From: trimpe_b@wums.wustl.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: RE: pitbulls
Date: 7 OCT 92 16:03:49 GMT
Organization: MIT PLASMA FUSION CENTER
NNTP-Posting-Host: msnews.wustl.edu

In a previous article, kathy@aardvark.ucs.uoknor.edu wrote:
>Bev writes:
>>	ok I'll get my flame suit on but here it goes.  I was a little 
>>	confused by some of this article but the above fact *REALLY*
>>	troubles me.  The above indicates that 71.4% of the DEATHS
>>	from dog attacks(not just INJURIES, mind you] are from pit bulls.
>>	Considering that pit bulls make up-what? 2%, 5%, 10%tops of
>>	the pet-dog population I see pit bulls as a problem.  GRANTED
>>	it's the owners who train them but with all the hassles going
>>	on and the hysteria about it why would you WANT to have one 
>>	unless you were interested in utilizing this "rumor" of
>>	ferociousness. I feel the same about DObes.  I know dobie 
>>	lovers who'll go on and on about how wonderful their pets are
>>	and I don't doubt them BUT when someone wants an intimidating
>>	dog they often want a dobes, GSD,or rottie.  I also know that
>>	chows and akitas tend to be aggressive.  I never get near or
>>	approach these types of dogs un-invited cuz they do scare me.
>>	No matter how wonderful/lovable/friendly etc they REALLY are.
>>	I will admit however that I own a lab which is somewhat the
>>	other extreme.
>>	[stuff deleted] 
>This is the ignorant attitude where all the breed specific laws come from.
>Your wonderful breed, lab, can be aggresive also!  There is one in my 
>neighborhood that if it can get out of it's yard, will gleefully attack any
>other dog.  One time I was walking my Belgian puppy when it happened to be
>loose.  It ran straight for my puppy and tried to attack her, when I picked
>her up and screamed at the lab, the lab turned on me! 
>	I work at a vet clinic and we see approximately one "pit bull" a 
>week.  They all have great temperaments and we have never had a problem
>with any of them.
>	So in my opinion, labs should be banned!
>	   (just kidding, hope you know!)  
> 
	I guess I didn't make my point.  I *KNOW* all labs are not angels
	and likewise that all pitbulls (etc) are not ferocious *BUT* regardless
	'bad guys' use pitbulls as mean fighting machines.  There are
	also some facts-stats whatever(no I do not know them but wouldn't
	mind seeing them WITH a footnote) that back up pit bull attacks.
	I say throw the 'bad guys' in jail and eliminte this probelm but
	in the mean time we have attack trained dogs that need to live 
	somewhere. Also you work in a vets office so I imagine you see
	the *better* dog owners.  What about the drug dealer etc?..who
	doesn't goto a vet.  (as an aside-there was a pit bul in our
	puppy soc class.  The dog was not obviously mean but obviously
	over bred-it was extremely undersized and didn't shake but 
	*vibrated* all the time.  No i never saw it do one aggressive
	thing during the entire length of class but I would still
	be wary of this dog-note I also would not have purchased this dog
	no matter what the breed-it wasn't healthy)
		HEY I just thought.... would anyone know the percentage
	of pit bulls owned by 'respectable' people and those thought to be
	owned by 'unsavory' types or at least those that fight them?
	Maybe the number of 'mean' pitbulls is 0.001% and maybe it's 50%.
	It would put the pitbull population into perspective for me. Of
	course getting accurate data would be tough.
Benign-ly
bev
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs