The Akita experiment so far

Our Akita just turned 3 years old. 

She came from a line bred "for mass and temperament", and she is calm and good natured. I've been told that she's "really nice for an Akita". She's a big baby with the family, and fairly tolerant of people in general. She's good with dogs she knows well, and although strange dogs need to be on their best behavior when meeting her, she's never seriously hurt another dog, though she obviously could.

She does seem to view cats, squirrels, rabbits etc as prey, and so she never leaves the property without being under my control. If she'd been raised with cats, she might view them differently, as others who raised Akitas in a household with cats have reported peaceful coexistence.

I can't stress strongly enough that a dog like her is not for everyone. She's incredibly strong, and cat quick, and I credit her for getting me back into somewhat reasonable shape, as she simply must have our walk/run daily, regardless of weather or temperature.

She's not an easy dog, she's not like a lab, a golden or a poodle. But for those who can love primitive beauties like her, they make a very stout and faithful companion.

Voices of the victims - one family's story

About three years after being attacked by a pit bull, our Poodle died. After the attack, she was never the same. She experienced seizures and never jumped or ran and played again.

The night of the attack, after coming home from the Vet, I woke up at 3 am-ish to find her seemingly frozen solid. I put my hand on her body and did not feel a heartbeat or a breath. I panicked thinking she was dead and was dreading waking my wife to tell her. Instead, she opened her eyes, took a breathe and came back to life.

She never played, or ran, or jumped again. It felt like she had aged 10 years in one night.

My wife is heartbroken but I know we did everything we could to make her ending great.

I beat that pitbull in the head with a brick and I saved m dog's life and I am now a strong believer in the Pit Bull abolishment movement.

In happier times

Protect and love your babies. Their lives are short and should be amazing.

Canine genetics are real

When we brought home our 8 week old Akita puppy, a meek little 16 pound ball of fur, our senior chihuahua mixes ran out, barking, to investigate. The Akita pup hid under the car from them.

For her first 6 months, if anyone spoke to her, she would pee. She was subservient and mild mannered. We raised her with love and care, socializing her daily, meeting new people and new dogs every day under safe and pleasant circumstances. In other words, she was raised in a way that will surely result in a docile, friendly dog, according to the current fur-mom theories.

Fast forward 2 years - our now 100 pound Akita has become a strong, calm, confident dog.

While still very sweet towards her human pack, she's not so sweet when meeting a new dog. It's always a question - will she like the other dog, or not?  If she doesn't like them, that other dog is on very thin ice.

Just to be clear, she's fine with dogs that she grew up with.

But now we have to be very careful with introductions. I've seen her not liking a dog and it can be kind of a big deal - and beyond that, anything else that moves really brings out her prey drive. So, despite all our careful socialization, she has turned into this hard edgy primitive canine, at least when it comes to other animals - or strangers.

None of this comes as a surprise to those knowledgeable of the breed. It's standard behavior. Nothing in how we raised her has anything to do with these breed specific behaviors.

In other words, the old "it's all in how you raise them" turns out to be a myth. The genetic aspect turns out to be a far more important factor.

Of course, this is nothing new - pointers point, retrievers retrieve, shepherds herd, guardians guard, hunters hunt...

And bloodsport dogs do bloodsport:

Innocence lost: before and after encounter with pit bull

Dog fighters have selectively bred generations of pit bulls to view dogs as targets, to give no signal of their intent to attack, to launch a sustained, relentless attack, despite injury suffered, and to continue the attack regardless of whether the victim fights back, submits, cries, or tries to run away.

True to their genetic heritage, loose "family pit bulls" kill tens of thousands of pets and farm animals every year, and many of those pets were killed in their own yards, or even in their own houses, where they should have been safe.

Innocent dog savaged in a pit bull home invasion. She did not survive

While pit bulls are known for their animal aggression, it's worth noting that pit bulls have also killed more Americans than any other breed, in every single decade since 1851. In recent years, pit bulls have been killing vulnerable humans at 3-4 times the rate of all other  breeds combined. None of these facts have anything whatsoever to do with how the pit bulls were raised, or treated.

Another unusual pit bull characteristic is the penchant for maiming, disfiguring or killing their human companions. About half of all fatal pit bull attacks target their owners or other family members - something that would be unthinkable for any dog breed that wasn't created specifically for cruelty and violence.

