Possible Pitt Bull Ban Springdale Ar.

This was posted on another forum that I visit and permission was given to share it. I think it says a lot about BLS:
 
 AN APOLOGY TO BREED BAN ENTHUSIASTS:

I'm sorry you are frightened of my dogs and are trying to have them killed because they are Pit Bulls.
I'm sorry you lack the understanding of this breed's true history, gentleness with people, wonderful temperament, intelligence and behavorial conformation.
I'm sorry you won't read the ATTs stats regarding our breed's true temperament, putting it in the top four for temperament, scoring better than breeds like Golden Retrievers, and cocker spaniels.
I'm sorry that you side with and protect animal abusers by marking the breed of dog, and not the irresponsibility of the owner.
I'm sorry that by your logic I could steal a car, run some people over with it, and then you can blame the make of the car for the accident, as I walk free.
I'm sorry you generalize one breed of dog with one group of people.
I'm sorry you can't see the love and determination that many highly educated, non-criminal and "normal" types of people show towards this breed and the great personal sacrifices that they make to take care of their dog responsibly.
I'm sorry you cannot go into the shelters and see the hundreds of abandoned and abused Pit Bulls, dying only for the inane "crime" of being born the breed they are.
I'm sorry you cannot see the look of disappointment in their eyes when someone walks by their kennel, and refuses to consider adopting them based on an ill-educated, fear-mongering reporter.
I'm sorry that you cannot be there when the animal looks at a human for the last time, and in spite of betrayal by all humans they have met, their tail still wags as someone approaches with the syringe of Euthinol.
I'm sorry you cannot be there when law enforcement shoots one of your dogs dead inside it's own home in front of the children it mutually loves for simply getting off the dog bed and walking over to say hello with it's tail wagging.
I'm sorry you cannot be there to rescue Pit Bull puppes from a plastic bag in a dumpster, dumped there by someone switching their illegal an inhumane activities to another, more lucrative breed.
I'm sorry you cannot understand the difference between canine and human aggression, in the way this breed can.
Yes, I'm saying my Pit Bull is smarter than you.
I'm sorry that the medieval witch hunting genetics of intolerance, generalization, and racism make you feel the need to vilify a breed of dog.
I'm sorry that justice, equality, tolerance, common sense are all things you hold dear as a person, and expect from others, but do not yourself offer them towards a Pit Bull or its caregiver.
I'm sorry that you don't take the constructive time to petition changes in the animal cruelty act, and in the criminal code that would deal out serious punishment to the real animal abusers.
I'm sorry you cannot see the disappointed look on a puppy's face when the people petting it quickly frown and walk away when you tell them it is a Pit Bull.
I'm sorry that you feel the need to terrorize my family and my dogs for crimes we never have or never will commit.
I'm sorry you don't have to live in fear of your dog's safety from hysterical and mentally unstable people trying to inflict all manner of evil upon your dogs.
I'm sorry that you cannot see my breed working in some of the best Search and Rescue groups in the world, saving countless lives each year.
I'm sorry our media censors and refuses to print the breed name "Pit Bull" when in connection with a positive act such as saving a person or child from a burning house, drowning, wild attacking animals, etc.
I'm sorry you cannot see the many Pit Bulls registered as therapy dogs and bringing so much joy to another misunderstood, neglected demographic in our society, the senior citizen.
I'm sorry you can't see a Pit Bull kiss a child, step carefully over a kitten, or play in sunbeam.
I'm sorry you cannot wake in the morning to feel a warm Pit Bull cuddled next to you in bed, and know that you are their total world, and even if the house caught fire and trapped you they would stay with you to the end.
But, now that I really think about it, I'm not at all sorry you don't own a Pit Bull -- you do not deserve one.

i'm not exactly sure what you are saying here. 

