PetSmart takes heat for excluding pit bulls from doggie day care

Newsday's pet columnist and blogger Denise Flaim writes in a recent post that the pet supplies retailer PetSmart has been the target of online complaints about “breedist” requirements at its doggie day-care facilities.

Its PetsHotel and Dog Day Camp programs do not welcome any dogs with a “bully breed” classification, which it defines as “American Pit Bull Terriers, Miniature Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Bull Dogs, Bull Terriers or mixed breeds that have the appearance or characteristics of one of these breeds.” It also retains the right to reject individual dogs of any breed.

“I will no longer patronize them in any way -- and have written them to tell them so,” wrote one irate cross-poster. “On the Web site, there is a ‘contact us’ capability to send an e-mail. I thought a good name for them would be PetStupid, and told them that was what I would call them from now on ... ” Animal House

The criticism of PetSmart is another installment in the ongoing debate about much-maligned pit bulls, which have experienced high kill rates at local animal shelters and have faced municipal bans, mostly because of their tough reputations as fighters.

--Tony Barboza

Photo: Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Cabrilla Azulada]

Breed-specific legislation and policy is itself dangerous and a form of security theatre. It implies that the public will be protected from dangerous dogs, but it makes no provision for individual dogs that are dangerous. We don't need breed-specific rules that punish without evidence when our current dangerous animal laws do a better job. They do require effort, though, which is always harder than willy-willy generic interdiction. Only the lazy feel safer because of security theatre.

[M. Gadston]

A couple anecdotes: the most aggressive dogs I've seen at our dog parks (and the ones who get into real, not play fights) are boxers, followed by chows. Not the pits.

I had a Labrador who was a dear with people (like most pits, btw). He was, however, hell on cats and extremely aggressive toward strange dogs (like some but not all pits). Should Labradors be banned because my dog tried to attack a seeing eye dog? No - but a dog who's aggressive like him should be banned from situations where he would endanger others (in this case, other dogs and cats) - regardless of breed. Leash laws protect everyone.

My roommate in college was mauled by a golden retriever. Not a pit. A golden retriever.

I have neighbors who keep trying to raise pits for profit. The owners are appallingly clueless, and animal control seizes their dogs on an annual basis. But the dogs have been quite sweet despite their circumstances. The only exception: one of their intact males, whom the owners kept on a chain 24/7 and didn't exercise.

You don't have to be Cesar Milan to know that those 3 factors would make for a frustrated, dangerous dog of any breed.

[Dog Lover]

It does no good to ban a breed. Each dog should be evaluated individually. My dog was recently attacked by a small (under 15 lb.) terrier mix. That same dog would be welcomed into the day care program, however the dog is a total whack job!

[Des]

I have to say that I agree with PetSmart for one reason. When they take a dog to board they don't know how it has been trained or treated. Yes, it is the owner and not the breed that make these dogs vicious. And before you Bully dog owners say I have a bias against, let me tell you this. I watched my Shitzu get ripped apart in front of my eyes when I was 12 by a Pit. We found out later that the owner beat the dog. Yet, I am a dog person by nature and love all breeds. ALL BREEDS including Pits. Pits can be very sweet and gentle and loving, I've experienced it. So my agreement comes not from a bias but a past experience with a bad owner. The store just doesn't know the dogs history and they have to think of all the animals in their care.
Oh and the Pit that attacked my Shitzu and almost killed her. I ran into him a week later and he was the sweetest, gentlest dog. I was sad that his person felt a need to take her anger out on him. He in turn took his out on my dog. I felt sorry for him and hoped he could get a better home with people who loved him.

[John]

Every dog, no matter the breed, has a bad day at one time or another. When a Pit has a bad day it instinctively wants to kill the object of its aggression. Most other breeds don't have this extreme reaction in a fight. Pits are genetically designed to bite and lock then thrash until the prey is dead.

[Lindsay]

Thankfully in my area we have PetCo and Southern Agriculture to give our business to. And in the most basic sense, I would not take any of my 3 American Pit Bull Terriers to a day care where they would be permitted to run loose with other dogs. That's just asking for trouble. I supervise interactions, and I decide which dogs have the appropriate temperament to interact with my own. Even if I trust my dogs implicitly, I know that if they were to respond to aggression with like aggression, that they would be blamed for the entire scenario. It is simply not worth the risk to me.

