Posted on 06/05/2005 11:30:41 PM PDT by nickcarraway
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom indicated Sunday that he may propose limitations on pit bull ownership in the wake of last week's fatal mauling of a 12-year-old boy.
Newsom said he will meet Monday with animal control officials to discuss what steps to take to prevent future attacks. His comments came two days after sixth-grader Nicholas Faibish was viciously attacked in his home by one or both of his family's pit bulls.
"We have to be realistic," Newsom said. "You've got dogs that literally can kill. We've seen it demonstrated. If we can't change people's behavior and make them think what's in their best interest, then that's when government comes along and becomes a bit paternalistic."
He said "having a pit bull ... and three kids is not acceptable because we're not going to deal with the consequences of losing a life." Nicholas Faibish was one of three children.
He said he currently has no specific proposal but a decision on legislative action would likely be made within a week. Mayoral spokesman Peter Ragone said a blanket ban is not being considered. A number of other possible restrictions will be discussed in the next few days, but he said it was too early to discuss details.
Authorities, meanwhile, were examining the Faibish family's dogs as they attempted to reconstruct what went so horribly wrong Friday, when the boy's mother found him in the family's home covered with blood from multiple wounds.
Officials are still uncertain if both dogs were involved in the attack. Investigators conducted an examination of the body of the female pit bull, Ella, who was shot and killed by a police officer as he entered the home. The second dog, Rex, was examined at the shelter where he is being held.
Blood was found on Rex's fur, but a spokeswoman for Animal Care and Control declined to disclose any other details.
Animal behavior experts have theorized that the attack could have been linked to different stresses on the dogs, including the family's imminent move to Oregon and the possibility that the female dog was in heat, triggering increased aggression in the male.
The incident has rattled San Francisco dog owners. Animal Care and Control spokeswoman Deb Campbell said that several people arrived at the shelter on Saturday to drop off their pit bulls.
"The pit bulls that killed the boy were described as friendly, and people start looking at their friendly dog and asking if it could do the same thing," Campbell said.
Bark.
The Honorable Mayor with a band-aid fix.
Heck, just because pitbulls are well documented to be notorious maulers and killers of human beings, (usually children), there's no reason to bannish them. Such 'draconian' action might hurt some pitbull lovers' feelings, and we can't have that can we?
"different stresses on the dogs, including the family's imminent move to Oregon"
Gee, I guess they shouldn't have told the dogs they were moving.
Maybe they should have given the dogs a Valium.
Is this to include gay pitbulls?
Two unneutered pit bulls with one in heat? And the male doing what males do?
Dogs, especially big ones, need to run.
Cities like San Francisco and Hollywood should ban all pets except goldfish and gerbils, respectfully.
"Dogs, especially big ones, need to run."
Which is why I've never gotten another German shepherd. Just wouldn't be fair to the dog.
Side note: Isn't journalism school supposed to teach people to write? Every other sentence in this piece is poorly constructed and ambiguous. I would flunk a third grader who handed this in.
Second side note: Why is SF getting ready to ban pit bulls now, when a couple of progressive lawyers who happen to be Lions of the Left were permitted to keep two huge Prensa Canario "War Dogs" in their tiny apartment, one of which killed a neighbor? It has more to do with the quality of the owner than the quality of the dog, apparently.
That said, anybody who keeps pit bulls, unless it is for the specific purpose of fighting them for money, is a moron. Certain breeds have certain strengths and functions. The function of a pit bull is to kill stuff for money. Why would you put such an animal amongst your precious children?
These dogs don't belong in cities any more than cows.
Now now now you can't go sterotyping species that way its all in how they was raised by their owners dontcha know.........
I mean all dogs are friendly unless their owners are mean dontcha know. If you can't trust a hungry wolf or a coyote with your toddler who can ya trust.......(I've seen the literature and those kinds are not supposed to eat kids or small pets just wild animals and if you can't believe namby pamby environmentalist publications....... ;-)
That's it, then. Problem solved.
Only rich people with huge back yards should be allowed to leave their children alone with pit bulls.
Interesting information. Did you learn this on another thread?
"the possibility that the female dog was in heat, triggering increased aggression in the male....."
right in the article
right in the article
I did not take it from this line that the male was necessarily unneutered.
i stand corrected
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