[llevrok]

Note to self: don’t invite dogs to birthday parties.

[rawhide]

Police charged Hatcher with two counts of assault and battery, as well as two counts of allowing an animal to attack.

The owner ought to be charged with attempted murder.

[SJSAMPLE]

I have been told, repeatedly, that attacks like this are rare.

[from occupied ga]

Here - let me say it for all of the dog lovers out there "The dog must have been provoked." Undoubtedly by the mere existance of people to that it hadn't yet attacked.

"but my dog would never do any such thing. In fact pit bulls, chows and dobermans saved a million children last year and cured AIDS." (Include here picture of dog proving what a sweet precious wecious darling warling puppy wuppikins their dog is - I don't make this stuff up I heard a dog owner refer to her public nusance animal as such.) Fact remains that roughly 500,000 plus dog bites occur annually that are severe enough to require emergency room treatment.

My solution is

1. DO away with the one free bite rule
2. Make dog owners financially AND criminally liable for the damage that their precious wecious etcs. do

[albie]

“Investigators believe the dog then got loose, attacked Tyonda Ravenell and then the child”.

...It is indeed a show of “power” and “bling” to own a pit bull in some circles. I’m sure than “Tyonda” has one too. Just sayin’...

[FortWorthPatriot]

"...Webster and some adults at the birthday party “exchanged words.“ Investigators believe the dog then got loose..."

How much you wanna bet that the clasp on the dog's leash "just happened" to open up under the pressure of the owner's fingers?

Yo, you dissin me beotch? Sic' em, boy!

[meandog]

Police charged Hatcher with two counts of assault and battery, as well as two counts of allowing an animal to attack.

Good! In Virginia, an owner can go to jail for a dog bite and, if a death occurs, in prison for involuntary manslaughter. This case again illustrates an irresponsible owner of a powerful dog breed; but don't for one minute blame the dog...it was an untrained, unsocialized animal--nothing more!

[meandog]

Once again, PBT-hater, you've failed to recognized what Ivan Pavlov proved long ago. Most of his work involved research in temperament, conditioning and involuntary reflex actions. And dogs can be controlled in all but involuntary reflex actions.

A dog is not like a human being; it is not diabolical, grudge-bearing, nor does it hate...it only reacts. It reacts to attack because either it is (1) hungry (2) It wishes to defend either itself, its master, or his territory. (3) It wishes to dominate another species. The first is an example of involuntary reflex; the others are a matter of temperament and conditioning--WHICH CAN BE CONTROLLED.

My dogs are kept leashed and muzzled in my neighborhood when walked, kenneled and penned on my property; and they are put in another room when guests come over and I'm not around to supervise.

Should an unwanted intruder come into my home, or another dog/animal breach the kennel fence they will attack. I would expect nothing else.

[AppyPappy]

Wow. A pit bull attacked a child. That’s a first. /sarcasm

[Rockingham]

The likely explanation for the attack is suggested by the phrase in the article that the person walking the dog and “some adults at the birthday party ‘exchanged words.’”

Pit Bulls and similar breeds are known for their loyalty and readiness to defend their owners. Several persons arguing with the owner could be seen by the dog as a threat and trigger an attack, or the owner might have set the dog to attack due to the argument.

Should Pit Bulls and similar breeds be vilified or banned as too dangerous? Absolutely not. I have seen the virtues of a Pit Bull type dog.

A few years ago, a retired, wheelchair bound friend of mine in ill health got an American Staffordshire Terrier puppy after petty thefts and escalating break in attempts at his residence. In a short while, the puppy grew into a large, muscular, menacing-looking dog with a head the size of a bowling ball but a calm and gentle disposition, utterly obedient to his owner, and friendly to legitimate visitors.

No one though could get into that yard without the dog barking and approaching. No more break ins.

[Allegra]

Tyonda.

Who comes UP with these names??

[bert]

Wow!!! Galax made Free Republic.

For those of you in Rio Linde, Galax is a wildwood flower and wonderful small town nestled near the North Carolina boundary in Virginia.

[Inyo-Mono]

Officers say Gregory Hatcher was walking his pit bull on Webster Street, across from the Galax Police Department, when the dog began barking, and police say Webster and some adults at the birthday party “exchanged words.“

Very poor writing here.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

FR is being overwhelmed by Romney, Mormon and Pit Bull threads... hmmmmmmm

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

TANKS a bunch for the threads,Chet,,,

Quiet here...

[Royal Wulff]

“the dog then got loose” == “the dog was sicced on the child”