Posted on 09/14/2003 6:09:39 AM PDT by Esther Blume
The San Francisco Dog Mauling
On January 26th, 2001, 33-year-old Diane Whipple was mauled to death by her neighbors’ dogs in the hallway of her San Francisco apartment building. The brutal attack shocked residents of the city, and Whipple, young, prosperous and gay, quickly captured the public’s sympathy. But what was first seen as a tragic accident soon took on a more sinister tone. The dogs’ owners, Marjorie Knoller and Robert Noel, husband-and-wife attorneys, began making statements that seemed to suggest Whipple herself might have been to blame for the attack. And when information surfaced that the couple’s dogs had a history of violent behavior, the public – and prosecutors – began clamoring for justice, culminating in criminal charges against Knoller and Noel.
AMERICAN JUSTICE: THE SAN FRANCISCO DOG MAULING reports that following a dramatic five-week trial, both Knoller and Noel were found guilty of manslaughter and owning an animal that kills. But it was the last verdict, against Marjorie Knoller, that was the most stunning: guilty of second-degree murder for the death of Diane Whipple. Then, in a final twist to the sensational story, that verdict was thrown out by the presiding judge, raising questions on both sides of the aisle about the fairness of American Justice in the midst of today’s media frenzy. TV PG
Would the media every write "young, prosperous, and hetero?"
A pit bull defender says pit bulls ARE dangerous
It's revealing that the pit bull expert quoted above (A pit bull expert's opinion) says "Animal aggression in this breed is VERY common. Most Pit Bulls have some degree of aggression towards other dogs and put into the right situation they will fight", also "In the case of Pit Bulls, the breed has been selectively bred to fight other dogs--they "trigger" very easily as opposed to, let's say, a Poodle or a Lab", and on this expert's web site's "Aggression" page, "The breed is known for its high prey drive, and so due caution should be exercised when cats, rabbits, domestic fowl, and other such animals are present." http://www.angelfire.com/nj2/training1/agg.html.
Dogs view children as small prey. All children are at risk of dogs, but especially at risk of dogs with a high prey drive. This is why so many children are attacked by dogs, and why so many of those attacks that cause the greatest amount of damage and death are by pit bulls.
Pit bull defenders say, "Ban the deed, not the breed", but the "deed" in this catchy slogan is an attack on a person or another animal. So banning the deed only applies after there is a bloody (or dead) victim of an attack. This slogan sounds right and even rhymes, but like so many slogans it obscures, not informs.
It's true that pit bulls are innocent because all creatures but man are innocent of intent. But the breeding of a dog specifically to fight to the death and attack without provocation is far from innocent, it is deliberate cruelty to the dog, and in a civlized society, deliberately-bred fighting dogs should not exist in the first place.
AAS has rescued some pit bull crosses, but the sad truth is that pit bull defenders can only save a tiny fraction of the hundreds of thousands of unwanted pit bulls killed every year by pounds in Canada and the US. Real love ought to put the happiness of the loved one first and defending the birth of dogs, most of whom are doomed to misery and death, cannot be very loving.
To pit bull defenders we ask: If the pit bull breed didn't exist (as it didn't not long ago) would you not be able to love any other dog?
Some pit bull defenders say that a pit bull should be under control at all times - they promote a life of no freedom, no fun, no socializing. Some pit bull defenders say that any pit bull showing aggression should be euthanized - they promote a stygian cycle of breed and kill.
AAS is frequently asked to rescue pit bulls and we cannot because the kind of people who we will give a dog to do not want a pit bull.
The SPCA is in the same postion, but it is, in our opinion, part of the problem. Its official policy is not "ban the breed" but "ban the deed" and that is why SPCAs have to kill so many pit bulls.
Rat poison and hamburg for 'Spike'.
Canerie something or other.
Someone who think he/she is a bad ass.
Here, here. A golden retriever that bites someone is an anomaly, not a bred-in characteristic. Besides, they don't have the strength to do the damage that a Rot or a Pit will do.
There's a reason that Labs are rescue dogs, and a reason that border collies are natural herders--they have been bred to have certain characteristics. It's absurd to say "Ban the deed, not the breed" when breeding counts.
If breeding didn't count, there wouldn't be an AKC.
what do they mean by 'not long ago'? The American Staffordshire Terrier was approved June 10, 1936 by the AKC and was bred in the UK for many years prior. They are an aggressive breed particularly the males. Poor breeding whether it be pit bulls or other breeds lead to problems.
This is a dog that will stay by its master's side at all times and is never known to stray. This dog is protective by nature and will not hesitate to attack anyone whom it perceives as a threat to its family or home. Such an attack could only be a hopeless situation for any man involved." Dr. Carl Semencic Pit Bulls and Tenacious Guard Dogs.
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