# Woman kills 2 attacking APBTs



## lovemygirl (Jan 19, 2014)

Story: Woman Stabs to Death Two Attacking Pit Bulls - NBC News 

I'm sure that this story will produce two extremely predictable reactions in the general population. My take is that we (as a society) really need to look at the overall trend towards irresponsible dog owners in this country...and how many of those irresponsible owners seem drawn to bully breeds. (IMO/IME only.) 

Those dogs could have been hit by a car, picked up for use in a dog-fighting ring, or stolen just as quickly as this incident allegedly unfolded. Not only that, but if you have a DA and possibly HA dog, I do not understand how you could allow your dogs to escape. I say this as the former owner of a DA and child-aggressive GSD (Eva). 

Maybe the loose dog fee needs to be higher, to encourage people to actually keep their dogs safely contained. But even here, where there is a $250 fee per occurrence, there are loose dogs everywhere. Maybe there is no solution. I don't know. This is just so sad... that it ever had to happen at all. Sad for everyone - for the two deceased dogs most of all, and for the husky that was bitten, and for the GSD + husky owner (I imagine she will have nightmares, intrusive thoughts, grief, etc for a long, long time), and the pit owner, who will probably live with a huge burden of guilt and grief.... ugh.


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## HarleyTheGSD (Feb 13, 2012)

Very sad, indeed.
I completely agree. I've heard many people say silly things in regards to aggressive pitbulls. 
"I want a dog like that!" "That's an awesome dog!" "My dog attacks everybody, it's great." 
Luckily, all of the pitbulls/pitbull mixes I've met, were extremely friendly. It breaks my heart to know that irresponsible people are getting these dogs solely for their tendency for aggression.


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## Cara Fusinato (May 29, 2011)

You know, just once I would like to actually hear in the story the owner say, "Oh my God, I knew these dogs didn't like people or other dogs. I have done my best to keep them confined. I feel beyond awful they escaped and did this. I totally understand the victim had to protect herself and her dog. I will help them in any way possible". People, man up. 

Yes, I am sick of irresponsible dog ownership. I can't walk in my community with or without my dogs because of loose dogs -- pits and otherwise. I can't take my dogs to walk in parks because of aggressive dogs let off leash or brought close enough to lunge. I can't go up to the mountain lake on my day off because of everyone having their off-leash beasts who come up and hassle leashed animals (all dogs to be leashed by local regulation). We lack a sense of community responsibility and it is horrifying.


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## jrennie15 (May 14, 2014)

Cara Fusinato said:


> You know, just once I would like to actually hear in the story the owner say, "Oh my God, I knew these dogs didn't like people or other dogs. I have done my best to keep them confined. I feel beyond awful they escaped and did this. I totally understand the victim had to protect herself and her dog. I will help them in any way possible". People, man up.
> 
> Yes, I am sick of irresponsible dog ownership. I can't walk in my community with or without my dogs because of loose dogs -- pits and otherwise. I can't take my dogs to walk in parks because of aggressive dogs let off leash or brought close enough to lunge. I can't go up to the mountain lake on my day off because of everyone having their off-leash beasts who come up and hassle leashed animals (all dogs to be leashed by local regulation). We lack a sense of community responsibility and it is horrifying.


 
Agreed. I can't go to our local dog park anymore as people drop their aggressive dogs off there and leave for a few hours and then return to pick them up later. My poor little Pom was attacked once by a very aggressive large dog there (I got bit in the scuffle of trying to help my Pom). Its the owner's fault most times- not the dogs, its unfortunate.


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## cltyus (Feb 8, 2014)

I'm actually an apbt owner and it comes with great responsibility...most people shouldn't own them.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Bad scene. Cara, I agree. It is never ever there fault, it's the blame game at its finest. My dogs a pitbull so YOU are just breed prejudice, very silly and childish its always everyone elses fault when you mix irresponsibility with dog ownership. 

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## Franksmom (Oct 13, 2010)

I'm afraid the only way people will learn to control their dogs is when an attack happens the dogs are taken to animal control, watched for Rabies (if no proof of vaccines ) and then the dogs are put down, no second chances, not for the owner and not to a rescue.
The poor dogs are the ones to pay the price, which is sad, but until laws are very strictly enforced, I don't think people will pay attention to their DA or HA dogs like they should. 
Maybe if people really had the fear there's not second chance my dog attacks unprovoked, it's put down.

It really isn't that pit bulls and other type breeds are bad, but bad people do seem to be drawn to them. Not the dogs fault but also not a dog I would want to mess with if it was trained or untrained in an aggressive way.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I seen this story on Facebook and my first thought was "is it even legal to carry that kind of weapon? " It isn't where I am. My second thought was based on the description witnesses gave that this woman just kept stabbing them and stabbing them, the owner couldn't even get to the dogs because a knife was flying everywhere. I just feel that most situations are one extreme to another and there isn't any in between. If someone wants to protect themselves and their dogs that is fine, but stabbing them over and over and the owner was there almost immediately? That woman had a lot of anger inside her.


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

After my incident, I am sure if I could have I would have. I have a knife latched onto my fanny pack, but when My dog was attacked (my hand was munched in the attack, and I still have some pain, cramping and clicking in joint and cannot make a fist - been 4 weeks today), I was still in cooler weather gear and never though to have it in my pocket.

I have since purchased a carry size pepper spray - 10 foot range. It goes with me now always...along with the knife. 

Shoot first, ask questions later


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

GatorBytes said:


> After my incident, I am sure if I could have I would have. I have a knife latched onto my fanny pack, but when My dog was attacked (my hand was munched in the attack, and I still have some pain, cramping and clicking in joint and cannot make a fist - been 4 weeks today), I was still in cooler weather gear and never though to have it in my pocket.
> 
> I have since purchased a carry size pepper spray - 10 foot range. It goes with me now always...along with the knife.
> 
> Shoot first, ask questions later


Nothing wrong with carrying the pepper spray. It will stop the dog and give you a chance to get out of there. The only bad thing is that if it's a windy day..


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## trcy (Mar 1, 2013)

llombardo said:


> I seen this story on Facebook and my first thought was "is it even legal to carry that kind of weapon? " It isn't where I am. My second thought was based on the description witnesses gave that this woman just kept stabbing them and stabbing them, the owner couldn't even get to the dogs because a knife was flying everywhere. I just feel that most situations are one extreme to another and there isn't any in between. If someone wants to protect themselves and their dogs that is fine, but stabbing them over and over and the owner was there almost immediately? That woman had a lot of anger inside her.


That was the dog owners version of what happened. It may have been embellished. I do know once a pit latches on it's very difficult to get them to release. I would imagine it would have taken multiple stabs. The pits were biting and latched on to her dog.


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## lovemygirl (Jan 19, 2014)

llombardo said:


> I seen this story on Facebook and my first thought was "is it even legal to carry that kind of weapon? " It isn't where I am. My second thought was based on the description witnesses gave that this woman just kept stabbing them and stabbing them, the owner couldn't even get to the dogs because a knife was flying everywhere. I just feel that most situations are one extreme to another and there isn't any in between. If someone wants to protect themselves and their dogs that is fine, but stabbing them over and over and the owner was there almost immediately? That woman had a lot of anger inside her.


I haven't heard any neutral witness statements about this at all, so I'll refrain from commenting there, but my first thought was to reflect on the times my dogs have been attacked. With Eva, whenever we were attacked, she would fight back and every time but once, she scared the attacking dog into retreat. 

The one time she and I were trapped in a vestibule (I'd been knocked down by the other dog when it flew in) with an off-leash attacking dog, it never occurred to me to use anything as a weapon. I went for the scruffs of both dogs (STUPID - I'm lucky I wasn't bitten) but never got a sufficient grip to disengage them. 

With one of my previous dogs, who was a beagle mix, I normally picked him up and turned around as soon as I saw threatening body language on a loose dog. Once, we were threatened by a loose golden retriever, and I kicked at it. I don't remember whether I actually connected; it wasn't a very hard kick, if I did. Still, I felt really, really guilty about that for a long time. Some life, ya know, for a dog that's treated like that - get the bare minimum in terms of food/water, let loose to your own devices all day, no training, probably no companionship, and then, not knowing any better, you threaten a dog who is actually with its owner, and its owner threatens or scares you in return. Maybe eventually you get picked up by an ACO and if you're still young enough and not diseased, maybe you'll get a shot at being adopted; if you're old or sick or live in an area with a lot of strays, you'll get maybe three days to languish at animal control and then the needle. 

Humans suck.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

trcy said:


> That was the dog owners version of what happened. It may have been embellished. I do know once a pit latches on it's very difficult to get them to release. I would imagine it would have taken multiple stabs. The pits were biting and latched on to her dog.


The story I read stated that the owner got the knife out of her backpack, which means she had to take it off, unzip it, then hopefully grab the knife without stabbing herself. They stated the dog had minor injuries, which is a good thing, but I'm not sure how that happened even in the time frame it took to get the knife. The injuries were on the back and on the tail, which is not normal for a pit, they go for the neck when they mean business. All that aside I have read many different versions of the story. There were three dogs getting walked, then there was two dogs getting walked. In the different versions it was two women walking and then it was this woman and her boyfriend. All that was consistent in every story was the woman stabbed them repeatedly and the owner couldn't get to the dogs. One of the dogs was not even at the scene, it was found down the road and died when they were getting it(well that is one version of it anyway)I'm not saying its wrong or right, but I am saying we will never know the whole real story.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

The dog had injuries. 

The cops fined the pits' owner. 

The terrier in American Pit Bull Terrier, was bred in there to make a dog that will go go go go, regardless of being bitten, etc. So the knife attack did not make the dogs retreat, they kept going. She could not have kept stabbing if the dogs were not within range. If the dog were within range, they were probably attacking. Stab wounds would have probably made them fight harder, at least initially. 

Got asthma, don't do pepper spray.

Too many stories about pit bulls in the news and in the papers, too many deaths attributed to them. Too many serious injuries. And, God only knows how many dogs they kill. 

Shame on the owner of the pits. She failed her dogs by letting them get loose. Some breeds aren't going to get second and third and fourth chances. We own a breed that we cannot count on multiple chances either. Dog owners have to be more responsible. 

I am on the side of the knife wielder. She protected her dogs and herself. Too bad that someone else's untrained dogs got loose and attacked.


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## Sarah~ (Apr 30, 2012)

I'm not really on anybody's side, I think the owner of the pits did not mean to let her dogs out. It's happened to me where someone pulls a door and lets it go thinking it will shut on it's own like they've done every day but this time it doesn't and the dogs get out. I feel like I'm a very responsible dog owner but I'm very lucky I was standing right there when my dogs got out and there where no other dogs around. 

I also don't blame the lady who stabbed the dogs, that is a weird knife to carry on dog walks so that makes me think she has had some scary things happen to her on walks before and she did what she thought she had to do to save her dogs. I feel bad for both of them and especially the dogs.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Cara Fusinato said:


> You know, just once I would like to actually hear in the story the owner say, "Oh my God, I knew these dogs didn't like people or other dogs. I have done my best to keep them confined. I feel beyond awful they escaped and did this. I totally understand the victim had to protect herself and her dog. I will help them in any way possible". People, man up.
> 
> Yes, I am sick of irresponsible dog ownership. I can't walk in my community with or without my dogs because of loose dogs -- pits and otherwise. I can't take my dogs to walk in parks because of aggressive dogs let off leash or brought close enough to lunge. I can't go up to the mountain lake on my day off because of everyone having their off-leash beasts who come up and hassle leashed animals (all dogs to be leashed by local regulation). We lack a sense of community responsibility and it is horrifying.


Yes!!!

When Shadow was about 4 months old she was attacked on a walk by a loose Rottie. I swear I don't know how I didn't kill that dog, I was kicking and punching with everything I had. I was so mad that even after I got it to drop her I kept going after it. If I had a knife that would have been a dead dog. I don't care who doesn't like it or agree with it. I have every right to defend my dogs and/or myself. Irresponsible people should not own dogs, period. It only takes once. The dog that attacked Shadow lives one block from my house, still runs loose and has attacked dozens of dogs. Until it hurts a person or kills a dog, AC won't act. I don't blame this woman one bit!
I wish I could carry a knife!