Given these facts, how can anyone insist with a straight face that "it's all in how you raise them" - that they could literally love away, or train away, the very stubborn genetic imperatives of a type of dog which is the product of centuries of careful selective breeding to enjoy torturing and killing animals for sport?

Pit bull, happy and relaxed after doing what it was bred to do.

I'm looking at you, pit bull activists.

Yet another pit activist gets an education

The pain, terror and suffering inflicted by pit bull activists continues to escalate, as they ramp up their activism in denial of history and genetic science.

Inevitably, a number of these pit activists will have a rude awakening, in the form of an ugly confrontation  with reality. Sadly, it is often other innocent parties who pay the price for these costly life lessons.

Our focus today is a recent Facebook post, from the group "Our Pets Were Attacked By Pit Bulls" which we highly recommend for anyone wanting to know what's going on in our communities.

So, a pit bull activist posted video of their newly adopted pit bull "smashing stereotypes" by sitting next to a kitten without killing it. She smugly declared "This is so funny! This is exactly how it is with Maggie and Max vs my pit bull Kali (laugh emojis) Pits aren't as scary as their rep"

A few weeks later, the inevitable happened: a type of dog which was the result of centuries of careful selective breeding to enjoy bloodsport, did what it's genetic blueprint dictated, and innocent blood was shed for fun:

Having seen what pit bulls were bred to do and to be, what action does this pit activist take? Does she have the killer put down, to avoid any further horror?

No, she simply laughs off the purpose-bred cruelty of the pit bull as "some quirks", and tries to make the "quirky" pibble someone else's problem.

This is the sort of deadly imbecility we as a society are facing.

References -

The Facebook Link
The Reddit Link

Ode to a beloved pet, murdered by a pit bull

There's a little movie that plays 'round and 'round,

Replays every scream, each and every sound,Not always in order: surreal, Kafkaesque,The three weeks I spent waiting for death.

Spanning two Mondays, and then several months more,Waiting for justice, and peace to restore.It's a story of the cruelty of hope,And if justice and sanity reigns...nope.

The stain that was left on the wall,The place where he finally died in the hall,And the last bit of warmth shared to me,Was a stream of pee,On my kackis knee,And I didn't care,My dog's eyes locked in a stare. 

And how I rocked holding him, and cried:Why Why WHY?And I caressed those velvet ears once more,And wept until sore,Before I went next doorto implore"Would you be a willing pallbearer?"And I took some scissors, and cut a bit of hair.And I put it away in a filigree box,A piece of my friend, his coppery locks.

I remember the drive with his body in the back of my car,To the place where we had our last au revoir.There's the blanket, his shroud, to remember him by, And a kind man met me at the gate, and gave me a few more minutes for a final goodbye. 

Then passed a few weeks,

and I got the call to pick him up....

all of him

in a little wooden box.

My once private refuge, my sacred garden, 
Is now unhallowed ground, my heart can't seem to pardon, So there's the slow death of flowers that bloomed,Instead of life..... something else loomed,

There's still a stain on the floor,There's a hole ripped in the door,My other dog did that, while I locked her away,It was she who alerted me to the fray,The one who was silent, and thrown on his backBy a granite- like beast steadfast in attack,The rest of the pack bayed, but did not join in,The owner who said nothing, but wore a proud shifty grin,And neighbors with shovels, golf clubs, and hoes,So it plays out of order, and that's how it goes.

Sometimes, the movie just starts on its own,I can be miles and miles away from my home,Something triggers the rolling of picture frames,A sound, a recounting, something looks just the same.The resulting ostinato, like the needle caught in a record's groove,My heart is racing, I can't breathe, I can't move.

I return to that time and place, with the notion,Paralyzed by the images spinning in motion.

The movie that is easily triggered to play.Inscribed in my memory, Memorial day.Plays again, each time I see that ugly head,I pass by its home, and I have to dread,If it will be him, through the screened door, I spyIf for some reason, I have to pass by,And it roars a primeval and terrible sound,And again, that damn movie, goes 'round and 'round.

This is dedicated to anyone who was privy to watching a pit bull attack, perhaps you have been told "Just Get Over It". There's an ever expanding community of us who understand.

Dog attack report - 2018 final

North America closed out 2018 with 40 fatalities from dog attacks, 31 of which were committed by pit bulls. (status updated due to corrections of old cases)

In addition to the fatal maulings, 623 North Americans were maimed or disfigured for life by pit bulls. It's important to note that even if someone is not mauled to death in a pit bull attack, their lives and the lives of their families are often irrevocably changed.

The elephant in the room, the thing nobody nobody wants to talk about, is the number of innocent pets and farm animals tortured to death every single day by loose pit bulls. It adds up to tens of thousands per year. And those animals who survive pit bull attacks are often never the same again -

Can we blame pit bulls? Dick Johnson weighs in: "That depends on how you define blame. We certainly can't pretend this bloodbath isn't happening. But on the other hand, pit bulls are simply doing what the breed was designed to do - nothing more, and nothing less. So the fault for this slaughter falls on those who insist on trafficking pit bulls into unsuspecting communities."

More alarmingly, the trends are getting worse. While pit bulls have killed more Americans than any other breed in every decade since 1851, in recent years pit bulls are killing more Americans than all other breeds combined, but a large margin. We will detail the breed distribution in a subsequent article.

In 2018, pit bulls and pit mixes killed over 3 times as many Americans as all other breeds combined. It's not from being starved, beaten or mistreated, as pit bull activists are quick to claim after every horrific pit bull attack. Do retrievers need to be starved, beaten and mistreated to make them retrieve? Do pointers have to be starved, beaten or mistreated to make them point? Of course not. So why the absurd claim that a purpose bred bloodsport dog needs to be starved, beaten and mistreated to make them do bloodsport?

Some naive pit bull activists will say, "my pit bull wasn't bred for bloodsport", which is fallacious. One might as well say, "I didn't raise this caucasian shepherd to guard my house" - it doesn't matter what purpose you think you bred it or raised it for, genetics will manifest. As the dog matures, it will begin manifesting it's genetic imperative, whether than be herding, pointing, retrieving, guarding - or bloodsport.

It's high time for real consequences. Those who traffic pit bulls into their communities need to be held strictly accountable for any violence done by those pit bulls. No token fines, or vaccination tickets. There must be heavy financial penalties, and jail time must certainly be on the table.  Attacking pit bulls need to be put down, no exception, and the owners and other responsible parties need to be targeted financially, and with prison time as appropriate.


References -

PDF of 2018 cumulative figures
Pit bulls killed 30 times more animals than human sadists
Animals 24-7 2018 dog attack report
DBO 2018 dog fatalities report
Dick Johnson, life coach and victim's advocate

Report from the trenches: Holiday edition

Pit bulls are ruining the quality of life in our communities.

We've decided to keep the identity of this person anonymous, for their own sake, but their experience resonates with that of millions -  

My experience with these hideous blood sport breeds started in 2004 and has been non stop bad experience after bad experience. 

I have been attacked three times, family has been attacked, there have been multiple extreme attacks on community members within a 100' of my home, there have been multiple extreme attacks and multiple human fatalities with an hour's drive of my home, there have been multiple Pit Bull attacks on dogs and cats near me, my own dog was attacked three time in front of my house, my dogs have been attacked in public in parks, etc., too many times to count, my cats and my community cats have been mauled or killed, my favorite dog park was shut down due to the huge number of Pit Bull attacks and I am sure I have left out quite a bit.

I have had to change my entire life style. I have to keep weaponry on my porch to protect from the next Pit attack, be it on me or my loved ones or a passerby. I have not walked my community in six years. I am a very active person and love to walk and hike or jog. Not being able to step out my door when I have a spare hour and take a quick walk or run has had a major impact on me. I have had to quit running. Having to load up my dogs in a car to drive somewhere safe takes a toll on time I don't have. Having to keep multiple dogs to protect me and them from a Pit Bull attack is not something I ever wanted to do, but feel a need to do. None of the joys in my life are simple anymore, it is all about keeping me and my loved ones safe from the next Pit Bull attack. 

The worst part is the venom and hatred spewed by Pit Bull supporters at victims of their hideous breed AND the tolerance of others for these haters. Who would ridicule and mock a rape victim, child abuse victim, or survivors of somebody that has been murdered and do so with the blessing of society as a whole? Yet it happens all the time with Pit Bull attack victims. 

My catharsis is to shout it from the roof tops, educate and inform people, expose these hideous monsters and the breed they love, and to provide a safe place for others to come to learn about the breed to give them the information they need to be effective in fighting this plague at any level of government, among family, friends, and / or coworkers, or where ever a need presents itself.

