It's Not An Animal Problem; It's A People Problem

wow that is a great article

Wow, that is mind boggling. 10,000 every day that are just euthanized at shelters. That doesn't include slaughter houses,or fighting arenas, or just plain animal cruelty. that is EVERY day at least this many suffer and die. that is an amazing and heartwrencing article all in one. good luck pet owners and next time you think about becoming an owner read this and if you are not 100% positive you can take on that responsiblity please dont you are not helping the animal at all.

German Shepard Owner wrote:

Wow, that is mind boggling. 10,000 every day that are just euthanized at shelters. That doesn't include slaughter houses,or fighting arenas, or just plain animal cruelty. that is EVERY day at least this many suffer and die. that is an amazing and heartwrencing article all in one. good luck pet owners and next time you think about becoming an owner read this and if you are not 100% positive you can take on that responsiblity please dont you are not helping the animal at all.

That's right instead of even thinking about giving the animal a shot in your life just let them go to the pound to be put down. Smh

bob barker said it best,remember to neuter or spay your pets.but people still refuse to do it.it's a simple,inexpensive solution.and it WORKS.but again why won't people do it?the just plain stupidity and stubbornness of people is mind boggling.the animal problem would be solved in a relatively short time if only people would do it.

German Shepard Owner wrote:

Wow, that is mind boggling. 10,000 every day that are just euthanized at shelters. That doesn't include slaughter houses,or fighting arenas, or just plain animal cruelty. that is EVERY day at least this many suffer and die. that is an amazing and heartwrencing article all in one. good luck pet owners and next time you think about becoming an owner read this and if you are not 100% positive you can take on that responsiblity please dont you are not helping the animal at all.

and 60% of animals euthanised in shelters across the US are pitbulls almost 1 million a year if people actually cared about pitbulls they would want to greatly lessen this number which can only be done through breed specific legislation aimed at breeders and owners there is a ton of money involved in breeding pitbulls and the breeders do not give a damn if they breed 1,000 pits and 999 of them are euthanized as long as they have gotten their money registration orginizations such as akc don't care either as long as they receive their registration money from the 1,000 pitbulls a majority of owners [the criminal element] will not pay high dollar for a pit if it is not extremely aggressive therefore the breeders are going to make sure they have that commodity available to make their great sums of money if the breeders were only breeding loving non aggressive pits they would not be in business very long and if breeders and orginizations like the akc do ANYTHING to try to solve this problem they are cutting off their nose to spite their face and will obviously not support any legislation that tries to lessen their profits from pitbulls they actually spend millions each year fighting bsl so that the almost 1 million pits euthanized every year remains at that level so they can continue to rake in millions more at the expense of these animals and the victims of attacks THE PRO PITBULL LOBBY IS THE PITBULL'S WORST ENEMY THEY ARE SUPPORTING THE CRUELTY INFLICTED ON THIS BREED AND USING THEIR IMMENSE BANK ROLL TO ASSURE THAT IT CONTINUES IF YOU REALLY LOVE PITBULLS YOU WOULD WANT THIS STOPPED AND THERE ARE EASY PROVEN WAYS TO DO THIS

Thursday, December 6, 2007

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Research shows about 1 in 600 pit bulls survive

Euthanizing Pit Bulls is More Common Than Most Animal Lovers Know
Jeffersonville, IN - Jill Dolon, president and founder of the animal rights coalition, Unconditional Love Foundation, says about 1 in 600 pit bulls born survive. Animal People News recently reported that "U.S. shelters kill about 1.4 million dogs per year, including 750,000 pit bulls and close mixes."

David Hall, director of the New Albany Floyd County Animal Control and Shelter, said pit bulls and other similar breeds, such as the Rottweiler, often come into the shelter. If they are unclaimed by their owner -- with evidence of ownership such as a veterinary bill -- within three business days, the animals are euthanized. The county does not adopt these dogs out to new owners.

Alan Beck, director of the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine Center of the Human-Animal Bond, favors letting the breed go into extinction.
“This breed alone is a risk of serious public health factors,” Beck said.“We are keeping them alive against their own best interests.”

