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Pit bull problem: The owner or the breed?
seattlepi ^ | June 23, 2009 | CASEY MCNERTHNEY

Posted on 06/23/2009 11:30:56 AM PDT by JoeProBono

Sheriff's deputies said it's the first case of its kind they can remember in King County -- one in which a pit bull was used as a weapon in brutal attacks on women.

About 6:30 p.m., a 63-year-old woman stopped her car in SeaTac when she saw four kids kicking a pit bull. A 15-year-old girl told her to mind her own business, then punched her in the head, police say. The dog bit the woman, causing bruises and puncture wounds on her hand and thigh.

Another woman watched the attack and followed the kids to North SeaTac Park. Once the kids realized they were being followed, police said, the 15-year-old head-butted, punched and kicked the second woman so hard that the teen's foot was injured.

Police say the pit bull was turned loose on the woman and grew more and more violent as the children encouraged him. She remained at Harborview Medical Center on Monday in satisfactory condition.

Some advocates for and against pit bulls agree that the children's alleged criminal action was the problem, but the case again raises the question: Are pit bulls or their owners the problem?

The answer varies depending on who is asked.

"People will say there are no bad dogs, just bad dog owners," King County Sheriff's spokesman John Urquhart said. "We don't agree with that."

Deputies see more animal-related calls in the summer -- a season when overall call volume increases. Police are not dog experts, Urquhart noted, but he said they do find bad dogs along with bad owners.

"We're not sure if this was a bad dog," he said of the pit bull, "Snaps," who is now at a King County animal shelter. "But clearly he had a bad owner."

The deed, not the breed

Don Jordan, director of the Seattle Animal Shelter, has heard outrage in the past few years about pit bulls. In the early 1990s, Dobermans were the problem, he said. In the mid '90s, Rottweilers got most of the complaints.

"Our approach has always been that we focus on the deed, not the breed," he said. " If you're going to properly protect public safety, you look at enacting ordinances or requirements that affect all dog owners."

There were 40,136 licensed dogs in Seattle and 1,298 of those were pit bulls, according to Seattle Animal Shelter statistics through Feb. 11, the most recent available.

Of all breeds, pit bulls were most likely to bite, according to shelter officials -- 547 of 2,914 reported incidents between 1997 and last year. They also were identified in fully a quarter of menacing incidents during that time period -- 1,066 of 4,189.

Labrador retrievers, German shepherds and Rottweilers also had relatively high numbers. But shelter statistics also show the number of overall dog bites decreased by more than half in 2008 from the previous year.

There were 134 bite calls and 189 menacing complaints last year, down from 304 and 315 the previous year, respectively. Pit bulls were responsible for 89 of the bites and menacing calls, down from 150 the previous year.

Jordan isn't quite sure why there's been a decrease.

"I think there's been a lot of media attention last year about (a previous) SeaTac incident," he said. "Maybe dog owners are being more responsible."

Pit bull rap sheet

Last September, two pit bulls attacked a 71-year-old woman as she walked her grandchildren through their SeaTac neighborhood. The woman later said she thought she was going to die as the dogs ripped her face, legs and arms.

A sheriff's deputy shot the dogs, killing one. Another deputy killed the second pit bull nearby when it remained aggressive. The woman's neighbor who owned the dogs, Travis Dean Cunningham, was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for the attack, plus a firearms violation filed in a separate case.

Family said the elderly attack victim, who underwent hours of surgery, didn't attend the sentencing because it was too emotional. Prosecutor Dan Satterberg described the attack as a "case of dangerous dogs and a dangerous owner."

Rather than banning pit bulls, it would be better to prevent some people from owning the dogs -- including felons and those convicted of dog fighting or gang-related crimes, said Julie Russell of Seattle, spokeswoman for Families Against Breed Bans.

"It sounds like these dogs were being taunted and abused and these are just the kinds of kids we want to get the dogs away from," she said of the most recent attack suspects, who deputies say may face felony charges. "It's not the dogs that are unsafe, it's that there are unsafe owners who mismanage their jobs."

Russell, who owns four dogs, grew up terrified of pit bulls. When her husband picked out their first one a few years ago, she said "it was a source of tension for a couple weeks." She initially wouldn't leave her Labrador alone in the car with the pit bull.

"After about two weeks, I realized she's a highly emotional dog," Russell said of Simon, one of her two pit bulls. "I could not imagine her harming anything or anyone."......


TOPICS: Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: pitbull
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1 posted on 06/23/2009 11:30:56 AM PDT by JoeProBono
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To: JoeProBono
Pit bull problem: The owner or the breed?

The answer is... BOTH.

