Protect your pet from being labeled "Bad Breed"

Credit to www.pitbullpress.com for this article ^

[Alylonee]

THERE is a knock at the door. A uniformed official says he has come to take your dog. The dog has done nothing wrong, but his breed has been outlawed in the town where you live. You've had this dog since he was a puppy. He is obedience-trained, licensed and vaccinated. He never runs loose. He has never bitten anybody. And you love him. But it's bye-bye, Buffy, if he's the "wrong" breed.

All over this country - and in Allegheny County - owners of pit bull terriers and rottweilers have been ordered to get rid of them or have them seized by authorities. Now, a small but feisty group called American Dog Owners Association Inc. is battling officials on many fronts to put an end to this madness. The current battleground is Buffalo Grove, Ill., where both breeds are targeted.

Municipal officials don't ban any breed, outright. They just impose rules that the average pet owner can't live with: 8-foot fences, licenses that cost hundreds of dollars per year, proof of $500,000 in liability insurance. "Breed-specific" laws come in response to fear. A couple of well-publicized attacks, and the push is on to ban a breed.

So you say you don't like pit bulls or rottweilers and you would never own one. It's still your fight. They might come after your breed next, especially if it's a breed designed for guard and attack duties. On the local front, those of us who own and love Labrador retrievers should hug them tightly and donate generously to the ADOA. America's most popular purebred dog is also one of the top biters.

In 1995 - the last time I checked bites by breed - Labrador retrievers were No. 3 on the Allegheny County Health Department list. Labs logged 60 bites - right behind the 73 bites reported for pit bulls. German shepherds were No. 1 with 84 bites. There are no bad breeds. There are bad and irresponsible dog owners. There are bad and vicious dogs. Elected officials should go after them. The ADOA will help them devise laws to do so.

The association does not condone or defend bad dogs or their owners. They support laws requiring licenses and vaccinations. They are opposed to dogs running loose. Their main goal is "to promote, protect and defend responsible dog ownership."

"If your breed is banned, the ADOA has no legal standing to help you unless you are a member. And though the group has proved you CAN fight city hall, the cost is high - $20,000 to $30,000 for a full-fledged court fight. The group needs more members and cash donations. "

Their address is 1654 Columbia Turnpike, Castleton, NY 12033. Or check out their Web site, which includes an online membership form, at

No one bats a thousand, but the ADOA has won in court - usually because proposed legislation violates existing federal and state statutes. The group prefers to avert bad laws before they are put on the books. Pennsylvania has a very good "dangerous dog" law that arms local officials with effective remedies against dogs that bite and dogs that fight.

And Pennsylvania is one of 12 states that has laws specifically banning "breed-specific" legislation.

There are 52.9 million pet dogs in this country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Most of us have done nothing as dogs lost ground: breeds banned, dogs banned from parks and limits placed on the number of dogs we can own.

We could learn a lesson from what the National Rifle Association has accomplished with big membership rolls, generous donations and well-paid lobbyists. They fight effectively for everyone's "right" to own guns that maim and kill more people than dogs ever could.

[.38sw]

OH, I just love this little dig: We could learn a lesson from what the National Rifle Association has accomplished with big membership rolls, generous donations and well-paid lobbyists. They fight effectively for everyone's "right" to own guns that maim and kill more people than dogs ever could.

Notice that the word "right" is in quotes, as in, "You really don't have a right to owna guns, the NRA just tells you that you do." Bad guns! Bad guns!

I'm planning a getting a German Shepherd puppy soon. If any dirtbag gets by the dog, there's always the back-up hail of bullets.

[Veggie Todd]

Of course they'll log more bites from Labs, German Shepherds, Rotties, and Pitbulls - they're the most popular breeds. They need to look at percentages. If you have 100 of the "bad breed" dogs and have 10 bites, isn't that the same as having 10 poodles with 1 bite?

[Alylonee]

Yes, I thought about taking that part out, but I wasn't sure if it was ok to do that since I copied the article from another web-site. I have a pit, and a gun, but I am very confident I will never have to use my gun as long as I have my pit... I guess you never know though!

I doubt you will have to either, German Shepherd's are great dogs. My parents own one.

[Veggie Todd]

I have a female Shepherd. She raises hell if anyone even comes close to the house. You'll love yours.

[Alylonee]

That is a very good point, one that I have been trying to explain in some of my other articles. Pit Bulls are one of the top owned dogs in the Country. They are also owned by more trash than the average Lab, Rottie and German Shepherd's thus explaining why they bite. There are more cases of Pit Bull abuse than any other breed and we wonder why they bight? The question to me is why more of them don't bight. This link will break your heart if you love animals, but it proves my point.


http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/sadreality2.html

[.38sw]

If pit bulls are so dangerous, then why is our local SPCA adopting them out? They frequently have pit bulls, both puppies and adults, available for adoption, and they are described as sweet and loving. I understand that many of them ARE dangerous, but it is the result of human garbage training them to be dangerous.

