What Should Be Done About Pit Bull Owners?

Check out..http://www.dpca.org/Legisltv/Magnet.htm Ban the Deed Not the Breed !

[sm=bravo.gif] - I have one on my car, given to me by the person who produces those magnets for the DPCA. 

Not always of course, but I doubt that many owners are telling their insurance company that their boxer or their Boston terrier is really a pit bull.

and while we're at it, how many people HAVE lied to their insurance carriers about the breed of dog they have?  Or, better still, acquired a mix from a shelter who horribly mis-labled the "breed" of the dog, and thus the owner unknowingly reported the wrong breed to the insurance company?  The point remains that the data isn't reliable enough to base sweeping mandatory breed-banning legislations upon it.

ORIGINAL: miranadobe

Not always of course, but I doubt that many owners are telling their insurance company that their boxer or their Boston terrier is really a pit bull.

and while we're at it, how many people HAVE lied to their insurance carriers about the breed of dog they have?  Or, better still, acquired a mix from a shelter who horribly mis-labled the "breed" of the dog, and thus the owner unknowingly reported the wrong breed to the insurance company?  The point remains that the data isn't reliable enough to base sweeping mandatory breed-banning legislations upon it.

The data that the insurance companies use my not be perfect, but it certainly beats anecdotal stories by dog owners trying to prove how safe that breed is.  Case in point, we were discussing Pit Bulls at the shelter yesterday and a long time shelter volunteer was telling us that a young couple with 2 Pit Bulls moved into their 2-3 hundred thousand dollar sub-division about 3 months ago.  The Pit Bulls are the very large type with the very large head and shoulders and act aggressively towards any dog that walks down the street, past their home. These same dogs have gotten loose three times  already by apparently jumping the fence ( nobody knows for sure how they got out )  and were seen running down the street on several occasions.  The problem is so bad, that the neighborhood parents  called the school district and the police  and they have had to move the school bus stop a block away, for the safety of the kids. People are afraid to walk their dogs in the neighborhood  The homeowners association has written this couple a half dozen letters of complaint about the situtation and apparently the couple has finally put a "for sale" sign on the house . This couple is a prime example of the type of people that should not own a Pit Bull. They are a danger to the community, and I am sure that they have made many Pit Buill "enemies" in that sub division. 

The data that the insurance companies use my not be perfect

i would contend that their "data" is mainly anecdotal, much like your story above.

Again, a perfect example of people who SHOULD NOT own a pit bull, yet alone a dog of ANY breed.

But WTH, why didn't the police intervene or the animal control???
Why was the bus stop moved???
Why didn't the proper people whose JOB(s) it is to take care of this situation, take care of it?
Sadly, the owners should clearly NOT own a dog of any kind, but why weren't the dogs removed from that home???

This is the kind of stuff that ticks me off. Instead ENFORCING laws that are already in existence and taking care of situations like these, politicians and people want to create MORE laws or just not take care of it and "simply" ban an entire breed of dog.

So, now these people are going to move, and continue this SAME behavior of NOT taking care of their dogs. And what's going to be done?
NOTHING. Not until those dogs do enough damage to where new laws are set on the BREED of dog. Because when those dogs do enough damage, and it gets to a breaking point, those owners are going to be boo-hooing ALL OVER THE PLACE.
People will sympathize with those irresponsible owners and they'll ban the breed.
I GUARANTEE IT.
No, I cannot PROVE IT, but that is most likely what will happen.

quote:

The data that the insurance companies use my not be perfect

i would contend that their "data" is mainly anecdotal, much like your story above.

 
and
 

ORIGINAL: chewbecca

Again, a perfect example of people who SHOULD NOT own a pit bull, yet alone a dog of ANY breed.

[sm=wink2.gif]
 
 

ORIGINAL: cyclefiend2000

The data that the insurance companies use my not be perfect

i would contend that their "data" is mainly anecdotal, much like your story above.

When you make a claim about data, such as you have, you have to have some way of proving that you are right and the data is wrong.

if you are referring to the cdc data, it says right in their report that the information isnt accurate.

ORIGINAL: chewbecca

Again, a perfect example of people who SHOULD NOT own a pit bull, yet alone a dog of ANY breed.

But WTH, why didn't the police intervene or the animal control??? 

If the dogs are loose, by the time the AC officer arrives hours later, the dog is back in the house.  The police told the people to call AC, as it was not their job to chase dogs. 

Why was the bus stop moved???

I thought I explained that, but people felt uncomfortable having their small children waiting for a school bus with 2 large and not very friendly dogs running up and down the street. I would rather drive my kids to school, than let them wait on the street in those conditions.