However, at the heart of this issue, I do not agree with breed-specific measures of any kind. If someone can take their ill-tempered German Shepherd Dog to Petsmart's doggie day care, then why would they prohibit other breeds? Is there an honest belief that once you get outside the realm of certain breeds, that there is no more risk? Get real. Breed regulations are of no comfort to people who've been attacked or had their pets mauled by non-"bully breeds."

At any rate, I spend a lot of money on my dogs. They eat the best -- far better than what Petsmart carries -- and are constantly being re-supplied with toys, collars, leashes, and whatever else they wear out. We spend tons of money going to dog shows and events. It goes without saying, my dogs are very important to me, and I can simply choose to spend my dollar elsewhere. If Petsmart cornered the market on pet supply chains, I would be upset. Well, in all honesty, I am upset, but only moderately. If I have to go a bit down the street to PetCo or Southern Ag, its no more than a minor irritant to me. Those chains like my bull-breed dogs, and they are greeted with cookies at the cash register, as well as pets from many other patrons.

"Bully breed" owners, and anyone else who doesn't believe in this genius plan of Petsmart's, let your money do your talking, and go spend it elsewhere. Petsmart is convenient, yes, but its not the only, nor is it even the best place to shop for/with your pets.

[Stephanie]

My pit bull is not aggressive to humans or dogs. She is also QUITE typical of a loved and cared for pit bull. She will chase squirrels. She is an angel.
We read articles on bad dogs precisely because it is NEWS, and its NEWS because the majority of pit bulls and other dogs are GOOD. There are currently over a million in the US hanging out with their people, dogs, and cats right now.
And it's always people who have NEVER OWNED ONE who hate them. Ask yourselves why people with pit bulls almost always replace them with another pit bull after the first passes on?
And the sicko who wants to "destroy" them should be considered a danger to himself and others... ANYONE who has no regard for the life of a human or an animal is not intouch with himself, with God, or with anyone else on this planet.

[Victoria Hyde]

Just so you know I was saved by a PIT BULL TERRIER. She risker her life a child. I have 2 right now with a young son and if anyone tries to tell me thier monsters I have LOTS to say. MY son has bitten thier ears, he rides them like a horse, he can do whatever he wants and THEY DO NOT CARE. I dont know why people confuse BAD onwers with bad dogs. My son was almost bit by a Standard poodle. That wasnt in the news. I absoltly have full trust in my dogs. They are loyal, loving, gentle, trustworthy, and they have so many other great qualitys I cant even name. They people who beat thier PIts and starve them, chain themn to trees with no water,food....THEY should be punished not the breed. Every night my dogs are under my blankets and there they stay all night.

[anitagayle]

L.A. Unleashed
All things animal in Southern California and beyond.
Previewing your Comment
BRAVO Pet Smart!
Our Yorkie was viciously killed by an off-leash Pit Bull at Mothers Beach in Marina del Rey on 02/25/08. It is one thing to lose a pet due to natural causes; it is heartbreaking to say the least. But when a pet is killed, one experiences the additional emotions of being infuriated and helpless, knowing that the perpetrator goes free to repeat the offense. Los Angeles has no laws or enforcement to take action against the perpetrator or to protect the innocent victims. It is amazing how many dog killings there are by Pit Bulls in the greater Los Angeles area and nothing is being done about it. It is time to change the laws and make it safer for our children and pets. We admire Pet Smart for taking a stand to make it safer for defenseless helpless animals, which cannot protect themselves against pit bulls.
Edson Stroll & Anita Winters

Posted by: anitagayle | April 26, 2008 at 10:59 PM

[Harriet]

I disagree with PetSmarts bully-breed ban, because it is breed-specific, rather than dog-specific. PetSmart purports to have professional dog trainers and knowledgeable staff. Dogs can be temperament tested, as well as undergo the American Kennel Club's Good Canine Citizen test. Dogs can undergo obedience training, and owners who work hard at ensuring that their dogs are exercised, trained, and taught affection - regardless of breed - shouldn't be penalized.

When I was younger, I saw two different dog attacks. Neither were Pit Bulls. One was a German Shepherd who charged from his front lawn to attack my friend's leashed beagle while out for a walk. It was horrifying to see this German Shepherd flinging the beagle about. The beagle survived, but needed surgery. The other attack involved a purebred Afghan who left his yard, crossed the street and entered my yard; fortunately for my small 30-pound mutt, I was able to keep myself between the two and I hustled my dog into the house.

