Pit Bulls Banned

Punish the deed not the breed.
Pitbull's are by far the most loyal companions that anyone can have, they will stand by your side and die for you. Instead of getting rid of them get rid of the owners who ruin the pitbull's name!

I believe that pits should not be banned. why should good owners suffer the consequences of bad owners. to actually understand how loving and good a pit can be, you have to own one. I own pits and I trust them more then i trust humans. I just think it all depends on the environment they're raised in. if they're raised in a bad environment they'll do like what any dog or even a human being would do, Protect them selves and try to survive. and if you raise them lovingly and properly, like how other types of dogs like chihuahuas and toy dogs are raised then you'll have the most amazing companion ever. so punish the deed not breed.........screw you terrible owners...

I am so sorry there are so many stupid people in this world. For the people in office to sit on their butt and say its the DOGS fault, they are just as stupid as the next. How about a pit that was burned with acid and still alive, you can see the ribs and some of the insides. Or how about the drug dealers that get their dogs vocal cords cut so if some one breaks in they can not hear the dog bark. So to all that do not have a clue, before you ban any animal then you need to wake up and spell the coffee.
Because this makes you no better then the dog abusers. You need to educate yourself. Thank ya'll

We are the owners of 2 wonderful pits.And we consider them angels from heaven.We live in Cleveland TN.And we had a unknown child sex offender move in the neighberhood.We were outside one day.Me and the 2 kids.We had the pits out letting them run and play with the kids.Well I needed to go in the house to relieve myself.Little did I know this guy had been watching us through the woods.So after I was done and comming back out the door .The oldest pit has this guy pinned to the ground by his head.And the little one has him by the leg.I get the dogs off of him and question him.He says he just needed to borrow something.Well I called the law.They checked his story and his record.
And we found out what he was.I thank GOD for my pits.If they would not have been there who knows were my kids would be.And before you say well your kids should not have been alone.People we live way back up off the road.This guy had to have been scoping us out for awhile.And we are a pretty close neighberhood.Keep in mind the dogs did not hurt the man they just let him know that those kids belonged to them and not him.So how can you ban and kill a breed for protecting there loved ones.If that is the case then we all should be banned.My oldest pit taught my son to walk with her tail.Now he rides her like a horse.These are our angels.Who saved our kids.And saved me from a life in prison.Because if the dogs had not have stopped him.I would had the wrong way.They are a blessing in all of our lives and I thank them each and every day for what they done.So if you must ban and kill off the breed of something that can be raised the right way.To protect and LOVE its loved ones.Then you better start with the human breed.Because a dog is just as loyal if not more sometimes than a human.

It is always irresponsible dog owners who are behind these kinds of situations. They need to legislate against irresponsible owners instead.

Okay, look at the line by Charles Haggard: "They can turn on you IF YOU DONT TREAT THEM RIGHT" Well maybe if they were treated right IN THE FIRST PLACE, then this wouldnt even be a problem. And also, people are being oblivious to WAY bigger problems right now instead of ruining peoples' lives by taking away their best friends, companions, and family. This is racism! Look in the inside, not the out! I have never owned a Pitt, but I've known them. Many LOOKED aggressive, but were actually wonderfully sweet dogs. In our local humane society, there is a wonderful Pit Bull named Alpha who was previously mistreated and who barked and barked when you passed his kennel. But when he was taken out for a walk, he turned into a sweet little angel. He wagged his tail extremely fast and was affectionate. But when put back in, he had sad eyes as if he wasnt good enough. Is that it? Was God's wonderful creation of the Pit Bull not good enough? Its humans' fault. We were blinded by our own selfish wants and destroyed their reputation! I'm almost ashamed of being a human. So those of you who agree with the ban, open your eyes and your heart. PUNISH THE DEED, NOT THE BREED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have three RESCUED pits that were all at least two years old when I got them. One was mistreated by an owner (tried to fight him), the other two were neglected. Even after being raised incorrectly, they are the sweetest dogs. They get along with each other, my other small dog, my four year old stepson, and anyone who enters the house. They are not agressive and they love EVERYONE. This is an absolutely ridiculous concept. Also, how are they going to enforce it when they don't enforce the laws we already have?

I dont own pit bulls, but I beleive that any dog can have a tendonsy to be an agressive killer. I am in my early thirties and remember when rotts and dobies were considerd visious killers and were being banned, thats not so much the case now. I have read some of the posts and have to agree that most animal behaviors are a direct result of the human factor. I also beleive thought that there are some animals, no matter what kind of person you are to them they are predisposed to certian temperments..but thats across the board, all animals have that possibleity..NOT just with the aggressive "pits" hell chahuaha's are a mean lil dog ( by reputation)..Just ppl arnt scared of them. I am scared of dogs, but I still think its (blankn) rediculus to ban only ONE breed of dog. (sorry for spelling errors)

Why ban a innocent breed.Its not the dog,its the people!God made them too.take away my baby?

I cant believe another city is jumping on the breed ban wagon.... Im sorry, banning the breed is not going to solve the problem. people just are not educating themselves enough on how to raise pit bulls. I feel that banning the dog is taking the responsability away from the owner and putting it on the dog! In other words the owner of the dog is allowed to get away with miss handling the dog and the dog is the one paying for it! What about the owners that dont miss handle there dog? you are proposing banning all pit bulls what about the police dogs and the pit bulls that have done nothing wrong? Oh well! There just dogs right? If you allow this, what is to stop them from deciding that your dog is the next bully breed that has to be banned? How will you feel when they tell you that your dog has to be euthinised because a few bad owners decided to miss handle there dog which happends to be your type of dog?

Banning pitbulls because of a stereotype and fear would be as stupid as raising the legal driving age to 30 because younger people get into accidents. Gimme a break! I was raised with Pits and Rotts and every other kind of dog you can think of. The good ones are owned by good owners. The bad ones are owned by bad owners. See the connection?

You can have my Pit Bull, when you pry my gun from my cold dead hand.

I absolutely support the vicious dog ban. I think it has to be tweaked but it should be put in place.

I proudly owned the most wonderful Colby Pitbull (old time lineage) and he was the most amazing, sweet tempered, totally obedient dog I have ever owned ... that was over 20 years ago. Now a days backyard breeding had created unstable mutts .. many of the large squared headed dogs have Cane de Corso blood or other Mastive breeds in them (many of which ... Tosa's, Corso's should be absolutely banned).. I saw such a dog resently at PJ's petshop being sold as a cattle dog. some unsuspecting blok is thinking he is buying Lassie not a dog that can actually pull down and pin a bull...

Little history lesson ... did you know that Presa and Tosa are descendents of the old Italian Mastive that used to kill people in the arenas in Roma ... Also in battle these dogs used to actually eat human corpses- food was scarce and there was always lots of enemy bodies. Those dogs were actually bred to kill humans. Lovely puppies.. Now what do you think happens to Pit Bulls (who were typically people friendly and reliable) when other war dog breeds are introduced?

I'm sure many of you love your pets as did I (mine died of old age) however children and humans are more important that animals period. If you don't think so you have a twisted sense of priority.

The average aggressive dog owner is young, male and often aggressive themselves. They do not possess the experience to own such an animal nor train it properly.

Most Pit Bulls with the exception of Old well monitored stock have not been bred properly for years they should be neutered and a huge fine given to those who breed them. Ownership should be by special registration (just like a gun) and if you are young,or not experienced with dogs you should not be allowed to own one. If you want to own one you should have to take a course on dog training and of course you insurance agent should be aware that you own a vicious dog breed so you insurance will be adjusted accordingly.

See you don't need a dog ban just law with big teeth and backed up by the Insurance industry.

I thought Tennessee was above this. So if we do this we might as well pan all roosters too, right? Because of cock fighting, and they are dangerous. Oh wait, that's man causing the cocks to fight. Hmm. Imagine that? I've had a pit bull before and he was the sweetest dog I've ever been around. He was nothing but a big baby and had nothing but love for his family. I agree that ignorant people should be spayed. Don't punish good dogs and good people for others mistakes.

We are lossing the mind. The humankind yes we, us no have chance for a better world. Hope this world change for good soon.If you raise a dog in claustro you going to have a monster any breed. So please comen sence.

I loathe BSL. The poeple who are for breed banning are ignorant, let them spend some time with this wonderful breed of Dog and they would see just how awesome and loving they are. I have three year old twins girls who have never lived a day with out a pit in thier house and we have a baby coming. I feel so safe knowing my DOg would protect me and my family if need be but is the freindliest , most loving Dog in the world. I Would rather pay a fine and have my pit than ever bow down to stupid breed banning laws, I think it is racisim. We don't ban black people jsut because a few are gang members. We don't ban White middle age males beacuse a few are child molesters, you think about that.

I don`t own a Pitbull but support banning Breed Specific Legislation whole heartedly! WHAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IS "BANNING STUPID OWNERS." It`s not the breed that causees the problem, it`s irresponsible ownership, and this doesn`t just mean spay and neuter your dog either! We have laws to protect us from man-eating dogs of all breeds. They simply need to be enforced and RE-inforced. Most current leash, confinement, and others laws governing dog owners should be effective IF they are enforced, and/or the penalties are sufficient to the crime.
I also support laws in which there are stiffer penalties when a dog is used in commiting a crime, the more violent the crime the harder the penalty, but NOT breed specific. Even the best, and most well thought thru laws are useless unless they`re ENFORCED.
Please I beg you all, think about this and BAN THE DEED, NOT THE BREED...because if Pitbulls are banned criminals will just own some other breed and then you`ll have to start all overagain.
Thank You,
Robby Paulsen

First, I would like to thank all of the people that have taken a stand for pitbulls. I have a pitty, and she is the love of my life. I have had her since she was 6 weeks old, and my daughter was 3 1/2 months at the time. I was not a big fan of the breed at the time, but immediately I could tell that I had them all wrong. My daughter's father died in a car accident 2 days after purchasing her, and he had told me that she was my Christmas present (he died Dec. 10). I immediately located her when I was told what had happened. The second night I had her, I woke up to the dog missing from the bed. She had climbed into my daughter's basinet, which was at the head of my bed. I found her in the same spot every night until I moved into my own apartment. My dog is the kindest dog you will ever meet- the only time she EVER gets upset with anyone is when they don't pet her upon walking into the house. She loves everyone. Please stop this ignorance. If will only hurt the people that actually care enough to have their dogs taken care of if this BSL BS actually gets passed. My dog is taken care of by a veterinarian on a very regular basis, and they know what breed she is. The people that take care of their dogs will be the ONLY ones hurt by this. The people that don't care about their dogs will only find a different breed, and do just the same to that breed's reputation as the ignorant jerks have done to the reputation of the pitbull. Ignorance is the reason this is taking place. PEOPLE- PLEASE just realize what loyalty and compasion you have in your animal. Pitty's are wonderful dogs, and I have yet, in my 6 years of having one and caring about them, come across one that I was concerned for mine or my child's welfare. Take care of your animals- love them, talk to them, and spend time with them. They will love you far more than any person could ever love you- their love is blind, and they forgive and forget. PLEASE DON'T TAKE THEM AWAY!!!!!!

Figures, more fear-based people complaining about something. I suggest you all research and actually learn something. I have been around pits, sheppards, rotts, dobbies, wolf hybrids, and others all of my life. NOT one ever attacked me or anyone else. I as a 6 year old could walk all of them without my parents help. My parents were there to supervise because that's what RESPONSIBLE owners do. A 6 year old walking 4 dogs that were fully grown and not one problem. That tells you a lot. BAD owners make bad dogs. "Pitbills" are The U.S.'s number one search and rescue dog. The number one drug snifing dog. Sgt. Stubby the U.S.'s first american war hero. He was in the 102 infantry. He saved lives. Tell the vets that their Sgt is a monster and see how fast they tell you to take a walk. So many uneducated people whining. What i find ignorant is that the government makes leash laws but does nothing to inforce them, then blames the dog for what irresposible owners do. Pathetic. I'm not baffled by the ignorance people show for the simple fact is that its allowed. The government does nothing to correct or address the right issue just the lazy one. I have been attacked more by your tiny so-called cute dogs. Never once by a big dog. That there states irresponsible owners are the problem, NOT the "breed". Seek education before speaking, it only makes you look foolish and petty.

People need to really pull their heads out of their behinds. Go up to any dog owner and ask them if their dogs behavior is based on their ownership and parenting skills. The answer will most certainly always be YES. For Christ sake, look up the American Temperament Testing Society!! They're responsable for testing all breeds of dog for temperament. Guess what? All "Pit Bull type dogs" are among the highest scorers! It saddens me and breaks my heart that the most loving animals under the category of man's best friend experience the utmost abuse and bashing from those who have never had the chance to be in their company. WAKE UP WORLD. DON'T JUDGE UNTIL YOU KNOW!!!

Yes, the subject line above is directed at every uneducated person in the world screaming ban this breed. Irresponsible owners breed violent dogs. I have grown up with "pitbulls" rots, sheppards, dobs, wolf hybirds and NONE of them were ever violent. Pits ARE still the number one search and rescue dog, the number one drug sniffing dog. Oh and lets NOT forget the FIRST AMERICAN WAR DOG, Sgt. Stubby who was not only a "pitbull" but in the 102 infantry of the United States Army. Sgt Stubby earned his way up the ranks because of several reasons. 1.) He rescued injured soldiers by pulling them off of the battle field. 2.) He alerted the 102 infantry to enemy attacks before they could attack. 3.) He could raise his paw above eye brow level and saluted commanding officers. Petey from the little rascles was a pitbull. Oh and in England "pitbulls" are still what is called nanny dogs, they watch their owners children. Pitbulls have a great temperment. BAD owners create bad dogs. I truly pitty all of you uneducated people who believe the bs on the news. How about we round up all of you uneducated people and ban you from the U.S.? Does that sound fair? NO it don't, so none of you have any rights to tell others what breed of dog we are and are not allowed to have. I signed up to volunteer at a dog shelter. I was told not to get anywhere near this group because they were very aggressive. Of course they were all pitbulls. Funny from the moment I walked in there NOT one ever barked or growled at me. They were more terrified then anything, I petted them all. Nothing but very friendly and loving. Really shy and scared but loving and gentle. Goes to show who knows what. But they little tiny dogs were so aggressive they would of gladly taken a finger or two. I think you people are just sad and want something to control. I will gladly step up to fight against BSL's BS. Shame on all of you fear-based uneducated people. We should be going after those who train animals to be violent, after those who attack innocent dogs. Grow up people this isn't grade school or even high school for that matter. Truly you are pathetic.

