Another Deadly Attack…Should We Ban Pit Bulls?

You can watch the video and get more information about this attack on KSAT (ABC’s San Antonio affiliate)

I don’t really know the answer to this, but the owners should bear responsibility for their pets’ actions.

I am an animal lover and have 3 dogs of my own. I would never own a pit bulls, nor would I allow my kids around any. The risk is just not worth it.

i am for a ban on dogs like this.and blame the owners because as owners you know your dog is capable of harming someone.there some pets we know that do not like children.

It’s not so much that pit bulls are hazardous to the “health” of others, it’s that pit bull OWNERS are hazardous.
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Yea, Yea heard all of that. Fact remains they are dangerous, can’t be trusted. Owners fault or not when the animal gets out, or if the animal suddenly attacks in it’s own home, I do not care what you say the animal did it.

Should be charged with murder! Some grandmother. As a grandparent I do everything in my power to make sure my grandchildren are SAFE when they are in my charge. Charge her with MURDER!!!!!

Banning pit bulls is not the answer. The grandmother is completely at fault. She should never have left the child unattended with those dogs. Pit bulls are strong athletic dogs who are great in responsible ADULT homes or with older children, talking 13+. Stop blaming the animals and start holding PEOPLE accountable.

It’s time to start putting the owners in jail. Pit Bulls have developed a bad reputation simply because a select group of Breeders decided to breed for aggressive traits along w/training encouraging these traits. It’s time to start going after the Breeders & Owners of such Dogs (with serious jail time & fines). In addition, SAD to say, that Breeder’s stock should be euthanized not allowed to be re-trained or bred. I own 2 large breed dogs, but I purchase from well known/respected Breeder’s who never breed a dog that shows signs of aggression of any type. Those dogs are neutered; never sold as family pets. Animals respond to love like humans. If you beat an animal or a human….you know what you get in the end! We need to stop blaming the Breed & put the blame where it deserves to be put!

couldn’t we round up all the pitbulls and use them on the border or in Iraq or Afghanistan? These dogs love nothing better than to fight, will fight to the death, and can be very intimidating. Sounds like we could use them on the border or in wars. They have no place in a domestic setting.
Seriously, there should be a higher pet-registration fee for pitbulls that also allows AnimalControl to visit your house and look in on the dog periodically. If dog is aggressive, abused, chained outdoors but not fenced, free roaming, or has signs that has been dog-fighting it should be destroyed and person fined. If the dog causes harm to another person it should be treated as a felony assault. No “free bite” rule with pitbulls or assumption of an “accident”.

Its the owners that can’t handle there dogs. These dogs were bred for fighting, and are very powerful as you all know. More so then some people relize. Once they get that killer instinct going, there’s no stopping them. They shouldn’t be allowed to run lose or be allowed around children with out proper supervision. And be handled by someone that can actually control them, sometimes they even turn on there owners. These dogs should be band.

I dislike the government taking over everything but look at this, the owners of these dogs do not take care of there own. Maybe that is one reason why we are going to a dictator style of government, is we cannot or will not take care of ourselves we want someone else to do it

Pit Bulls are loving dogs who make absolutely wonderful pets. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure their dog is properly trained and socialized.
Before getting any pet, people should do their homework and find out breed characteristics pertaining to particular breeds to ensure it will be a good fit with them/the family. Why would you ever leave a 7 month old child, unattended, around any dog (regardless of breed)?
People who feel there should be a ban on Pit Bulls are probably the same people who feel guns should be banned because there are shootings each year. Place the blame where it really belongs, the dog owners!
Innocent Pit Bulls should not suffer because irresponsible dog owners get a hold of them. The Mike Vick story was mentioned but what was left out was what actually happened to those dogs taken from his property. Out of all the dogs taken from Vick’s kennel (47 dogs), all but TWO were rehabilitated and adopted by loving homes. Out of the two that were not adopted, one was put down to illness and the other put down to aggression.
Also not mentioned is the fact that Pit Bulls don’t even lead the list for dog bites in a year. Smaller breeds top that list.
Bottom line, people need to be responsible when owning any pet and we can’t punish all for the actions of some.