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Sabis mom said:


> Yes!!!
> 
> When Shadow was about 4 months old she was attacked on a walk by a loose Rottie. I swear I don't know how I didn't kill that dog, I was kicking and punching with everything I had. I was so mad that even after I got it to drop her I kept going after it. If I had a knife that would have been a dead dog. I don't care who doesn't like it or agree with it. I have every right to defend my dogs and/or myself. Irresponsible people should not own dogs, period. It only takes once. The dog that attacked Shadow lives one block from my house, still runs loose and has attacked dozens of dogs. Until it hurts a person or kills a dog, AC won't act. I don't blame this woman one bit!
> I wish I could carry a knife!


My golden (he was a puppy)was attacked by a full grown Rott. I never thought to kick or punch the dog, he had my pups whole head in its mouth. Instead I held the jaws of the Rott open so he couldn't bite down on my pups head anymore. My friend had the Rott in the air by his back end and the dog still didn't let go. My friend did have a knife and threatened to use it, I screamed at him and told him not to stab the dog. Killing that dog wasn't going to make me feel any better. Thankfully the Rott finally released my dog. There were two puncture wounds on my pup, if I didn't hold those jaws open I think the dog could have crushed my pups head.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

llombardo said:


> My golden (he was a puppy)was attacked by a full grown Rott. I never thought to kick or punch the dog, he had my pups whole head in its mouth. Instead I held the jaws of the Rott open so he couldn't bite down on my pups head anymore. My friend had the Rott in the air by his back end and the dog still didn't let go. My friend did have a knife and threatened to use it, I screamed at him and told him not to stab the dog. Killing that dog wasn't going to make me feel any better. Thankfully the Rott finally released my dog. There were two puncture wounds on my pup, if I didn't hold those jaws open I think the dog could have crushed my pups head.


It was trying to run away and shaking her. I was afraid to let go of her leash, or give it much slack. And I was alone. The second it dropped her I tossed her into the back of a parked truck and went after it. The owner laughed at me. Killing it might have made me feel lots better.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Sabis mom said:


> It was trying to run away and shaking her. I was afraid to let go of her leash, or give it much slack. And I was alone. The second it dropped her I tossed her into the back of a parked truck and went after it. The owner laughed at me. Killing it might have made me feel lots better.


The owner of the Rott in my case stood there screaming and crying, but never once tried getting the dog. She completely lost it right there and was of no use to me, I wanted to shake her and slap her to snap her out of it. There were several people there and no one tried to help.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

llombardo said:


> The owner of the Rott in my case stood there screaming and crying, but never once tried getting the dog. She completely lost it right there and was of no use to me, I wanted to shake her and slap her to snap her out of it. There were several people there and no one tried to help.


That just makes me angry. My point is it's really easy for some people to throw stones, but until you have seen another dog trying to do harm to yours, you have no idea how you will react.
In some cases you may put yourself in harms way, sticking your own hands in a strange dogs mouth, or you may go all 'Mama Bear' and attack the offending animal beyond what others deem reasonable.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Sabis mom said:


> That just makes me angry. My point is it's really easy for some people to throw stones, but until you have seen another dog trying to do harm to yours, you have no idea how you will react.
> In some cases you may put yourself in harms way, sticking your own hands in a strange dogs mouth, or you may go all 'Mama Bear' and attack the offending animal beyond what others deem reasonable.


The sad part is that my thinking was if the dog got angry enough it would redirect on me and that is when the others would have jumped in.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

I have not read the follow up. Are bully breed advocates going bananas yet?


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## Sarah~ (Apr 30, 2012)

misslesleedavis1 said:


> I have not read the follow up. Are bully breed advocates going bananas yet?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I read some comments, there are people who don't support the lady who stabbed the dog and a few advocates who are also upset. I am an advocate myself but I don't think this should be about breed, it should be about teaching people to watch their dogs carefully because when dogs get out, bad things happen!