american bulldog
american pit bull terrier
american staffordshire terrier
bull terrier
english bulldog
french bulldog
miniature bull terrier
old english bulldog
staffordshire bull terrier

you tell me now which breed is getting banned??? Im confused here.... everywhere i look on the internet says there is no specific breed so how can you ban "pit bulls"??
come to my house and tell me what mine are cause the vet says they are mixed breeds

I would go to court if you come to my house and tried to take my dogs Tom Landers and I would win. You say you have a problem with the leash law??? so you ban "pits"??
I would think you would just enforce the STATE LAW....

first of all CHARLES HAGGARD, FORMERM PIT BULL BREEDER should not ever have another dog in his entire life, "They can turn on you if you don't treat them right. Keeping them chained up, penned up is a good idea." Thats gotta be the most idiotic thing i have ever heard....especially coming from a so called breeder.... chaining any dog up is the worst thing you can do to them.... maybe if ya want to fight them.... second of all TOM LANDERS, CITY ADMINISTRATOR banning pit bulls????? many problems with this....first of all how can you ban a TYPE of dog not a specific breed??? Does pit bull include english bull dogs? staffordshire terriers, american bull dogs... pit bull terriers??? what about half breeds?? say a lab and staffordshire?? plus how can you tell if its full blooded?? are you TOM LANDERS, CITY ADMINISTRATOR gonna pay for the blood work to tell me my dog that i found as a stray or got from the shelter a full blooded TYPE of dog??? Hello??? Wake up South Pittsburg lets deal with real problem at hand.... PEOPLE!!! thats the problem If people cant control their dogs.... its the persons fault... if you train a dog to be aggressive its gonna be aggresive... it has nothing to with the breed..... with thinking like this from City officials... no wander the only thing their is firework stands......

THESE ARE MY GIRLS. VISCOUS, HUH?

A MUST READ....PIT BULLS

1.) Since 1998, the breed most involved in fatal attacks has been the **********(don't want to put any other breeds on the spot), not the Pit Bull.

2.) Although there are no accurate or even near accurate census records for dogs in the U.S., in some populations pit bulls are estimated to comprise some 30-40% of the dog population, making it by FAR the most popular breed. Considering that there are an estimated 53,000,000 dogs in the U.S., and assuming that pit bulls make up 20% of that population, there would be approximately 10,600,000 pit bulls in our society. In 1998, five pit bulls were involved in 2 fatal attacks.
That is roughly ONE dog out of 2,120,000 - or .00004716 percent of the pit bull Population.

3.) Over the 32-year period from 1965-2001, Pit Bulls have been blamed for/accused of an average of 2.48 human fatalities per year.

4.) About 40 people (children) per year die by drowning in 5-gallon water pails. A person, during their lifetime, is 16 times more likely to drown in a 5-gallon water pail than to be killed by a Pit Bull.

5.) Approximately 50 children in the US are killed every year by their cribs - 25 times the number of children and adults killed by Pit Bulls.

6.) Approximately 150 people are killed every year by falling coconuts. Therefore, you are more than 60 TIMES MORE LIKELY to be killed by a PALM TREE than a Pit Bull.

7.) Each year, 350 people drown in their bathtubs. You are 151 times more likely to be killed by your bathtub than you are by a Pit Bull.

8) Every year, more than 2,000 children in the U.S. are killed by their parents or guardians either through abuse or neglect. A child is more than 800 times more likely to be killed by their caretaker than by a Pit Bull.

9) It is estimated that 5,000,000 dogs per year are killed in shelters. Since in many places pit bulls make up 30-50% of the shelter population, and are less likely to be considered for placement than any other breed, guessing that 25% of those dogs killed are pit bulls is a very conservative estimate. Therefore, it can be assumed that roughly 1,250,000 pit bulls are killed per year. Therefore - it is at least a HALF MILLION TIMES MORE LIKELY that a Pit Bull will be killed by a HUMAN than the other way around.

10) The average Number of people killed by a Pit Bull each year is 3.

11) It can be estimated that for every Pit Bull who kills, there are 10.5 MILLION that DON'T!

This country wants to ban/destroy 10.5 million innocent dogs for the actions of 0.94% of its category?

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE MISCONCEPTION ABOUT PIT BULLS!!!
MANY WONDERFUL, SWEET DOGS ARE IN DANGER OF BEING KILLED!

I am so sick and tired of the Pitbull breed getting shot down everyone talking bad about them,they might as well be racist cause we all know they are ignorant they should just do us all a favor and purchase PITBULLS FOR DUMMIES and gain some knowledge for their ignorance and stupidity. And as for those journalist and publicity... do your research on pitbulls cause most of the attacks that you say were done by pitbulls were not acutal pitbulls!!!!!! 

Oh yea such a killer even santa is scared!!!

OMG!!! shes attacking my daughter with kisses

she is so aggressive towards other dogs (thats why she took in this stray pup)

It's the people controlling the breed. Or better yet, not controlling them.

These are pictures of my daughter and our rescued 9yro Pit Bull. She has her CGC,she has done therapy work and is a best friend to my daughter and me!

Her name is Chynna.

My husband and I decided to adopt a pit bull from our local shelter and she is a cherished member of our family. Our lives have revolved around her for 2 yrs now, so when people casually talk about banning pit bulls the idea both angers me and causes me no end of anxiety to think that the day could come where I would be forced to give up my dog for no other reasons but ignorance of the breed. It is ridiculous to label one breed of dog as aggressive or dangerous based on the actions of negligent dog owners. My pit bull is so affectionate that she wants to greet people and dogs while on our daily walks, and it is on these same walks that I have met numerous aggressive dogs (though most have been properly managed by their owners) in all shapes and sizes. Therefore, banning one breed will not prevent future dog bites from other dogs who have not been properly socialised. If anything a dog should be labeled as aggressive on a case by case basis - and the owners fined and jailed - so that the responsible bully owners like myself will not be discriminated against!

