Whether good or bad, these dogs have hard time shaking being labeled as dangerous

[size=-1]United States -- [/size]Bad dog or badly misunderstood? The name doesn't help. Pit bull. It sounds fierce, aggressive.

Stories like the one in Tuesday's Chronicle don't help: the discovery of a suspected fighting-dog breeding operation with 300 pit bulls raised for illegal fighting events.

The dogs were neglected and unsheltered, with no friendly contact from humans or other dogs. Little wonder the Houston Humane Society, which now must house and care for the dogs, has to be extremely cautious with them.

"We have to be very careful so they can't break free," said Courtney Frank, spokeswoman for the Humane Society.

"They are aggressive toward each other. These are wild animals, not because they are pit bulls but because of how they've been treated. If a mother put a child in the basement and never talked to it, it would be wild, too."

Considering adoption? Forget it. Even if these dogs were not being held as possible evidence for a trial, the HHS would not be adopting them out.

"These dogs are seriously neglected; they are no longer family dogs," Frank said. "We see evidence that some of them were fought, which is a crime."

News stories about pit bulls attacking humans, especially small children, have given the dogs a fearsome reputation. So much so that some cities have created breed-specific laws against them, restricting ownership or public contact with the dogs.

Advocates for pit bulls say the reputation is based on misinformation, but agree pit bulls can be dangerous animals if mistreated. Even the best ones are not for everyone, if only because of their strength and physical needs.

"The majority, if they're bred true to the breed, are always friendly," said Terri Ferguson, a board member of the Texas Gulf Coast American Staffordshire Terrier Club. Yet "you can get a (dog with) bad temperament in every breed."

Staffordshire terriers are the American Kennel Club registered version of the pit bull, a distinction started 70 years ago. Technically, pit bulls and American Staffordshires are not the same. The term pit bull is often broadly, and sometimes incorrectly, used on a spectrum of dogs.

"A good American Staffordshire terrier and a good pit bull are really difficult to tell apart. I can't do it in many cases," said Bill Peterson, a board member of Staffordshire Terrier Club of America.

Peterson has trained "many thousands" of dogs, including pit bulls, in Houston and Florida. He's seen illegal pit fights. He says no person who fights dogs would want them to be aggressive toward people.

"One of the characteristics of a properly bred, trained pit dog is that it literally won't bite people. Why? They have to be handled by people in the pit. I'm not going to say there is anything right about a pit fight, but when you observe the standardized rules, they have to be handled by people in the pit with them.

"There are dangerous dogs in every breed. It's unfair to persecute a breed for the crimes of a few dogs," said Peterson.

"These dogs are born to fight; they've been selectively bred for that," Peterson said. "It makes them a management problem. They don't deserve to die, but they can't be allowed to run in the neighborhood. If they get in a fight with another dog, they will be the winner. They have the physical power and the inclination. Just like an athlete."

If they are no more aggressive to people than other dogs, why the horrible reputation and stories of people maimed or even killed by pit bulls?

"If you get bitten by a Chihuahua, you might have superficial wounds, but if you get bitten by a pit bull, you might end up at the hospital," said veterinarian Jonathan Cooper, who has many regular pit bull patients at Westbury Animal Hospital. He said he treats pit bulls like any other breed.

"There are bad people and there are certain aggressive dogs in any breed," Cooper said.

"Pit bull attacks are statistically very rare," said Abbie Moore, executive director of 1-800-save-a-pet.com, which helps place thousands of pets each year. "Pit bulls are family dogs, bred to be aggressive to other animals, but extremely loyal companions to humans. If it made the news every time there was a (dog) attack, there wouldn't be time for any other news. Anytime there is a pit bull attack, it makes the news. Pit bulls don't bite as often as other breeds, but when they do they can do a lot of damage."

Pit bulls have been bred to fight other dogs, so out on the street, some could become a threat. Often people are injured when they get between a pit bull and another dog. Anyone who has jumped between fighting dogs knows a human is likely to be an accidental bite victim.

Unfortunately, good pit bulls can be victimized from their bad reputation, both coming and going. Many people who don't understand or really care about dogs want pit bulls because they are supposed to be dangerous, just like some people want a pet venomous snake.

"It's definitely a status thing in a certain strata of society," said Moore.

Many of these people later want to get rid of the pit bull because they become afraid. "There are a tremendous number of pit bulls (put up for adoption)," especially after news reports of pit bull attacks, Moore said. Many of these dogs will not get adopted.

"Rescuers know that when they take in a pit bull, they are in for the long haul," Moore said. "When you do find (an prospective owner), you have to be sure their intentions are honorable, and they are educated."

louis.parks@chron.com mary.vuong@chron.com

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/4103453.html

 

nice read, that is one of the first articles concerning pitbull's that i completley agree with. sounds like the author is unbiased and well educated in the breed. i give it a big thumbs up

 

Over all it is one of the better articals ......

The pet theory is all I can stomach tho....

 

Very nice article. I like that she made a point about every time there is bad press, many owners turn their dogs over to the shelters. She also mentions that the stay for a good while, which is usually very true. That's another reason I think that some shelters don't adopt them out anymore, it takes forever to find the right home. Sad reality...