So - after everyone is done bashing, banning and trying to kill every Pit Bull and/or related "bully breed", I suppose the German Shepherds and Afghans are next? Or maybe the Mastiffs and Saint Bernards? They are both gentle giants, but they can look pretty ferocious and daunting if you have an angry one posturing and barking at you. Oh - and I do recall a case where a child was mauled by a Saint Bernard. A very sad incident, that was the case of the child's parents. They left the child and dog together unsupervised; the child apparently lifted up the dogs floppy ear, and drove the pencil in, puncturing the ear drum and causing the dog unrelenting pain. If someone did that to me, I'd be attacking them too, if I was physically capable of doing so.

The point is, it's not the breed, it's the owner. There will always be a couple of mean-tempered dogs in ANY breed (I remember nearly being bitten by a Chihuahua once), but it's not necessarily because of the breed, but the dog's individual temperament. Penalize the owner who purposefully or ignorantly raises an untrained, unsocialized dog that as a result is an angry basketcase. Don't penalize the dog. And don't penalize the owners of dogs who happen to the media's favorite breed to bash, when the owner works hard to train and socialize the dog in question.

There is a lot of unfortunate misinformation out there too that people keep repeating. Their jaws don't lock, but some breeds of dogs have a higher tolerance to pain so it takes more to get them to let go of something they've got in their jaws. BTW, there is a very nice article in the May 2008 issue in Ladies Home Journal about a deaf Pit bull, rescued as a puppy from a drug dealer; the dog knows quite a few words in American Sign Language.

It's not just Pits, but any of six specific breeds AND any dog that looks like it might have some part of one of the six breeds in the dogs background. I have a dog that appears to be an American Staffordshire Terrier; she ended up with me six months ago because she was run over by a car (who kept going, leaving her in the roadway to die). It's not the breed, but the actions of any dog depends on the dog's unique personality, background, training and socialization.

BTW, I'm not some guy who needs to have a dog to make me feel like some he-man; I'm a middle-aged woman who just happens to have been in the right place for this dog. This dog was not socialized at all when I got her. However, I have been carefully working with her since she came into my life.

She is not a "born killer" waiting to snap at some dog, otherwise the tiny Italian greyhound that was walking with us in a park today would surely have been eaten. Likewise the poodle-mix that leaped up and nipped at my dog two weeks ago at the leashless dog park would have been in serious trouble.

At the leashless dog park, my dog plays with many dogs, all sizes. Friday I watched a pair of dogs (one of them a lab) team up and play wrestle with my presumed-Staffordshire; my dog was on her back, with one dog at her throat standing sideways, with the other standing over her lengthwise, as they wrestled about having a ball. If anything was going to trigger my dog to go bonkers, you'd think having another dog grab your throat would have; but no, they played, and sometimes she was on top, other times they basically played tag, leaping and cavorting.

Is she protective of me when we are out on walks? Yes, if she perceives a potential danger; but she is always leashed, and I am always on the other end of the leash. Unlike the Boxer that charged us a couple months ago while we were out walking; the Boxer was on a leash, but the owner wasn't able to hold on. Did my dog prepare to fight as she saw a dog nearly twice her size charging to attack us? Absolutely. Was anyone seriously hurt? Not at all. I controlled my dog, giving her only just enough room to lightly defend herself, as we continued to back up away from the attacking Boxer, until the owner was finally able to regain the leash. Boxer had a couple of very minor scratches, no bites, no gaping wounds.

I'm not the perfect dog owner either; but I am willing and able to work hard on being as good as a dog owner as I can be. And my dog follows my lead; she is willing to work on being the best dog she can be.

I have two cats as well; and they still have all their body parts. Even the all-around domestic short-haired cat who ran across the room to whack my dog in the face is perfectly fine. Hmmm.... maybe that's what PetSmart will ban next? The evil, domesticated short-haired cat?

[joenseyand Roxie]

Ok we took our staffie pittie to PETSMART for training. Spent about $25 a week there.

YUP YOU GUESSED IT "DOG BITES A CUSTOMER"...

The dog who bit my husband? their trainers dog who was is and has had severe agression issues.

Hearing the ban of pitties at PETSMART is a relief! I would NEVER take my dog back to a place where the
staff has such little knowledge of their OWN pets.

By the way, we did not just attend one class but three. In the first class it was an agressive poodle, the second class a small pekinese style dog that snarled at my tail wagging pittie the whole class.

Our dog wears a gentle leader harness which allows me to grab her quick when she is "picked on" at a dog park. I always thought that labs were so sweet, I dont think so anymore. The scar on my pitties face from an uprovoked attack reminds me every day that its NOT THE DOG BUT THE OWNER.