I am agreeing that the new law sound good!  It sounds like a law that should help. We need something that will help before the breed does get banned.  And other breeds as well.   I'm just curious as to what the opponents of this law say,,,,not for any reason,,, except I am curious.   
I think people want to ban the breed because they are afraid of them.  PERIOD!  Every week in the news is another story of a Pit Bull attack...how can you not be afraid?   Maybe they have seen one attack,,maybe they have read about one that attacked...or maybe they have been warned as I was about the dog walking by my house.  When I told you that there 12 pups that lived next door,,,to expand the story, they also had the Mom and Dad. Zeke and Sara.  Sara could jump the 5 ft fence of the pen...without a running start. And did!   I would walk my dogs past to get to my back yard to do their business and if they let Sara out in the pen,,,I was scared to death. A couple of times I stood back there until they brought her back in,,, once or twice crying like an idiot. BUT would you want to walk your dog by when you know she could jump the fence?     One day,,one of them did get out the door and ran after my Dane/Shepherd...chased her to my patio door...where Cindy laid on her back. Luckily the PB backed off.  They didn't live their long,,,,and all of the puppies except for one or two died of Parvo. They were there looking sick one morning and gone by later in the day.
Years ago when they had the show on 60 Minutes or whatever the talk show was at the time..they said the Pit Bull came from two powerful dogs. The English Terrior which is the fiercest dog in the world,,,and an English Bull that is the strongest.   They showed a dog hanging on to something up in a tree..that it was after...its  jaws locked, I'm sure you have seen that clip. 
How can you not be afraid?  What can we do to help people not be afraid?
I am not against PBs...not in the least. I am not afraid of them. I work for a vet and there are tons of them that I handle...and unless one looks like its going to bite,,,I'm not any more afraid of them than any other dog.  But I had a bully  type... looked just like a PB...she was half English Bull and half terrior. She was a sweetie,,,but she had to be watched carefully. Which she was!
  But something has to be done both to stop the dogs from attacking and also to stop the locals from trying to ban the breed.  I hope that law in Texas works and makes a difference....and then I hope other states look into the same law.
I live outside Cleveland Ohio,,,there is a lot of Pit Bulls here...and they are not all here just for nice pets. 

ORIGINAL: dyan

I am agreeing that the new law sound good!

ahh... see, now i misunderstood you, and THAT my friends, is why it's good to ASK before running my mouth[][] 
 

They showed a dog hanging on to something up in a tree..that it was after...its  jaws locked, I'm sure you have seen that clip.

i haven't seen the clip, but i would like to clarify one thing here:  the jaws of a pit bull, nor any of its cousins does not "lock".  as you said, they are bred from some very strong dogs.  they were bred very specifically to bait bulls and bears, and as a result, their jaw muscles are extremely strong.  so, they don't LOCK.  they just don't want to let go.  this is a common media misconception that, for reasons unknown to me, continues to be reported.  that is a fact, not my opinion.  there is a link in here somewhere to report media bias.  i know it's long gone by, but this is precisely what that link was designed for.

But something has to be done both to stop the dogs from attacking and also to stop the locals from trying to ban the breed. 

yes, something DOES need to be done.  in case we haven't already been over this, for a pit bull to attack a human directly contradicts their nature.  they have most recently been bred to fight other dogs.  i have raised the issue of trying to breed out dog aggression before, and have been met with limited resistance, for several reasons- some good, and some i don't think are so good.  the loudest argument against it is that it would "change the breed".  i wonder how much, and i don't know enough about genetics and evolution to hazard a guess.  i would suggest, though, that it might be a change for the better.
 

