You're right there are way too many pit bull babies that can't find homes. They aren't the only biting breeds causing problems though. AS you mentioned cruel people create mean dogs and unfortunately mean people seem to find some sort of revolting satisfaction in owning a threatening dog. The horrific incidents we've all read in the paper are enough to make me turned off. I would never own a pit bull or a doberman, but I know many people who have raised very sweet pit bulls and dobies gentle as kittens. They liked the looks and personality of those breed and choose puppies from strains they know have a gentle tempermant.

Because of worry about the latest fatal dog attack, I did some reading and found this well-researched summation about the problem of the dog biting epidemic in America. It says, " Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, has conducted an unusually detailed study of dog bites from 1982 to the present. (Clifton, Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to November 13, 2006...The Clifton study show the number of serious canine-inflicted injuries by breed. The author's observations about the breeds and generally how to deal with the dangerous dog problem are enlightening." (link...)

I have no doubt that there are well-bred, good tempered pit bulldogs. The problem is you're not likely to find them in a shelter. Just an observation, but I also don't think the dog owners I've seen in the news are searching out these well-bred dogs.

I can adopt a lab, lab-mix, hound and dozens of other breeds which are not as likely to be aggressive or attack humans or other animals. One of my labs came from a local shelter about 10 years ago. The other (who turns 2 this Sunday) came from a fine labrador breeder in New York. Both are wonderful dogs.

Mark makes a valid point. Shelters need to be responsible as to the dogs they adopt and not just the homes they put them in.

I personally feel no dog should be ... kept outside all the time, and I'm disappointed that Animal Control doesn't find this practice to be animal cruelty.

Come meet them and see if you think I'm being cruel. They aren't on any sort of chain, except in special circumstances, but I've had dogs on runs and think that's just fine when thoughtfully done.

Frankly, the main reason a dog wants to be inside is because that's where his pack of people seem to stay. This odd practice seems to be deleterious to the people so my solution is for dogs to live outside and people to go outside and play with the dogs as much as they can.

I have two comments, the first about dog bite statistics and the second about the procedures that should be required for dog adoptions.

First, about the statistics. I don't understand why the post by Mr. Foster mentions my name in connection with Merritt Clifton's study. I was not involved in it in any way. I am the author of Dog Bite Law, (link...). I report various studies, of which Clifton's is one.

In a private email, Mr. Foster pointed out that I have erroneously stated that, where children are concerned, "[d]og bites rank second among other common causes of emergency-room visits." In fact, they rank fifth according to the most recent studies that I can find. Many thanks to Mr. Foster for that correction.

But let's get to the point. If anyone believes that dog bites are not such a serious problem because instead of ranking second they rank fifth, then you are entitled to your opinion but I believe you are wrong. The ranking doesn't matter. What matters is that there are too many dog bites. I am sure that Mr. Foster would agree with that, and I don't mean to imply otherwise.

Second, regarding the adopting-out of pit bulls.

His email also asked me to comment about the adopting out of pit bulls. This is a big problem for shelters and adoption organizations. I do not believe that there should be one rule for pits and another rule for other dogs. The shelters and adoption organizations need to follow the same rigorous procedures before adopting out ANY AND ALL dogs.

These procedures include adequate gathering of information about the history of the dog, adequate veterinary medical evaluation of the dog, adequate observations of the dog at the shelter, adequate record keeping about the history and the observations, adequate temperament testing, and adequate disclosures to the potential adopting person or family. I have lectured around the country about this, and the specifics are on "Avoiding Liability When You Train, Shelter or Adopt-Out a Dog," which is a DVD of my seminar.

The recent death in Arizona is possibly one example of inadequate procedures by such an organization or agency. Unfortunately, there have been many examples. In the past few years, agency workers have been under suspicion of manslaughter (a crime) for deaths of people who adopted dogs. I have cases involving people who were seriously injured by adopted dogs.

Not just pit bulls. Dogs of various breeds. Therefore I believe that changes are necessary but that they should not be applied only to one or two breeds.

I do not believe that there should be one rule for pits and another rule for other dogs.

It has long been an article of faith in the animal advocacy movement to oppose breed specific measures. Breed specific measures are actions affecting only one breed, such as pit bulls or rottweillers. Even requiring spay-neuter of pit bulls, for instance, would be a breed specific measure.

Recently, primarily due to the situation surrounding pit bulls, this resistance to breed specific measures has begun to erode.

In the last week, I was forwarded through Merritt Clifton's Animal People a blog entry by the head of the Humane Society of the United States, which advocated a breed specific measure (spay-neuter) for pit bulls, although the call was hidden in the middle of a lengthy essay. Animal People hailed this as a monumental (although buried) change of policy by HSUS.