Beck said while he does not advocate taking dogs from current and caring owners, he does feel that it has become more of a social and political issue for people than a health one. Beck advocates current pit bull owners to use a muzzle and other precautions as necessary

now according to the info in that last post 600 pitbulls are bred 600 pitbulls are registered with the akc or similar organizations $$$ 600 pitbulls are sold $$$ 600 pitbulls are taken to the vet for initial check up and shots etc $$$ and then 599 of them are euthanised by a vet who charges for that service $$$ a lot of money is being made and pro pitbull people accuse people like me of wanting to commit genocide of this breed when it is the pro pitbull people who ARE commiting genocide of this breed and making millions off of the genocide of this breed in the process

Murder is a term reserved for homicide of human beings.
The animals are being killed or euthanized.
It's a shame people aren't more responsible. If a little thought would go into the decision to own a pet prior to jumping in head first, a lot of this wouldn't happen.
People need to think about :
1. Proper nutrition
2. Vaccinations
3. Heartworm Preventives
4. Spay/neuter
5. Exercise requirements
6. Specific Breed Requirements
7. Dental Care
8. Time caged/ walked
9. Housing requirements

cant deny what is your obsession about pitbulls? I was reading the thread about pet owners and you went on and on about pitbulls, frankly there were way too many that I cared to read.

Now someone posts a perfectly nice (but sad) article about dogs and cats and you jumped right in with your rants and raves again about pitbulls. This article did not single out the pitbull breed, if you even took the time to read it, it was about sheltered animals and did you miss the title of it? Its Not An Animal Problem; Its A People Problem, maybe its people like you that are part of the problem.

You sound like a racist against pitbulls that makes you no different than a white supremesist, singling out a certain breed of dog like white people single out a certain race or class of people.

These animals do have feelings,they sense when your upset, they are happy when you come home and they are there to greet you when you do. If you were a dog owner you would know this. A dog is a man's best friend!

True pet owners who are devoted to their pet would appreciate this behavior from their cat or dog, but you dont acknowledge any of that in your posts, you constantly go on about pitbulls and how they would turn on someone.

This article speaks the truth, it is sad but its true, if pet owners had a real love for animals there would be less euthanized deaths of cats and dogs in this country, they are not in the shelters for recreational purposes they are only there because they need a family to love them.

Ghost writer you are absolutly right. and as for mso4. Bringing your pet to the a shelter like potsdam that is a no kill shelter is a far better option then starving it of food and affection.Now I wouldn't ever jump straight to a shelter though. I have found a few stray dogs searched for their owner and then fostered that dog until I personally could find it a home, I paid for its vet bill and food, and when a good person would call on my adds I would meet with them and see how the dog liked them. There are ways around the shelter life for an animal. I was only targeting people who get pets because they think they are fun......find out they are work and just leave them to fend for themselves. there is a difference between a pet owner and a person who just gives up...people who give up on their pets do not need one. people now a days are so busy that their pets lack their attention but at the end of they day the animal still knows you love it.

GhostWriter wrote:

cant deny what is your obsession about pitbulls? I was reading the thread about pet owners and you went on and on about pitbulls, frankly there were way too many that I cared to read.
Now someone posts a perfectly nice (but sad) article about dogs and cats and you jumped right in with your rants and raves again about pitbulls. This article did not single out the pitbull breed, if you even took the time to read it, it was about sheltered animals and did you miss the title of it? Its Not An Animal Problem; Its A People Problem, maybe its people like you that are part of the problem.
You sound like a racist against pitbulls that makes you no different than a white supremesist, singling out a certain breed of dog like white people single out a certain race or class of people.
These animals do have feelings,they sense when your upset, they are happy when you come home and they are there to greet you when you do. If you were a dog owner you would know this. A dog is a man's best friend!
True pet owners who are devoted to their pet would appreciate this behavior from their cat or dog, but you dont acknowledge any of that in your posts, you constantly go on about pitbulls and how they would turn on someone.
This article speaks the truth, it is sad but its true, if pet owners had a real love for animals there would be less euthanized deaths of cats and dogs in this country, they are not in the shelters for recreational purposes they are only there because they need a family to love them.