In 2004, of all children 1-4 years old who died, 26% died from drowning (CDC 2006). Fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years (CDC 2005)
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Perhaps we should really be focusing on banning water.

i really think its how the owner raises the dog we shouldnt ban or kill off inoccent dogs. sometimes the only reason a dog bites is because something has provoked it and if were going to get rid of pitbulls we need to go ahead and ban other dogs… agian its not the dog its the owner/breeder…we should really look at the animal with the two legs at the other end of the leash.
and its not true about lock jaw that is a myth ive done my research

Also, why would you leave a baby alone with ANY dog, I have a Yorkshire Terrier and I wouldn’t leave alone him. Blame the irresponsible owner/Gardian. But oh, no. It must be the dogs fault. Because it was a Pit Bull. If a lab had done this we would never have heard about it. DOGS DO KNOW RIGHT FROM WRONG. IF A DOG IS NOT AROUND THE CHILD SINCE A PUP AND THEY WERE NOT PROPERLY INTRODUCED, IT SEES THE CHILD AS A THREAT. END OF STORY. Deal with it. Stop blaming the dogs just because its eaiser than excepting that we, as human beings, make mistakes. And if I knew where to find that woman and tell her this to her face.

Pitt bulls are not the problem. Stupid people are the problem. These dogs are sweet just like any other dog. They will protect their pack human or canine. Breeders made these dogs to be submissive to humans(look it up) and aggressive against other dogs(unfortunately). They were never meant to attack humans. I bet nine times out of ten the owners of the pit bulls that attack a child/adult have been abused by their owner(s). If they attack a child it’s because they don’t know any better. Parents of children and babies need to keep their children away from dogs(pit bull or not) unless they know how the dog will react. Adults, children and babies have a different body chemistry/odor. A Dog that has not realized a baby is a human will attack the unknown object. We all have seen the movements of a baby. They are jerky, quick, uncoordinated; add the high pitched cry and a dog has a natural reaction to “defend” it’s self. Sad, I know, but ignoring this is even sadder. And lets face if kids can be very cruel to animals. They kick, punch, pull on and smack dogs. Some of you parents might be thinking”not my kid” but observe them one day and you’ll see I’m right. Of course the any dog will snap, I would too. I’ve owned 3 pit bulls and not one of them has ever attacked a person. Punishing the breed and not the act is like putting a man in jail for a crime he is not guilty of committing. It’s unfair. A dog is still one of God’s creations and among them is the loyal pit bull. Remember this, if some one beat and yelled and tortured you or kept you chained and shunned all your life, you would snap too and you who can read this are human.

I have 3 Bit bulls ,2 blue pits and one low rider,I also had a Curr dog which was the one that. I had to have put to sleep for biting a guy on the neck,he had bite 3 people so they said I had to put him to sleep.my pits do nothing but sleep all day and wait to be patted.I believe it’s how you raise them just like children.

While we are at it, let’s ban German Shepards, Rottweilers, Dobermans and any other breeds that might be seen as “tough” and “protective” because those are the breeds irresponsible dog owners will gravitate to when Pits are banned. How about instead of banning Pits, you have to have a permit for one and if something goes wrong because of negligence, there are consequences.
This ban is like holding everyone after school because two punks misbehave and the class can’t control them.

Really people?
Are you really so ignorant to think that this is the norm in pit bulls? A pit bull is a dog bred to fight OTHER DOGS! When they were first being bred, a dog showing aggression towards his handler or any other human was put down. These pit bulls were showing horrible temperament for their breed, and this is not common. In dog fighting, pit bulls are desired not only for their strength and pain tolerance but also their willingness to endure severe cruelty and neglect without turning on their masters, or their LACK OF HUMAN AGGRESSION.
No dog of any breed should be left alone with children, especially one that young and defenseless. The grand parent is at fault here for leaving a young child alone with two large strong dogs. This is a prime example of an irresponsible owner giving pit bulls a bad name.
To say that you would never own a pit because “it’s not worth the risk” is truly ignorant. Any dog is capable of aggression. This is just another hyped- up story that the media tells us to further the great pit bull debate. A pit bull is no more vicious or aggressive than a shepherd or a husky but these are considered “great family pets.” Why? Because of irresponsible people creating the problem and ignorant people jumping on the bandwagon.

There is an amazing amount of ignorance being posted on this topic. Pit bulls are not people aggressive by nature. One of their original uses was caring for children. One of the few breeds to have ever been specifically used for this purpose. Banning a breed of dog because of a human issue would be like punishing rape victims for being raped. These dogs are victims and people seek to further victimize them because of media sensationalism and fear based stupidity. Pathetic example of the human condition.

it’s terrible that the children were attacked but any dog could do that.. it’s not just pit bulls. and if the child wasn’t attacked while the grandmother was out there and was attacked when she wasn’t supervising then the child must have done something to the dog. just for the record pit bulls were not originally bred to be fighters they were bred to be a bull herder and keep the farmer safe. people just train them the wrong way and because they look intimidating people think they are… don’t speak before you know.. unless you have a pit bull and actually train it right then you shouldn’t have any say in the situation.

no, dont ban any dogs. so the owners messed up. no dog is dangerous or hazardous unless the owners make it that way! dogs are born deadly! and they werent bred for fighting, it was animal herding. i own 5 pitbulls, and they have never hurt any one, except for loving them to mych! dont ban the breed!