RIP sweet puppy - one of many pit bull victims

One of many reports on Facebook - 

About 6 years ago i got my babygirl a baby puppy for christmas... a little itty bitty white puppy... who she named Puppy💗 who was her best friend her baby her everything....

& last night he got attacked by a pitbull 😞 so they rushed him to emergency .... & there was nothing they could do for him..  he was hurt internally too bad for them to do anything 😞 so they had to euthanize him ☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️ my poor babygirl 💔💔


For more info -
FB Group - Our pets were attacked by pit bulls

Tears for Prada

There is an epidemic of animal abuse, and it's taking place in American communities, where 100 to 200 innocent pets are violently killed by pit bulls every day. Each of these victims has their own story. This is about Prada, but her story is hauntingly familiar to many thousands of bereaved pet owners.

Prada, a therapy dog who helped her family though times of loss and sadness, loved them unconditionally. She truly loved, and was loved.

That was tragically cut short when she was let into her yard, and within seconds, the neighbor's pit bull had set on her her with ferocity and cruelty, as the pit bull owners next door watched the massacre and listened to her screams.

As is virtually always the case, neither the killer, not the people who had inflicted the horror show on their community, faced any consequences whatsoever. The bereaved owner was left to bury their beloved, and grieve.

The killer shouldn't even have been alive, as it had already attacked another pet 2 weeks earlier. Animal control had done nothing about it, a common response to pit bull attacks. At some point, we have to ask - what is it going to take, to begin holding accountable those responsible for crimes like these?

Rest in peace, baby girl. You are sorely missed.

An informative new video on pit bulls

Check out this informative and fact filled video by Brittany Venti -

The Pit problem

She makes excellent points and covers the popular pro-pit talking points.

RIP sweet Bella

On August 26, 2017, around 7:30/8:00 a.m., my 10 year old Chihuahua Pomeranian mix, Bella, was tragically mauled to death by a Pitbull at large. The Pitbull attacked Bella and would not let her go despite numerous attempts by myself and my neighbour to try and release Bella from the Pitbull's grasp.

The Pitbull would just re-lunge and bite harder and could not care less that we were yelling and pulling and hitting and trying to release its jaw off of Bella. The Pitbull chewed on Bella for half an hour and made her suffer tremendously. There obviously was no muzzle and there was no collar or leash on the Pitbull.
Animal Protective Services is in the midst of an investigation and are determining whether the Pitbull should be euthanized and whether charges should be laid against the owner. I will be pursuing legal action against the owner as well, as Bella suffered tremendously, the Pitbull was not contained properly, the Pitbull was at large, the Pitbull entered my yard and attacked, and I am suffering tremendously, as are others who witnessed the devastating scene.

I have had Bella for ten years. She was always at my side, always on my lap, and always slept with me. To have someone at your side for ten years makes a huge impact on your life and on your heart. To see Bella suffer the way she did, to hear her yelps and cries, to see her eyes in terror and to be able to do nothing is beyond traumatizing. Every day I think about how much pain she must have been in, how scared she must have been, and how I was completely helpless in saving her or stopping the Pitbull from hurting her more. I feel like the worst mother for not protecting her, and the guilt is killing me. I replay the memory of this incident over and over and over again in my head and I cannot stop crying for how she left this world.

I was bitten in the process of trying to rescue Bella and had to get a tetanus shot, as well as antibiotics to stop any infection due to the bacteria in the Pitbull's mouth. I had to do this the morning of the incident. I also had to go to the Humane Society to discuss cremation the morning of the incident. I could not stay home and grieve.

I have two young children (one aged 5 and one aged 1). My 5 year old is suffering. I also have another dog, Luna (Lab/Shepherd), who is suffering. Luna does not eat much anymore and she mopes around the house with her tail between her legs. She was outside during the attack. I am not sure how much she saw. She will not leave my side now and seems extra timid.

Whenever I see a smaller breed dog, I cry. Whenever I see a Pitbull, I cry. I am terrified that this will happen to me again, and to others.

I am part of a Facebook Group - "Our dogs were attacked by Pitbulls" - and Pitbulls attack daily. It is an epidemic. The statistics are unbelievable. Pitbulls rank highest on the totem pole for maulings against other animals and against people. I am aware that other dogs attack, but the statistics show Pitbulls rank the highest, at a whopping 70% of maulings. The other 30% is all other breeds combined. Pitbulls may not be the most aggressive; I am aware that Chihuahuas are an aggressive breed, but a Chihuahua cannot kill; a Pitbull can! I am also aware that not all Pitbulls kill or attack. However, 1 in 40 does. How are we allowing this 1 in 40? Why are we not protecting other animals and ourselves???

