# Nick Santino Suicide: Breed Specific Discrimination



## DogGone (Nov 28, 2009)

Nick Santino, soap opera actor, commits suicide after putting pet dog to sleep
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-57368258-10391698/nick-santino-soap-opera-actor-commits-suicide-after-putting-pet-dog-to-sleep/


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Wow


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## TrickyShepherd (Aug 15, 2011)

Very sad.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Speechless


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## mwiacek10 (Nov 8, 2010)

Come on, he put the dog down because it wasn't allowed in his apt bldg?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Just my opinion, but first, there were other choices for the dog. Second, if a person commits suicide there is typically way more going on than the one final incident that triggers it. I saw this article a few days ago...sad, yes...but there was something else going on with him.


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## mwiacek10 (Nov 8, 2010)

I totally agree Jax... That's usually the case. Sad.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Jax08 said:


> Just my opinion, but first, there were other choices for the dog. Second, if a person commits suicide there is typically way more going on than the one final incident that triggers it. I saw this article a few days ago...sad, yes...but there was something else going on with him.


Agreed
My nephew OD-ed and passed away 10 days ago. His girl had just broken up with him but he has been fragile for quite a while. There was no note so it was ruled accidental. People don't do such things without there being some additional emotional/psychological/mental burden.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I'm so sorry PaddyD. There is just no way to understand for those of us left behind.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Jax08 said:


> I'm so sorry PaddyD. There is just no way to understand for those of us left behind.


Thank you, Jax. Not my intention to high-jack the thread.
Wondering what else was going on with the actor.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I think for this man to go to the extreme he did, he must have had other emotional problems. It is REALLY sad

I have had a couple friend committ suicide, and I honestly think, when someone does this, they are thinking in the 'moment', they aren't thinking of how those left behind will feel, and after it's done, I'm sure they'd wish they hadn't done it, but it's to late


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## TrickyShepherd (Aug 15, 2011)

JakodaCD OA said:


> I think for this man to go to the extreme he did, he must have had other emotional problems. It is REALLY sad
> 
> I have had a couple friend committ suicide, and I honestly think, when someone does this, they are thinking in the 'moment', they aren't thinking of how those left behind will feel, and after it's done, I'm sure they'd wish they hadn't done it, but it's to late


Agreed. I had a few close friends and family friends commit suicide years ago.... none of them were just because of one reason. Many things were going on and they were going through rough spots in their life. I don't believe any of them actually thought about it clearly. If they did, I am sure every one of them would have changed their minds and still be here today. Life can be rough at times, but never worth taking your own life.... when in a clear mindset and thinking things through, it is obvious that it's not worth it. But, when you are at an all time low, and clouded by all the stresses and emotions.... sometimes people just can't see that, instead they see that as the only way out... the only relief.

Very very sad situation.... for both the dog and his owner. Both could have been prevented, I am sure.

May they both RIP...


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## DogGone (Nov 28, 2009)

*Trivialization*

I didn’t see anyone arguing that the only reason this guy took his life was because his dog was banned.

The point is that breed specific prejudice contributed to this man suicide. Please don’t trivialize that.


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## x0emiroxy0x (Nov 29, 2010)

Sorry but I don't believe someone is "all there" if they killed themselves soley because of breed specific prejudice. That is like killing yourself because McDonalds stopped serving chicken nuggets. He must have been in a bad state already.

He could have found another apartment or rehome the dog or find a foster until he could move. I got kicked out of my last apartment because of my dog...had to pay the rent all the way through even though I had moved somewhere else. Had to pay two rents to keep my dog. That's why I'm broke....but I'm still alive.


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## x0emiroxy0x (Nov 29, 2010)

And if he had received multiple complaints about the dog, it isn't breed specific legislation. It's "Hey your dog is bothering other people who live in the same building as you so either train it or get rid of it". Pits are banned at our apartment after they attacked a girl and the girl sued the apartments. 

Every month we get an email from the management reminding us of the rules and it always says "Remember, if your dog ever makes someone feel unsafe we have the right to tell you to remove it within 24 hours". You better believe Rocky does NOT bark at ANYONE around the apartment complex.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

I agree, the circumstances had to have been more complex than getting complaints about his dog ... there were alternatives to resolving the problem besides putting the dog down and committing suicide.


