Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Lessons from the school of hard knocks
Here are a few accounts from readers who have chosen to remain anonymous for their own safety.
A senseless mauling
Sue wrote about the loss of her beloved papillon in a brutal, senseless pit bull attack. Attacks like this, where an innocent family pet is savagely mauled to death by one or more pit bulls, occur daily, but are almost never reported. This is her story:
The house next to mine became a rental this fall. The chain link around the house was built in 1970 and has never been replaced. It has a lot of damage and is held together with BBQ grates. A family moved in with two pit bulls. I told the tenant that the fence was in bad condition and I was scared with my two sons and dogs in my yard. He said he was making improvements on the fence. And that one dog was aggressive and liked to dig out but he was working on it.
On November 12th, a month after they moved in, the Pit bulls jumped the fence and attacked my dog in my front yard in front of my four and nine year old sons. The dogs severed the spinal cord of my 13 year old nine pound papillon. He was unable to move or get away as they crushed his pelvis and punctured his colon exposing his internal organs to the outside. My son held the dog as we rushed him to the vet as my other son cried. I incurred a $800 vet bill before having to put him down.
Since the attack I found out the pits had been getting out while I was at work. They jumped the fence and attempted to attack a neighbor walking her lab. She let go of the leash and her dog managed to escape unharmed. The day after the attack on my dog, the same lab was being walked by another person past the pits. They jumped the fence and grabbed the lab by the throat and hind quarters. The owner came out and called the dogs in. The owner ignored the woman as she screamed her dog had been attacked. The wife of the pit owner came on the scene at that point and asked if the dogs had attacked again, and offered to pay. She claimed her husband was deaf and could not hear her screams.
Sue was left with a dead animal companion and a vet bill for hundreds of dollars. This is the everyday reality for animal lovers who suffer the loss of their pets in vicious attacks by "family pit bulls" The pit bull owners are not held accountable for their actions or the actions of the animals or which they are supposedly responsible. The bereaved virtually never receive any compensation for their loss, but are routinely harassed and threatened. This needs to change, and the sooner the better.
The house next to mine became a rental this fall. The chain link around the house was built in 1970 and has never been replaced. It has a lot of damage and is held together with BBQ grates. A family moved in with two pit bulls. I told the tenant that the fence was in bad condition and I was scared with my two sons and dogs in my yard. He said he was making improvements on the fence. And that one dog was aggressive and liked to dig out but he was working on it.
On November 12th, a month after they moved in, the Pit bulls jumped the fence and attacked my dog in my front yard in front of my four and nine year old sons. The dogs severed the spinal cord of my 13 year old nine pound papillon. He was unable to move or get away as they crushed his pelvis and punctured his colon exposing his internal organs to the outside. My son held the dog as we rushed him to the vet as my other son cried. I incurred a $800 vet bill before having to put him down.
Since the attack I found out the pits had been getting out while I was at work. They jumped the fence and attempted to attack a neighbor walking her lab. She let go of the leash and her dog managed to escape unharmed. The day after the attack on my dog, the same lab was being walked by another person past the pits. They jumped the fence and grabbed the lab by the throat and hind quarters. The owner came out and called the dogs in. The owner ignored the woman as she screamed her dog had been attacked. The wife of the pit owner came on the scene at that point and asked if the dogs had attacked again, and offered to pay. She claimed her husband was deaf and could not hear her screams.
Sue was left with a dead animal companion and a vet bill for hundreds of dollars. This is the everyday reality for animal lovers who suffer the loss of their pets in vicious attacks by "family pit bulls" The pit bull owners are not held accountable for their actions or the actions of the animals or which they are supposedly responsible. The bereaved virtually never receive any compensation for their loss, but are routinely harassed and threatened. This needs to change, and the sooner the better.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
It's a slaughterhouse out there
Update:
The study How many other animals did pit bulls kill last year has been published by animals24-7.org - please follow the link for details
The animal people organization have been collecting and analyzing data on dog attacks against animals in 2013. While the complete report has not yet been published, some statistics have been released, and the sheer number of horrific attacks occurring daily is heartbreaking for any animal lover - nay, to anyone with a heart. Some of the pertinent statistics which have come to light are as follows:
About 31,400 dogs attacked about 61,500 other animals in the U.S. in 2013, killing 43,500 and seriously injuring 18,100.