$1250.00 a year we spend on dog supplies. IT WONT BE AT PETSMART.

I wish I could "phase out" some of the human gene pool that has been writing here. Surely as a civilization, it would be better to do without such flawed intellect and stupidity. In addition, I am with another owner... dont like our pittie? Cross the street because she doesnt deserve your breedism. She doesnt deserve your scorn- she was rescued from abusive people and only wants love and affection. NOT YOUR UNBIASED bad behavior on an innocent creature.

SENT MY PETSMART CARD TO THE CEO...cut up

[Mary]

I can guarantee that anyone that makes the comment to "eradicate" pitbulls has (a) never owned a pitbull (b) ever worked in rescue (c) is a professional trainer, groomer or vet. Let's get this straight once and for all:
ANY vicious dog that shows aggression to humans should be evaluated and possibly euthanized REGARDLESS of breed. PERIOD. Quit discrimintating - it is ignorant like any form of racism.

[Whit]

ignorance. In the 70's it was Doberman's you all were afraid of, the 80's it was Rottweilers and now you say it is pitbulls. Responsible educated owners-- that is all any dog needs to be good.

Funny- I just drove 10 miles out of my way to buy a crate at PETCO Sunday

[Stacey]

I agree with all the pit-Owners. However, I also agree with petsmart's decison. These dogs do have a bad reputation with society because of the media. Anytime there is negative press to be had about dog fighting or attacks, it always involves a pitbull. Did you know that Cocker Spaniels are more likely to bite you than a Pitbull? Do not blame petsmart! Blame michael vick and negligent pittie owners who allow for this reputation.

Petsmart is only taking the necessary precautions that OTHER concerned petowners are voicing about this breed. As an owner of a pitbull, lab, and dachshund, I am obviously very frustrated. Instead of boycotting the store, I think it's your job as a pittie owner to demonstrate what a great breed this dog is through store visits, letters to the company, and creative advocacy.

The company is just responding to customer concern that was created through negative media attention about pitbulls. Why don't all the pittie owners out there organize an event where this breed can get some positive media attention (i.e. participating in a charity event)? Then, and only then, will society see the how friendly and harmless these dogs are.

[eve]

Kudos to Petsmart for choosing safety over profit and protecting the rest of its canine daycare population. A loose pitbull recently murdered my 12 year old diabetic cat who never left the confines of our front porch. I am a rescuer of stray dogs and have used my own money to neuter/spay and vaccinate over 40 dogs after nursing them back to health. I then take them to a local weekend adoption program and screen potential adopters before eventually finding the right homes for them. Three years ago I took in a 6 month old pit bull puppy. But she didn't get along with my other three dogs and was very jealous and quick to attack them if they tried to get close to either me or my husband. We enlisted the use of a kennel because we couldn't leave her unattended with the other dogs and two cats. Eventually she began to calm down but she still goes off now and then. I can see it in her eyes and I know when she is becoming angry. She is an angel towards me or my husband and has never shown any agression towards either of us. We decided to keep her only because we believe she would end up being euthanized if her adopters returned her to the adoption facility without our knowledge. I believe as one of the earlier posters that these dogs are bred to be guard dogs and owners of these dogs should be required to go through some form of certification because many owners do not truly understand their own dogs. Being loving and faithful to their owners is only part of canine socialization.

[Sarah]

Okay one
-ANY dog can attack & kill
Two
-If you think Pit Bulls are inheritantly vicious, uhm.. where the hell is your evidence supporting that? GUess what.. you wont find any, & thats why an Alabama Supreme Court ruled, there is no evidence that a Pit Bulls are genetically more vicious than other breeds.
Three
People fail to realize their role in the breed bans.. They forget it is THEY who create the dog and shape it into the dog it becomes, born innocent just like a child. The dog needs to learn rules as well.
Four
Educate yourselves people, your ignorance is causing thousands of good dogs to DIE
Five
Know who you are discrimintaing against, many pit bulls are therapy dogs, the number one drug sniffing dog is a pit bull, many have saved their owners lives and lost theirs for it!