(If you're getting the impression that Merritt Clifton and Animal People are considered major authorities in these areas, you are correct.)

I agree that no dangerous animal should be adopted out by a shelter, particularly in Knox County when thousands of adoptable animals have to be put down annually purely due to overpopulation.

For the reasons stated in the post originating this thread, however, a variety of circumstances relating to pit bulls justify breed specific measures relating to pit bulls at this moment in history.

Young-Williams (the Knoxville-Knox County shelter) is the only major shelter in this area which continues to adopt out pit bulls, and it is time for this to end.

I tend to agree. The problem is, creeps who breed and adopt dogs to make them vicious will just move on to another breed. It used to be Dobermans. Then Rottweilers. Now it's Pit Bulls.

Several people have said spay-neuter of pit bulls should be required.

Although I am focusing on the fact that the shelter should not adopt out pit bulls, I certainly think other community-wide action related to pit bulls is warranted.

Spay-neuter -- certainly.

Liability insurance requirements -- yes.

Ban of pit bulls by the city or county -- maybe, although this would be enormously controversial.

I also think that teeth needs to be put in the community's enforcement efforts against dangerous animals generally. When animals kill, and an animal control officer says she knew exactly which animals it was when she heard the news before the animals were identified, the animal control laws and system needs to be looked at.

I also think that teeth needs to be put in the community's enforcement efforts against dangerous animals generally. When animals kill, and an animal control officer says she knew exactly which animals it was when she heard the news before the animals were identified, the animal control laws and system needs to be looked at.

I agree with the above from Mark! Also more should be done to make sure what laws we do have is enforced. It's my opinion if irresponsible owners of dangerous dog did not have it so easy we would not have so many irresponsible owners with their dangerous dogs in Knox County.

I do not disregard others opinion in this matter.

However,I would not adopt out a pit bull because I do not trust the breeds behavior.

In your blog you mention..."On one recent trip to the city-county shelter, more than half the dogs held at the shelter were pit bulls. When the shelter is forced to kill over 12,000 animals per year, other animals are dying so that cages can be occupied by pit bulls. Why kill other, more adoptable animals, in favor of animals which may not be adoptable at all, and, if they are adopted, could maim or kill their owners and others, or may well be subjected to unthinkable cruelty?"

The shelter has pitbulls along with other dogs in the back of the shelter because they have to hold these dogs and other strays for a certain time. Unfortunately I think a large amount of pitbulls live in Knoxville/Knox County so I would think a high percentage of them are held back there because of this.
When I lost my dog a couple of months ago, which I thankfully found, I saw a lot of lab mixes too. I looked at their website today I saw their adoptable dogs and the majority of the dogs available as of today were not pitbulls. (link...)

Wow, all you pit bull profilers are so ignorant, and it make me sick. I own pits and rescue them and they are the best dogs, when not raised by irresponsible monsterous people. Statistically they are 3rd from last to bite, they make loyal pets and are great with children. Sorry but you are wrong and will never understand your ignorance till you own one...Nikki

Nikki,

What are the two other breeds more likely to bite? Please also cite the estimated numbers of these breeds kept as pets and adopted out of shelters.

Many posters are profiling the 'problem owners', not just the breed. For some reason it appears irresponsible owners seem to want pit bulls not pomeranians.

As I mentioned in a prior post, there are no doubt responsible breeders who raise pit bulls who make good pets. All pit bulls aren't bad. The problem seems to be that these well-bred pit bulls aren't the ones coming out of the shelters (the point of this thread) or puppy mills.

Of the dogs adopted out of shelters (only shelters, not breeders or rescue groups) which breeds have a history of aggression, attacking other animals and biting humans? Seems to me that many dogs which end up in shelters have not been well treated and could be more susceptible to bad behavior, particularly if these dogs are not well cared for once they get to a home. Dogs which are by nature more protective and prone to aggression (which I believe would include dobermans, shepherds, rotweillers, pit bulls, among others) would particularly suffer from poor breeding, a bad home life, abandonment, being kept in a shelter and then being placed in a new home. It's just my opinion (based on years of dog ownership), but dogs such as retreivers, hounds and some other breeds more easily adapt to these changes and challenges.

These are just things shelters (and prospective owners) ought to consider in adopting pets. Shelters must evaluate each dog on their own merit and err on the side of caution with breeds which have posed problems. Maybe those who want to adopt certain breeds have to demostrate the ability to provide this extra care.

(link...)