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

selzer said:


> The dog had injuries.
> 
> The cops fined the pits' owner.
> 
> ...


Pretty much my thoughts exactly. Zero sympathy for the pit bull owner. People should be able to walk their dogs down the street without having to carry weapons out of fear of a dog attack.

It isn't even about breed. If she had been attacked by lassie and she stabbed lassie to death my opinion would be the same. If you have the kind of pit bull that has the drive and temperament to stick it out despite being stabbed you need to either have that dog in containment or have a crap ton of training and control on it or both.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

llombardo said:


> The sad part is that my thinking was if the dog got angry enough it would redirect on me and that is when the others would have jumped in.


Pit bulls don't normally redirect on people in dog fights. Dog fighters breeding them for that purpose would kill the ones that did that. You can generally get in there and break stick them off a bite and yank them away without being super worried about a redirect.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

When a dog sets its mind to kill its not easy to break them of that moment. 

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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

misslesleedavis1 said:


> When a dog sets its mind to kill its not easy to break them of that moment.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


You can with a break stick, especially a pit bull, as as Bailiff says they are unlikely to redirect onto you. A shepherd, sorry folks, but they would be much more likely to redirect onto humans than a pit. I think this is because the pitbull may not be miswired or in a serious zone to be attacking. Not that it is in their nature to attack, but, well, they were bred to fight other critters, and even when they are fighting all out, they are not necessarily in a different place. 

Sheps, are generally totally in a zone when they are in an all out fight. This does not mean that they are miswired. And this is what makes protection work and k9 special. You have to be able to demonstrate control even when the dog is totally going to town. My guess is that the bitework in schutzhund is more of a game to the dogs, and they are leaping and biting and having a great time, because nothing has ever hurt them in this, and it is totally fun. But they are not totally in a zone either. For a dog to be in a war with another critter or a human, and to be able to be called off shows much more control than average owners will ever achieve with their dogs. And I am sure a lot of the k9 handlers are glad to have a leash to help the dog understand that it is not completely free to continue to engage. 

It is until our own dogs rush out of our home or garage and engage with someone else's critter, and is seriously injured that we can truly understand the scope of this situation. When people are talking to the press, looking at the bloody carcasses of their beloved pets, they may not say the kinds the things we want to hear. They are speaking with emotion. If they get a chance to look back on the situation, and totally evaluate, they may feel differently. 

And we too, but for the grace of God... Yes, I train all my dogs to recall. And they are awesome at it. But it takes one time. If they see a dog walking through my yard, when I released them to go to my car, might they go for the dog, whether there is a person on the other end of a leash or not? Will I still be endorsing the knife wielder, and blame myself fully, if it is my yearling pups? 

I don't know. So far, I have not had to beat or kick or stab a dog to get it to release any of mine. And I am sure that can make you feel a certain way about it. But I think we would really have to be in all the dog owners' shoes to totally understand. 

I think people with pits have to be more vigilant because of their breed. And the owner of the dogs are totally at fault for their dogs' demise. But I wouldn't put much stock in what they said in the heat of the moment.


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

selzer said:


> The dog had injuries.
> 
> The cops fined the pits' owner.
> 
> ...


Yup!

When Max and I were attacked by a loose pit I was terrified as I could not get the dog to let go of Max, And when I finally kicked the Sh - T out of it and it let go of Max it grabbed me. If I had had a knife it would have been a dead pit. Not because I would want to kill somone's dog but because I was very afraid it would bring me to the ground and kill me. 

When you are in that kind of a situation you have the right to defend yourself with whatever means it takes. 

The pit owner - seems it is always someone elses fault.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Baillif said:


> Pit bulls don't normally redirect on people in dog fights. Dog fighters breeding them for that purpose would kill the ones that did that. You can generally get in there and break stick them off a bite and yank them away without being super worried about a redirect.


The dog I was referring to was a Rott. I haven't had any real issues with pit bulls.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

How many people have dogs that will rush put and instantly start mauling another dog?
I made the mistake of leaving my front door open with just the screen closed one day, long time ago though and I only had dex. He hit the screen and butt wiggled his way over to a man walking a pom, it was stupid of me not to keep the front door closed but dexter is not rushing out to harlem shake some poor dog to death. I cant say the same for shiggs or tyson I sincerely doubt that they would want to hurt a passersby's dog just because they do get on with 99% of the dogs they meet. 