and my post was about sheltered animals also it's just as sad that 60% of dogs euthanised in shelters across the US are pitbulls don't you think i am trying to solve the problem it's people like you who ignore or refuse to admit there is a problem that are part of the problem you have no idea whether i am a dog owner or not so you can stop assuming things without facts that is what people do about the pitbull issue if you are upset that 10,000 animals a day are being euthanised you could cut that number down pretty easily by not allowing breeders to over breed pitbulls for the sake of greed if pitbulls are 60% of euthanised shelter dogs then how many of that 10,000 a day are pitbulls racism and racist are terms used for human beings like murder and genocide animals are not people and if more people started to realize this we could start solving these problems the problem is that all these people considering animals as people is stopping them from making the decisions that need to be made people kill flies and bees and mosquitos all the time people kill cows and pigs and chickens and fish all the time i suppose the are racists too do see how absurd your arguement is a good number of shelter animals are there because of some form of bad behavior if you have a great pet and can't keep it you don't send it to the shelter and risk it being put down you find it a home so it is only common sense that most shelter animals are exhibiting some form of bad behavior and that is extremely dangerous when it comes to pitbulls there are hundreds of shelters across the US that will not adopt out pitbulls because it is too dangerous again if you want to get rid of a big chunk of the 10,000 euthanised animals a day do something about the pitbull problem if pitbulls weren't choking up the shelters other dogs and cats could live longer but as it stands other animals are being killed off in droves to make room for all the pitbulls coming in stop making assumptions and get the facts

you have an obsessive compulsive problem, or are a teenager that says "I know best, I am going to ignore everything that doesn't agree with me and try twist it to fit my argument. You give facts on how pitbulls attack more than any other breed, but ignore facts that show as a percentage of the breed (total attacks by total number of dogs in that breed), they are less likely to attack than other breeds. You ignore that this is a minor problem when compared to other causes of death over the same time. You are more likely to drown in your pool than to be killed in a dog attack (one of just several similar facts given to you earlier. You focus on one part of those posts to try to make them look bad and when you can't you just start copying and pasting as much as you can to try to put the post where not a lot of people will see it. It is no wonder so few people on here are taking you seriously.

German Shepard Owner I agree with you too, I am a dog owner and I adopted him from a no kill shelter, he is like my best friend, and he's a mixed breed too.

I feel very protected with him, I love to see to his tail wag when I come in the door, because he is anxious to see me when I come in. I know what he wants when I ask him if he wants to go out, or when he wants to go for a walk or even when he's hungry. He barks when there is a knock at the door.

There was a time when I found a stray dog, I fed him and he just did not want to leave.
I think the animal can sense it, a place where they might feel safe compared to a place where they are unloved or abused.

That dog did not leave my door step for days, I would have kept him if I could but I also thought about the rightfull owner, who might be missing him.

I took him for a walk without a leash around the block as he followed me all the way.
I asked neighbors if they knew the owner trying to find who he belonged too. Many blocks away I found his home and there I saw two other dogs chained up in the backyard, people in the neighboring area directing me to his home.
When I knocked on the door I had a bad feeling, but that was the right house. When I went back home I called the humane society to ask if this dog was reported lost and yes he was. I did not see this dog again after that.

I think animals feel the same as humans do, they can sense it! I knew something was not right with the owner, but I knew when I found him I think he was just trying to escape from whoever had him. He got loose and maybe just wanted to run away.

reality wrote:

you have an obsessive compulsive problem, or are a teenager that says "I know best, I am going to ignore everything that doesn't agree with me and try twist it to fit my argument. You give facts on how pitbulls attack more than any other breed, but ignore facts that show as a percentage of the breed (total attacks by total number of dogs in that breed), they are less likely to attack than other breeds. You ignore that this is a minor problem when compared to other causes of death over the same time. You are more likely to drown in your pool than to be killed in a dog attack (one of just several similar facts given to you earlier. You focus on one part of those posts to try to make them look bad and when you can't you just start copying and pasting as much as you can to try to put the post where not a lot of people will see it. It is no wonder so few people on here are taking you seriously.