The animals killed included about 12,000 dogs, 8,000 cats, 6,000 hooved animals, and 17,000 other small domestic animals, primarily poultry.
The seriously injured included about 12,400 dogs, 4,000 cats, and 1,700 hooved animals. Few small mammals and poultry survived reported dog attacks.
Pit bulls inflicted 99% of the total fatal attacks on other animals (43,000); 96% of the fatal attacks on other dogs (11,520); 95% of the fatal attacks on livestock (5,700) and on small mammals and poultry (16,150); and 94% of the fatal attacks on cats (11,280).
About 30,000 pit bulls were involved in attacks on other animals, many of them killing multiple other animals.
There are about 3.2 million pit bulls in the U.S. at any given time, according to the annual ANIMAL PEOPLE surveys of dogs offered for sale or adoption via online classified ads.
Thus in 2013 about one pit bull in 107 killed or seriously injured another animal, compared with about one dog in 50,000 of other breeds.
Complete details of the year-long epidemiological survey that produced these estimates will appear in the January/February edition of ANIMAL PEOPLE.
Merritt Clifton has added the following clarifying comments: The forthcoming ANIMAL PEOPLE study is taking an epidemiological approach to estimating the dog attack & pit bull attack tolls on other animals precisely to address the underreporting factor. Figuring out how to compensate for non-reporting is among the most common problems in epidemiological research, and we have used standard methods for doing it.
More info will posted here as it becomes available. In the meantime, there are many interesting articles to be found at the web site - Animal People News
The study How many other animals did pit bulls kill last year has been published by animals24-7.org - please follow the link for details
The animal people organization have been collecting and analyzing data on dog attacks against animals in 2013. While the complete report has not yet been published, some statistics have been released, and the sheer number of horrific attacks occurring daily is heartbreaking for any animal lover - nay, to anyone with a heart. Some of the pertinent statistics which have come to light are as follows:
 |
| Ann Ziegler's hearing ear dog, brutally massacred by a pit bull |
About 31,400 dogs attacked about 61,500 other animals in the U.S. in 2013, killing 43,500 and seriously injuring 18,100.
The animals killed included about 12,000 dogs, 8,000 cats, 6,000 hooved animals, and 17,000 other small domestic animals, primarily poultry.
 |
| Another victim of pit bull advocacy |
The seriously injured included about 12,400 dogs, 4,000 cats, and 1,700 hooved animals. Few small mammals and poultry survived reported dog attacks.
Pit bulls inflicted 99% of the total fatal attacks on other animals (43,000); 96% of the fatal attacks on other dogs (11,520); 95% of the fatal attacks on livestock (5,700) and on small mammals and poultry (16,150); and 94% of the fatal attacks on cats (11,280).
About 30,000 pit bulls were involved in attacks on other animals, many of them killing multiple other animals.
There are about 3.2 million pit bulls in the U.S. at any given time, according to the annual ANIMAL PEOPLE surveys of dogs offered for sale or adoption via online classified ads.
Thus in 2013 about one pit bull in 107 killed or seriously injured another animal, compared with about one dog in 50,000 of other breeds.
Complete details of the year-long epidemiological survey that produced these estimates will appear in the January/February edition of ANIMAL PEOPLE.
Merritt Clifton has added the following clarifying comments: The forthcoming ANIMAL PEOPLE study is taking an epidemiological approach to estimating the dog attack & pit bull attack tolls on other animals precisely to address the underreporting factor. Figuring out how to compensate for non-reporting is among the most common problems in epidemiological research, and we have used standard methods for doing it.
More info will posted here as it becomes available. In the meantime, there are many interesting articles to be found at the web site - Animal People News
Monday, March 17, 2014
My red nose pit bull
Velvet writes: "I defended the breed. I always thought it was all in how they're raised. I had to learn the hard way when I put my loved ones in harms way. Never again"
Here's her story:
It all started about 10 years ago when I owned a red nose pit. We had gotten Coco when he was 6 weeks old, and he grew up with my small niece. They were always playing together and loved each other. He was a very loved and well socialized pet, and for nearly 4 years he was perfectly well behaved, with a wonderful temperament. Even when we would visit RV parks, people loved him
One day my niece came over and wanted to play, so we all went out into the fenced back yard. Coco and my niece were chasing each other, having a wonderful time as they had so often before. As I was attending to the gate, I heard her scream. I immediately struck the dog and was somehow able to grab my niece. She was bleeding badly from her face. We got to the hospital and as we was walking through the door she looked at me and said "Nana am I going to die?". It took everything I had not to cry in front if my baby. I told her no and handed her to the nurse. I hit my knees as they turned away. Not in a million years would I have guessed that big lovable baby would ever do that the the child he loved. Coco was put down, but not before leaving my niece scarred. There hasn't been a day go by that I don't regret not listening to my family when they tried to warn me about these dogs.
To top it off, last year my little 3 year old nephew was playing outside with my 6 year old nephew when all of a sudden the neighbors pit came across the fence and attacked him, biting him in the back. It took my Dad and my 2 sisters to get the dog off of him. I consider myself fortunate to have both of them still alive and healthy.
Sometimes I'm asked "What would it have taken to change my mind about pit bulls?" at a time when I was was so misinformed. "What could someone have said to you that would have made a difference?"
The fact is, nothing anybody could have said would have changed my mind.
From the start, I was determined that it was all in how they are raised. I believed that, and worse, I trusted those who fed me nanny dog myth. What hurt the most is that I trusted my dog, who I raised from a small puppy with love and affection, and I'd have never in a million years ever thought he would attack my niece. It's clear to me now that no matter what you do or how much you socialize a pit bull, it can turn in the blink of an eye.
Editor: Clearly, one cannot love away or train away the genetic characteristics of purpose bred dogs. It's not about temperament or socialization. A pit bull can pass the ATTS with flying colors and then go home and viscously maul a 2 year old. It's the penchant for sudden, random, unpredictable violence that makes them such a risk.
Here's her story:
It all started about 10 years ago when I owned a red nose pit. We had gotten Coco when he was 6 weeks old, and he grew up with my small niece. They were always playing together and loved each other. He was a very loved and well socialized pet, and for nearly 4 years he was perfectly well behaved, with a wonderful temperament. Even when we would visit RV parks, people loved him
 |
| "Proof" that our pit bull was safe with children |
One day my niece came over and wanted to play, so we all went out into the fenced back yard. Coco and my niece were chasing each other, having a wonderful time as they had so often before. As I was attending to the gate, I heard her scream. I immediately struck the dog and was somehow able to grab my niece. She was bleeding badly from her face. We got to the hospital and as we was walking through the door she looked at me and said "Nana am I going to die?". It took everything I had not to cry in front if my baby. I told her no and handed her to the nurse. I hit my knees as they turned away. Not in a million years would I have guessed that big lovable baby would ever do that the the child he loved. Coco was put down, but not before leaving my niece scarred. There hasn't been a day go by that I don't regret not listening to my family when they tried to warn me about these dogs.
To top it off, last year my little 3 year old nephew was playing outside with my 6 year old nephew when all of a sudden the neighbors pit came across the fence and attacked him, biting him in the back. It took my Dad and my 2 sisters to get the dog off of him. I consider myself fortunate to have both of them still alive and healthy.
 |
| Bite marks on my nephew's back |
Sometimes I'm asked "What would it have taken to change my mind about pit bulls?" at a time when I was was so misinformed. "What could someone have said to you that would have made a difference?"
The fact is, nothing anybody could have said would have changed my mind.
From the start, I was determined that it was all in how they are raised. I believed that, and worse, I trusted those who fed me nanny dog myth. What hurt the most is that I trusted my dog, who I raised from a small puppy with love and affection, and I'd have never in a million years ever thought he would attack my niece. It's clear to me now that no matter what you do or how much you socialize a pit bull, it can turn in the blink of an eye.
Editor: Clearly, one cannot love away or train away the genetic characteristics of purpose bred dogs. It's not about temperament or socialization. A pit bull can pass the ATTS with flying colors and then go home and viscously maul a 2 year old. It's the penchant for sudden, random, unpredictable violence that makes them such a risk.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Dog attack report by breed - March 2014
Since publishing the 2013 end of year statistics for disfiguring and fatal dog attacks, we've seen a veritable full court press of frantic pro pit bull propaganda in the media. Unfortunately, disfiguring and fatal attacks have continued unabated, and, not surprisingly, pit bull type dogs are, this year, as last year, and so many previous years, the undisputed leader in the grisly race to claim the most deaths and injuries.
