UPDATE: Pit Bull attacks group of kids in north Spokane (while out on an Easter egg hunt)

SPOKANE, Wash-- A group of kids and parents in north central Spokane were in the middle of an Easter egg hunt Sunday afternoon when a couple of pit bulls from down the street got out from behind their fence and charged at them. One of the pit bulls grabbed on to one of the 6-year-old girls, biting her twice on the arm. The parents were able to run at the dogs and scare them back to their yard. The injured girl only suffered some minor bite marks. Parents don't have any idea why the dogs chose to attack the group.

"They came two houses down to get them," said Lindsay Baker, mother of girl bit by dog. "Obviously it wasn't because we were just too close to their house"

According to Baker, this isn't the first time this neighborhood has had an issue with these dogs.

"I believe they've been deemed dangerous before," said Baker. "The litter of puppies that came from those dogs have been given to people around the neighborhood, has actually been put to sleep for being vicious and attacked the neighbor lady this last year, broke her wrist so it's been kind of an ongoing thing with the family of dogs"

Baker called Spokanimal to notify them of the attack. They told her since the dogs were back in the yard they couldn't do anything today, but would call her back tomorrow to see what she would like to happen to the dogs.

After the story aired on KHQ Local News at 6 the pit bull's owners, Bill and Sharon Grove, contacted KHQ and said they are regretfully and deeply sorry this happened, and that the dogs will be put down.

“Add to that that “pit bull” isn’t a breed and most people couldn’t distinguish between an American Staffordshire Terrier and an American Bulldog. No WONDER all the stats have managed to demonize a particular type of dog! Mass hysteria tends to do that.”

True! Not only do people have a hard time with those two breeds, but there are many others that are mistaken for pit bulls (also many pit bulls being mistaken for other breeds). I remember when I just started volunteering years ago at a shelter in Iowa. We had a beautiful red and white pit bull for adoption who was just the sweetest, goofiest dog, and she happened to fit the standard for the breed (about 35 pounds). A woman came into the dog quarters and commented on how well-behaved that little “Boston” was! My own American Bulldog gets mistaken for a boxer regularly. I had a tiny little blue rescue APBT that was constantly mistaken for a patterdale terrier. Everyone’s an expert, lol!

“A death caused by another type of dog wouldn’t generate that much interest.

Incredible”

I agree. Www.kcdogblog.com lists 2009 death statistics, and they show very clearly that the deaths caused by pit bull-type dogs are reported by many more stations than deaths caused by other breeds. There is one in particular I remember reading on there where the death wasn’t reported at all!

This is why I tell people that simply counting the number of hits from “pit bull attack” is not research, and if you were to go through those hits, as I bothered to do one day (didn’t get too far, but spent all day on it), you will find the same stories repeated over and over again on different stations, with different details, names, times, etc. because the media is just so great at reporting factual information.

Your statement doesn’t even make any sense. Pit Bull attacks are quite serious, generally requiring medical attention. If Pit Bulls were responsible for 63% of dog bites then the emergency rooms would be filled to the brim with victims. It is precisely because of the damage they do when they attack that we know Pit Bull attacks are relatively rare, and they almost always make the news. Try to think this through a little, and here’s some info for you:

In July 2008, the journal of Applied Animal Behaviour Science published a study done by researches at the University of Pennsylvania. They surveyed and discussed with over 6,000 dog owners their experiences with aggression in their dogs. The researchers compiled a report containing 33 dog breeds most likely to bite. Here are the dog breeds with the greatest percentage of bites and bite attempts on humans.

* Dachshund. Yes, the sausage dog is most likely to bite strangers and its owners.
* Chihuahua. These are big dogs in a little package, and none are afraid to tell you so. Chihuahuas are very likely to bite strangers and owners.
* Jack Russell Terrier. These feisty little dogs are also quick to nip. They have a tendency to try to nip at strangers and family members.
* Australian Cattle Dog. This breed is great to have around the home, but you must be careful; they are herding dogs, which means they are very likely to nip family and strangers.
* American Cocker Spaniel. A common breed in many homes in the United States, this dog does have tendencies to nip and bite at owners.
* Beagle. Another family favorite, beagles seem to nip and bite at their families.

There are other breeds, like the Akita and Pit Bull Terrier, which are more prone to trying to nip or bite other dogs or animals.

It must always be kept in mind that small dogs often go un-reprimanded for biting. Many owners find it cute. It is also the only way a small dog has to get people to back up. Remember, you are a giant to him!

There are many breeds of dogs, like Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, and Mastiffs, who often get a bad reputation for biting. These dogs have been bred to be protective dogs, plus their size makes them do serious damage when they do bite. Because of this, more stigma is put on the breed.

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