i don't twist anything to fit my arguement i don't have to that is the pitnutter's tactics not mine there is OBVIOUSLY a problem with pitbulls and you are the one ignoring it and trying desperately to twist the truth to fit your arguement again with the projecting apparently you are just fine with almost 1 million pits being slaughtered each year so that a few breeders and organizations like the akc and vets can make millions while this breed suffers unmentionable abuses and deaths in the high hundred thousands a year by refusing to admit there is a problem and by doing absolutely nothing about it you are condoning this behavior and you call yourself an animal lover pitbulls are not less likely to attack than other breeds that is a false assumption not backed up by the facts you are again comparing apples to oranges by comparing a nip to a sustained 15 to 20 minute mauling they are completely two different things and there are lots of places in the US that pitbulls lead bite counts and i will post that information in a minute you are the one twisting that info not me and when i post the truth about it i assume you will stop twisting that info right according to you children being ripped appart is a MINOR problem that shows your lack of character not mine and we are not just talking about killings but all the maulings a year you always neglect to figure that into your calculations why is that twisting info again aren't you and as far as the pool thing goes when there were high deaths rates attributed to pools they stared regulating them with village and town codes they recognized a problem and did something about it now it is time to recognize the problem concerning pitbulls and do something about it i will now prove you wrong again about other breeds biting more than pits

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

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Pit Bulls Lead 'Bite' Counts Across U.S. Cities and Counties

Dog Biting Incidents: 2008 to 2012

DogsBite.org - Animal control departments in at least 25 U.S. states report that pit bulls are biting more than all other dog breeds. These states include: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. The oft-quoted myth by pro-pit bull groups that pit bulls "do not bite more than other breeds" is categorically false. In addition to leading bite counts, the pit bull bite is also the most damaging, inflicting permanent and disfiguring injury.

Roanoke, Virginia
In May 2012, Roanoke Valley SPCA confirmed that the number one breed brought into the regional animal control center is pit bulls -- a situation mirrored by nearly all open admission shelters in the country. Wsls.com stressed that a single breed, pit bulls, have been "taxing resources for both the Roanoke city animal control and adoption services" for some time. Roanoke police provided statistics showing that between May 2011 and April 2012, 41%(397 of 978) of all dogs brought into the center were pit bulls. During this same time period there were 169 biting incidents in Roanoke. Pit bulls were responsible for 38%(57).1


Scott Leamon, "Pit bulls are number one breed coming into Roanoke's dog pound," Wsls.com , May 25, 2012 ( www.wsls.com )
URL:http://www2.wsls.com/news/ 2012/may/25/pit-bulls-are-numb er-one-breed-coming-roanokes-d og-ar-1943547/. Accessed: 2012-05-25.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/67wAVCThJ )
1Though technically the article did not show that pit bulls led all biting incidents, 38% is a very high percentage. It also must be noted that the dog population (by breed) of unwanted dogs in open admission shelters in no way reflects the dog population (by breed) in the community as a whole.

Malden, Massachusetts
In April 2012, after Malden City Council passed an ordinance requiring unregistered and new pit bulls to wear a muzzle when in public, Councillor Neil Kinnon cited city dog bite data in a clarifying article: "According to Animal Control fifty-seven dog bites were recorded from 2009-2011. Eighteen of the bites were committed by pit bulls. The next closest breeds that bit were German Shepherds, Bull Mastiffs and Dobermans, which recorded only two bites each. The data broken down in its simplest terms means pit bulls account for approximately 6.7% of our registered dogs and committed 31.6% of the dog bites."1


"Councillor Kinnon answers critics of Pit Bull ordinance," The Malden Advocate, April 11, 2012 ( www.malden.advocatenews.net )
URL:http://malden.advocatenews .net/councillor-kinnon-answers -critics-of-pit-bull-ordinance /. Accessed: 2012-05-25.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/67wAx4MSs )
1Under pressure from pit bull advocates, who didn't even understand the ordinance, Mayor Gary Christenson vetoed the measure, placing the "Maul" back into Malden.