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## KaiserGSDLove (Oct 21, 2010)

The extended version of that story at the end talks about how the dog was starting to get aggressive and how Nick Santino said he blamed it on his depression. Clearly more going on than just putting his dog down, but from the life he's had it seems the dog was the only friend around. 
Soap-opera actor Nick Santino committed suicide after beloved dog euthanized - NYPOST.com


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## dOg (Jan 23, 2006)

Well,I think no matter what else was going on with the guy, BSL is a contributing factor to their demise. Whether you agree with blaming BSL or not, what is clear is BSL, and the fear it evokes to sustain itself, even gain strength and support from, produces some seriously irrational behaviors in both humans and animals. 
To have it passed, the building having a grandfather clause which allowed him to stay,
while all the neighbors wanted him gone, it set up a pretty depressing situation to deal with, no matter what else may have been going on. Wonder why he got depressed and the dog got cranky? I'd say this story is a good example of just how completely idiotic BSL is.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

When I read the article and that Nick Santino was an actor for soap operas .... I thought right there....soaps are being cancelled..he probably was falling on hard times work wise too. If that's the case he may not want to admit that - as it is admitting to rejection. Usually when someone is feeling like they have failed in life they'll want to pin it on something else to protect an already wounded core.

But - As far as trivializing dog breed discrimination, I'm a dog nerd. I'll not think twice about dropping a substantial amount of money on my dogs but agonize over spending $10.00 on something for myself.

Still, when I see the pictures of the children, in Syria, blood dripping down their little faces, their homes obliterated. Well....it does make me think twice about being grateful for the many blessings we have in this country.

While Nick Santino committing suicide is tragic, sad and I really feel for his friends and family left behind.....many people have suffered through much worse and gotten to the other side of _life._


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## x0emiroxy0x (Nov 29, 2010)

Aggression is aggression. Why are you blaming BSL for making this guy depressed? He bought a dog that's breed is known for DA, and when it became aggressive (I don't know whether human or dog aggressive), OF COURSE! his neighbors wanted it gone.

If you had 2 year old children and your neighbor had a dog, of ANY breed, that was being aggressive and lunging at them, you would instantly contact the apartment.

If the apartment had had pit attacks before and this guy got grandfather claused in and his dog became aggressive, why *wouldnt* they kick it out?

This has nothing to do with BSL. He was grandfather claused in.... It's not like the neighbors said "AHHH! A pit bull! Let's make a reason to kick it out!" The dog was aggressive. End of story. Doesn't need to be at an apartment.

And the dog didn't become aggressive because the owner was "cranky". That's about the silliest thing I've heard. 

Whatever happened to "punish the deed not the breed" as you pit people like to say? Obviously this dog was being aggressive so they punished the deed....they had already let it stay *despite* its breed.


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## x0emiroxy0x (Nov 29, 2010)

If the dog was a golden retriever and golden retrievers were banned because in that area they were known for inbreeding and aggression, and then this dog bit someone everyone would agree the dog needed to leave, not blame BSL. But since it is a pit, all the pro-pit people go crazy throwing around the word BSL.


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## vom Eisenherz (Feb 13, 2012)

I think there are too many things being surmised. I had not heard anything about the dog doing anything wrong initially. He had mental/emotional problems and the harassment about his dog was becoming too much to bear. He was grandfathered, but people still harassed him because BSL often leads to fear-mongering. It's not so easy to find a new apartment in that area, especially with a dog. If you've fallen on hard times and can't afford to move suddenly, what do you do? 

Sure, you could "rehome" the dog, but where? In this economy? What are his chances of finding a good home that fast? There are many very practical reasons why someone may not be able to pull that off, and if you already have emotional troubles, it can seem insurmountable. 

I do hope those who complain about "pro-Pit" people (I am as pro-Pit as anyone you've ever met) understand that they deserve whatever they get when the BSL spreads to include their breed of choice.


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## x0emiroxy0x (Nov 29, 2010)

If you read the second article you will discover the dog was aggressive.

Fortunately, german shepherd attacks are not on the rise so I will not need to worry about this. I am from a very well off city where there is NO bsl whatsoever because everyone can afford to train their dogs. There are almost no dog attacks, and the ones that occur don't even make it into the news. The only one that did make it into the news is when a pitbull killed a lab at our dog park. But since the person that owned it wasn't from our city they didn't start BSL. More than half the dogs at the park are pits..WELL trained, WELL bred pits.


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## x0emiroxy0x (Nov 29, 2010)

I am Pro Don't let my dog or children get mauled by an aggressive dog.