These innocent dogs are dying because of YOUR ignorance

Get your facts, and stop relying on "what you hear"

[Roxanne]

I used to shop at petsmart when buying large breed puppy food for my APBT puppy. My fiancee and I currently have 4 in our kennel right now, we have sold 12 of 13 pitbull puppies and so far have had no complaints of them hurting anyone. We have however gotten several emails were the new owners have taken their pups to the vet, and the vet has stated that they have never seen a pitbull as calm and good natured as them. So I'm sorry for those of you who do not believe it is the way the owner raises them. When I talk about how its in the way that you raise them I mean you have to be responsible enough to know exactly what you are dealing with when owning a pitbull. You can never leave a pitbull unattended with any other animals or especially children and not because they are visious, but because they are unaware of when they are playing to rough. I have a picture posted on my website of one of my rescued pitbulls with my baby cousin laying on her, while I do not fear that my dog would ever hurt her I still would never leave her alone with a child. I bring my pitbulls around the children that I work with and every staff member there has stated how they know other smaller dogs who are more visious than mine. So while I understand that the petsmart has had problems with a "bully breed" before I do not think it is fair to punnish all pitbulls or other "bully breeds" for every dog is different just like every person is different. Thank you.

[Ellen]

"...Our Yorkie was viciously killed by an off-leash Pit Bull at Mothers Beach in Marina del Rey on 02/25/08. ... Los Angeles has no laws or enforcement to take action against the perpetrator or to protect the innocent victims. ..."

I'm sorry for your loss, but you are just barking up the wrong tree here. Doesn't LA have leash laws? (If not, hadn't you better get some?) Isn't it a problem that the leash laws aren't being enforced? Wouldn't that be a better place to focus your attention?

Yorkies are tiny. They look like prey to many other dogs, which is why municipalities have leash laws and such. A cranky BEAGLE could have killed your dog, and I know at least one who would if allowed to roam off-leash. Don't let your understandable sorrow throw your logic off completely, please!

[Denise Ochoa]

All dogs can bite. Just give it a rest and let's pick on cats now!!! What about the real things that kill Aids,Cancer & people. I think that we all should all have 1 kid because people kill and we have 2 stop the bread!!! I have 3 blue line pits they are indoor babies and everybody that comes
2 my apt loves them they are trained 2 pee & poop on a pad. They all eat food togther and sleep with myself & kids people need 2 just find a hobbie.

[Jen]

Gwen Lebec's response is the most reasonable one posted on this forum. Breeds differ genetically so a dog's behavior depends both on nature and nurture. The first time my border collie mix saw sheep she began to herd them - I never taught her to do that. Does that make me an irresponsible owner?
Again, like Gwen wrote, how do you know it is not the irresponsible owners that are dropping their pit bulls off at PetSmart?
Let's be reasonable! This is not a black and whiite issue with one right answer. PetSmart is erring on the side of caution in order to protect both pets and people.

[Beau]

I own two pitbulls that are the biggest babies you could have...they are around infants and other dogs as well...in fact my 4yr old 95lb pitbull was recently attacked by a cat...he lost because he didn't fight back but instead ran away. People profile badly. I take my dogs to petsmart and everyone acts in disgust. Today a guy told me I had a nice looking dog. His wife then asked me what type of dog I own...once I said Pitbull she whispered to her husband something and then he answered "well I just said it was cute." Probably throwing a fit cuz he admired my precious pitbull. I also have to go to court because my dog slipped out the front door the other day and urinated on a gas meter across the street. If he was a different dog noone would raise a fuss at all. Its pathetic.

[Gwen Lebec]

I have a Pit Mix, and she is just as loving and sweet and safe as all the dogs mentioned above. But I realize that while it is not her fault, and not my fault, lots of badly bred pit type dogs and their unwise or bad owners have created a huge number of very serious problems and that our society has to deal with these problems. And I have to deal with it in how I manage my dog. My desire to take my dog in public is NOTHING compared with the need to keep kids (and adults) safe. All of us could choose to have other dogs. If you don't want people to be concerned about your dog - have a different dog!!! If you have a pit type dog - then shoulder the responsibility, and help find a way to stop the problem dogs - and do it all politely and without whining. You CHOOSE to have a dog that generates this response in people. You knew this when you got the dog - or you are too dense and uninformed to have any dog. The response exists because of horrible, horrible events. How dare you minimize those concerns? Have you ever talked to a child that had 50 surgeries to repair their face? Have you talked to a child that lost their arm and can tell you what it is like to be eaten while alive and conscious? Your hurt feelings about people being worried about your dog is ridiculous compared to these incidents. If you walked into a building where every person carried a loaded AK47 - and you knew that at least some of them were dangerous - how would you know from just looking at them which people were reliable and trustworthy and which were not? That is the way most people feel when they encounter pit bulls. And sometimes they are right - and their pet or their child is attacked. If you are whining about people not liking your dog - and not caring about the fact that pit type dogs are abused more often and more cruelly than any other breed - and not caring that most dogs killed in shelters are pit types (no homes) - then you really don't care about dogs - or people. You only care about yourself. If you care about these dogs and their suffering - you should want a gigantic reduction in their numbers. When they are no longer the most common dog around and the most common dog abandoned or killed - then people will worry less when they see one. More importantly, fewer dogs will be suffering. If your focus and concern is the reception your dog gets - then you are not helping anyone, especially pits. You really need to look at your values. Public safety is important. Reducing dog abuse and death is important. Your hurt feelings, your inconvenience - get over it!