Victoria, Texas
Also in April, after 3 pit bull attacks in 3 days, the Victoria Advocate reported that so far in 2012, data from Victoria Animal Control showed that of the dogs quarantined for biting incidents, pit bulls made up 28%, twice as many as any other dog breed. Pit bulls were responsible for 10 biting incidents, followed by Labs and chow-mixes each with 5. Of the pit bull incidents, one involved the death of young boy killed by a chained pit bull on March 25. Just prior to the boy's death, the Advocate upset the pit bull advocacy community by publishing this photo and a story concerning 3 pit bull incidents in one week in mid-March.


Sonny Long, "Victoria animal control responds to 3 pit bull attacks in 3 days," Victoria Advocate, April 30, 2012 ( www.victoriaadvocate.com )
URL:http://www.victoriaadvocat e.com/news/2012/apr/30/sl_pit_ bull_attack_050112_175007/?new s. Accessed: 2012-05-25.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/67wCsFnZf )

Chicago, Illinois
In March 2012, Redeye Chicago published dog bite statistical data recorded by the city's Commission on Animal Care and Control during 2011. Strangely, the department separates "Pit bull/Pit bull mixed" and "American pit bull terrier" into two categories -- notably not done for any other dog breed.1 Alone, the first category, "Pit bull/Pit bull mixed," topped the list with 26.43% of all biting incidents. When combined with the second category, pit bulls and their mixes accounted for nearly 40%(39.81%) of all dog bites. Data from the City Clerks office shows that pit bulls and their mixes make up 4.5% of the registered dogs in the city.2


Mick Sawsko, "When animals attack," Redeye Chicago, March 21, 2012 ( www.redeyechicago.com )
URL:http://www.redeyechicago.c om/news/ct-red-animal-bite-dat a-20120321,0,2905321.story. Accessed: 2012-03-25.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/66QwHCYBf )
1It appears that pure bred American pit bull terriers have their own distinct classification. Failure to combine them into the overall "Pit bull/Pit bull Mixed" category creates misleading data.
2Though ranking well below pit bulls in biting incidents, German shepherds were the most popular AKC registered dog in Chicago for 20111.

Las Vegas, Nevada
Also in March, KTNV.com investigated whether or not pit bulls were "dangerous or docile?" The investigation came after a series of pit bull attacks in Las Vegas, Nevada. One victim, Sarah Chatley told the news group: "They went from tails wagging, to jaws clamping, in a split second ... I was down on the ground trying to protect my dog, and they were just ripping her apart. It was just so violent." Within the article, KTNV.com exposed the 2011 dog bite statistic data for the City of Las Vegas: "There were 364 reports of bites by pit bulls. That was the most of any breed. Next on the list were Chihuahuas with 122 bite reports."


Katie Crowther, "The debate over pit bulls: dangerous or docile?" KTNV.com , March 1, 2012 ( www.ktnv.com )
URL:http://www.ktnv.com/news/l ocal/141147063.html. Accessed: 2012-03-02.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/65s33himX )

Multiple Counties, North Carolina
In February 2012, WITN.com investigated the "pit bull debate" and discovered that pit bulls led bite counts in at least 4 North Carolina counties. The group then back peddled by buying into the myth that pit bulls make up a large part of the dog population (pit bulls make up less than 5% of the total U.S. dog population). The article states, "In 2011 in Pitt County there were around 250 dog bites. Pit Bulls had the most with 41. In Onslow County there were 334 dog bites. Pit Bulls lead the way with 55. Craven County had 211 dog bites. Pit Bulls had the most with 37. Lenoir County reported 69 dog bites involving people. Leading the way was Pit Bulls with 14."