Not anti pit whatsoever. The point is this story has nothing to do with being anti-pit. It has to do with anti-aggressive dogs in an apartment.


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## vom Eisenherz (Feb 13, 2012)

Wow. I had no idea that BSL wasn't a danger to the superior or affluent. My apologies.


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## vom Eisenherz (Feb 13, 2012)

I can't find one thing that says that dog did a darn thing to anyone in that complex. The only statement regarding aggression at all was that "a vet said he was becoming aggressive." A vet? How many vets are qualified to make a statment like that, and even if the dog was aggressive to the vet...what does that really have to do with anything? If we harassed everyone with a dog who didn't like the vet, dogs would be on the endangered species list. 

The other statements, by people who knew the dog, were that "Rocco wouldn't hurt a fly" and "the dog wasn't a barker, but someone complained that the dog was barking."

My point is that you're on a really slippery slope and you better pray you're right that you don't have to worry about it. Remember when GSDs were thought to be "mean"? How about Dobes? And Rotts? What goes around comes around; with popularity, problems happen. There are more Pit Bulls than most other breeds. Really, the numbers of attacks are remarkably low when you look at the population of them; it's staggering. Poor things. 

The point is that BSL ALLOWED and probably encouraged people to gang up on a person and that person happened to be fragile at that time and this is what happened; he felt like it was him against the world. It's very sad. My neighbors hate my Pits and I don't care. I won't be killing myself over it. But I understand how it could be very upsetting to someone in a different frame of mind.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

vom Eisenherz said:


> I can't find one thing that says that dog did a darn thing to anyone in that complex. The only statement regarding aggression at all was that "a vet said he was becoming aggressive." A vet? How many vets are qualified to make a statment like that, and even if the dog was aggressive to the vet...what does that really have to do with anything? If we harassed everyone with a dog who didn't like the vet, dogs would be on the endangered species list.
> 
> The other statements, by people who knew the dog, were that "Rocco wouldn't hurt a fly" and "the dog wasn't a barker, but someone complained that the dog was barking."
> 
> ...


:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## OriginalWacky (Dec 21, 2011)

vom Eisenherz said:


> The point is that BSL ALLOWED and probably encouraged people to gang up on a person and that person happened to be fragile at that time and this is what happened; he felt like it was him against the world. It's very sad. My neighbors hate my Pits and I don't care. I won't be killing myself over it. But I understand how it could be very upsetting to someone in a different frame of mind.


As somebody who has suffered from issues, I can see how having the dog euthanized could be the final straw, so to speak. Would *I* kill myself over having a dog PTS? I doubt it, but if I were in the midst of a major depressive episode, I could see it being the thing that kicks me over the edge.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

Actually the slippery slope is being resolved to a certain extent through the use of "One bite" type legislation. This type of law has it's pros/cons too.

The state of GA is in the process of legislating a Viscious Dog law as I write this. It is not breed specific and it is becoming a trend nation wide. As such I think BSL will be on the wane as communities adopt these types of laws. 




vom Eisenherz said:


> <snipped>
> 
> My point is that you're on a really slippery slope and you better pray you're right that you don't have to worry about it. Remember when GSDs were thought to be "mean"? How about Dobes? And Rotts? What goes around comes around; with popularity, problems happen. There are more Pit Bulls than most other breeds. Really, the numbers of attacks are remarkably low when you look at the population of them; it's staggering. Poor things.
> 
> The point is that BSL ALLOWED and probably encouraged people to gang up on a person and that person happened to be fragile at that time and this is what happened; he felt like it was him against the world. It's very sad. My neighbors hate my Pits and I don't care. I won't be killing myself over it. But I understand how it could be very upsetting to someone in a different frame of mind.


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## crackem (Mar 29, 2006)

It says says nothing about being aggressive. Oh a vet said he's becoming aggressive because of his depression, that's your basis of saying the dog was known for being inbred to be aggressive and being aggressive to people in the apartment building?????? Maybe the dog protested to getting a vet check but it was a weak excuse the vet gave.

I haven't seen anything about the dog being aggressive to those in the apt building or anyone else. In fact there are multiple accounts on the two of them in that a that article being good a good neighbor and good dog that were unfair targets by the building management. 

I've seen dogs labeled as "aggressive" for jumping up on a kid to grab a stick they were teasing it with. Until you come back with some actual proof of aggressive acts other than a one line comment about some unnamed vet about some unnamed event, get off your "aggression" kick. It's pretty weak.