At just over 2 months into 2014, pit bull type dogs have committed 100 serious attacks on humans. 76 of the attacks resulted in disfigurement and 6 of the attacks were so horrific that the victims died.
At the bottom of this page is a chart which lists the 5 most dangerous types of dog, based on the number of serious attacks on humans recorded in North America since 1982. One can see at a glance that pit bulls are the worst offenders, but because this information covers several decades, what isn't obvious is how much worse the pit bull problem has gotten in recent years. Despite - or perhaps because of - the millions of dollars poured into marketing the pit bull as a family pet, the number of horrific, violent attacks continues to rise, and hapless pit bull owners claim to be shocked each and every time.
In a little over a year since the December 2012 data was published, pit bulls have attacked many hundreds of human victims, claiming 40 lives, while attacks from other breeds have been relatively rare. For instance, during the period that pit bull type dogs mauled 40 human victims to death, the next most deadly type of dog, the Rottweiler, claimed 2 lives. The quantitative difference between the number of disfiguring and fatal attacks committed by pit bulls and those committed by all other breeds is telling.
What's even worse, and something that is severely under-reported, is the level of pit bull violence against animals. Last year tens of thousands of innocent animals were cruelly killed by pit bulls. Dogs (including working seeing eye dogs and other service animals), cats, miniature ponies, goats, alpacas, baby seals and various types of birds were all slaughtered in the past year in numbers that shock most people. The adage "quantity has a quality all its own" takes on a certain ominous significance in this context.
But it's difficult to blame the pit bulls for doing precisely what hundreds of years of purposeful breeding has given them the drive, the instinct and the inclination to do. The blame lies with those who promote them as safe family pets, spreading dangerous misinformation such as the nanny dog myth, and insisting that pit bulls are "just like any other dog".
In 31 years there is not a single record of a fatal or disfiguring attack from an Irish Setter - good owner, bad owner, well trained, untrained, chained, not chained, it doesn't matter. Not a single fatal or disfiguring attack. Most dog breeds have a very low incidence of such attacks, such that they fall into the "once in a blue moon" or "freak accident" category. But an American is seriously injured by a pit bull every few hours on average.
This data illustrates the illogical nature of anti BSL activism. We find the recent stealth anti-BSL politicking going on to be highly unsettling. It's been calculated that one is 2500 times more likely to be killed by a pit bull than by a labrador retriever, but proposed anti-BSL legislation seeks to make it a crime to differentiate between the two.
The full March 8th report compiled by the animal people can be viewed here
 |
| 72 year old grandmother mauled by pit bull while gardening |
At just over 2 months into 2014, pit bull type dogs have committed 100 serious attacks on humans. 76 of the attacks resulted in disfigurement and 6 of the attacks were so horrific that the victims died.
At the bottom of this page is a chart which lists the 5 most dangerous types of dog, based on the number of serious attacks on humans recorded in North America since 1982. One can see at a glance that pit bulls are the worst offenders, but because this information covers several decades, what isn't obvious is how much worse the pit bull problem has gotten in recent years. Despite - or perhaps because of - the millions of dollars poured into marketing the pit bull as a family pet, the number of horrific, violent attacks continues to rise, and hapless pit bull owners claim to be shocked each and every time.
In a little over a year since the December 2012 data was published, pit bulls have attacked many hundreds of human victims, claiming 40 lives, while attacks from other breeds have been relatively rare. For instance, during the period that pit bull type dogs mauled 40 human victims to death, the next most deadly type of dog, the Rottweiler, claimed 2 lives. The quantitative difference between the number of disfiguring and fatal attacks committed by pit bulls and those committed by all other breeds is telling.
What's even worse, and something that is severely under-reported, is the level of pit bull violence against animals. Last year tens of thousands of innocent animals were cruelly killed by pit bulls. Dogs (including working seeing eye dogs and other service animals), cats, miniature ponies, goats, alpacas, baby seals and various types of birds were all slaughtered in the past year in numbers that shock most people. The adage "quantity has a quality all its own" takes on a certain ominous significance in this context.