"The Pit Bull Debate, Part 2," WITN.com , February 9, 2012 ( www.witn.com )
URL:http://www.witn.com/news/h eadlines/The_Pit_Bull_Debate_P art_2_139067094.html. Accessed: 2012-03-02.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/65s4T6cgd )

Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin
In January 2012, when Fond du Lac City Councilman Rob Vande Zande proposed an ordinance that would prohibit new pit bulls, Zande provided research of the number of reported dog bites in the city over the past 5 years: "The percentage that is attributable to pit bull breeds has increased from 10.7 percent of the bites in 2007 to 33.3 percent of the bites in 2011." Zande also noted that he knows a resident who sustained a severe pit bull bite while delivering papers. The man incurred about $100,00 in medical bills related to his injury. Shortly after Zande's proposal, pit bull advocates bombarded Zande and he folded.


Laurie Ritger, "Fond du Lac considers ban on pit bulls," fdlreporter.com , January 21, 2012 ( www.fdlreporter.com )
A free reference to this article is located at the Wisconsin law firm website Miller & Ogorchock.

Pima County, Arizona
In November 2011, KGUN9-TV aired a segment titled, "What's the truth about pit bulls?" The show followed the grisly mauling of Michael Cook, a Tucson man who was attacked by his pet pit bull in August and subsequently died. Before his death, doctors were forced to amputate both of his arms and infuse the victim with over 100 pints of blood. Dog bite statistics from Pima County Animal Control over the last four years were also featured on the episode, and once again, pit bulls led all biting incidents with 848 bites, followed by German shepherds with 633, Labs with 496, Chihuahuas with 361 and Chows inflicting 231 bites.


Tammy Vo, "What's the truth about pit bulls?" KGUN9-TV, November 2, 2011 ( www.kgun9.com )
URL:http://www.kgun9.com/news/ 133124728.html?mid=51. Accessed: 2011-11-03.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/62vPt8mLm )

New York, New York
Also in November, the New York Post published updated dog bite statistical data from the city's health department. In February, the data showed that pit bulls were responsible for nearly 25% of all dog bites, now the data shows 28%-- over six times more than the second "toothiest" breed. Pit bulls and their mixes totaled 833 bites by November, compared to the next top biter, chihuahuas, with 128 "incisor incidents." City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. said, "People refuse to admit that pit bulls are bred to fight, they have higher pain tolerance, stronger jaws, and they do not have the instinct to back down -- they refuse to submit."


Gary Buiso, "Leash the hounds," New York Post, November 27, 2011 ( www.nypost.com )
URL:http://www.nypost.com/p/ne ws/opinion/opedcolumnists/leas h_the_hounds_zcdXCksvDbuIWD8ut n6f9L#ixzz1ezn3icLb. Accessed: 2011-11-30.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/63b8brmTh

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Also in November, after a pet pit bull, named Prince, nearly killed its 52-year old caretaker, Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Comission (MADACC) released dog bite statistical data showing that pit bulls inflicted over four times more bites than the next closest breed. From 2008 to 2011, pit bulls were responsible for 302 biting incidents followed by German shepherds with 68 and Labs with 40. TODAY'S TMJ4 -- who set out to "find the truth" about pit bulls -- takes a nose dive into decades old erroneous territory by comparing "shelter intake" dog breed data to bite data instead of "registered" dog breed data to bite data.1


Lindsay Morone, "Expert: Pit Bull attacks are quite rare," TODAY'S TMJ4, November 22, 2011 ( www.todaystmj4.com )
URL:http://www.todaystmj4.com/ features/specialassignment/134 371313.html. Accessed: 2011-11-27.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/63WJokEDA )
1Dogs that end up in open admission shelters are loose, unwanted or have bitten or displayed aggression and often times all three. Thus, shelter intake does not accurately reflect dog breed populations within a community. Pit bulls shoring up 40% occupancy at MADACC -- and open admission shelters across the U.S.-- is standard today; this in no way reflects the actual population of pit bulls, which makes up less than 5% of the total U.S. dog population.(See: ANIMAL PEOPLE Editor Responds to Fact Cooker Article by Mark Robison)

State of Delaware
In October 2011, The News Journal reported on the City of Wilmington's pit bull problem and its renewed effort to enforce their pit bull ordinance, which includes: registration, sterilization, a lease allowing a pit bull to be housed there, muzzled while in parks and owners must be 21-years old. The article also lists state dog bite statistics. According to the Delaware Division of Public Health, from January 2008 to October 2011 there were 5,156 biting incidents (See: Data chart). Pit bulls lead with 1,003 bites followed by "unknown"1 with 884 bites, Labs with 479 bites -- less then half of pit bull bites -- and German shepherds with 401 bites.