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## TaZoR (Jan 26, 2012)

My OPINION,,, Is... both Nick and the vet stated the dog was getting more aggressive. I think it was responsible to require they ride a larger size elevator.. better safe than sorry. He wasnt required to euthanize the dog.. 

If I were willing to die for my dog, i would also be willing to ride a dif. elevator and catch some crap from other tenants. I may also be willing to relocate for the most important thing in my life. I would certainly be willing to try n find him a home where he may have benefitted from training and more excersize. 

Im wondering if the underlying problem wasnt with drugs and or specifically depression medication which often lists suicidal tendencies as a side effect. 

I think their are definitely two sides to a story.


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## Zoeys momma (Jan 5, 2012)

That is very sad...but one can clearly see he was not doing okay- when he had his dog put to sleep because of apt issues.

I do have a question...can people just walk into places and have their dogs put to sleep? 
Without medical reasons?


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Zoeys momma said:


> I do have a question...can people just walk into places and have their dogs put to sleep?
> Without medical reasons?


The last time we were at the vet & I was in the lobby waiting the receptionist was on the phone with a rescue. Apparently an owner brought their dog in to be euthanized (of course I do not know the whole story & was eavesdropping) but the vet would *not* do it, said the dog was nice & very approachable. So I don't know...


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

Zoeys momma said:


> ...
> I do have a question...can people just walk into places and have their dogs put to sleep?
> Without medical reasons?


My vet won't, but she will have the owner sign the dog in question over to her and then place it into a proper rescue or rehome it herself. 

But as far as I know, if the vet's willing to put a healthy animal down, they can do it legally.


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## TaZoR (Jan 26, 2012)

Yes, an owner can put down a healthy young dog for any reason.


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## DogGone (Nov 28, 2009)

x0emiroxy0x said:


> Sorry but I don't believe someone is "all there" if they killed themselves soley because of breed specific prejudice.


What proof is the only reason that he took his life was breed specific prejudice? I don't know anyone that made such claims.


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## DogGone (Nov 28, 2009)

x0emiroxy0x said:


> And if he had received multiple complaints about the dog, it isn't breed specific legislation. It's "Hey your dog is bothering other people who live in the same building as you so either train it or get rid of it". Pits are banned at our apartment after they attacked a girl and the girl sued the apartments.
> 
> Every month we get an email from the management reminding us of the rules and it always says "Remember, if your dog ever makes someone feel unsafe we have the right to tell you to remove it within 24 hours". You better believe Rocky does NOT bark at ANYONE around the apartment complex.


That's part of my complaint. The way society is prejudice, often you're considered guilty based on accusation.

I was talking to a guy from a dog park. He said his neighbor claimed that she was attacked by his dog. The police came, and ambulance came and animal control came to take the dog away. Fortunately one of the cops was a dog lover, and he asked to see the old ladies injuries. The woman finally admitted that the attack was just the dog barking when she approached the fence. Animal control was still going to take the dog away, but the police officer talked to animal control officer out of it. 

The dog did nothing wrong, it was just doing its job.

The nutty old lady called it an attack, when the dog was just barking when she approached the dog on its property! There was a fence between the dog and the old lady, but she still called the police and claimed she was attacked!

Some people even think a play bow is aggressive.


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## DogGone (Nov 28, 2009)

x0emiroxy0x said:


> Aggression is aggression.


What aggression? I heard read about claims of aggression. But I also heard claims that the dog was nice and wouldn't hurt a fly.

How would you feel if someone made some claims that your dog(s) were aggressive, so you had to move or get rid of them? So you have no problem with guilt upon accusation?

These types of things are often like witchhunts. Someone has a paranoia, and starts gossiping. The next thing you know is the paranoia spreads because of the gossip. Then rumors spread that the dog is aggressive and/or has attacked someone. Then the owner is threatened, so the dog and owner doesn't get out as much so they both suffer mental health issues because of it. They both essentially get cabin fever and depression and anxiety and become antisocial because they are being discriminated against. 

You ever see a dog run affectionately run-up to someone that is fearful of dogs, and that person perceives it as an attack? I've seen it many times.



x0emiroxy0x said:


> And the dog didn't become aggressive because the owner was "cranky". That's about the silliest thing I've heard.