I'm with Carole -- why just spay and nueter a certain breed or certain dogs. If folks let their dogs -- or cats or whatever -- run around willynilly then they should be altered, as the lingo goes, if Animal Control picks them up or if law enforcement is involved in any way.

And, what about any anti-chain law. It's chaining dogs and never interacting with them that greatly contributes to the problems with bad dogs. If you're going to have a dog in town, you need to have a fence or keep the dog inside. Big dogs don't do well if always kept inside (at least most don't) they need more exercise than they can get indoors. A mop dog -- little, on-the-ground, bouncy dogs -- gets plenty of exercise just doing it's routine bouncy scamper thing.

And, Chad is right, many on this thread are talking about the bad owners and the dogs as one, which there is a certain truth to it since bad owners are the greatest contributors to the problem. It's like kids who are raised in a bad home -- they don't know any better, and the dogs don't know any better if they've always been treated poorly.

Pam Strickland

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." ~Kurt Vonnegut

I heard Rockwood is going to try and ban pits. I wonder how such a ban is enforced and are current dogs grandfathered in or what.

I have worked in the animal industry for 3 years as a vet assistant. I can say of all the dogs that we have coming into the clinic daily for surgeries or vaccines, the pit bulls are the ones who are always wagging thier tails and licking your face. I love all breeds of dogs but until you are around the breed and get to know them personally you shouldn't judge the breed. I now own a Pit Bull and I don't think I will ever get anoither breed. They are the most loyal companions a family can have. Thier personalities are like no other. Everyone I talk to always has the wrong perseption of the breed, some of which who have never been around the breed just heard stories on the news. As long as the Pit Bull owners are resposible for thier dogs and don't leave them chained and never socialize them with people they are very loyal compaions. There are breed statistics that show other breeds of dogs are higher on the bite statistic percentage. I have heard of so many dog attacks in the past few years where people are seriously injured when attacked, the dogs were not Pit Bulls....and it was never on the news. It upsets me that they always flow the news full of the Pit Bull attacks but when other dogs attack nothing is said. There are definatly people that should read literature and get to know the breed before judging. Please don't just go by what you hear and read. The breed is a good one and I hope people do reasearch and talk to people who know the breed and get the facts. Thanks for listening.

I came across this report of one aspect of the aftermath of the Michael Vick saga.

It would have been so easy for the court to consider all those pit bulls as expendable and just slaughter them, but many have been given another chance.

They were certainly owed that.

Wearybottom Associates

Anyone who thinks you cannot get a great Pit Bull at the shelter is sorely misinformed and should come meet mine. What a silly, and stupid comment. As for Pit Bulls disproportionately being at the top of any aggressiveness statistic, that is merely because they are the breed of choice for thugs. It is NOT because of their temperament. Pit Bulls temperment test on par with Golden Retrievers (check the results of the American Test Society ((link...)). These are the facts! (thus, this proves that is it nature vs. nuture). While you caan say, we should stop adopting them out because people will abuse them, how does that help??? DUH! Do you really think the Michael Vick's of the world are going to shelters? In the main, they breed and go to backyard breeders. The answer is to require spaying/neutering before leaving the shelter and mandatory spaying/neutering laws. Dogfighters are much less interested in these types of dogs. If you look at the statistics, most attacks have a formula: male, unneutered or chained up all day/ pattern of abuse. I urge you to read something truly insightful on the subject: (link...)

The answer is not to ban an entire breed like some sort of Animal Nazi, Raising the question are we now asking to push a species to extinction only because an "owner" does not take the proper actions in the caring and raising of their pet. The simple answer is to hold owners purely responsible for any actions of there pets.

I adopted a pit bull from a shelter and in the 8.5 short years I was privileged to have her in my life, she never hurt anyone or anything. I now have another that is sweeter than the last. I believe most the people judging this breed have not been around one brought up in a loving home with a responsible owner and blindly believe what the media feeds them. You don't see footage on the news on all the wonderful pits and good things they have contributed to society because it doesn't sell so to speak. Banning is not the answer.

I have three children, and have been a volunteer for the Roundrock School system for about 14 years now. i am the mother of 4 pit bulls or pit mixes. I have found them to be just like children. if you work hard raising them to be secure confident and well mannered you will never have to be anything but proudof their behavior. They are loving loyal and hard working. They share my laughter and tears, and my life would not be complete with out them in it. Children or dogs? You decide......Don't ban the breed, Ban the Deed! Make everyone responsible for what they have created.

I know many will not like the way I word this but here it goes...