My neighbors have pitbulls and I have two small children… I have confronted them about the threat that the beasts present to me and my family and have promised to shoot the dam things if I see them again off lease near or on my property..
Ban those stupid dogs.. It is not fair to children… I have no time for morons that care more about animals than people..

that previous bloggger should have their head examined. This type of animal has generations and generations of aggressive behavior bred into them. They may be a gentle dog for 99 percent of thier life but when they “flip” the potential for disaster is more prevelant compared to when another non agressive breed does the same. This fact has NO counter due to the strength and nature of the beast.

I honestly don’t think pitbulls should be banned. We should look at them as a pet not weapons!!! I read a article stating that pitbulls are the most family oriented pets. We shouldn’t be blaming the dog for those attacks.. what we should be doing is blame the owner for not training the dog to be a pet!!! Souldn’t it be the owners responsibility to train the dog.?? A dog can’t train it’s self.. Now that we are talking about banning them why don’t we just ban German Shepards.. Before we used to see them as dangerous dogs, which are now patrolling our streets!!!! If a lion can be trained so can a dog!!! If some one owns a pitbull they should send it to get trained by a proffesional. Like people say, don’t judge a book by its cover!!!

OKAY THEN! I completely disagree. The fault is completely the grandmother and also who ever is responsible of the dogs or who raised them. All dogs have an aggressive feeling and all dogs have the ability to attack someone. It all depends on how the owner treats/raises the dogs. I dont know the ratio for dog attacks in america but unluckily Pitbulls are at the top because people raise pitbulls to be aggressive since they are very strong. The people who should go to jail are the ones who own the dogs and train them the behavior. My brother owns a pitbull and i have felt his strength. But he is the most lovable dog i have ever met. The reason is because my brother (the owner) disciplines the dog when its bad and trains it very well. So…. NO BAN ON PITBULLS

I have 2 pit bu7lls im deeply sorry for what has happened to these children, but i would never let any baby within reach of any dog, b ecause we never no what is in a dogs mind
there are just as many people bit by little dogs does that mean we should ban all little dogs to, it is not the dog if you raise them with love they are so repectful to there masters
i love my pitbulls. i also have poodle and they get along good
any dog can turn into a monster you never no when ,dont feed your dog see how he will turn or put in abusive home and see if that dog is good
people who own pits must act responsabe so we can have our breed we love so much
and no i dont feel the grandmother should go for murder she will hAVE TO LIVE HER LIFE WITH WHAT HAPPENED AND THAT ISenough sentence for anyone to indure, we have become a nation of hate and blamers we all must have a heart we all that have dogs love are dogs so i say yes to the freedom for us pit bull owners to hAVE OUR DOGS AS MUCH AS THE NEXT DOG OWNER

Okay, NO. APBT’s were bred for dogfighting, yes, and have a tendency to be dog aggressive. (Also, there are many types of dog aggression – same sex, on leash, off leash, etc) But Pits were NOT bred to be human aggressive. Quite the opposite, they are people dogs through and through. Only an idiot would keep a Pit as a guard dog. And a dog should never contribute to someone’s ego.
Are Pits dangerous to humans? Yes. About as dangerous as any other dog breed when provoked. However, Pits are among the most stable dog breeds and rank even higher than the Golden Retriever the “perfect” family dog in ATTS (Temperament standards).
Bite statistics are unreliable, anyway, as most dog attacks go unreported. Lay off the Pits. They’re dogs

I THINK STUPID PEOPLE SHOULD BE BAN NOT PITBULLS!

they also dont know their own strength, so from this artical i wouldnt totally rule out the fact that the dog might have been playing. and to say that they have a disposition to be aggressive, might be true towards other animals it is not towards humans as the breeders and owners didnt like to get bit when pulling the dogs apart during fights. Also statistics say that small dogs are the most aggressive, even more so then pit-bulls.

i think banning pittys would be wrong because we made them to be bad and its our job to right our wrong and two wrongs dont make a right and if we stoped breading them there wouldnt be as mant and it woudnt be such a problem