Then you don’t know much about dogs. Dogs sometimes feed off of our energy or the energy of others. If someone is scared, angry, or depressed dogs will often react to that. If it’s a new circumstance, they might react unpredictably. If it is something they are used to, then they will probably know how to respond. Otherwise they tend to respond instinctually.

My dog isn’t perfect but she’s very good at detecting and responding properly when someone is depressed, angry, afraid or a threat.


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## DogGone (Nov 28, 2009)

x0emiroxy0x said:


> Obviously this dog was being aggressive so they punished the deed.





x0emiroxy0x said:


> The point is this story has nothing to do with being anti-pit. It has to do with anti-aggressive dogs in an apartment.





x0emiroxy0x said:


> If you read the second article you will discover the dog was aggressive.


What aggression? I heard/read about claims of aggression. But I also heard/read claims that the dog was nice and wouldn't hurt a fly. You seem awful quick to rush to judgment, even when the claims are contradictory. The article also says that the neighbors were harassing Nick.
How would you feel if someone made some claims that your dog(s) were aggressive, so you had to move or get rid of them? So you have no problem with guilt assumed upon accusation? So how would you feel if your neighbors started harassing you?

What aggressive "deed" did the dog do?

The article doesn't support your claims.


Gwenhwyfair said:


> Actually the slippery slope is being resolved to a certain extent through the use of "One bite" type legislation. This type of law has it's pros/cons too.


If the law was enforced fairly and to the letter of the law, then several lapdogs in my neighborhood would be violators. How much you want to bet that the reporting and the enforcement wouldn’t be equal? 
I seem to remember someone gathered statistics that Chihuahuas bite much more often, but they typically aren’t reported as much because the prejudice.


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## TaZoR (Jan 26, 2012)

SIGH.....This story really is about a man who felt so depressed for whatever reason he took his own life
Whether the dog was aggressive will never be settled in this forum. There just isn't enough information. 

We will never know what specific circumstances caused him to put his dog down and arguing over speculation isn't going to help anYthing. I think he felt lonely and hopeless. Perhaps he put his dog down because he was planning suicide..we will never know. 

Yes, it was stated by the vet that the dog was aggressive supposedly discussed with Nick. It was also stated by a neighbor the dog was gentle. Wheres the arguement? Why take sides with such little information.

Its about the sad fact that a man took his life, not who can we blame.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

No they aren't reported because a chihuahua bite usually doesn't require much beyond some peroxide and a bandage, worst case scenario, require one or two stitches and a scar. A little girl in ATL recently had to have her arm amputated due to a dog attack (owner identified dogs as pitties).

That's not prejudice, that's just physics, small dog less damage when they do bite.

There are some problems with the one bite laws too, we had a discussion about it another thread...don't want to go into it today though.



DogGone said:


> <snipped>
> If the law was enforced fairly and to the letter of the law, then several lapdogs in my neighborhood would be violators. How much you want to bet that the reporting and the enforcement wouldn’t be equal?
> I seem to remember someone gathered statistics that Chihuahuas bite much more often, but they typically aren’t reported as much because the prejudice.


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## vom Eisenherz (Feb 13, 2012)

My Pits always cry "breed discrimination" when my Chihuahuas attack them.


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## x0emiroxy0x (Nov 29, 2010)

You are pretty dumb if you believe a vet doesn't know what aggression is. I hope I never live in the same city as you if you have an aggressive dog because you are obviously in denial.


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## vom Eisenherz (Feb 13, 2012)

LOL. You seem to have quite a superiority complex, calling people dumb and alleging that since you live in an affluent area, you don't need to worry about BSL. :blush::crazy: I read your issues with your own dog's aggression issues and your tactics for dealing with it and am a bit surprised to read this coming from someone in your shoes. 

Vets are not well-known for their correct interpretation of canine behavior. Sorry to shock you. They are as much behaviorists as they are nutritionists. Don't forget, most the animals they work on in school are dead and very cooperative. :smirk:


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

3 things that I don't hold my vets opinion in high regard over (even though I like him & we agree to disagree on some subjects).

-nutrition
-vaccines
-training

I would talk to my breeder first.


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## crackem (Mar 29, 2006)

> Vets are not well-known for their correct interpretation of canine behavior. Sorry to shock you. They are as much behaviorists as they are nutritionists. Don't forget, most the animals they work on in school are dead and very cooperative. :smirk:


Exactly

I've met easily 10 vets over the years and would actually listen to 1 possibly a 2nd about anything behavior related. It actually surprises me how clueless most of them seem when it comes to behavior or actually reading it in body language.


