I’d like to see more attention paid in the media to the sex and spay/neuter status of the dogs that attack. I suspect the great majority are intact males, followed by intact females who currently have puppies. I’d really like to see less generalizing about “pit bulls” and more focus on specifics. The Best Friends organization is having great success at socializing pits, including some of Michael Vicks’ dogs that were sent to Best Friends under court order. But I guarantee that they are spay/neutering every single animal as step one.
I’d really like to know what percentage of the pits involved in attacks are spayed/neutered, and I suspect it’s quite small. They’ll always be dogs that were bred for fighting and have exceptionally strong jaws, but it may well be that the basic step of spaying/neutering hugely reduces the incidence of serious attacks. If so, then local laws should not focus on banning the breed/type of dog, but on banning ownership of intact dogs of this breed and type, except for people with special licenses and huge insurance policies.
The two dogs in San Antonio that killed a 7 month old were both intact males.
It was initially reported that both were pitbulls
but a phone call to SA Animal Control identified
one pit mix and one retriever mix.
Both dogs had their normal licenses
but neither had the special intact dog license
Cost of special license..$50
>I’d really like to know what percentage of the pits involved in attacks are spayed/neutered, and I suspect it’s quite small. <
Another aspect for you to consider. Spaying/neutering is done primarily by dog owners who take responsibility for their pets. These owners’ dogs are less likely to be in situations where they attack people or other animals, due to the fact that the owners are more likely to leash, to train, and to confine their animals.
While neutering can help keep a young dog from developing aggression, it will not cure behavior problems. Training and good management are far more likely to correct problems of aggression.