There is a reason they are banning Pitbulls in parts of the world. But, those Pitbulls are coming here! The statistics are just growing and growing. Most Pitbull attacks against humans are on their own family members. Obviously loving them and raising them does not make a difference. Pitbulls have an instinct and you cannot take that instinct out of the Pitbull. Most Pitbulls will not act on these instincts, but 1 in 40 will! Again, how are we allowing this 1 in 40??? I think, if you want to own a Pitbull, it is at your discretion and you take the risk. But why should everyone else??? Why should we be scared to take our own dogs out for a walk, let our dogs out into our yard, and be scared for our own well-being?

I believe strongly in Breed Specific Legislation. Why is it so difficult and so hard to force a muzzle on certain breeds? I have a Lab/Shepherd. I know she is a very loving dog and I do not worry for one second that she would ever attack or hurt someone. However, I would put a muzzle on her if it means protecting me and my family, including my pets, from potential breeds that have an instinct they can act on. I would also put a muzzle on her if it means others would feel safe around my dog. I would follow the rules under this Legislation and I think this Legislation needs to come into effect now!!! I need justice for my Bella and every other animal and person that has ever been hurt by a Pitbull!!! Justice needs to be had, and we need to be protected now!

What is the reason for not allowing this??? I would love to hear your insight as to how it would hurt certain breeds to wear a muzzle. I would love to hear how this is such an inconvenience. I would love to hear how wearing a muzzle is too much trouble and too much effort, even if it means saving ourselves and our animals from potential attacks and killings. Why is the Pitbull coming first, over other animals and over ourselves?????

Yours truly,
Leigh-Anne Kane

Dog, interrupted - by death and mayhem

South Carolina former Pit Bull owner speaks out bravely, following her own devastating realisation that Pit Bull control is an illusion, and that placing faith in a bloodsport dog very often means mayhem and death. In her own words:

"Here is a photo of my pitbull playing fetch with my Boston terrier, Nala. A year later Nala would be killed tragically by the same dog I raised from a pup that came as a rescue from a close friend.

Less than a month later she killed my cat who she was also raised with. I made the heart wrenching decision to have her put down because of the risk she could do it again and it could have been a child. It's a punch in the gut when you think your doing everything right to raise a balanced pitbull and they take your perception and flip it upside down.

Moral of the story...you never know you have one that will kill until it does. For people who say it's how they are raised they are full of excuses and lack any form of empathy for people who did let an adorable "pibble" into their lives."

No animal deserves to die this way

"No animal deserves to die this way. Baby boy, baby boy.. I don't know where to start but no words will describe the love I have and always will have for you.:( 

I was walking my dog on our usual route we have walked for years. We were just a few blocks away from home when 3 pit bulls came out of no where / escaped the kennel they were locked in and attacked him. Watching my entire world get fought over like a chew toy was the most traumatizing thing I have ever experinced. He looked right in to my eyes like he was begging me to get them off of him and I tried. I tried and tried and tried and I wish I would have tried harder because now he is gone and I don't know what to do. He didn't deserve it. He was the best dog I have ever owned. I still can not grasp that he is gone.. 

Rest in peace baby boy. I am not okay with out you right now. I wish I would have known it was our last walk."

Kayla

Tears for the innocent.

Link to news report

Yet another sweet, harmless dog mauled to death by a pit bull

Berkeley, California, May 2017.

Last night, she took a photograph of her sweet pet dog and herself together.
Then he was mauled and killed by a Pit Bull in his own yard. One moment, "we were so happy", and the next, heartbroken, bereaved and traumatised. This is the lasting legacy of Pit Bulls; the dog that is MEANT to kill other dogs, to enjoy it, or to die trying.

In the owner's words:

"As I sit here and try to understand today's events I cannot do anything but have a heavy heart.

@ 10:25 am I took my precious dog into my backyard to handle his business and he was attacked by a neighbors pit bull.
How that pit bull was able to come on my property is a mystery, however damages were done .