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## TaZoR (Jan 26, 2012)

I think with as many dogs as vets examine in a day, the one thing they are very good at spotting is aggression. You cant rely on owners to warn you. If they couldnt spot aggressive signs they would be fingerless in a weeks time.


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## vom Eisenherz (Feb 13, 2012)

That's not even the point. The vet said NICK said the dog was getting aggressive. What else do you tell a vet when you want to kill a perfectly healthy dog???


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## TrickyShepherd (Aug 15, 2011)

DogGone said:


> That's part of my complaint. The way society is prejudice, often you're considered guilty based on accusation.
> 
> I was talking to a guy from a dog park. He said his neighbor claimed that she was attacked by his dog. The police came, and ambulance came and animal control came to take the dog away. Fortunately one of the cops was a dog lover, and he asked to see the old ladies injuries. The woman finally admitted that the attack was just the dog barking when she approached the fence. Animal control was still going to take the dog away, but the police officer talked to animal control officer out of it.
> 
> ...


Exactly. Happened here too...

My brother owns 3 pits. 1 that I actually raised from (approx.) 6 weeks old when we found him at the property running free with open wounds, fleas, ticks, and a belly full of worms. I took the dog in and had him until he was 3 years old. I left for college and my brother took him (that's his best friend... he adores bandit and I know he'd be happier there).

Anyway, I can guarantee you that dog is absolutely not mean in any way. He was raised with kids, lots of people around, our golden retrievers, cats, birds, and reptiles. Never an issue... friendliest dog ever! I raised him very well and he shows it. One day, he got out of my brothers old house because of a roommate that took him out of my brother's room and let him into the backyard without being watched. He went down the street (he didn't do anything, not even approached anyone... one of the neighbors was a witness), and the neighbor that hated my brother called animal control and said he got attacked.

Animal control came and took bandit (with the pole too and dragged him into the back of the truck.. poor dog was petrified!) He got a few counts of aggression. When my brother did get him back... the dog had been beaten. He was so scared... shaking like a chihuahua, and urinated on himself when the AC officers went near him. He also had some bruised areas and cuts. No idea what happened to him within the course of what was at most 4hrs from when he was picked up... but, I know they didn't treat him right.

Now this is a dog that I raised... I KNOW he is not aggressive. He didn't touch anyone. They never asked to see these guys wounds or even ask exactly what happened. 

I don't think they should have given the aggression counts unless they had proof! It's wrong, and it DOES happen! 

I hate BSL, I think it causes a lot of issues for not only the dogs, but also to the people that own and love them. I feel bad for all the innocent dogs out there that are killed for no reason.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

LOL!!!

My groomer friend claims that Shih Tzus are ones that will try to bite the most though!



vom Eisenherz said:


> My Pits always cry "breed discrimination" when my Chihuahuas attack them.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Gwenhwyfair said:


> No they aren't reported because a chihuahua bite usually doesn't require much beyond some peroxide and a bandage, worst case scenario, require one or two stitches and a scar. A little girl in ATL recently had to have her arm amputated due to a dog attack (owner identified dogs as pitties).
> 
> That's not prejudice, that's just physics, small dog less damage when they do bite.
> 
> There are some problems with the one bite laws too, we had a discussion about it another thread...don't want to go into it today though.


I think it's really insane when people try to justify pit bull bites (or any large dog in fact) by saying "little dogs bite more". 
While that's probably true, like Gwen said, they do far less damage if any at all.
The only way to curb the spread of BSL is taking the bull by the horns and quit justifying large dog bites and take control of your own dogs and being an exemplary owner. Because nobody's going to care that a Chihuahua bites more, all they see is that large dogs can and do kill people, or at the very least, cause massive damage, when they bite.


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## crackem (Mar 29, 2006)

I don't think anybody at all is justifying a pitbull "bite". But you bring up the exact point I think they are trying to make. A bigger dog will cause bigger injuries. It's not a breed thing, it's a size thing. There are millions of decently tempered dogs of all sizes that live wonderfully in all sorts of environments and with families and there are others that dont' have such great temperament of all sizes. 

If you happen to have a little **** dog with small size, he probably just terrorizes your family. If it's a bigger dog with crap temperament, he makes the news, national news if he's a pitbull, and even if he's not, he'll probably get called one anyway. I think that's the point most people are trying to make.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Probably. I didn't read all 50 responses


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