2 posted on 06/23/2009 11:34:38 AM PDT by Chet 99
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To: JoeProBono

“Sheriff’s deputies said it’s the first case of its kind they can remember in King County — one in which a pit bull was used as a weapon in brutal attacks on women. “

May be the first in King County, but it’s been done in a lot of other large cities for years.


3 posted on 06/23/2009 11:34:46 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Impeach President Soros!!!)
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To: JoeProBono
Its not an either / or question. The attraction to Pit Bulls by some is because of their potential for violence. Pit Bulls are not necessarily any more aggressive or ill tempered than many other breeds, but you have to admit that when they snap the results are far more severe than when your average Yorkie or Dachshund goes postal.
4 posted on 06/23/2009 11:34:56 AM PDT by Natural Law
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To: Natural Law

It’s the clamp/lock what’s the problem. You can break the clamp by strangling the dog. Take a handle (rake, hoe, etc), slide it under the collar and twist until the dog passes out from lack of breath.

I hate pits, despite their sweetness and loyalty.


6 posted on 06/23/2009 11:39:16 AM PDT by txhurl (Put the pressure on and keep it on until this administration snaps.)
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To: JoeProBono

They’re so quiet and well-behaved after they’ve been euthenized.


7 posted on 06/23/2009 11:39:25 AM PDT by PLMerite ("Unarmed, one can only flee from Evil. But Evil isn't overcome by fleeing from it." Jeff Cooper)
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To: JoeProBono

Have to say the owner - German Shepherds and Dobermanns also had nasty reputations at one time or another. Pete from Our Gang was a pit bull, wasn’t he?


8 posted on 06/23/2009 11:39:43 AM PDT by Chi-townChief
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To: Chi-townChief

I thought that Pete was an American Bulldog.


9 posted on 06/23/2009 11:48:03 AM PDT by catman67
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To: Natural Law

You have it exactly right.. there are many smaller dogs that have an innate sense of aggression..and if they were larger, the results would be the same as for pit bulls..and people would be calling for their removal and extinction..
Having said that, however, and having known sweet tempered pit bulls, I still would NEVER trust one completely, and I wouldn’t be willing to risk someone’s life or health just to make a point.


10 posted on 06/23/2009 11:48:53 AM PDT by Awestruck (Now if we can only get the rest of the "republican" leaders to stand up to the liberals.)
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To: Chi-townChief

Then why don’t we have frequent “Child mauled by Labrador” or “Springer Spaniel suddenly attacks owner” stories??

These dogs are bad news.


11 posted on 06/23/2009 11:50:56 AM PDT by my small voice (A biased media is the biggest threat to our democracy)
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To: JoeProBono

http://www.txfadd.org/

This was the mother of one of our best friends. Just minding her business in her front yard.

To top off this tragedy, the own of the dogs was an illegal alien, raising them to fight.


12 posted on 06/23/2009 11:51:54 AM PDT by wolfcreek (KMTEXASA!)
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To: FrPR

Poison: The coward’s preferred method of killing throughout history.


13 posted on 06/23/2009 11:52:45 AM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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To: my small voice

I was attacked by a collie when I was five.


14 posted on 06/23/2009 11:55:26 AM PDT by Melpomene
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To: Awestruck

I think fully trusting ANY dog is not smart when talking about kids and family, etc.

You make a good point when you say that people own these to make a point. I agree and think that that is moronic.


15 posted on 06/23/2009 11:55:26 AM PDT by my small voice (A biased media is the biggest threat to our democracy)
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To: FrPR

16 posted on 06/23/2009 11:57:38 AM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
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To: JoeProBono

If you own a dog, keep it inside and only have it outside on a leash. The problems occur when people are letting their dogs roam the neighborhood.


17 posted on 06/23/2009 11:58:59 AM PDT by mysterio
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To: catman67
"I thought that Pete was an American Bulldog."

There were a number of Petes. The most famous was registered as an American Staffordshire Terrier while others were UKC registered American Pit Bull Terriers. In either case both would fall under most proposed or active breed specific legislation...as would the American Bulldog, and Helen Keller's dogs, and Teddy Roosevelt's dogs and George S. Patton's Willy.

18 posted on 06/23/2009 12:03:16 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

To: JoeProBono
If I really really tried, I could probably teach a Yorkshire Terrier not to bark, a Basset Hound not to dig holes, a Beagle from wanting to sniff your guest, and a Collie from herding small children, knocking them over - but that is characteristics of these breeds. As is being aggressive is for a Pit Bull. My congratulations to owners who have raised a harmless little powder puff Pit Bull - but they are few.
20 posted on 06/23/2009 12:04:31 PM PDT by NavyCanDo
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