I have seven rescued dogs of Pit Bull heritage at my house. Many were abused and abandoned before they came to live with us. They range in age from 7 years to 1 year, and they are all WONDERFUL DOGS. My husband and I are senior citizens; we wouldn't fit the "profile" that many people have regarding the owners of these dogs. As so eloquently stated by many previous posters on this subject, to ban a breed of dog is discrimination, pure and simple. If any dog is shown to be aggressive towards humans, then measures should be taken to protect people from that dog. However, to blame a certain "breed" of dog is idiocy...and the result of people "buying into" all the media hype surrounding "incidents" having to do with a particular breed of dog. I live in a rural area of Maryland. I can tell you that if a breed ban was proposed in my town, I would retain legal counsel and we would fight for the right to have these dogs as part of our families, because that is what they are...they are FAMILY.

i got a BLACK LAB for christmas when i was little i always wanted a puppy. He was a very good dog but very aggresive towards people he didnt know. He has bit more than 5 of my friends when they would come in the house. He would even bite me and my mom when we would try to leave the house, every morn we would have to trick him to get out so he would not do that like run out the back door to get out. I have now moved out in to my own apt for a couple years the BLACK LAB still does the same thing we have to but him up in a room if my mom has friends come over. I got a pit bull he was about a year when i got him he slept with me everynight curled up with me i have never had to put him up in a room when i have friends come over or when im trying to leave the house and has never bit anybody. i have gotten another pit but was a pup when i got him hes now 7 mon. still the smartest dog i love pits i do think that the owners that do not control there dogs are to blame LOCK UP THE PEOPLE WHO TRAIN THERE DOGS TO FIGHT. but i do agree to get rid of the dogs that they are fighting but not pitts that are in good homes

ENOUGH SAID..... CHRISSY DIAZ

i think this is so stupid just b/c some thug decides to fight his pit bull doesnt mean all pit bulls are aggressive!!!! i think we have bigger problems then pit bulls what about CHILD MOLESTERS or RAPEST WHY DONT YOU BAN THEM !!!!!!! except you let them serve 6 yrs and they are roaming free !!!!! so why is this topic even here ppl need to be worried about the sick b@st@rds that our law keeps letting free ........ owner of 3 pits all big lap dogs and they love the farm life

As with any breed of dog, anyone can make a dog aggressive. It is a myth to make off the cuff comments about these dogs as having "steel Jaws" "jaws that lock". This is misguided information and it's costing these wonderful dogs their lives. It is precisely because this dog is so loving, so loyal and intelligent that horrible people are able to get them to do what they want in terms of aggression or fighting. A responsible dog owner knows how to work with their dog. They know how to protect their dog and work with people and other dogs. They know whether their dogs will be good with other dogs and if not they are RESPONSIBLE period. The situations you hear about in the media portray only the negative stories about pit bulls because the media likes to sensationalize. The stories you hear about are likely dogs that have been trained and abused into aggression. What about the countless pit bulls that are complete mushes? The pit bulls and Staffordshires who live up to the name "The Nanny Dog". Those of you with media contacts, please help to get those exceptional dogs out there in the news. This breed is being completely discriminated against and it is unfair. Pit bulls by nature are people loving dogs. to learn more about them, the real story visit Animal Farm Foundaton's website and PBRC/ Pit Bull Rescue Central.

Small town.. small brains.. small .. you know.. how stupid can you be.....

Ban Ignorance Not Breeds

Save The Pit Bull No On BSL 861 A nice poem i found on a dogster.com profile. Theres a lot of touching videos and information on dogster.com Just A dog From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog," or, "that's a lot of money for just a dog." They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a dog." Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog." Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day. If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise." "Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. "Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person. Because of "just a dog", I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future. So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment. "Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day. I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog", but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a man or woman." So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog" just smile... because they "just don't understand." by Richard Biby Here's the web link to this tribute - http://www.dogsinyc.us/JustADog.html Some more interesting links: http://www.stoppuppymills.org/index.html http://www.prisonersofgreed.org/ http://puppymillrescue.com/Prisoners.htm

THE ARE SO LOVING!! THEY DONT DESERVE TO BE BANNED BECAUSE OF OTHER PEOPLE STUPIDITY!!

I am a 26 year old male, currently I own 3 American Pit Bull Terriers, one is almost 2 years old another is 9 months and my other one is 12 weeks. I have had this breed and been around this breed exclusively for 7 years now. all of the dogs I have or had, have never harmed any one or even attempted to harm any one either a stranger or friend. They are all around a friendly, and loyal breed of dog. I am so sick of hearing they want to outlaw this certain type of dog, it truly disgusts me whenever I hear about it. Just like Humans some are good and some are bad but, the dogs that are bad are usually trained that way or it is from a lack of training and discipline. All APBT owners should take pride in owning this amazing breed and work towards getting this concept that all APBT's are bad and dangerous. lets get out there and socialize our dogs not just with other dogs but humans as well. Let's try to make a difference.

I own a 7 year old American Pit Bull Terrier, and throughout her entire life, she's been the sweetest dog! She's been through so much abuse from the time she was a puppy 'til I finally got her, and she still is loving! We have little babies who climb her and bite her tail, and she'll just lay there. I dare you to try and take my dog away.

What if they said we can't have your kind and your kid has to pay!!!! Think about it! You sick people leave pits alone!

If the comments before me can't persuade the lawmakers to get their heads out of their butts, I don't know what will. I had a foster who was an APBT mix. He was one of the best dogs I've ever had, and it broke my heart that I couldn't adopt him myself. He became protective of my house and my family, but I knew the proper way he needed to be introduced to new people in the house and he was fine. He never harmed another person or animal, and with that big Pittie smile of his it was impossible to have a bad day. At every feeding he would lick my hand before he would start eating. He was adopted by someone with a Lab mix and a cat. He and the cat sleep together. By the way, I was bitten in the face twice by my Cocker Spaniel, and almost choked to death by my St. Bernard. It wasn't their fault, though, it was my parents'. They didn't know better than to leave a small child alone with a dog, ANY dog. I've seen a German Shepherd who was severely beaten by his owner trying to make him mean, and when they didn't succeed, they tried to slit his throat to kill him. Do something about the dog owners. Don't ban specific breeds.

RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERS OF THE WESTERN STATES

Web Site http://www.povn.com/rdows e-mail rdows@povn.com e-mail list http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rdows

Cherie Graves, chairwoman, WA (509) 447-2821

Hermine Stover, secretary, press liaison, CA hermine@endangeredspecies.com

Arkansas Director, Roger Schnyer cajun9@sbcglobal.net

California Director, Jan Dykema bestuvall@sbcglobal.net

Nevada Director, Ken Sondej 4winds@viawest.net

Oklahoma Director, Jade Harris aadrlegislation@yahoo.com

Director at Large, Judy Schreiber-Dwornick chevalierbts@yahoo.com

Sandra Coy, chairwoman Responsible Dog Owners of the Eastern States rdoes1@yahoo.com

RDOWS UPDATED COMPILATION OF BANNED/RESTRICTED DOG BREEDS ã

The following list contains dog breeds, in alphabetical order, that are either banned from ownership, or restricted so as to make ownership more difficult than owning other breeds, in legislation either passed, proposed, or tabled in venues throughout the United States of America. The breeds are listed by name exactly as they appear in legislation. Redundancy, or misnaming is due to the wording of codes, and/or ordinances. Some breeds are named specifically, some breeds are included by physical description. All dogs are subject to being named.

Dog ownership is under a barrage of legislation that threatens its very existence. The chilling fact is that our dog laws in the United States of America are riddled with misinformation, urban myth, and blatant lies. Based upon the egregious fantacies of breed specific legislation, it does not give us much hope for the rest of America's laws beyond of the realm of dog legislation. We must ask ourselves, and our legislators if the rest of our laws are so horrifically flawed.