Esteban Parra, "Wilmington cracks down on illegal pit bulls," The News Journal, October 30, 2011 ( www.delawareonline.com )
URL:http://www.delawareonline. com/article/20111030/NEWS01/11 0300326/Wilmington-cracks-down -illegal-pit-bulls. Accessed: 2011-11-13.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/63AdyEM01 )
1The "unknown" factor may be the result of some counties not tracking dog bites by breed.

Amarillo, Texas
Also in October, after an infant was killed by a family pit bull-mix, Amarillo Animal Control statistics showed that pit bull bites were three times higher than those of any other single dog breed in the city. According to Shannon Barlow, assistant director of Animal Control, pit bulls accounted for 123 reported bites in Amarillo in 2009-10, the latest period for which city data was available. The breeds with the next-highest reports of bites were Labs and German shepherds, each with about 40 biting incidents, followed by boxers with 16 and rottweilers with 15. About 550 total dog bites are reported to officials each year, Barlow said.


Yann Ranaivo, "Animal Control: Pit bulls responsible for most bites," Amarillo Globe News, October 4, 2011 ( www.amarillo.com )
URL:http://amarillo.com/news/l ocal-news/2011-10-04/animal-co ntrol-pit-bulls-responsible-mo st-bites#.TqSA93HEVV8. Accessed: 2011-10-23.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/62eqp7QTG )

San Diego County, California
In July 2011, after 75-year old Emako Mendoza was brutally attacked by her neighbor's two pit bulls, San Diego County Animal Services released data showing that pit bulls are the most prolific biters in the county. Of the 2,699 recorded dog bites in the past fiscal year, pit bulls were responsible for 389, nearly 15%(see graphic chart). Next in line, with almost half that number, were Labs with 199 bites and Chihuahuas with 174. To show how rare citations are issued after a biting incident, SignOnSanDiego.com pointed out that only 290 citations were issued during this same period even though almost 10 times as many incidents were reported.


John Wilkens, "What's being done about dog bites," SignOnSanDiego.com , July 16, 2011 ( www.signonsandiego.com )
URL:http://www.signonsandiego. com/news/2011/jul/16/grappling -with-dog-bites/?ap. Accessed: 2011-07-29.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/60YHTSlbi )

Muskegon County, Michigan
Also in July, records from the Muskegon County Health Department showed that pit bulls were responsible for more biting incidents than any other dog breed for the past three years. In 2009, pit bulls produced 59 bites, in 2010, 75 bites, and in the first six months of 2011 already produced 41 bites. After two pit bulls brutally attacked a 60-year old Wyoming man, city lawmakers began discussing different pit bull regulations, including a breed ban for the City of Wyoming. The article also mentions a bill introduced by State Representative Timothy Bledsoe in June that would eventually ban the breed from the State of Michigan.


Bob Brenzing, "Lawmakers looking at pit bull bans," WZZM 13, July 27, 2011 ( www.wzzm13.com )
URL: http://www.wzzm13.com/news/article/173107/2/L... . Accessed: 2011-10-23.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/62eq5bubt )

Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio
In June 2011, the Public Health Department of Dayton and Montgomery County posted animal bite statistics of the last fiscal year -- June 28, 2010 to June 28, 2011. Of the 736 total reported dog biting incidents, pit bulls were far and away the leaders, responsible for 16%(117 bites). The next closest breed, "mix," was responsible for 64 bites and Lab-mixes with 46. The department also posted statistics from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. Of the 693 total reported incidents, pit bulls were responsible for 14%(95 bites), again, nearly twice the number of the next closest breed, Labs with 58 bites, followed by "mixed" with 56.


Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County Animal Bite Report, 2010-2011 ( www.phdmc.org )(Archived by DogsBite.org )

Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Also in June 2011, Severna Park Patch reported that from 2009 to 2010, there were 233 incidents involving pit bull attacks against people and dogs in Anne Arundel County. In that same period, the next closest breeds, German shepherds and Labs, caused just 93 incidents combined. Lt. Glenn Shanahan of Anne Arundel County Animal Control said that pit bulls lead all other breeds by at least two to one when it comes to attacks over the last five years. "The numbers say what they say. We're not making it up," Shanahan said. "It's demonstrably overwhelming." Officials said that pit bulls are also more frequently labeled "dangerous."


Jonathan Moynihan, "Pit Bull Incidents Outnumber Other Dog Attacks 2 to 1," SevernaParkPatch, June 20, 2011 ( severnapark.patch.com )
URL:http://severnapark.patch.c om/articles/pit-bull-incidents -outnumber-other-dog-attacks-2 -to-1-2. Accessed: 2011-06-20.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5zb4vWWCd

Ventura County, California
In May 2011, the Ventura County Star reported that in the fiscal year 2008-09 -- the latest that statistics were available -- 1,617 animal bites were reported to the Ventura County Animal Regulation Department. Of these, dogs accounted for 78%. Pit bulls had more recorded biting incidents than any other breed (121) followed by chihuahuas (119). Monica Nolan, the department's director, said, "Pit bulls are a terrier breed, and they are built to grab prey and hold on to prey." Chihuahua bites "are quick bites," she said. To help soften the damaging news, Noland also said that pit bulls are among "some of the gentlest dogs I have ever seen."1


John Scheibe, "Pit bull dogs seen as both vicious and very gentle," Ventura County Star, May 13, 2011 ( www.vstar.com )
URL:http://www.vcstar.com/news /2011/may/13/pit-bull-dogs-see n-as-both-vicious-and-very/. Accessed: 2011-05-14.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5ygVbUh3V )
1During this same year, a Ventura County pit bull savagely mauled to death 5-year old Katya Todesco. This incident was recorded as "one dog bite."

Maricopa County, Arizona
In March 2011, field manager Al Aguinaga of Maricopa County Animal Care told KPHO that pit bulls are the number one biting breed in the county -- inflicting 12% of all reported dog bites -- followed by German shepherds and chihuahuas. When asked if pit bulls are "truly more aggressive than other dogs, or are they simply getting a bad rap?" Aguinaga said, "Typically bites are more severe" and "people go to hospitals" and "animals are attacked or killed." Aguinaga also called out the pit bull’s physical strength. Referring to a recent pit bull berserking incident, he said, "It took five officers, a whole squad, to chase that [pit bull] down" Tuesday.


Steve Stout,“Pit Bulls No. 1 In County For Reported Bites,” KPHO Phoenix, March 23, 2011 ( www.kpho.com )
URL:http://www.kpho.com/news/2 7294714/detail.html. Accessed: 2011-03-24.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5xQl2w7Bf )

New York City, New York
In February 2011, the New York Post published a tongue-and-cheek article about "pint-sized" chihuahuas and shih tzus, breeds among the top five biters in 2010, according to the city's Health Department. What's not so tongue-and-cheek is that pit bulls led biting incidents with 815, nearly 25% of all biting incidents recorded in the city. Rottweilers followed in second position. One hardly needs to state the difference between a pit bull or rottweiler bite and the bite from a pint-sized fashion accessory. Furthermore, it is irrational to assume that pit bulls and rottweilers make up anywhere near the majority of household dogs in New York City.


Lorena Mongelli and Kevin Fasick, "Tiny dogs major culprits behind record number of bites," New York Post, February 18, 2011 ( www.nypost.com )
URL:http://www.nypost.com/p/ne ws/local/li_yippers_big_nipper s_EsuEAx5j7TkzZArVFttI0J. Accessed: 2011-02-18.(Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5wauUbpOR )