[Veggie Todd]

Can the bad training ever be undone?

[Alylonee]

YES..... the bad training can be undone. My pit bull "Buddy" was beaten half to death. he had to have 90 stitches on his face and there is a huge bald scar on his face along with several other scars. It took A LOT OF WORK to undo the emotional scars he has suffered, but I now have the BEST dog in the entire world! He is still afraid of men a little bit, but he has improved soooo much. I will always have to watch him around other dogs and strangers, but one should do that with all dogs anyway.

In temperament testing done worldwide, Pit Bulls passed with higher scores than almost every other dog. You have to work hard to make them mean and aggressive to people. They are known for their friendliness and they are great with kids. Anyone that has owned the breed, and taken good care of one, will tell you this. Look at my home page for additional articles on this subject. It has a lot of facts there about Pit Bulls. This breed has been the victim of more abuse and media hype and slander than any other breed. It is completely undeserving. THEY ARE WONDERFUL DOGS!!!!

[GovernmentShrinker]

It is also the result of their extraordinarily powerful jaw structure, which is as inherent in the breed as long ears in Bassett hounds, or small size in Chihuahuas. If a Labrador and a pit bull make equally aggressive attempts to maul a human, the results won't be the same.

[JudyB1938]

Hi. Hope all's well with you.

Did you notice the URL for the American Dog Owners Association Inc. (ADOA) didn't show up in the article you posted? Here it is, in case anybody is interested ... http://www.adoa.org

[HairOfTheDog]

You really are on quite a mission here... Good luck on your PR campaign for this breed. All I will say on this thread is...

Buyer beware. This dog was not created to be a pet. A few people are breeding and raising them to be better, but for more are continuing to breed and use them to fight. It is far from a good stable gene pool.

[mg39]

An animal control officer I know, who daily goes out to rescue abused and neglected animals, told me that the most vicious dogs he has to deal with are...chihuahuas. This, from a guy who works in D.C., which is full of sc*mbags who fight pit bulls.

Anyway, there are no bad dogs, only bad people who abuse dogs, and the best way to protect all breeds of dogs is to stamp out the thugs and lowlifes who torture dogs into becoming killers. If dogfighting is not a felony where you live, write your local politicians and demand they change the law.

Were it up to me, people who engage in dogfighting would get the death penalty; they are totally useless, despicable human beings.

[Alylonee]

Why are you on such a mission to get rid of the breed? You have something to say every single time I post an article. I get it, you don't like Pit Bulls. Unless you have facts to post, I've heard your opinion. I'm not trying to be rude really, you are very educated about what you speak about and I know you love animals, I just had to ask you why you continue to say how horrible they are without backing it up with an article or some facts.

[Alylonee]

Thank You Judy :)

[Alylonee]

Your point??? If a Rottweiler goes after a human, the results will be the same as a pit bull, guaranteed. And there is not way to for sure measure a pit bulls jaw strength. Sure they are powerful dogs, more so than most breeds, but they are no different than a German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Doberman, etc.

[HairOfTheDog]

I am not on a mission, I am not posting articles to ban the breed...

And I have avoided most of the numerous threads you have posted on pit bulls here in the last week. I will give you space... But you know there is controversy, or you wouldn't be on the mission you are on.

[Alylonee]

That's really funny because my friend had a pit and a chihuahua, and the later just bossed that pit around like nothing you have ever seen. He also bit me 5 times while I was there. The pit on the other hand "Sampson" licked me to death, refused to get off my lap and was just the most friendly dog.

[Humidston]

I've had both a doberman and a rottie and they were both outstanding animals! The dobie had back surgery and two spinal taps, which are extremely painful, but he never even growled. In fact, whenever he saw the vet enter his area it was reported he just rolled his eyes and groaned.

The rottie was the same. Two more loving, gentle, faithful friends couldn't be found anywhere!

IT'S THE OWNERS WHO SHOULD BE LOCKED UP, NOT THE DOGS!!!

[Alylonee]

Well I know there is controversy, that is why I am on a mission! But I would just like it if you and everyone else that has such a problem with the breed, bring me facts, bring me articles, bring me proof that this dog shouldn't exist or isn't suitable as a pet. I really don't know why you have such a distaste for them. One has never bitten you as you said in our last conversation and you have never owned one (your friend did). So I am just not seeing why you have such strong feelings on the subject.