Breed specific legislation (BSL) sets a legal precedent that empowers the enacting body to add any or all other breeds of dogs, or domestic species, with no further public notice. Some breeds are included in so-called "pit bull" bans or restrictions. There is no breed of dog that is recognized by any registry as "pit bull" It is an umbrella term that covers twenty-five to thirty actual breeds. The term originated as a means to describe any dog whose owner fought it in the pit. It has expanded into a very broad, and erroneous legal usage.

Some breeds are named under "wolf-hybrid" bans or restrictions. Common theory was that all domestic dog breeds were developed from a proto-wolf ancestor. Now with the advent of the Canine Genome Project it is a fact proven by DNA that all domestic dog breeds were developed from canis familaris lupis, a sub-species of the gray wolf. Wolf-hybrid bans do, in fact, encompass all domestic breeds of dogs based upon DNA evidence.

Not one of these bans, or restrictions has made our cities, counties or municipalities safer. All dog owners should be treated equally under the law, and the public should be equally protected from all individual dogs under the law. Responsible Dog Owners of the Western States opposes breed specific legislation. RDOWS encourages the passage of Responsible Dog Owner Legislation that addresses the real problems, the irresponsible, or negligent dog owner. For a copy of RDOWS Model Dog Owner Regulations please contact any RDOWS state Director, or RDOWS.

1.AIREDALE TERRIER

2.AKBASH

3.AKITA

4.ALAPAHA BLUE BLOOD BULLDOG

5,ALASKAN MALAMUTE

6.ALSATIAN SHEPHERD

7.AMERICAN BULLDOG

8.AMERICAN HUSKY

9.AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER

10.AMERICAN STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER

11.AMERICAN WOLFDOG

12.ANATOLIAN SHEPHERD

13.ARIKARA DOG

14.AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOG

15.AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD

16.BELGIAN MALINOIS

17.BELGIAN SHEEPDOG

18.BELGIAN TURVUREN

19.BLUE HEELER

20.BOERBUL

21.BORZOI

22.BOSTON TERRIER

23.BOUVIER DES FLANDRES

24.BOXER

25.BULLDOG

26.BULL TERRIER

27.BULL MASTIFF

28.CANE CORSO

29.CATAHOULA LEOPARD DOG

30.CAUCASIAN SHEPHERD

31.CHINESE SHAR PEI

32.CHOW-CHOW

33.COLORADO DOG

34.DOBERMAN PINSCHER

35.DOGO DE ARGENTINO

36.DOGUE DE BORDEAUX

37.ENGLISH MASTIFFS

38.ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIEL

39.ESKIMO DOG

40.ESTRELA MOUNTAIN DOG

41.FILA BRASILIERO

42.FOX TERRIER

43.FRENCH BULLDOG

44.GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG

45.GOLDEN RETRIEVER

46.GREENLAND HUSKY

47.GREAT DANE

48.GREAT PYRANEES

49.ITALIAN MASTIFF

50.KANGAL DOG

51.KEESHOND

52.KOMONDOR

53.KOTEZEBUE HUSKY

54.KUVAZ

55.LABRADOR RETRIEVER

56.LEONBERGER

57.MASTIFF

58.NEOPOLITAN MASTIFF

59.NEWFOUNDLAND

60.OTTERHOUND

61.PRESA DE CANARIO

62.PRESA DE MALLORQUIN

63.PUG

64.ROTTWEILER

65.SAARLOOS WOLFHOND

66.SAINT BERNARD

67.SAMOYED

68.SCOTTISH DEERHOUND

69.SIBERIAN HUSKY

70.SPANISH MASTIFF

71.STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER

72.TIMBER SHEPHERD

73.TOSA INU

74.TUNDRA SHEPHERD

75.WOLF SPITZ

I will support the fight against BSL in a heartbeat. That is too bad that uneducated people can judge a specific breed if they never owned or even seen a pitbull. I have two pits Sangha and Revo (SanRevo Collars)one of which was abused and left to die. I rescused Sangha from the local humane socitey. He now has his Canine Good Citizen (CGC) and Therapy Dogs International, Inc. (TDI). When i go to institutions, facilities like hospital and nursing homes people do not even realize that its a pitbull until I inform them. Dogs behavior is reflected by their owners. The problem exists not within the breed of dog, but rather within the owners that fail to control, supervise, maintain and properly train the breed of dog they choose to keep. SO SCREW BSL. DONT BAD THE BREED, BAN BAD OWNERS. If you people would put half the efforts into learning and interacting with the breed , as you do trying to wipe them out. I bet you would have a change of heart. According to American Temperament Test Socienty, the only non-profit organization that titles dogs in Temperament Test (TT), of the "pit bull" and "pit bull type" dogs that attempted the test, between 84 and 91.5% passed (in order to pass the dog must complete all parts of the test according to the 3 judges). These dogs include American Pitbull Terrier (84.1%), American Staffordshire Terrier (83.9%), Staffordshire Bull Terrier (85.2%), and Bull Terrier (91.5%). The Rottweilers are also impressive with an almost 83% passing rate, as well as Boxers, 84.5%, and American Bulldogs with 83.1%. This evaluation of dogs that are tested based on normal occurrences during a walk in a city, tests the dog's natural behavior, and reaction to stimuli designed to test stability, shyness, aggressiveness, friendliness, and instict for protection. "Pitbulls" and "pitbull types" were and are not bred to be human-aggressive, and would fail the test if they showed aggression during the test, while as German Shepherd Dogs are allowed to show some protection, as they have been bred for this. More information can be found at http://www.atts.org First it was the Bloodhound, sensationalized in the dramatizations of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Then it was the Doberman Pinscher, symbol of the Nazi menace for a nation at war. Today, it is the Pit bull that is vilified for the depravity of his master. At perhaps no time in history has mankind been as ignorant of natural canine behavior as we find ourselves at the beginning of the 21st century. The human/dog bond—the most complex and profound inter-species relationship in the history of mankind—has now been reduced to a simple axiom: Breed of dog = degree of dangerousness. Today, police chase down fleeing Pit bulls in the street, firing dozens of wild shots in response to media-fed rumors of supernatural Pit bull abilities. Politician's coach and nurture this fear with their own brand of rhetoric used to assist in the passing of quick and ineffective legislation created to pacify communities ignorant of the real cause for dog attacks. Hundreds of animal shelters throughout the country kill all unclaimed Pit bull-looking dogs, as they are deemed "unadoptable" solely on their physical appearance. In a society unparalleled in its access to information and ability to control our natural environment, we now claim that we are unable to master our dogs. Unwilling to assume responsibility for the control and care of our canine companions, we instead hang entire breeds of dogs in effigy for the sins of their owners Breeds of dogs with greater protection instincts or an elevated prey-drive are often unfairly viewed as "aggressive or dangerous". No breed of dog is inherently vicious, as all breeds of dogs were created and are maintained exclusively to serve and co-exist with humans. The problem exists not within the breed of dog, but rather within the owners that fail to control, supervise, maintain and properly train the breed of dog they choose to keep. Any dog, regardless of breed, is only as dangerous as his/her owner allows it to be.

I'm happy to see that people are commenting to STOP the ban of pit bulls. I think it's outrageous to do such a thing. Like everyone else says, BAN THE OWNERS!!!!!

All I can say is that I dont go around banning your children, why you would ban mine?