I yelled "get your dog before I shoot". 3 times I yelled this, dude broke down my fence to get his damn dog - he could not get his pit off my dog , he had to literally take a shovel and beat the shit out of his dog to get him to let mine go....
My dog bleeding and yelling, neighbor screaming they sorry, my dog bleeding more and yelping in pain .

Animal control did show up and took the pit to be put to sleep.
My dog lost his life in Berkeley, ca at the vets hospital, his wounds were so extensive ...

Now, I'm angry, mad, upset, sad and depressed, my daughter crying uncontrollably, she would not let me console her, she was mortified that our precious dog is now deceased because a fucking idiot did not secure his fence, knowing he was breeding pit bulls on his property.

Emotional damage this has caused my family is unconceivable.
He was family, he sleep with me every night, we played , laughed and had good times . Now he is a memory."

Now, he is a memory. 😭

Tears for the innocent 😢😢😢

This happens every single day in our communities. Let that sink in.

#wontbackdown

RIP Diesel

Each year tens of thousands of pets are murdered by loose pit bulls. Each one of these cases involves a deeply personal loss, a heartbreak, the needless and untimely death of a beloved companion animal in a brutal and violent attack.

Diesel, muddy, torn and bloody, before his death

Diesel was one of these innocent victims, brutalized in the "safety" of his own yard, where by all rights he should have been safe - as is very often the case in pit bull attacks.

His injuries were too severe for him to survive

Diesel's owner shared how the attack affected their family:

 

"It has been a very traumatic and life altering tragedy for my family. My daughter and Diesel were the best of friends. They competed all over the central and southwest states in AKC Junior Showmanship and Conformation. He was a once in a lifetime dog." 

First time showing together

"My daughter has never been the same emotionally since his death. She carried him home from the vet's office and insisted on being the one to lay him in his grave. She buried one of their big ribbons with him. We had to take her to the hospital the day after it happened to be treated for extreme panic attacks. I would find her sleeping on his grave for months after the attack ( even in freezing temps). She has tried to recover and move on with her new dog but I know a huge part of her childhood died that day with him. He was so much more than just a dog to us."

Much more than 'just a dog'

"I have spent most of my life involved in purebred dogs so I knew what they were bred for. The ones a had been around personally were all AKC show dogs so their temperament ( breeding for generations ) was closely watched for aggression issues. 

Last time in the ring together

Still I knew what they were capable of. I have a Facebook friend who would post news reports of attacks and I remember thinking " oh my dogs and family will be safe because I don't own pits and neither do my neighbors". I was horribly wrong. I made indoor outdoor runs in my garage complete with AC and Heating so that my dogs did not have to stay crated in the house while we were at work/school. Spent a heck of a lot of time and money building them. They have now all been torn down. My dogs are only allowed in the back yard when we are home and out with them. No walks, no going to parks, I don't even like taking them in the vet's office without checking for pits first." 

"My small town is infested with loose running bully breeds. 3 weeks ago while driving home ( two blocks from my house) I came across two female pits attacking a neighbor's dog in the road. It took 3 women and two grown men to break up the attack. The poor dog ran to his front door when we got them off of him but one of the pits broke loose from the owner and ran after him. When the elderly lady opened the door to let her dog in the pit damn near went in the house after the lady's dog. She was able to slam the door on the pits head which probably saved her from being attacked. The owner of the pits threw his dogs in his truck and sped away before anyone could get his tag info. The poor dog died two days later at the vets." 

"Just last week I noticed a pit bull had moved in across the street from us. Within a week it had broke through the fence and killed a dog next door. All of this within 3 blocks of my house in a month's time. I am now completely paranoid! We live very close to two schools and I pray everyday that no child is injured. Our local Facebook groups are full of posts for lost pits or rehoming pits ( of course they all say how friendly they are or how good they are with children). I feel like my dogs and family are living on a life raft surrounded by sharks!"

There is a very real problem in our communities.

Record 32,550 pit bulls killed or badly injured animals in 2016

FB Group: Our pets were killed by pit bulls

Mommy! Something is killing Cherry!

A gut wrenching report from a friend:

My cousin and I, along with her son (16 years old), my 12 and 5 year old, came home from dinner at approximately 6:00pm Friday.

My oldest daughter, who had just gotten home from work and let the dogs out, was in the front yard; frantic and begging for help!

"Something is attacking our dog, Mommy! Something is killing Cherry!"