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## Longfisher (Feb 28, 2013)

*Armed*

I've had at least four and potentially five near-serious attacking dogs encounter me and now almost 20 month old GSD on walks around the neighborhood.

The first two times I intervened physically with the attacking dog and the second time with the owner too. I called the cops both times and both times the dog-owner was ticketed. Neither my dog nor I was seriously hurt.

Then I started carrying mace. I've used it ever since on the next two encounters. It's worked exceptionally well even when I don't hit the dog directly (hey, the mace containers don't exactly come with scoped sights). Neither were bully breeds and they seemed surprised with the spray alone coming towards them. Second of the two required a direct hit before he completely stopped his aggression.

Last one was a pit, leashed, but led by a young man of perhaps 14 - 15 and who was definitely not controlling that dog. Lunged from across the street at my GSD and was instantly loose and attacking. Hit him directly with spray twice and grabbed his leash only to have him lower his head and lunge at me (my GSD was still tethered to me). Young lad regained control of pit and we were separated.

I also carry concealed and had thought of using the pistol. But it's a .45 and it might over-penetrate and harm a bystander. So, I didn't pull it or use it.

But since I've taken to carrying a sheath knife with 3.5" blade and razor-sharp (3.5" is all that legal here) and I'm shopping for a smaller pistol to carry on my belt, right-hip to the rear so it's easily deployed. I think either a 32, 340 or even a very small 9mm so as to reduce the chance of over-penetration.

I'm going to call it the Hush-Puppy.

I'm just too old to be chewed up by an attacking pit. I'd probably never recover and would likely be killed as I'm not all that agile anymore and could end up on my back fighting a dog.

I'm also too old to be assaulted by a dog owner whose animal I just, well, neutralized. So, I'll still carry the .45 separately.

It's a real shame to feel like you have to be as armed as Rambo just to walk your dog and survive the trip, huh?

LF


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

I only have 1 dog at the end of my street to think about. A golden with a attitude. 

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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

I love bully dogs...they are great in the right hands (just like any dog). The knife lady had every right to dispatch the attacking dogs. Stab/shoot until the enemy is no longer advancing.

The owner of the PB is an idiot. Those dogs could have easily attacked a young kid injuring or killing it. Take some responsibility.


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## TommyB681 (Oct 19, 2012)

eddie1976E said:


> I love bully dogs...they are great in the right hands (just like any dog). The knife lady had every right to dispatch the attacking dogs. Stab/shoot until the enemy is no longer advancing.
> 
> The owner of the PB is an idiot. Those dogs could have easily attacked a young kid injuring or killing it. Take some responsibility.


Roger that, get or be got


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## A girl and her dog (Jan 25, 2014)

cltyus said:


> I'm actually an apbt owner and it comes with great responsibility...most people shouldn't own them.


This kind of sensibility is the very thing I wish more apbt owners had. I'm glad to have read this comment from an owner.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

The comedic part is she's all she didn't have to kill my dogs. It's the very same logic that happens when the parents of some guys who decide to rob an ABC store at gunpoint use when they show up on the news saying oh the clerk didn't have to shoot them. Yeah he did. Maybe next time train your kids/dogs better.


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## A girl and her dog (Jan 25, 2014)

While I have never encountered an aggressive pit on the streets, I have encountered a loose dog in my yard that had just sport-killed two of my chickens. When I stepped towards it, it growled at me, in my yard, at my coop! I had no weapons so I just growled back a stared it down. It eventually left. I felt sort of silly, but it was all I had and it worked.

Some chicken keepers get real serious about dogs coming around and have no problem dispatching them for raiding the coop/yard. The motto there is shoot-shovel-shut up. There is absolutely no pity there for loose dogs. And a lot of them own dogs as well. I know that is totally different than this story, the only similarity being the lengths one will go to in order to protect their own. 