CHARLES HAGGARD, FORMERM PIT BULL BREEDER "They can turn on you if you don't treat them right. Keeping them chained up, penned up is a good idea."

Regarding the comment above: This is the TYPE OF PIT BULL OWNER that makes the responsible owners look bad. If we could spay or neuter ignorant humans, most of society's problems, including dog problems, would be solved.

nuff said they are just the best

totally retarded, i could train a golden retriever to rip your face off, the problem in pittsburgh is that they fight these dogs, when these fighting dogs get loose, they hurt people, just like any dog would that was trained to do so, a responsible owner doesnt let there dog run free, there afriad something will happen to there dog, but if you dont care much about the dog except to fight it, then people care less, and if they run off, they usually just call it a loss and get another dog. This is justy an easy fix to make people shut up for awile, yea lets not crack down on the owners of these dogs or the illegal fights that take place, well just bann them all and the stupid public sheep will bahhahahaa in excitment of there false safehood, total propoganda and bullshit in my opinion. but what else should we expect from politicans n such, take the easy cheap way out, that way they have more money to give themselfs big fat raises, bunch of looser crooks.

I am a person who has the belief that any animal is dangerous. Taking dogs as an example, they have since the dawn of time slowly and surely been domesticated. But before they were domesticated they were wild animals, Wolves, foxes, coyotes, hyenas, and any other wild dog u can think of. Through a process of selective breeding , we have all the wonderful "Species " of dogs. Dogs are born with inbreed, and might i say almost prehistoric traits, and mannerisms. When it comes to a dog that is mean and that bites, its not the dogs fault or the breeds fault, i blame the owner. Take a look at most dog attacks and u will more than likely find an abusive or neglecting owner. All dogs have the capability to hurt people all the way down to a fricking chiauaha , they are some of the meanest dogs i have come across the difference is that when they bite they dont have much strength in thier jaw, and it is at a level of annoyance. A pitbull for example , has an extremly powerful jaw, its because of this that even if a dog thinks hes playing he will cause a child to cry if he takes a playful chomp. Our family golden retiever who is seven years old, takes playful chomps at me, he still thinks hes playingt like he did when he was a puppy. When he takes it to far i let him know, and he is right thier trying to lick my hands apolgizing, its the same with all dogs.The morale is that know your breed and what they are capable of, dont hit your dog (its never necessary you can get the same effect if not a better one buy just raising your voice), make sure your dog knows alot of people and is social with them, give your dog lots of attention, and make sur the dog knows he is at the bottom of the pecking order, too many owners let thier dogs push them around. This can easily be the case with pitbulls, they are big playful dogs, and some people just dont have the skills to keep a pit submissive. I used to have a doberman, and honestly, i found that he was way more protective of me and aggresive towards strange people than any other dog i have had, including pits. Every pit i have know have been sweet, playful, and social dogs. IT IS NOT THIER FAULT, its owners.

I personally feel that this entire topic is ridiculous. This breed has done nothing to society, however, society has wronged them time and again and we have stood by with ignorance and done nothing to stop this. Pit Bulls are not monsters which prey on the innocent in our society, they are dogs.....No more no less. Any dog can be turned uncontrollable and dangerous but they can not do it alone. The people who take an innocent puppy home and treat it maliciously and neglect it as well as abuse it should be banned. I raised my children with two loving Pit Bulls that we had for 13 years. As babies my children took food from thier mouths, pulled thier tails and certainly wreaked havoc on these two incredible dogs but never once did they even utter a growl, they loved my children as much as they loved me and I was very blessed to have them as a part of my family. My son was born disabled and had many troubled nights for which my dogs were not only present for but they sat watch night after night over my sweet boy ready to alert me to any of his needs, I could sleep because they did not. Through the years they consoled my children when they were upset, layed with them and watched TV, made sure that noone approached them while playing in the yard, learned tricks just to please them and ultimately became their guardians as well as their friends. They were friendly over sized babies, everyone that had ever met them loved them and they were particulary fond of children. Pit Bulls are one of the few breeds that I have ever been around that are intelligent enough to know that they have to slow down and be careful with babies and small children, isn't that amazing? My two Pit Bulls died of old age after having lived a long and happy life as a postive part of this society, now years later I have two more Pit Bulls because my life was sad without my two best friends. They are a joy in my life and for those of you that are so against this breed I sure wish you could be at my house when my 2 year old neighbor comes to play with what she calls "the puppies". The puppies are both more than 70 pounds at this point and they so look forward to her visits, they did not have the opportunity to have children in the house as my boys have since grown up and are gone alot in their teenage years. My dogs names are Justice and Outlaw and I would certainly love for some of these "breed haters" to be able to meet them and see for themselves what beautiful, sweet, loving animals they are. I think that we should ban this ban and then move onto making laws that stop ignorant people from abusing these amazing animals, which of course is the real issue and when we are finished maybe we could put the spotlight on some of the smaller, testy, impatient breeds who bite children as well as adults daily for no apparent reason other than the fact that they are just "nervous" breeds. I do understand that "the ankle biters" are not "scary" looking and for that they do not make the news but I just wanted to put it out there that they bite people DAILY for no reason and they are indeed highly agressive yet somehow these more than millions of incidents never make the news but on the VERY RARE occasion that a Pit Bull who has either been raised by abusers or provoked horribly, does bite, the media is on top of it within seconds, it infuriates me. I suppose ignorance is indeed bliss but only for those that are ignorant. I suppose that a vast majority of people in our country truly "cannot see the forest for the trees". It is a sad and truly horrifying thought. I for one will have my two pit bulls until they pass on to the other side of old age and I may even own more along the way. What about this new law, you ask? If somehow this law is passed and and continues to be passed from state to state, I must admit although I have never broken the law, that I will stand by my friends and never give them up so that the uninformed in this world can sleep better at night. This will turn many law abiding citizens into criminals. I, for one, am willing to become one to protect these amazing animlas who have loved me unconditionally and protected myself and my family without question because they are the most amazing, dependable, loving, forgiving, sweet, caring, intelligent friends that I have ever had the pleasure of including in my family. I will end this by saying to those of you that support this ban "Please research this subject, dig deeper, gain some actual knowledge and then make an informed decision, do not vote to take precious lives without having your facts straight"

I BET THE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO BAN THIS LOYAL LOVING BREED CAN'T EVEN PIC THE RIGHT DOG ON THIS WEBSITE http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html MY PICS R KINDS BIG BUT THATS THE POINT!

You can ban them, if we can do to the idiot owner what they did to their dog. These dogs are not mean unless you make them that way.
If the idiots making these laws knew anything about dogs period, they would know that! Maybe the over paid politicians should make stiffer laws against animal cruelty because those are the humans comitting the human crimes in the first place!
Try learning something about dogs before you ban a breed!
I say NO to banning any breed!

maybe make a age limit to own the breed but to ban them is a form of racism. theres alot of africans and hispanics in prison. Are you gonna ban us next? Pit bulls arent even at the top of the list for attacks. The title for strongest jaws from a k9 is a wrottweiler. Pete from the little rascals was a pit bull who was always surrounded by a gang of kids.Explain that. nobody even heard about pete chomping down on spankys fat ass. So lets be reasonable people

You people are going to cause the extinction of a breed. It's not the dog breed thats the problem, it's the fact that the wrong owners get a hold of them. A ban isn't going to SOLVE ANYTHING. They'll just get an even more aggressive dog breed. Or take an non aggressive one and turn them into aggressors.