But it's difficult to blame the pit bulls for doing precisely what hundreds of years of purposeful breeding has given them the drive, the instinct and the inclination to do. The blame lies with those who promote them as safe family pets, spreading dangerous misinformation such as the nanny dog myth, and insisting that pit bulls are "just like any other dog".
In 31 years there is not a single record of a fatal or disfiguring attack from an Irish Setter - good owner, bad owner, well trained, untrained, chained, not chained, it doesn't matter. Not a single fatal or disfiguring attack. Most dog breeds have a very low incidence of such attacks, such that they fall into the "once in a blue moon" or "freak accident" category. But an American is seriously injured by a pit bull every few hours on average.
This data illustrates the illogical nature of anti BSL activism. We find the recent stealth anti-BSL politicking going on to be highly unsettling. It's been calculated that one is 2500 times more likely to be killed by a pit bull than by a labrador retriever, but proposed anti-BSL legislation seeks to make it a crime to differentiate between the two.
 |
| Top 5 offenders at a glance |
The full March 8th report compiled by the animal people can be viewed here
Monday, February 17, 2014
For Klonda Richey
This poem was written for Klonda Richey, an animal lover who was brutally mauled to death in her own yard by her neighbor's loose pit bull mixes as documented here
'via Blog this'
'via Blog this'
Monday, January 20, 2014
Getting to know pit bulls, continued
A reader at Craven Desires recently left this comment, which we felt was too important not to share. Consider this a Public Service Announcement.
About 7 years ago, I was presented with a 10-12 week old apbt puppy. Actually, my brother in law left us his favorite pup from the latest litter for "a few weeks" in hopes we would fall in love and keep him and stupidly, we did.
For years before this, I had (wisely) regarded these dogs as unpredictable creatures that kill and maim, and was leery of being around them.
But having this dog left with me, and after some years of being exposed to the "pit bull community" (aka myths and lies) and having made many new friends who had these dogs, which always seemed friendly and playful, I started to believe the myths.
I was never totally snowed, I knew full well they could be dangerous and they are fighting dogs, but the myth of the "good owner" overcame this so, when my brother in law dropped the pup off, I figured "well, I know the breeder, the (dog) parents, grandparents, and I'm an experienced dog owner with a big fenced yard, no kids, and time to work with him. What could possibly go wrong?" The only objection was from my parents, who begged and pleaded for us to put him down for safety sake. but like any "too smart for advice" 23 year old, I ignored them.
As it turns out, a lot could go wrong….
The first year or so went well, we did all the "right" things: positive training, treated him like he was part of the family, walked and played vigorously, and socialized him, etc. He seemed to be a sweet dog, friendly, got along with the cats and the chihuahua. i didn't have kids then, but wouldn't have feared for them anyway. He grew into a little larger than average size, maybe 70 lbs with a big, but not massive, head.
When the apbt was around 1 1/2 to 2 years old, I was asked by my friend to look after her mini pinscher, a smallish dog that was very friendly. I told her it probably was not a good idea, as I didn't think having a strange dog in the home was a good idea, even though he hadn't shown aggression to dogs. I also didn't want the extra work of keeping them separated at all times. But she begged me, claiming no one else would take him, so I reluctantly agreed.
So, my friend brought her little dog for me to watch for an extended period, and the morning after she'd brought him over, the apbt was in my room, and my friend's dog was in another. I took the little dog for a walk, and the neighbors pit bull rottweiler mix started barking and climbing the fence, so we rushed inside. I took off his lead, turned to go hang it up, and like lightning, my apbt burst through my door. I have no idea how he opened it, as it was closed when I went outside. I'd double checked.
Before I could even react, and silent as a crocodile, the pit bull snatched up the little dog and shook it, snapping its neck. He didn't even have time to cry. It was so fast, I didn't have time to grab anything to try to stop it. I can't explain how fast and quiet it was.
I screamed. I looked around, and cursed myself for not having a gun, bat, or anything useful. All I had nearby was my chihuahuas old collar, and that dogs small lead. I grabbed them, and tried to figure out what to do, while he was chewing on the dog. I was sick. I'd never seen anything like it.
Then the apbt looked up at me. I knew I was next. Thankfully, he was distracted by his kill. My 30 year old brother came down the stairs, saw the scene and freaked out. He frantically asked "What to do? who to call? wheres a phone?" I told him we didn't have time for this, we had to act now. We were on the other side of the room at this time.