This is so typical of todays Americans. Trying to blame someone or something else when the fault lyes with them. The fact is its the owners responsibility to raise these types of dogs, or any dogs for that matter, properly. I have had a pit for 8 years now that I took in off the street. She had cuts on her face and neck, I can only assume how she got them, and have busted my rear to fix whatever past she may have had. She sleeps in bed with me, goes almost everywhere with me, is spoiled rotten, and was raised/trained to be around kids. If she showed the slightest hint of bad behavior I was there to instantly correct it. She was never given a chance to be bad even if she wanted to(which she never was). She is now a near perfect princess. Her only problem is whacking you with her tail cause she so happy to meet new people and pets. A cat is now even her friend! All my neighbors know her and the kids and other pets are her friends. Dogs are not meant to be left in crates or on chains. They need constant attention and proper supervision. I treat her like my child. Would you leave your kid outside or locked in a box for 8 hours? We treat them like a prisoner and wonder why they come out like monsters. Animals are not like jewelry. You don't take them out when its convenient to you. They are not an accessory to your life. They are living being and like most humans when not raised properly will end up a burden to society.
Another point, as a meter reader for the city, and a UPS driver, I encountered many dogs of all breeds. I've been bitten 6 times. All by "foo foo" types of dogs. I do agree when a pit bites its different but the fact still remains I was never bitten by one.
As a young man, brought up the old American way, I was raised to also learn how to protect myself from all shapes of evil or wrongdoers. There are simple ways to keep a bitting dog off you. Dogs will not attack an aggressive human. I have proven that over and over in the real world. Simple aggressive hand waving and yelling will many time ward off an attack. For male dogs, well grab them and squeeze them where all males hurt. Keep a level head and know that we humans are at the top of the food chain. To me its like a getting beat up by a kid. I don't know about you but staying in shape my whole life is something I'm proud of. For those that bring up the eldery, well I can introduce you to plenty of older men and women that no human, much less a dog, would want to mess with. Again going back to being responsible for your life and your health. Keep your body and mind strong and confident. For those that bring up the sick look at Lance Armstrong. Nut, lung, and brain cancer all at the same time and as strong as ever. Survival of the fittest.
We must not forget Cesar Milan. His pits are a living testament to how great pits can be. On most of his shows it's the lack of leadership by the "pack leader". I don't know about you, but my beautiful pit know I'm the boss and acts accordingly. She has never needed to be hit or beaten.
I am truly sorry for those that have lost love ones. I just don't understand how any type of dog can hurt a child. Where were the parents?? Where is the blame on them?
My dog was recently attacked, all documented, by and aggressive golden retriever. One good poke in the dogs eye and she let go and ran away crying. I take care of mine. Another thing that helps, a bit more ballsey, is when a dog has a lock on something their mouth is open. Stick your hand in their mouth and grab their tongue. They will let go and be scared of you from then on. I am in no way promoting these techniques. These are a last resort but all proven to work in the real world.

Where are all you people coming from to this three month old thread? And why can't you learn to make paragraphs?

And why don't you read the original post? The author says many of the same things -- it's not the breed, it's the owner, etc.

And the author did not advocate banning pit bulls. All he said was if they end up in the shelter it should be the end of the line, because too many irresponsible people are adopting dogs they shouldn't have.

A controversial position perhaps, worthy of discussion for sure. This other new stuff is just noise we've all heard a thousand time a thousand times.

I share a life with 2 of the most amazing AMSTAF's that you could possibly ever come across in your life, I urge those that have been writing in this blog to re evaluate your stance on banning adoption of the breed. I could not imagine ever adopting another dog from the shelter other than an AMSTAF, the love, loyalty and happiness that they have brought to our entire family is simply incredible.

Let me guess...someone googled Pit Bull + adoption and then decided to Freep it with some Pit Bull adoption/rescue group fetishists.

Heh. Maybe they've got a lot of time on their hands since Ron Paul Ron Paul Ron Paul dropped out.

I'm sorry but I have to say your wrong. I just do not understand why pitbulls have such a bad reputaion. Any dog can and will attack. I hate when people like you have to put down a dog that you have probably never even owned before. I have had 3 pitbulls and have been around many. They are one of the best breeds out there. What does it take for you people to quit the hating on these breed? I can send hundreds of copies of footage and newspaper clippings of other breeds that have attacked that are not pitbulls. To be honest with you the most aggresive dog is a chihuahua. Are you going to stop having them adopted? Let me guess....no, why? Because of there height and weight. What about the boxers, or let me see rottwrellers....I don't think so. Have a heart and stop hating on a breed just because you've heard RUMORS about how pit bulls react..

the thread that wont die...