Posted on 09/06/2006 11:03:31 AM PDT by Wristpin
Robert Bijold has heard plenty of news stories about pit bull attacks.
But this weekend, Bijold suddenly found himself fighting a 60-pound pit bull-boxer mix that had his 3-year-old daughter, Jessie, in its jaws.
“It was the most horrifying thing a parent can go through,” said Bijold.
The Bijolds were at a family get-together Saturday evening on Park Avenue in Yuba City when the dog, which belongs to a relative, attacked Jessie in the backyard. Other children were playing with it only minutes before.
Bijold was horrified when he saw the dog grab Jessie's head and shake the little girl.
“All I saw was her feet in the air,” said Bijold.
Bijold ran as fast as he could and grabbed the dog. His father-in-law Ralph Mueller shielded the little girl from the dog, while Margaret Mueller, his mother-in-law, whisked the child inside the house. Jessie's uncle, Sam Miller, helped subdue the dog.
Bijold said the dog did not bite anyone else. But to the family's horror, it kept trying to get at Jessie, ignoring the other people. He had no idea what provoked the dog.
My mistake. They were bred to fight other dogs. I wrote "other animals, including dogs." However, they were also bred to have a high "prey" instinct which would include small animals other than dogs.
I don't lack compassion for the animal. I think its terrible that these dogs are tortured and used for fighting. What I do lack is compassion for the owner who does not recognize that an inherent trait of aggressiveness exists in these dogs. For that reason, they should be on a leash at all times, they should never be brought to dog parks, etc. Even the PBRC website states that adult pitbulls should not be taken to dog parks because they will "finish" a fight even if they do not initiate it.
Yes, there is a moral issue re breeding vs adopting. Personally, I have done both. I have purchased from a breeder and I have provided haven to several APBTs until a home could be found for them. You see, in my area and many others there are policies in place that do not allow the public to adopt these animals. Locally and nationally, most, not all, but most shelters will euthanize this dog simply because of its breed. Here rescue means keeping in close contact with law enforcement so you can get the head's up whenever a dog fighting ring is busted and the dogs are confiscated. There might be a dog or two out of dozens that is "redeemable" or, luckily finding one whose owner simply can't afford to keep or properly care for their animal. That is rare as most just dump them in secluded areas.
Signing off on this thread now. We'll never agree. Better to stay on threads where the discussion is about a breed that most on this board will agree should be banned - liberals. :)
First, APBTs were bred for gameness, and that gameness then tested against other game dogs in the pit. This may seem, at first, hairsplitting on my part but it is not. Pitbulls were *trained* for the pit, and the old breeders of APBTs never really knew if their pitbull would fight another game dog until tested in the pit.
At any rate, the very qualities that makes a true pitbull fight will also make it unexcelled in search and rescue and other jobs that require tenacity and intelligence. And Pitbulls have both.
Second, Pitbulls have courageous ancestors, yes, but the breed itself hasn't been around hundreds of years.
Third, it always seems those who spout off about Pitbull genetics fail to comprehend what it means that those dogs who showed a tendency toward human aggression were killed. They had to be handled in the pit by very cruel human beings as master, after all.
Btw, I do not understand those who get (or got) their jollies this way. It would be far better had they tested their own genetic willingness to fight to the death rather than cowardly using their dogs as substitutes.
I know you are off the thread, but this should be said.
People always talk about how the hip hop culture glorifies these animals as ruthless bad ass killers, I have to say hip hop mogul Russel Simmons is doing an excellent job of trying to reverse that image through education about the breed and advocacy for them.
Hard to understand such mentality. Hard to take.
What you just described was how Pit Bulls were selected as a breed.
I find it ironic that todays dog fighters are regarded as neanderthal scum, yet the scum who selected Pit Bulls via the fighting pit 200 years ago are held up reverently as the noble dogmen of yesteryear by the Pit Community.
Either way, there should be increased penalties for dog fighters.