The apbt looked up, dropped the now chewed up dead dog, and started coming at my brother. As it lunged at him, I body checked it, and jumped on its back, like it was a horse. I guess my brother managed to move quick enough. I got the collar around its neck and started to choke it. It did everything to get me off. It was like being on a bucking bronco, but with teeth.
I don't recall much, it seemed like time stood still. My brother was screaming and trying to hold the apbt's back legs, I was on it's back, using every bit of my strength to stay on, not get bit, and strangle my own dog. I was crying, screaming, and terrified. It's neck was so thick and strong, and my hands were tired, the collar was so small. I had my legs clamped around him as I pulled the collar as tight as I could.
I can remember my brother begging me not to kill it, to take it to the vet to be put down, instead. I remember asking him how he thought we were gonna get this killer dog in the car and to a vet safely? It was frantic, desperate, thinking, as we had never seen anything like this, nor killed anything before.
I don't know how long it usually takes to strangle something, but I swear it took forever. The size of his neck and my weakness made it drawn out. When I jumped on the dog, I was on one side of the large living room, but by the time the dog was dead, I had been carried all the way across that room, and half way into another. He was that strong, shaking to get me off the whole time. But when he stopped moving, then urinated and defecated, I hoped it was over.
We weren't sure if t was dead, or just unconscious, so while I remained sitting on it, my brother went out to his car and got a thick chain and a lock. we tied him up, in case he woke up. that is how scared we were. it was bizarre, to tie up a dead dog, but we were seriously shell shocked and terrified of it, even in death.
After about 10 min, we knew it was dead. I was still bawling. Vicious or not, it was my dog (and my husbands), which I had witnessed kill and eat another dog, attack my brother, and then I killed him with my bare hands. I was shaking. I called a coworker, who came over and wrapped the dogs up, and took the bodies for cremation.
I couldn't even look at the small dog as he was being wrapped up, he was mangled. what a sweet little guy he was, I felt horrible, evil, for his death. I have never felt such guilt, and haven't since then. Next I called my husband, and told him I'd killed his dog. I told him a short version and he cried. Still hysterical, I called my mom, and said "I know, you told me so! I feel like a fool", but she comforted me and talked me down. my brother just sat, shocked, for hours.
My house was covered in blood, all over the carpet, plus the contents of both dogs intestines and bladders. it was very hot, and the smell was unique, awful, and penetrating. I called a carpet cleaner, and in tears, explained what happened, and they rushed over. An hour later, the rug was clean, and I scrubbed the walls. It was cathartic. Both dogs were cremated that same day as well.
Never had I been so scared, so guilty, and never had I felt like such a damn fool. I knew I had done everything right, so why had this happened? My dog killed a dog in my home, busted out of a door to get to him, and then lunged at either me or my brother (we were next to each other, so I'm not sure, its hazy). We were lucky to escape physical harm. Had I been alone, I don't know what would have happened. Why had my well trained, well loved, socialized, etc, dog turned into a monster, a killing machine?
To this day I thank heavens that the apbt was so engrossed with his kill that he did not immediately attack us, and I had time to get my brother, the collar, and make a hasty plan. Had he not been intent on eating/dismembering the dead dog, we wouldn't have been able to get far enough away, and may have been mauled, instead of just lunged at.
Anyway, I've never been through anything so traumatic. I've had a terrifying, near death motorcycle accident, seen all kinds of horrible things, been attacked and beat up, and also raped twice, but nothing was like this. This gave me nightmares and made me doubt my own judgement, as I proved I was totally ignorant in having that dog in the first place.
I think of how many times it could have happened, how close I was to what was basically a land mine, and I cringe. I think of all the other victims that have been killed or disfigured, all the kids changed forever, if they even escaped with their lives. This was not reported to anyone, thus did not figure into the statistics.
I have never written it down, but this seems like a fitting place to do so. I hate thinking about it, but people need to know:
The apbt is a quick, stealthy dog that greets you with a smile and a tail wag, then tries to tear your face off. I've been told I'm "mean", that I shouldn't blame the breed (whatever that's supposed to mean), or that its my fault for having a little dog in the apbt's territory (locked behind a door???). all I say to that is: I hope you don't have to learn the hard way.