Personally the most aggressive dog breed I've run into were Poodles, or really small dogs, like Chihuahuas. I've never ran into an aggressive Pit, and I know a LOT of them. I own one. She's one of the sweetest dogs I've EVER owned and is just a big baby. She thinks she's a lap dog at times, lol. She gets along with the other dog, DJ, who is probably going to pass away soon. We would be devastated if we would have to loose both of them due to some ignorant ban, for it is ignorance. You people writing this article and others like you look ignorant. Uneducated.

Don't just ask one breeder then move on. You need to interview more people, like owners. You look like you're trying to spread propaganda against the breed.

I think that would be a more suitable choice rather than banning a breed that has served no real danger to anyone. The real danger is idiots who feel that fighting, abusing, and training their dogs to be mad is alright. It's not the dog's fault that their owner has a screw loose in their head. Pit Bulls are just as good of a dog as the rest, maybe even better. If people sre going to have a fit and ban this wonderful breed of dog, then they need to ban them all, which is just as stupid!!Find a new hobby.......

DON'T KILL MY PET BECAUSE SOME JACK ASS DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO TREAT HIS. OWNING A DOG IS A RESPONSIBILITY, ANY DOG. MOST AGGRESION FROM DOGS IS A REFLECTION OF THERE OWNERS CAREGIVING OR LACK THERE OF. SAD, PIT BULLS IN MY EYES ARE THE MOST LOYAL OF DOGS AND THATS WHY I OWN ONE, ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS PLEASE THEIR MASTER. DOGS ARE TOUGHT WRONG FROM RIGHT AND NOT TO BITE!

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I have a background in dog training specializing in aggresion and behavioral problems and have a certificate in canine behavior. I am also a veterinary technician. I am the proud owner of 3 Pit Bulls and 2 Great Danes. My dogs are all show dogs and very well trained, socialized and friendly. My 2 year old nephew hangs all over them. At the vet hospital I work at we very rarely have an aggressive pit bull. We have countless mixed breeds who we have to muzzle, and no, not pit mixes. We have countless Dachshunds, Jack Russels and other terriers, poodles, chihuahuas and other dogs who we cannot get near without sedation. The pit bulls always come in with heads high, tails wagging and tongues licking every face they can get to. If you would do your research, pit bulls were never intended to be human aggressive, were never bred to be guard dogs and to this day a pit bull that is aggressive towards humans is completely uncharacteristic of the breed. They were originally bred to be family dogs, a childs pet. They were bred to be animal aggressive as they were used as catch dogs for hunting...as were many dogs like Great Danes(a breed which by the way was banned in the early 1900's for being too agressive and now are known for being big friendly couch potatoes), Ridgebacks, and a number of other breeds. The dog trainer I worked for previously handled a lot of aggression cases and less than a quater of them were pit bulls or pit mixes. The only dog that we ever told the owner to euthanize do to unresolvable aggression was a yellow lab. Yes, a Lab. Any dog can bite. Anything with teeth is capable of breaking skin. Pit bulls are no more prone to human aggresion than a lab, golden retriever or poodle. My dogs have never shown aggression towards any person or animals. As long as any dog receives the proper care, training and most importantly socialization, they will be good dogs. You keep any breed of dog on a chain with no training or socialization, you will create a monster. All BSL does is punish those of us who responsibly keep our dogs and encourage those who illegally hide and raise fighting dogs or aggressive dogs. BSL will create more of an underground fighting/breeding world. If you breed aggressive dogs(ie the fighting dog lines)you will create aggressive puppies. It is not those ofus who raise our dogs properly, show them and train them who are creating aggressive dogs. If a dog growls in the show ring, it is dismissed. You cannot show aggressive dogs so why would we breed them? Fighting lines an show lines are so far removed they should be considered different breeds all together. The temperaments and a lot of times, the appearance of the dogs from these different lines are very different. The focus should be on the fighting world which is NOT at all limited to pit bulls because the dogs you see at shows and you see walking on the streets are not the problem. It's the dogs that live kenneled/chained/tied in basements, garages and out in the woods that are the problem...and more importantly, it is the people who put them there who should be banned.

ok well i really dislike the fact that all people can talk about is the fact that pitbulls are mean and aggressive. wrong!! i have owned many pitbulls in my liftime and all of them were as sweet as the next dog. people wont to talk about how rottwilers and german shepards are, but they are just as aggressive as pitbulls. i have a 1 year old pit right know that sleeps and plays with my 2lb pom. they love each other. when taken care of and treated like a part of the family they are wonderfull. ive always believed that the owner of the dog should be at fault not the dog..so please do not ban this wonderful breed...

Banning a breed (and pitbull isnt a breed) is not going to take care of the irresponsible owners. Punish irresponisble owners is the only way that will solve the problems. Also the statement about a dog turning on its owners for no reason is just ridicolous! Dogs have a very very good reason for biting. Also tying up dogs just leads to unsocialized dogs who in turn might bite. I used to work for a vet and I got bit a few times by SMALL DOGS LIKE MIN POODLES, MALTESE, CHIS!!!! never pitties, rotties, dobies. Which breed are you planning on banning next? Trust me it won't stop with just pitbulls! If pitbulls get banned it will eventually have all dogs banned!!!

Pitbulls are just like anyother dog it's not the breed it's the owners I have two rednose pitbulls and they are the sweetest dogs you could ever have and they are less harmless then a little chihuahua.... Those little suckers will chase you down the street and terrorize your little kids are those next on the list of dogs to be banned..... or are german shepards who attacked my little brother when he was five next.... Or how about poodles those are orignally hunting dogs are those gonna be deemed dangerous next, or how about jack russells those attack anything that is small and I have two that live across the street and chase me into my car every morning.... The list can go on and on this is the stupidest idea i've heard of yet and you can best believe that is this goes throught there will be anarchy to follow.... Pitbulls make good family dogs if you raise them that way my brother has two blue-nose pits and one toddler, one infant and one new born and I would leave a my pitbulls in charge of protecting those children than anyother dog they are a very loyal breed and shouldn't be punished for that....

I absolutely disagree with the Ban. I'm completely baffled by the ignorance people can show about a race or a breed. Didn't we learn our lesson when we were taught not to judge based on the color of one's skin??? I have had my pitbull for about a year and I love him so much. He's so sweet! I have friends with dogs of other breeds and their dogs do not come close to mine on training, friendliness, and loyalty. My pit has always been extremely smart, he's a quick learner and he's a total mama's boy. He's also ALWAYS been told no bite, as a puppy, all breeds do that ans we all know it. But, as he has aged he now knows that biting is not ok. I volunteer at a pet rescue and there is a shih tzu there. There's also a pit mix. He's the sweetest dog, easy to take care of, walks well on the leash. The Shih Tzu, on the other hand, can only be handled by certain people because he bites. Tell me how it makes sense to ban a Pitbull then??? It's time to start holding the owners responsible! People like Michael Vick are getting away with abusive behavior to a great breed. And the only answer anyone can come up with is to ban the breed??? That makes absolutely no sense. Pull your head out of your butt and re-evaluate the punishment abusive pet owners are receiving. In Vick's case, it doens't sound like any.

