Pit Bull Owners, Dog Experts Say Bites Aren’t Breed Specific
After some negative press for pit bulls in the last week, the breed was back in the spotlight again Saturday, but for a different reason. Several dozen owners gathered at Memorial Park for a bully walk and fundraiser for the 9-month-old girl who was bitten in Yoder on Sunday.
They also wanted to show how well-behaved pit bulls can be when they are properly trained.
“There were about 30 pit bulls out here walking around the lake,” said owner James Peairson. “No one was bit, there were no incidents, no dogs fought with each other. If that doesn’t show people that these dogs are how you train them, I don’t know what else you can do.”
Peairson said the group raised about $200 for the 9-month-old who was attacked, in addition to $500 raised before Saturday. The family of the little girl said she bumped into the dog’s injured leg. Authorities said the dog, a pet of a family member, snapped and badly bit the girl’s face. The girl, Serena is out of the hospital, and the dog has been put down.
Three days after the attack, on Wednesday, someone shot and killed a pit bull saying he felt threatened. A day later, another pit bull was shot and killed after a man said the dog attacked his pet.
“Pit bulls are not for everyone,” said owner Marco Rosales. “You have to really watch your dog, make sure you’re on top of your dog, and that’s he’s in a secure area.”
Despite the recent problems with pit bulls, dog experts told KRDO Newschannel 13 that bites and attacks aren’t more common among pit bulls.
“There’s really no data out there that pit bulls bite more than any other breed of dog,” said Joe Stafford, director of animal law enforcement at the Humane Society of the Pike Peak Region.
Sean Hartley, a dog trainer at the Sunrise and Woodmen Kennels Pet Care Facility, agreed. Hartley is also a trainer for the court system.
“When they have a dog bite case, they refer it to me, and I can tell you, a very low minority of those dogs are pit bulls or pit bull mixes,” said Hartley.
He said a good dog takes a good owner.
“At the root of all this, generally, lies the human factor that’s at fault,” said Hartley. “A lot of these dog attacks could be absolutely avoided by the proper socialization, proper care and proper training.”
A report by the American Veterinary Medical Association, which is cited by the Centers for Disease Control, says dog bite statistics don’t give an accurate picture because the numbers will always show that dogs from popular,large breeds are a problem. It says, “singling out 1 or 2 breeds for control can result in a false sense of accomplishment. Doing so ignores the true scope of the problem and will not result in a responsible approach to protecting a community?s citizens.” To read the full report click here .