Why have a dog that can kill you? Especially when there are so many types of cool, good natured, dependable dogs that would never maul you to death.
Well, I did own one, and I was a damned fool, an ignoramus, and a totally misinformed jackass that put lives at risk just by owning such an animal. I was 23 years old, and at 130 lbs, thin, and not super strong, I could never have stopped it if it had gone berserk in public.
The guilt over the deaths has never gone away. but now I know better.
I haven't added any identifying info because it's possible the owner of the little dog could read this. She doesn't need the horrible details of how her dog died.
--
Reference: The original discussion thread was here
About 7 years ago, I was presented with a 10-12 week old apbt puppy. Actually, my brother in law left us his favorite pup from the latest litter for "a few weeks" in hopes we would fall in love and keep him and stupidly, we did.
For years before this, I had (wisely) regarded these dogs as unpredictable creatures that kill and maim, and was leery of being around them.
But having this dog left with me, and after some years of being exposed to the "pit bull community" (aka myths and lies) and having made many new friends who had these dogs, which always seemed friendly and playful, I started to believe the myths.
I was never totally snowed, I knew full well they could be dangerous and they are fighting dogs, but the myth of the "good owner" overcame this so, when my brother in law dropped the pup off, I figured "well, I know the breeder, the (dog) parents, grandparents, and I'm an experienced dog owner with a big fenced yard, no kids, and time to work with him. What could possibly go wrong?" The only objection was from my parents, who begged and pleaded for us to put him down for safety sake. but like any "too smart for advice" 23 year old, I ignored them.
As it turns out, a lot could go wrong….
The first year or so went well, we did all the "right" things: positive training, treated him like he was part of the family, walked and played vigorously, and socialized him, etc. He seemed to be a sweet dog, friendly, got along with the cats and the chihuahua. i didn't have kids then, but wouldn't have feared for them anyway. He grew into a little larger than average size, maybe 70 lbs with a big, but not massive, head.
When the apbt was around 1 1/2 to 2 years old, I was asked by my friend to look after her mini pinscher, a smallish dog that was very friendly. I told her it probably was not a good idea, as I didn't think having a strange dog in the home was a good idea, even though he hadn't shown aggression to dogs. I also didn't want the extra work of keeping them separated at all times. But she begged me, claiming no one else would take him, so I reluctantly agreed.
So, my friend brought her little dog for me to watch for an extended period, and the morning after she'd brought him over, the apbt was in my room, and my friend's dog was in another. I took the little dog for a walk, and the neighbors pit bull rottweiler mix started barking and climbing the fence, so we rushed inside. I took off his lead, turned to go hang it up, and like lightning, my apbt burst through my door. I have no idea how he opened it, as it was closed when I went outside. I'd double checked.
Before I could even react, and silent as a crocodile, the pit bull snatched up the little dog and shook it, snapping its neck. He didn't even have time to cry. It was so fast, I didn't have time to grab anything to try to stop it. I can't explain how fast and quiet it was.
I screamed. I looked around, and cursed myself for not having a gun, bat, or anything useful. All I had nearby was my chihuahuas old collar, and that dogs small lead. I grabbed them, and tried to figure out what to do, while he was chewing on the dog. I was sick. I'd never seen anything like it.
Then the apbt looked up at me. I knew I was next. Thankfully, he was distracted by his kill. My 30 year old brother came down the stairs, saw the scene and freaked out. He frantically asked "What to do? who to call? wheres a phone?" I told him we didn't have time for this, we had to act now. We were on the other side of the room at this time.
The apbt looked up, dropped the now chewed up dead dog, and started coming at my brother. As it lunged at him, I body checked it, and jumped on its back, like it was a horse. I guess my brother managed to move quick enough. I got the collar around its neck and started to choke it. It did everything to get me off. It was like being on a bucking bronco, but with teeth.
I don't recall much, it seemed like time stood still. My brother was screaming and trying to hold the apbt's back legs, I was on it's back, using every bit of my strength to stay on, not get bit, and strangle my own dog. I was crying, screaming, and terrified. It's neck was so thick and strong, and my hands were tired, the collar was so small. I had my legs clamped around him as I pulled the collar as tight as I could.