I hold the opinion that anyone, past, present or future, who fights dogs is neanderthal scum. I agree. There should be harsher penalties for dog fighting.
actualy the pit bul was bred for fighting but they where also family dogs and they were very helpful during ww1 and ww2 patton owned pits and thought they where the best breed because they where so loyal but when people fought them if the dog bite any one during or after the fight they where shot on site because no one wants a human agressive breed i love pits and i own one and mine has never bit any one but with all dogs i am very carful with mine and try to avoid any agressive situation and also just so every one knows pit DO NOT have locking jaws locking jaws are about as true as doberman’s haveing brains that grow out of there skull
Does any one here even know what a pit is because threr are 26 breeds that are mistakin as a pit bull i mean hell i call my dog a pit but in all reality they are american red nose bull dogs a pit is actualy a mutt and there are 26 breeds that lok just like them
wel if uthink they should be leashed at al times and never brought to he park then nither should any breed of dog i have sen evrything from mutts to poodles attack and i have even sen articals on pomeranians killing children so if pitts are not allowed then why should any other breed be
Training and education is the key. As with ANY breed do your homework! Know what your getting.
Someone posted the comment that Cesar Millan is against pits better look again. On his shows he talks about Popeye and other pits that co-exist calmly and how sweet they are. He also tours with these pits. I’m sure he wouldn’t be to happy having HIS name misrepresented.
i am just letting you know that i am sick with ignorant people who hate certain breeds of dogs for what their OWNERS do. Its the owners fault, not the dogs. I know so many pits and other “bully” breeds who are the sweetest dogs ever! only owners who force the dog to attack or fight should be arrested. anyone who owns a pit bull should feel the same way. All im asking is to think about what you say before you say it, this effects so many pit owners who love thier dogs dearly, and would hate for them to be taken from them, or even euthanized. Just remember, Blame the deed NOT the Breed!
I am Jessie’s mom. All I have to say is there was no provoking. My daughter had no contact with the dog prior to the attack. The dog was playing across the yard with his owner. My daughter was on the other side of the yard. The dog turned, walked over to my daughter, with her back to him, when she turned he attacked. She had no food, no dog toys....nothing. This dog snapped and no one knows why. And anyone who would like to tell me my daughter had anything to do with provoking this dog can have my address so we can “talk” face to face. The dog was my cousins dog and was loved like a beloved child. It was not trained to attack. I had to go to court to be sure the dog would be put down(it was killed on my birthday!!)
I am sorry about your experience, and am not interested in a face-to-face argument over what must have been a tragic situation but there has to be some catalyst to make an otherwise peaceful dog attack. I have long been associated with canine behavior and can tell you that dogs share a similiar personality with humans in that, if loved and taught in their growing stages, and corrected properly when they misbehave, they don’t “just snap” with out provocation of some kind.
Yes, there is also a nurture vs. nature aspect (IOW, don’t EVER own a pitbull with a breeding background where agression his highlighted because the provocation catalyst the dog perceives will be much lower than normal). I’ve been around “Red Zone” pitbulls and my recommendation to every owner that has had one to have it euthanized, but other “bullies” (ones where AKC and a breeding background shows dogs with good personalies are just fine.)
Also, I never recommend a pitbull be owned by just anyone. They require a strong hand and careful training and, perhaps, your cousin wasn’t well suited for this kind of breed.
Pitbulls are usually very protective of people they regard as “theirs,” so that is why I asked if the child was playing in a way that the dog might have misinterpreted as his owner being threatened? The dog also might have been startled in some way to make it attack? There has to be some sort of reason for the attack. Again, sorry about your tragedy.
All of you ignorant ppl that talk about pits being aggressive dogs toward humans need to do a little more research before putting your 10 cents into anything. Pits ranked in the 82nd percentile based on temperament (most other breeds were in the 77th). Pits are the most loving dogs i have ever owned and all of them have been great dogs and LOVE kids. I have 2 very young kids and they are nothing but great with them. People are afraid of pits because ppl are ignorant...like most of you that have posted replies.
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