 

It was nice to read a positive POV for a change, but, saying that, "The dogs were neglected and unsheltered, with no friendly contact from humans"
and
"These are wild animals, not because they are pit bulls but because of how they've been treated".
sounds more like an assumption to me, and not based on personal, first hand experience. Have all of those pitbulls been tested and evaluated yet??? Still sounds like a "bad rap" imo, and for sure those dogs are gunna get the short end of the stick on this one...
One person's definition of abuse/neglect can most certainly differ from anothers, just as one persons idea of normal, acceptable treatment may be different from the next guys. But ultimately, we all know how those dogs are going to end up...
Otherwise, not a bad article.

 

That was a pretty good read, although I disagree with being unable to tell the difference between an AST and a Pit Bull. I'm going to have to shoot off an email to the author.

 

Seems silly to ask AKC about a breed they don't handle. That is like asking a Min Pin owner about a manchester terrier. That just leads to assumptive answers. I am sure the press was seeking out that intentional expecting a more negative answer. I am glad it had positive over tone. I doubt the dogs were neglectied or unsheltered. That is just isn't very likely. The dogs raised for illegal pit fights statement is assumptive and so far no prof of such has been presented. They have threatened any one claiming the dogs with criminal charges and desire to try to press charges of such against the wife accoring to another report in the news out of Texas. Press has gone as far as harassing his kin folk in Pennsilvania. They are like a bunch of vulchers. Rats what ever. Nothing that comes out in the press is totally good for anything. They take one good thing and surround it by a bunch of negative so that the article will still suite their typical reader. ( the idiot that buys every thing writen down as fact, the there it is writen in black and white so it must be true type who wants to see the bad side of every thing ) I don't buy the dog fight stuff. I believe the Prelude to this is greed from another party. One they should be focusing on and not a bunch of damn dogs. They are so worried about the dogs that they haven't even caught the damn criminals. This has by far is the most ate up display of media and police work I have seen. It is like a step up from FB. The stories just get more elaberate as they go along. Like they started writing them before they had a person to put it with. Painting a picture so distorted and blured that even our own wonders what is true and not. They need to focus on finding murderes before any thing else. Messing with the dogs isn't goint to do that. Dogs can't tell them diddly squat. As I rack another shot gun shell that is my oppinion. The story had to just start out with the bs. That is the part most often read by those just skimming through and it will be the part that sticks in the blind sheep heads of Society. It ends ok but not many will read that far. The ball grabber is up front.

By the way thanks for posting the thought provolking thread. It is a good read and has some good angles to disect. Good post bro

 

JMO but anyone who has 30 somthing dogs does not have noble intentions. they are either peddling dogs or matching them period. there is no way to love and care for (not to mention socialize) that many dogs. these dogs have at least been given a chance i heave heard of other busts that were euth. first and ask questions later, not the case hear. think about the logistics of taking in the 30 dogs not to mention the drain on the taxpayers of that community. i love these dogs and i am as anti bigbrother as the next guy, but sometimes people have to pay for their ignorance. even though it will probably be the dogs that will be punished this time, it's probably better than adopting all of them out and having one of them make headlines of another sort.

 

My first impulse is to say that no one can care for 300 plus dogs either.
How many dogs does Ceasar Milan have? He runs around with a huge pack..like tens of them. Who knows what he has in kennels. After you have been here a while Dirty Curry, you will realize that most of the news media propagates pure hogwash about pit bulls.
And ANY time someone has more than one pit bull, they are fighting them.
If the guy had 300 + GSD would it automatically be assumed he was fighting them? And a lot of GSD are raised and trained to bite people.
Fox hunting clubs keep packs of dogs and they aren't accused of neglect. The dogs probably love hunting in their pack. I am not in favor of fox hunting but I don't think it should be banned even if the poor foxes do get torn apart...
Having read newspaper articles about incidents of which I have had personal knowledge, I would say be deeply distrustful of anything you read in the newspaper. They are trying to sell newspapers...not portray dispassionate truth.
I saw the videos of the dogs, and they were splashing around in water around their chain runs. I don't like to see dogs kept like that. Still...I wasn't there and I don't know the whole story. I don't see how one guy could keep 300 dogs either, but people keep lots of animals, say racehorse trainers, and sheer numbers of animals does not mean they are neglected.
The humane society says they are neglected. From the pictures the animals looked healthy to me...not skinny.
I am not going to judge the case on the "evidence" of two videos and two newspaper articles. Especially such "sensational" ones. Obviously the "humane" society is going to "kill" the dogs. "Yeah we are "killing" em to "save" them. OK, uh huh. How humane is that? And then they are speaking ill of the dead who is not here to defend himself to justify what they are going to do. The whole situation is just sad.