I can remember my brother begging me not to kill it, to take it to the vet to be put down, instead. I remember asking him how he thought we were gonna get this killer dog in the car and to a vet safely? It was frantic, desperate, thinking, as we had never seen anything like this, nor killed anything before.
I don't know how long it usually takes to strangle something, but I swear it took forever. The size of his neck and my weakness made it drawn out. When I jumped on the dog, I was on one side of the large living room, but by the time the dog was dead, I had been carried all the way across that room, and half way into another. He was that strong, shaking to get me off the whole time. But when he stopped moving, then urinated and defecated, I hoped it was over.
We weren't sure if t was dead, or just unconscious, so while I remained sitting on it, my brother went out to his car and got a thick chain and a lock. we tied him up, in case he woke up. that is how scared we were. it was bizarre, to tie up a dead dog, but we were seriously shell shocked and terrified of it, even in death.
After about 10 min, we knew it was dead. I was still bawling. Vicious or not, it was my dog (and my husbands), which I had witnessed kill and eat another dog, attack my brother, and then I killed him with my bare hands. I was shaking. I called a coworker, who came over and wrapped the dogs up, and took the bodies for cremation.
I couldn't even look at the small dog as he was being wrapped up, he was mangled. what a sweet little guy he was, I felt horrible, evil, for his death. I have never felt such guilt, and haven't since then. Next I called my husband, and told him I'd killed his dog. I told him a short version and he cried. Still hysterical, I called my mom, and said "I know, you told me so! I feel like a fool", but she comforted me and talked me down. my brother just sat, shocked, for hours.
My house was covered in blood, all over the carpet, plus the contents of both dogs intestines and bladders. it was very hot, and the smell was unique, awful, and penetrating. I called a carpet cleaner, and in tears, explained what happened, and they rushed over. An hour later, the rug was clean, and I scrubbed the walls. It was cathartic. Both dogs were cremated that same day as well.
Never had I been so scared, so guilty, and never had I felt like such a damn fool. I knew I had done everything right, so why had this happened? My dog killed a dog in my home, busted out of a door to get to him, and then lunged at either me or my brother (we were next to each other, so I'm not sure, its hazy). We were lucky to escape physical harm. Had I been alone, I don't know what would have happened. Why had my well trained, well loved, socialized, etc, dog turned into a monster, a killing machine?
To this day I thank heavens that the apbt was so engrossed with his kill that he did not immediately attack us, and I had time to get my brother, the collar, and make a hasty plan. Had he not been intent on eating/dismembering the dead dog, we wouldn't have been able to get far enough away, and may have been mauled, instead of just lunged at.
Anyway, I've never been through anything so traumatic. I've had a terrifying, near death motorcycle accident, seen all kinds of horrible things, been attacked and beat up, and also raped twice, but nothing was like this. This gave me nightmares and made me doubt my own judgement, as I proved I was totally ignorant in having that dog in the first place.
I think of how many times it could have happened, how close I was to what was basically a land mine, and I cringe. I think of all the other victims that have been killed or disfigured, all the kids changed forever, if they even escaped with their lives. This was not reported to anyone, thus did not figure into the statistics.
I have never written it down, but this seems like a fitting place to do so. I hate thinking about it, but people need to know:
No matter how awesome you are with dogs, no matter how careful you are, no matter how much you love, no matter how well you train, no matter how well socialized the dog is, no matter how responsible you are - I even had insurance - its a killer. crocodile jaws on a dogs body. You cannot train or love away the fighter in them.
The apbt is a quick, stealthy dog that greets you with a smile and a tail wag, then tries to tear your face off. I've been told I'm "mean", that I shouldn't blame the breed (whatever that's supposed to mean), or that its my fault for having a little dog in the apbt's territory (locked behind a door???). all I say to that is: I hope you don't have to learn the hard way.
Why have a dog that can kill you? Especially when there are so many types of cool, good natured, dependable dogs that would never maul you to death.
Well, I did own one, and I was a damned fool, an ignoramus, and a totally misinformed jackass that put lives at risk just by owning such an animal. I was 23 years old, and at 130 lbs, thin, and not super strong, I could never have stopped it if it had gone berserk in public.
The guilt over the deaths has never gone away. but now I know better.
I haven't added any identifying info because it's possible the owner of the little dog could read this. She doesn't need the horrible details of how her dog died.
--
Reference: The original discussion thread was here
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)