I went to the backyard to discover two pitbulls have broken through a panel in the fence. The two pitbulls have dragged our border collie onto the other side and are mauling her to death.

Horrific attack 

Video of the attack was captured by my oldest daughter. Me and my cousin, along with my three daughters are begging for help. The next door neighbors come to our aid. One of them throws bricks at the pitbulls. However, they continue attacking our helpless dog; now laying on her side.

My 19 year old daughter called 911. Me and my cousin, who just arrived from Austin, were frantically searching for something to separate the pitbulls from our border collie.

The pit bulls broke the fence to get to Cherry

In order to protect my dog, family, children and neighbors, I grabbed a large knife from my kitchen, and jumped the fence (as my family begged me not to), and as I approached Cherry, the black pitbull began to walk towards me. I stabbed the pitbull.

A desperate attempt to save Cherry

Although severely injured from the attacks, my border collie was able to stand up and walk away, but the white pitbull followed her.

The injured black pitbull began walking the fence line and the white one trailed behind. Still fearful that the dogs were going to attack the kids, I followed them. The white pitbull turned and lunged at me, so I stabbed it.

My cousin and neighbor stayed with Cherry. My neighbor pulled his jeep behind the fence along the pipeline and loaded her up to transport her to the vet, but she died in my cousins lap on the way.

My children, ages 12 and 5, witnessed the brutal attack on our dog.

Cherry, in happier times

Animal control came by Saturday morning to take statement and pictures of fence. They also stopped at the owners home to ensure the surviving, yet severely injured pitbull had been put down. The owner had taken it to the 24 hour ER Vet on Friday to have it euthanized.

The owners have offered to pay for all damages; cremation of Cherry, damaged fence, and cost of replacing Cherry. Which, makes me wonder whether or not they're trying to keep their Homeowners Insurance in the dark about this. To my knowledge, only two insurance companies in Texas will cover a homeowner if they are owners of a pitbull or pitbull mixed breed. Those insurance companies are Farmers and USAA.

The owners of the pitbulls also stated that they had "never seen that side of their dogs before." However, their dogs were involved in two incidents that I'm aware of. 

Two years ago, their pitbulls chased me and our border collie after breaking through a screened window in their owners home.

I have to wonder how many more incidents there were.

Rest in peace, sweet girl

This is not an isolated incident. Every single day, dozens of innocent pets and farm animals are brutally killed by pit bulls. A tiny fraction of these attacks are reported. Some brave souls attempt to cover this topic but it is an emotionally draining effort, and most can not keep it up for too long.

Facebook group dealing with the topic: Our pets were killed by pit bulls

Pit bull myths: "They never start a fight but they always finish it"

One of the most obviously bogus pit bull myths is the old story that pit bulls never start a fight, but always finish it.

Let's correct the record here: pit bulls always start the fight. And they will always finish it too, so long as the victim is unable, unwilling or unequipped to fight back effectively. But not being known for high intelligence, pit bulls sometimes pick a hard target.

The following video is an interesting study. Spoiler: The owners manage to break up the fight before any serious lasting damage is done.

Link: pit bull picks fight with the wrong dog

The pit bull clearly wanted to fight the big dog, an American Akita, but didn't seem willing to tackle him head on, and kept trying to go outside his field of vision to bite him. The Akita is not looking for a fight, but also does not suffer fools gladly. He keeps warning the pit bull away with growls, bluff charges and air snaps. Finally, in jumping on the Akitas back to bite him, the pit bull transitions from nuisance to threat, and the Akita goes all in, knocking the pit bull down, dragging it around by the scruff of the neck, putting it on it's back and roughing it up.

We've seen far worse outcomes than this for pit bulls that attack, e.g. livestock guardian breeds. Unfortunately, pit bulls rarely attack American Akitas, Kangals, or 160 pound Great Pyrenees, apparently preferring much softer targets. Had the intended victim in the video link above been the typical chihuahua, shih-tzu, yorkie or mini-poodle, it's likely that the poor little dog on the receiving end would be dead, or nearly so.

The behavior of a breed designed to kill dogs for sport will be very different from a breed designed to, say, point, herd, retrieve, or guard. The very real, hard-wired genetic differences are not something that should be dismissed out of hand. You ignore DNA at your own peril.

For more info, check out the informative article below about dog language and signals, and how pit bulls differ from other dogs in this regard - starting fights even when we don't think they're starting them.

Language of dogs, normal and psychopathic