I'd have had no problem taking aim at that dog in my yard and even AC said we're so close to the city limits that they wouldn't have made a peep about my dispatching the dog. In fact, the guy(s) that came out said that the dog was a danger to me, my child, other animals, etc. and we have every right to protect what's ours. 

I think the owner of the pits was irresponsible. The statement she made about the woman stabbing them and that she shouldn't have killed them is riddled with denial. It also sounds as though the knife wielder has had trouble like this before, possibly from these same dogs, and was prepared this time. 

All of this business with pits being all lovey-dovey and just big teddy bears is misleading and somewhat dangerous. Not just anyone should own this breed. Around my parts, it is mostly crack/meth heads, ego-driven 'gangsta' wannabes, and ignorant red-necks (the ignorant ones, not all!!)that have pits. And they're the one's going around spreading the redeeming word about pits. Scary.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I think that pits are very popular, they are intelligent, loyal companion dogs, that appeal to a lot of people. It is therefore impossible that none would land in the hands of decent, responsible pet owners. In fact, I believe that there are many responsible pit owners. And these are the people who, being loyal to the breed, work hard to try to improve their image.

Some of what they say is kind of dangerous, babysitter-dogs, and "it's all in how you raise them." Frankly, I disagree. I think some of it is genetics too. But in their efforts to fight BSL, they needed to dispel some of the general cautions that really should be considered when you buy any formidable breed of dog, and specific cautions for breeds that were created as a breed to have certain traits. And some of the people out there, truly don't believe their dogs are capable of doing what some of these dogs have done.

So breed-enthusiasts sometimes are working against the breed by trying to improve their image by how they go about it.

I think the ignorant ******** (whatever those are), and the crack meth-heads, are pretty self-absorbed, and are not hanging around the internet, dog sites, trying to improve the breed. They react when something happens. If a dog chews up a kid, they will generally be shocked, will maybe shoot the dog or have it euthanized, but I just don't think that they know too much about the problems with the breed. 

The only evidence I have on this is that they continue to allow the dogs to run loose or otherwise attack children, adults, dogs, chickens, etc. I think you must really have your head in the sand to not have heard of any animosity toward the breed or why, but I think that they just brush it off, "yeah, I know people are scared of them, but..." and maybe they parrot the well-used, "it's all in how you raise them", or "they just have a bad rap." 

So I do not believe that it is ignorant red necks or crack-methheads that are spreading misinformation about the dogs. I think that it is probably the responsible pit owners and fanciers that are guilty of that.


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## A girl and her dog (Jan 25, 2014)

All good points, thanks! 

What you said about the types I mentioned saying "It's all in how you raise them" is what I meant about misinforming. True, their circles are pretty closed and not far reaching. And, I do agree that the further-reaching messengers, enthusiasts and such, are the most dangerous. They're just so extreme with their 'big teddy-bear' message that I personally don't give them much credit; and yes, that has a reverse affect for what they're trying to do. 

Back to the seedier types- my fear about these folks is that they tend to want the biggest, most aggressive dogs and will breed for those traits effectually 'contaminating' the gene-pool for the average seeker. For that reason, I (IF I ever decide to go with an abpt) will not get one from a local shelter. That goes against most of what I'm about concerning animals. I'd find a reputable, highly-recommended breeder with an excellent track record. I just wouldn't chance the kind of aggression and possible screws loose in what might be found in a shelter. 

I could be misguided in my fears though. I really don't know. I've never had one and have zero experience with them.


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## alydbaby (May 14, 2014)

Although I do believe a dog's personality depends a lot upon its environment, it also depends on the breed's genetics as a whole. A dog will revert back to its instincts, and APBTs especially have been known to be aggressive. That being said, if a Pit is raised with love and is properly taken care of then the odds of them reverting back to what they were bred for is seriously lessened. 

But, all in all, dogs are unpredictable- especially bully breeds such as the APBT. 

I've met Pits that are just as sweet as my late Labrador- would never hurt a fly and thrived off of love and affection from humans and other animals. One day, one of those Pits saw a dog she didn't like across the street and went on the offensive and attacked- they had children so unfortunately they had to get rid of her after that even though she had no previous incidents with aggression. Then there was my old friend's pit who (unbeknownst to any of us) had been beat severely on several occasions by her roommate and now has to be kept away from children and strangers in general because she has a lot of fear aggression towards humans.