Don't they look vicious? COME ON...

DO NOT BAN! IM AGAINST THE BAN! BANNING/KILLING A PET IS THE SAME AS MURDERING A FAMILY MEMBER OR FRIEND! NO ANIMAL SHOULD BE BANNED BEACAUSE OF THEIR REPUTATION! STOP WASTING MONEY ON EUTHANASIA AND PUT IT TOWARD THE CAPTURE AND CONVICTION OF THE FLIPPIN IDIOTS THAT ABUSE, AND MISTREAT THIS LOVEABLE, LOYAL, COMPANION. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO GAVE PITBULLS A BAD NAME IN THE FIRST PLACE. YOU COULD TRAIN ANY DOG TO ATTACK. ANY DOG!!!

this is rediculous I am 19 years old and as a child growing up with two younger siblings my parents bought a pit bull and he was the most friendly dog that i have ever met we got him as a puppy right around the time my little sister was born and they grew up together she would play with him like he was your typical GOLDEN RETRIEVER and NEVER NOT EVEN ONCE DID HE EVER GROWL SNAP OR BITE ANY OF US. it is not the dog but merely how it is raised! about three years after we got our first pitbull our cousin was getting rid of his which he used as a guard dog at his garage and she was a little fiesty at first but she calmed down and was just as nice and pleasant with us as our male pitbull... and they had puppies alot of them and even then she was still not territorial or did she misbehave in any way!
to ban just one breed of dog is rediculous yes they may be very strong fierce dogs to those who want them to be that way but with a little love and care they could be your most gentle dog.. my dog was afraid of the cats and squirrels that ran by our back door! when we had to get rid of them it broke my heart because i know so many people believe that these dogs are so mean and that all they do is hurt people but its not true yes you do have your people who train them to be fighters or to be mean but they are not allthis way!

Like many of these people already said it's the OWNER not the dog.I have 4 kids and own a pit-bull she protects my kids and my family.She has never ever shown any signs of aggression EVER.As I sit here and cry while I type this it the flipping owner.I have alot of friends with pit-bulls and they have never had problem with there dogs and they are all around children.I have been bit by a dog and it wasn't a pit-bull it was a little dog.To everyone that is affraid of these dogs you need to get the know the dog before you judge these loving dogs.I know this little girl who stepped to a dogs tail.It was her uncles dog and when she did the dog mauled her face leaving this little girl to have to go through plastic surgery's not just one but a few.Would u belive it never ended up in the newspaper or on the news.The dog was a chowchow mix NOT A PIT-BULL.The little girl was 3 years old.BUT everytime a pit-bull does the littlest thing like try to play with someone its ALL OVER the NEWS making it look like the dog was going to kill them.We had a lady form where i'm from do that.It pissed me off like you would not belive.So people please think before you do a horrible thing as to put these loving animals to rest in the worst way. WE LOVE OUR PIT-BULLS!!!!!!!!

First off it will never work. You have LOYAL pit bull lovers all over the world, that will never go for it. Most of the true pit bull lovers will move out of the state before they give up their Pit Bulls for anyone. Second even if it goes through, people will not listen to it and still keep their pit bulls. There are so many breeds of pit bulls that no one will be able to regulate who has a pit and who dont. Hell I can pass mine as a Cane Corso and no one would ever know the difference. It's how you raise the animal be it a pit bull or a yorkie. If you treat the dog badly it will react badly. Therefore we should figure out how to punish the owners that are not taking care of their animals, pit bulls or otherwise. Punish the ones that breed the animal to bite and fight, not the ones that PROTECT their families, and are loyal and good loving dogs. I VOTE NO WAY!!!!!!!!

I have been around pit bulls since i was a little girl none of them have been mean to me.So to everyone stop talking if you never had a dog bite you then grow up cuz they are not all mean only if you bring them up like that they will be mean.So think back.

i been with pitbull's since i been a kid and i never had any kind of trouble with them .soo why do they all got to die?there are so many good pits every were .just becuz one is mean does not mean all are

Such an intelligent breed should not be punished for others mistakes in rasing and training. If they should be banned then so should a gun!!!

Proud pit owner

I've had APBT for about 7 yrs now and have NEVER had any problems. They are also great with my 6yr old son. When he was 3 - a Jack Russel bit him in the face and he had to be rushed to the emergency room to get stitches. Was this incident on the 9:00 News? You bet not but if that had been one of my pits - you already know........
These dogs can do no right in the public eye - these dogs have been targeted and it is not fair to these dogs. It is the stupidity of owners who have pitbulls because it's "cool" and just get them and keep them chained in the back yard with no love and attention. Any dog without proper socialization can be aggressive. Anyone who knows anything about pitbulls knows it is not in their nature to be human aggressive. Punish the owners & not the breed.

I think Its wrong to ban ANY dog.If any thing make super stiff penaltys for leash laws and so on.This is just unfair.I have owned AMERICAN pit bull terriers for a long time and they never bit any one.Now would that be fair for you to come to my house and take my dogs for someone else's mistakes?
One more thing when you guys talk of banning these dogs Make sure you get their name right AMERICAN PIT BULLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Travis Mandli

"Those dogs"! What about "those dogs owners" who do not
take reponsibility for their dogs. NO DOG should run loose. What about the leash law--why is it not inforced. Why does every town that has a dog problem automatically ban specific breeds. Why not just pick up the dogs that are running free and causing the problems. If you do that then the problem dog's owner must pay to make it right not any dog. And dogs who "rip kids faces off" are not the problem. IT IS THE OWNERS OF THOSE DOGS WHO ARE THE PROBLEM!!!!! Once you put a dog who has killed down their owners just go out and get another dog to ruin. Stop being stupid and really look at the problem and solve the problem instead of banning specific breeds. BAN SPECIFIC OWNERS FROM EVER OWNING A DOG AGAIN.

you cant blame the breed . blame the irresponsible people who chain their animals up for months/years on end and make them the way they are. ive worked in many rescue centres and seen all kinds of breeds of dog who are dangerous. pitbulls are no more dangerous than a chihuahua whos been badly treated. why dont you people try and solve the real problem instead of always blaming the innocent? and for your info: pitbulls are not number one on the list for killing people either, they are just the ones who get the most publicity from it.

I don't know where you found Charles Haggard, the formerm(sic) pit bull breeder, but he clearly doesn't know much about dogs in general, or the group of dogs called pit bulls, in particular. Also, your reporter clearly doesn't know much, or he wouldn't have quoted Haggard. Chaining and penning dogs leads to unsocialized, territorial dogs - and those dogs, no matter what breed, tend to bite. My wife and I run a bully breed rescue outside of St. Louis: we have had plenty of experiences with good and bad dogs of various breeds. My worst bite was from a Basenji mix and I've never been bitten by one of the rescued pitties. This whole mania was started and is fueled by yellow journalism. If you really want to do some good, get leash laws enforced, get dangerous dog laws passed, etc. Banning one group of dogs is not the answer.