[Jen]

Once again, Gwen Lebec has it right. YOU MUST READ HER POST! She is the most reasonable voice on this blog.

If Pitbull owners really cared about the breed they would favor efforts that make it more difficult to own one. Responsible pit owners will not suffer much and in the end, less pits will be sent to shelters. Why don't you all realize this?????

[Ron]

I have a rescue pit bull. He was confiscated by the Chicago police after they raided a pitbull dog fighting ring. My wife and I have given our pit a lot of love and care and he has become one of the sweetest dogs around.

Condemn pitbull breeders and dog fighters, but not the dogs themselves. It is evil people who have harmed many of these dogs and turned them into monsters.

[nicole]

i dont feel the need to defend my dogs, as they are great, well behaved dogs. my question is why petsmart excepts me and my 3 bully breeds in their store and in their dog classes, and they bathe and groom my "bullies", but dont want the same 3 dogs coming to their doggie day care? thats what i cannot understand! they are making things worse for this wonderful "group" of breeds. mine consist of a pit, 2 corsos, and a olde english bulldogge.

[MIchelle]

I think that it is sad that there are so many ignorant uneducated people posting threatening comments on this blog. Many of you may have had some negative experiences involving pit bulls but you forget about how many other dogs also have shown aggression. Educate yourself before you say that the whole breed need to be extinguished. As one person ignorantly stated that some breeds have a predisposition to approach humans or other dogs aggressively, referring to pit bulls, it is well known that this breed was actually bred years ago to NOT be human aggressive because obviously that wouldnt be desirable to handlers and the human aggressive dogs were actually outbred. And with a little reading you would find that pit bulls pass the American Temperent Test each year with scores like 85% compared to that of golden retrievers with only 79%. I have owned many different dogs and now have two American Pitbulls and a Bull Mastiff and would never own any other breed. They are the most loving and loyal dogs. Those dogs that are aggressive tend to have lazy owners who dont provide them with enough exercise or even sadly train them to be that way. It is only the owners fault if their dog attacks anyone. Yes you hear those stories on the news about dogs attacking infants that they have known and who have never shown aggression before but odds are that the owner was probably not telling the truth when saying that the dog has never shown any signs of aggression before because then they would have to take responsibility for the attack. PLEASE before you speak, get to know these dogs and you will find that they are only eager to please and love and snuggle. My girl is laying with me right now.

[tara]

WOW! Where to start.
I would like to politely invite EVERY person who thinks that they can generalize about a breed to feel free to generalize about the human races as well. The principle is the same. Please educate yourselves about a topic before broadcasting your opinions. There is nothing sadder to me than people who discriminate against animals or humans based on a belief system that is unsubstantiated. Please be a better HUMAN and contribute to this world by educating yourself before opening your mouth or typing your thoughts. LIVES depend on it

[barbara]

I have three dogs, a doxie and two pitts. The doxie is the smallest yet most aggressive of the three. My neighbors have four yorkies which have bitten my son on five separate occaisions; my pitts have never done more than lick someone ... yet my dogs are the ones labeled as mean, aggressive, and in many areas are banned. I too used to be prejudiced against this breed until I actually got one of them, and now I love them. Dogs which bite, regardless of the breed, do so because they've either not been properly trained and/or they've been mistreated. The national dog bite statistics are flawed because they are taken from ER records. That's fine, except when a small dog bites (like the five times the neighbor's dog ran offleash from their yard to mine to bite my son) it is rarely taken to the ER, and therefore not reported. Large dogs (rotties, german sheppards, and pitts have the top bite statistics) typically go to the ER because their bite is more powerful - NOT because they bite more frequently. People need to educate themselves on the facts.

[ilovebuddy]

I think it is rediculous what people say about pitbulls I have a pitbull and he is the most precious sweet thing in the world. He is even scared of a chiuaua!!!!
So people if youve never had a pitbull please check your words before you juge!!!!!