I live outside Cleveland Ohio,,,there is a lot of Pit Bulls here...and they are not all here just for nice pets. 

 
and THIS is the problem, really.  there is a deep divide in the culture of pit bull owners.  there are those of us who own them because we find them to be a lovely breed to look at, we respect their power, want to be involved in sports like pulling, and we choose very delibrately to be hyper-responsible with our dogs.  our dogs ARE the nice pets we think they are.  there are even some of us who stumbled upon them completely by accident, not knowing the world we were about to jump into.  we just thought we were saving a shelter dog; the breed never occured to us.
 
and then there are The Others.  the people who love the "aggressive look" of the dogs, who wield them like weapons, who stake them out in the backyard with little interaction, who beat them purposely to make them mean, who wrap their necks in chains instead of collars, who breed relentlessly because the demand is still there and people will do anything except WORK to earn a living.  it is THESE people who make dog ownership a trial for every dog owner.  their actions put all breeds at risk for being banned.  when they move on from pit bulls, they will surely find another breed to exploit and tourture.  these people belong behind bars, and it is my hope that they end up there.
 

How can you not be afraid?  What can we do to help people not be afraid?

good question.  personally, i am not afraid of my OWN dogs, nor of dogs that i recognize to be handled responsibly.  i have been afraid of other pit bulls, though.  i used to frequent a particular bar, and one night there was a scumbag loser stationed near the entrance with a red nosed pit who was completely out of control.  it was all this guy could do to hold on to her; she was lunging and snarling at everyone who walked by.  THIS guy is the problem, and THAT dog was probably dangerous.  in this particular instance, my knowledge of the breed strength capabilities and tenacity coupled with the dog's behavior had ME scared.
 
what can we do?  i can work dilligently to train my dogs.  i can live my life to keep them out of potential trouble.  i can allow my dogs to be ambassadors.  i can correct people who are scared of them; i can answer questions openly and honestly.  i can listen to their fears and respect their opinions and boundaries.
 
we can support the laws that target PEOPLE instead of dogs.  it's the first step.  subsequently, we can make sure that the laws STAY about people, and not dogs.  we can behave like responsible members of a democratic society and use the process to keep lawmakers in check.  we can report wrongdoing.  we can demand that the police and animal control follow up on our concerns.  we can follow up on media bias and demand that our media report facts, and investigate the facts as journalistic standards require.  when they do not, we can complain about it.  as loudly as possible.
 
just some suggestions.[]
 
thank you, DYAN, because i think this is a valuable conversation for me to have.  i am so close to the issue that it becomes cloudy from time to time.

i haven't seen the clip, but i would like to clarify one thing here:  the jaws of a pit bull, nor any of its cousins does not "lock".  as you said, they are bred from some very strong dogs.  they were bred very specifically to bait bulls and bears, and as a result, their jaw muscles are extremely strong.  so, they don't LOCK.  they just don't want to let go.  this is a common media misconception that, for reasons unknown to me, continues to be reported.  that is a fact, not my opinion.  there is a link in here somewhere to report media bias.  i know it's long gone by, but this is precisely what that link was designed for.

Funny,,,my brother had an English Bull,,,,said its jaw would lock.   It was that dog that had puppies with a terrior...and my Sammy came from those pups.... my sister took Ginger.  My brother said their jaws were like their  moms...they would lock  so be careful.        My neighbors that had the 12 pups they would throw a couple of bones to...those dogs sounded scary and horrible when they growled....I asked them one time if I heard somthing that needed to be dealt with what I could do, perhaps have a water hose ready?? They said NO,,you need something to pry their jaw...as they will lock.    So I guess people are saying this about their own dogs...no wonder people like me think their jaws lock. I think the term was always "you need a pry bar to get their jaws open!"   I probably told people my Sammys jaws locked,,, I know I heard my sister say it about Ginger.  HHHHmmm!  
 
I wish you luck with trying to get across the right information about your breed,,, I hope there are more out there working hard at it...because I have a feeling there are just as  many people that are using this breed as status symbols or worse.   Its easy to turn even a dog lover against a certain breed when you hear things like all the dogs that are stolen out of yards to use for bully bait.  Who wants to have a missing dog and worry about something like that?  You guys have a big fight on your hands... you need a lot of people and a lot of help. I hope you win because your right,,,,after its no longer the PBs..its another breed,,,could be a Great Dane next.