Why didn't the proper people whose JOB(s) it is to take care of this situation, take care of it?

Read first answer.

Sadly, the owners should clearly NOT own a dog of any kind, but why weren't the dogs removed from that home???

Unless they are convicted of breaking a law, there is no legal way to do that, apparently.

This is the kind of stuff that ticks me off. Instead ENFORCING laws that are already in existence and taking care of situations like these, politicians and people want to create MORE laws or just not take care of it and "simply" ban an entire breed of dog.

And how would you do something different, thasn what these home owners tried to do? The only solution they have come up with  is to have a meeting of the homeowners association to consider a breed ban.

ORIGINAL: cyclefiend2000

if you are referring to the cdc data, it says right in their report that the information isnt accurate.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/dogbreeds.pdf

see section on first page called conclusions.

ORIGINAL: cyclefiend2000

if you are referring to the cdc data, it says right in their report that the information isnt accurate.

I think what it says is that there is a small amount of possible error, which occurs in most data collection protocols, but it is the best data we have at the moment.  Look at the errors in the electronic voting machines that have picked our politicians in the last 8 years.  

Oh, I don't know, Bob.
Probably just throw my damn hands up in the air and give up.

No, wait. I'd ban the breed first.

D'oh.[sm=rolleyes.gif]


It's SOMEBODY'S job to take care of that situation since the owners of the dogs obviously weren't.
Then how about making new "on the job" rules for AC to follow? How about making it so that once they get enough calls and complaints about a particular dog(s), how about AC makes a visit to the owners' home and talk to them AT LEAST? Have AC threaten to take the dogs away if it happens again.
dang it, there's got to be ways to have proper laws made in the RIGHT direction or more logical laws placed rather than banning a breed.


And I KNOW that the bus stop was moved because obviously people didn't want children harmed by two off leash dogs. My point was it shouldn't have had to come to that. That's why there's Police, that's why there's AC.
If AC and/or the Police cannot do anything about it, who the heck can?? That's what the police and AC are there for!!!

ORIGINAL: chewbecca

Oh, I don't know, Bob.
Probably just throw my damn hands up in the air and give up.

No, wait. I'd ban the breed first.

D'oh.[sm=rolleyes.gif]


It's SOMEBODY'S job to take care of that situation since the owners of the dogs obviously weren't.
Then how about making new "on the job" rules for AC to follow? How about making it so that once they get enough calls and complaints about a particular dog(s), how about AC makes a visit to the owners' home and talk to them AT LEAST? Have AC threaten to take the dogs away if it happens again.
dang it, there's got to be ways to have proper laws made in the RIGHT direction or more logical laws placed rather than banning a breed.


And I KNOW that the bus stop was moved because obviously people didn't want children harmed by two off leash dogs. My point was it shouldn't have had to come to that. That's why there's Police, that's why there's AC.
If AC and/or the Police cannot do anything about it, who the heck can?? That's what the police and AC are there for!!!

Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world, and situations go on like this all the time.  There is a stray dog that patrols the dog park I live next to, morning, noon, and night,  and has for the last 2+ months.  I have sent numerous emails to the County Park Commisioner complete with pictures of the dog walking loose in the park, I have called AC 3 times myself, and talked to the county commisioner about this dog with no ID tag, or rabies tag running around the park filled with walkers, joggers, leashed dogs, and small children , and nothing has been done.  AC has the attitude that someone has to hand them a leash with the stray dog on the end of it, or they can't be bothered trying to catch it.  [:@].  When you call the police, they take the information down and call AC, and have nothing more to do with the problem.  The typical time for AC to show up is 1 to 2 hours after you place the call.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Bobsk8/Stray2GravesPark.jpg

Is putting pressure on local elected officials a lost art?  If a neighborhood of kids is being threatened by large dogs on a continued basis, why on earth don't parents mobilize and march on down to city hall to raise a fuss?  AC will step up if pressure comes from above.  Find one elected official who is willing to make "Saving the Children!" a PR move, and work it. 

There is way too much learned helplessness among the human population.

You live in a funny place, Bob.  Human aggressive pitbulls are adopted out of shelters, and dog aggressive pitbulls are allowed to roam the streets to the point of a BUS STOP being moved.  Strange priorities in that town.  (And I'm serious!  I'm not being snotty.  You guys have a dog problem, and it has nothing to do with breed. It has to do with management.)

I think what it says is that there is a small amount of possible error, which occurs in most data collection protocols, but it is the best data we have at the moment.

you must not have read it, because that isnt what it says at all.

it recognizes the flaws in their statistical data and recommends other alternatives to breed specific ordinances.