If everytime a pit attacks someone we scream ban but if that’s the case humans shops be banned as well… Why do they blame the dog such ignorance in this world it breaks my heart…

It’s amazing how UNEDUCATED so many of you are on pitbulls. Many dog attacks are labeled as “pitbull” attacks because of the hype around them. In this case, if this even was a “pitbull attack” its because of poor owners. You cannot blame the dog for not being trained and cared for properly.
In fact there are about 10 dog types that are simply labeled as pitbulls because people are too ignorant to find find the real breed.
Throughout history pitbulls have been known as “nanny dogs” for how WELL THEY ARE with children!!
Yes some sick people have bred these dogs to “fight” for entertainment. But this was done by abusing these loving creatures to make them mean.
Plenty of famous people have owned these dogs as companions too. I have two of my own pitbulls and they are the sweetest dogs in the world. If you even leave for 10 mintues they greet you like you’ve been gone all day. The only downside of a pitbull is all the sober from those big tongues because they’re always giving kisses, and anyone else who owns a pitbull knows exactly what I’m saying.
Stop believing everything and start researching. Punish the deed and not the breed. Bad breeders and owners are at fault.

The thing is, sure, it may be the owner’s fault. HOWEVER, there are just far too many instances where owning one of these dogs has led to an accidental death. Yes, its your fault if your dog hurts another person- however, the sheer fact that 2/3 of deaths caused by dogs were from pitbulls, accidental or not, still leads us to believe that we should ban these dogs.

We aren’t banning the dogs because it’s their fault, per say, but rather because it is far too easy to have an accident happen.

Let me add to that the “general population” of dogs breeds run around 77% in their temperament tests. Pitbulls live to please their owners. They are very well around humans when they grow up in a stable, structured, loving enivronment.

They should not be ban, I have one and he is a loving dog, he has never hurt my 4 year old,my 9 year old, and my 13 year old. The trainers are the ones who make them mean. I can take my pit bull out and have no problems with him. so no they should not be ban. my 13 year old can take him out for walks and she has no problem with him. but I do agree that they will attack but they do protect you. but people do not give them a chance, they shot or give them back if they do one little thing wrong. Pit bulls are good dogs!!!!!! Just give them a chance to live a good life. IT IS UP TO YOU, TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE!!!!!! Do not make them shuffer, for things they can help or do not do. YOU CAN LOVE THEM. GIVE THEM THE LOVE THEY SO VERY MUCH NEED!!!!!!!! help them

if u guys think they should be banned u should be banned i agree with Danny Girl i know her Pit Bull and she knows mine they are both nice dogs. they never hurt anyone. i trust her around my new born baby who’s 2 weeks old now stop saying they are suppose to be banned !

i agree with danny girl cat and alex they are good and loving dogs

so many of you, including the author, are disgustingly uniformed. pit bulls are regarded as dangerous because of biased uneducated media coverage like this. dogs bite and attack all the time but it’s always grossly over reported when it’s a pit bull. saying they are vicious by nature is so unfair and stereotypical that it’s laughable. any strong dog that is not trained properly is a threat to others. the question should not be, should we ban pit bulls, but rather, should we banirresppnsible idiots from owning dogs? please stop spreading malice and misinformation and jeopardizing the lives of a wonderful breed. I adopted one recently and have been volunteering with them and spending time with them for years. do some research before you open your mouth. so unprofessional.

hey pit bulls are nice dogs dont believe then who cares suck it

Wow.. Unbelievable amount of ignorance being spewed here. People really need to educate themselves. First off “pitbull” refers to a myriad of breeds. Secondly far too many people are making baseless statements about some perceived danger of dogs that supposedly “love fighting”. No… PEOPLE train dogs to fight. PEOPLE torture them to make them fighters. PEOPLE do all sorts of horrible things to dogs and make them the way they are. Violence is not an inherit trait of pitbulls. If someone’s pitbull is trying to attack people, then WTF was that owner doing to it? My pit would never hurt a soul although before I rescued her it was very clear that many many a soulless being had done unpseakable horror to her. Pits are loyal, intelligent, athletic, and guess what.. GREAT AROUND CHILDREN!!! They aren’t called “the nanny dog” for nothing. They take all kinds of abuse from kids and just lick in return. I had a friend as a kid whose family Dachsund ripped his infant sister’s face off.. Had to have major plastic surgery done. Should we ban Dachsunds? More than likely if that family had a pit instead that little girl wouldn’t have been mauled so viciously. I wish people would educate before they insist on something. Most people posting here about pits don’t know ANYTHING about them.