 

Good read,much truth in it.....I think better times are coming^^......If you want effective selection you need more than 5 dogs.....thats it.Im sure it is possible to hold Pitbulls in a pack....Im not saying that never a dog would be hurt or maybe killed(like with other breed) but it is possible.And you can easy hunt with a pack of Pitbulls.Pitbulls are outstanding fighter but the behavior is compared to other breeds NOT unnatural.Bitches are very good mothers, and males are most times good with the pups......so if you have 100 Pits you could make10 packs.....the point is they have to grow up together.Sure if you let 100 single separated dogs off the chain you will get a ARMAGEDON....but thats not the fault of the dogs or the kind of dogs....in this case its like you would let 100 differend packs go....

 

i can see and respect your point. first off you should know that i am not new to the breed. i currently own 2 apbt's and have had up to 5 at one time (and that was to many). also never have i or will i be persuaded by media or propaganda as i like to call it. i have a mind of my own, and never will i be lead astray by someone elses opinions. just because a dog splashes around in water does not make it fit to be placed in a home, i have witnessed bears playing in the water am i taking one home nope. though it may be an injustice to euth. all of these animals the fact remains it was the owners ignorance (as in every other case) that will cause these dogs to suffer.

 

Thats why they just need to give APBTs their own reservation in Alaska...and we can live with them...then they can go be concerned with some other breed...people are stupid... what would they do if aliens landed and only ate scared people.....man that would be cool...id just stand in the street and laugh telling everyone to run faster if they wanted to live..maybe eat some cottage cheese and fruit on the porch...who knows...but id definitely want one as a pet...lmao...id just wait until they were done eating then lasso one. Survival of the fittest....APBTS are more likely to bite a scared person that runs...so thats a bad basis for accusations...people run and wonder why the dog chases...duh...I wish we had rights like the lawmakers do and we could prove it to be important to breed for gameness and allow APBTs to be protected. Pass our own damn laws.

 

Alaska. Man that is too cold for me. How about We take the state of Texas that way some that like it cooler can live in the most north part and those like me that like it hot can stay in the south part. lol I like it so hot even the flies pant.

 

Everyone has an oppinion. They are just like Ass holes every one has one. You have no idea what people's intentions are with 30 plus dogs. Some of us hire help and have partners. Most of us have nothing to do with dog fighting. We hunt with them, do shows, weight pulls, agility etc. you train a few dogs to do each thing and breed accordingly. Truth is that those that have a name for themselves don't sell to the public anyway. So puppy peddling falls to the byb or puppy mills. Ignorance is thinking we have ill intentions with our dogs. Just because your limited to a few doesn't mean that we are all as limited. Some have more land more money and better handling skills. Some have a love for different aspects of the dog than just show or pull compititions. Some of us like to do all the events minus fighting.

Tax payers. Yes these false alligations are a drain on tax payers. So are prisons and foriegn aid. By far worse than dogs. It wouldn't be a burdin if idiots didn't assume that people with these dogs all have ill intentions . Who are you to dictate what number is too many and what we have in mind? Did you wake up and find that you are so inlightened that you know all? Go find a better soap box to stand on! Every last one of my dogs are socialized. Its called rotate and work as a team with your help and partners.

 

i appreciate your attempt to educate me however as stated before i am not new to the breed or this world (not that i am done learning). i am well aware what some people do with their dogs and unfortunalty everyones intentions are not as noble as your own. thats the point i was trying to make i was replying to the article not you, so try not to get so defensive because like you yourself stated everyone has an opinion. if you don't like it ignore it, other wise how are we to get along in this world. it sounds as if it is you on the "soapbox". thinks for the rep by the way. and good luck in your hunting.

 

So I guess what dirty curry is saying ....29 dogs is the cut off folks. Sure am glad I can cull the sh%t out of my stock, got to keep the # down....I wouldnt want to be accused of having less than noble intentions with this breed!


Editt: Once upon a time pet qaulity eaquled the lesser of a breed standard.

 

Good aritcle, wonder why that wasnt on the front page of the newpaper *rollseyes*

 

How do I ignore it when I fall into the over 30 dogs limit most times? That is like saying ignore a ice pick in your eye. Ignore that you just stepped on my nuts with that post. I simply returned my oppinion on it. It's all good. my rep has my name in it. I always have a good time hunting.

 

i just learned that the individual being spoke about in the article is the man that was recently murderd. had i known this earlier i would not have even replied. i had no intentions of trampling on his memory, for that i am sorry. however i still stand by everything else i said. if you do not want bigbrother assuming you are up to no good you might take into consideration things like how many dogs you have.it sucks but such is the world in which we live. trust me it's only going to get worse and that is the scary thing. the 5 dogs are to many was in reference to myself. so by all means keep all the dogs you want just do not act confused when you get accused of "less than noble intentions".

 

The fact is, Your basic premise is flawed. The fact that he MIGHT have been either into peddling or matching dogs does NOT make it ok to kill all his dogs. I've been on large yards where the dogs were on chain sets up and were perfectly nice dogs. Dosen't make killing them off Ok, not by a longshot. And what is worse, and what shows the hypocrasy of the "humane" society is that they are, on their site requesting funds for this "rescue" of theirs. The use of language by the humaniacs would make George Orwell blush. Rescue=kill.