs (to pick a random breed. ). If there are 10 pit bull attacks and 3 PWD attacks, that still means a much higher percentage of PWD's are attacking than pitties. Thus the three kinds of lies, lies; **** lies; and statistics.

 

[adoptashelterpettoday]

Dont trust your pit around kids, look how aggressive they are!!

Here is the truth about pit bulls:
(warning it is graphic)
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/sadreality.php

Yet every single one of those dogs would love you to the end.

 

[casablanca1]

I dislike this trend of every time there is any negative media attention on pit bulls, a cry goes up from dog people to 'defend' them and there's a deluge of mail to the media outlets. There are reasons why the media spotlights pit bulls and gives them a negative spin. It's because there are severe problems with the breed today - and yes, of course, that's because of humans, both the ones who mishandle them and the ones who create them. But it's still a valid news story, and while pit bulls who 'give kisses' exist, they're not the issue. I understand the anxiety pit bull people feel about media attention on their breed(s), but trying to bully the media into backing off the story is wrong.

 

[adoptashelterpettoday]

Okay, lets ban pit bulls, then the irresponsible bad peopel are going to pick another breed, let's say GSDs or Rotties or or Akitas or Dobermans or Dalmatians or even labs??

I have nothing against dangerous DOG laws. ANY dangerous dog no matter what the breed needs to be dealt with..

Look at this again, just because the news says it is a pit bull or a pit bull mix doesnt make it true:
http://www.understand-a-bull.com/BSL...ty/WrongId.htm

And for the bazillionth time, it ISNT just pits who are being banned. There are a lot of places who are banning Rotties, Dobies, Mastiffs even GSDs.

 

[elegy]

How many children are killed a year by dogs in the US? Probably not even a hundred. Compare that how many kids are killed by cars or because they weren't wearing their bike helmets. Wouldn't it make more sense to try to fix the problems that are causing the greatest number of children deaths? (Which would probably be third world hunger, really.)

many many more children are killed by their PARENTS than are killed by dogs every year. dogs in general. of all breeds.

the dog bite fatality risk is blown way way out of proportion.

 

[Boemy]

Casablanca, did you read the transcript? It's one thing when a paper is printing a regular article about a pit bull attack, but this lady sounded like a cross between a tabloid and a radio talk show host. Every time someone tried to rationally discuss dog behavior or pit bulls in general, she started going on with: "What about the baby, don't you care about the baby, they were eating the baby!!!!!"

Just because someone says that SOME pit bulls are great family pets doesn't mean they aren't horrified or saddened by a dog killing a child. She seemed to think that if someone didn't demonize ALL pit bulls, then they must be dancing a merry jig over the toddler's death. That's like saying, "You know, black people are equal to white people and don't suck" and then having someone shout, "Oh yeah, well what about that black guy who robbed the convenience store a block from here, huh, huh? If black people are so great, why did he do that, huh?! Why do you support convenience store robbers?!?!?! WHY DO YOU THINK STEALING'S OKAY???"

It's like, geez lady, take a logic pill and call me in the morning. No, better yet--don't.

 

[Bobsk8]

I dislike this trend of every time there is any negative media attention on pit bulls, a cry goes up from dog people to 'defend' them and there's a deluge of mail to the media outlets. There are reasons why the media spotlights pit bulls and gives them a negative spin. It's because there are severe problems with the breed today - and yes, of course, that's because of humans, both the ones who mishandle them and the ones who create them. But it's still a valid news story, and while pit bulls who 'give kisses' exist, they're not the issue. I understand the anxiety pit bull people feel about media attention on their breed(s), but trying to bully the media into backing off the story is wrong.

I think you hit the nail on the head, and I have seen much evidence of that right on this forum. In this particulat case , the subject is a 1 year old baby that probably got torn limb from limb by these 4 Pit Bulls and was left on the kitchen floor. When the police arrived the dogs were all wagging their tails like little angels despite the fact they had just killed a kid....Now that is some really bizarre behavior as far as I am concerned...

So what are some of the things that have been discussed in this thread in relation to this tragedy?

1. Nancy Grace isn't fair and has an attitude
2. Pit Bulls aren't the problem and are unfairly picked on by the press
3. The danger of the breed is exaggerated, they don't kill that many people...
4. Kids get killed by alot of things, so that's life..... and we should accept it.....

Now my attitude is that if you have a small child and a Pit Bull, you better be darn careful about leaving that dog and child alone. There have been too many similar stories of infants and toddlers being mauled by these dogs, when not supervised by the owner 100% of the time. I for one, would not buy or own a PB if I had a young child, for that reason alone. I also would not allow one to be around any young children of mine unless I was 100% sure the dog was friendly and it still is taking a gamble. Other people may disagree, but that is their decision. I would not ever take that gamble with my child's life....

There are just too many stories like this.....
http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_188234422.html