Anyone who owns an APBT should be cautious of the risks that come with them. Beautiful breed, but not trustworthy to be wandering around unleashed regardless of how well you think it would behave. Then again, I don't believe anyone should allow their dogs to wander off the leash, even if it is a totally harmless little dog. Just my opinion- too much could happen.

Oh, and if another dog had ever attacked my Casey I would have done anything in my power to stop them. Same goes for Maia. My pup is my baby and I would protect her to any length that I would protect any other of my loved ones. It's sad that two dogs had to die so violently, but had the owner been a little more watchful or had a better handle of her TWO Pits, she could have saved their lives instead of watching them get stabbed to death in self defense. 
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## daisyrunner (Dec 5, 2013)

Baillif said:


> The comedic part is she's all she didn't have to kill my dogs. It's the very same logic that happens when the parents of some guys who decide to rob an ABC store at gunpoint use when they show up on the news saying oh the clerk didn't have to shoot them. Yeah he did. Maybe next time train your kids/dogs better.


ThIS!!!!! I love it when the family of a criminal says "Why couldnt they just shoot him in the leg" when the guy is charging at the cop with a knife/gun. 
As far as this story, did anyone see the video?!?!? Where do they get these people?!?! Wow....


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## mamajag (May 1, 2014)

llombardo said:


> I seen this story on Facebook and my first thought was "is it even legal to carry that kind of weapon? " It isn't where I am. My second thought was based on the description witnesses gave that this woman just kept stabbing them and stabbing them, the owner couldn't even get to the dogs because a knife was flying everywhere. I just feel that most situations are one extreme to another and there isn't any in between. If someone wants to protect themselves and their dogs that is fine, but stabbing them over and over and the owner was there almost immediately? That woman had a lot of anger inside her.


Typical blame the victim nonsense. She was protecting herself, her friend, and their dogs from dogs who were attacking them. I'd kill them in the same situation myself, and I grew up with an APBT. I fully understand what they are capable of.

The owner is trying to deflect the blame. The dogs should have been contained better. That's why they are dead.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

If you have two pit bulls attacking and all you have is a knife, well, I give the woman with the knife a badge for courage and strength. It can't be easy to kill two attacking dogs with a knife.


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## mamajag (May 1, 2014)

A girl and her dog said:


> This kind of sensibility is the very thing I wish more apbt owners had. I'm glad to have read this comment from an owner.


I grew up with one who loved me like I was her puppy. I knew she was a APBT and that people were afraid of them, but I'd only ever seen her attack possums, raccoons, and animals that got after our goats. One day I was in the yard playing basketball when a neighbor's white GSD cut me off from the house and attacked. I called for the APBT as I was going to the ground. All I remember is a brown streak and a lot of blood that wasn't mine. That was the day I came to understand that they should be treated and respected like loaded weapons. We disposed of the GSD in pieces, literally, and never told anyone what happened. My pedi handled my stitches and everything so we didn't have to go the ER and report it. Our ordinance was written in such a way that our APBT could have been pts for protecting me. Not everyone is cut out to own one. I love them but don't feel like I'm in the place in my life to be responsible for one. Loaded weapons and all.


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## Lucy&Jax (Apr 19, 2014)

I take Jax over the field behind our house every day and at different times due to work schedules and the last few days there has been a woman over there with a doberman off the lead, now at first I didn't think nothing of it cuz being responsible myself if Jax was violent in anyway he would stay on his lead but this dog comes running over to Jax and nearly takes a bite outta him, luckily I grabbed this dobermans collar and just held him till the owner came over. She then had the nerve to have a go at me for restraining her dog saying that he won't hurt ME but he don't like other dogs.

My response to this moron was that I'd rather her dog bite me then my dog and that she needs to keep him on a lead if he isn't dog friendly... I was fuming and poor Jax was terrified, he refused to go over the field today 

I just can't wrap my head around letting her dog off his lead in a well known dog walking location if he hates dogs


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