Pit Bulls should be banned from all towns & cities, they are no good. The breed is dangerous, unpredictable and their owners usually are as well. I'm sure there are some exceptions but when one gets loose they will bite or kill someone or some other animal if the owner is not around. Pit Bulls are killing machines!

Whether the pit bulls have bad owners or the dogs themselves suddenly go bad, the results are the same: some other animal (human or otherwise) is going to get killed or seriously maimed or disfigured.

Dogs as pets are wonderful companions. But, I don't know why anyone would want to keep a pit bull. They tend to be abused because they need to be chained or muzzled or locked up all the time. For the sake of the animal, they should no longer be bred and towns should be able to decide whether they be banned or not. After all the town won't allow me keep a tiger or even a goat or a flock of hens in my front yard, so what's another animal restriction.

Since Pit Bulls were unknown 25-30 years ago, I have wondered why their sudden popularity. What kind of people want them?

Same with Rottweilers. The Boston police have a saying "Not every Rottweiller owner is a drug dealer, but every drug dealer is a Rottweiller owner". It stems from the idea that drugs were kept in the garage, so that they weren't in the house. The garage also held a Rottweiller.

Some of the meanest dogs I have encountered are of the mini and toy breeds. Of course, size matters.
Any person who takes on a pet, in particular a dog, should do so with informed consent. Responsible breeders, pet stores and shelters should make people aware of the monetary and time commitment involved. Animal rights activist's are constantly proposing laws that make pet ownership unrealistic for many people. At the same time animal idolatry is epidemic and mental illness compels people to hoard.

Paul, Emcee - you couldn't be more wrong it's that type of ignorance that perpetuates the problem. They're killing machines????? More like a licking machine.
They are abused beacuse they need to be locked up, chained, muzzled? that's a ridiculous comment.
Tisphone - Pibulls were not unknown 25 years ago. They've been around since the late 1800's. They are used as companions and therapy dogs as well. what does that mean what "kind" of people want to own them? I've been bit by a dog before, it wasn't a pitbull, shepard, rotweiler, it was a 8 lb little mix. If a pitbull is owned by a scumbag that abuses it, it's the owner not the dog!

Paul, your comment is ignorant and childish. Banning a dog breed does nothing to protect the safety of the people or dogs in a city. In Denver they have had a ban since 1995 and the killing of over 1500 'pittie type' dogs has not resulted in a decrease in dog bites. For the period 1995-2006, Denver had 6 times more dog bite related hospitalizations than Boulder, a city without BSL. There was also still a dog mauling death(which statistically are rare) caused by a Chow.
Banning breeds does nothing to address the societal and behavioral issues that are much more dangerous. Any dog can become dangerous. Making sure owners are diligent and responsible is what we should be doing, not killing animals because of how they look or might act.

http://stopbsl.org/2009/03/03/denver-co-do-dog-breed-bans-work/ that is a link to the above Denver stat I mentioned

Tell that to the lady from Rehoboth who lost her 6yr old to a pit bull. Do you think a dog breed is more important than the life of a child. If one of those beasts mauled or killed a member of your family, you would'nt be a pit bull fan. They are fighting dogs, just ask Mike Vick.

Paul,

You are an idiot. Other breeds seriously injure and kill people too. More times than not, it isn't a pit bull. Also, considering pit bulls are now one of the most popular breeds in the US, sure, we can expect to see more coming from them. Educate yourself, as it is extremely obvious you don't know squat about the breeds, and everything you know is learned from ignorance and fear. Great way to learn!

Clay, thank you for your contribution. Your comment could be just as powerful without name calling.

What all states should do is have a STRICT guideline for EVERYONE wanting a pet of ANY kind!!!!!!!!!! ...There are far too many people who are irresponsible, neglectful, and pure stupid, to own any pet! Cat , dog, bird, ..I dont care what the breed is, some people i should not own a pet. Breeding of all animals should be prohibited, and I say this ONLY due to the extreme over population of dogs and cats, again due to the above statement of stupid people. Every SINGLE BREED out there has a rescue set up....................To be against any breed of animal, ...is just ignorant. I can think of numerous people in the world that should be banned!! How about that?

lwt: You're scary.. Having said that, I absolutely agree some people should not have pets.

That is why breeders, pet shops and shelters should offer full disclosure to customers. The cost is more prohibitive than some realize. Personally, I have given up any thought of taking on pets. Too much guilt and too little money. I would not be surprised if in the near future pet owners will have to carry mandatory health insurance for their beloved.

"I can think of numerous people in the world that should be banned!! How about that?"

I agree. I also agree on strict guidelines, laws, etc., but how are they going to be enforced? Maybe all the pet stores should be shut down, because it is pretty well known that the animals come from puppy mills and are sold to anybody with the buck. A lot of dogs are bought by well-intentioned parents. Then when the puppy turns into a dog, everyone loses interest. How do you legislate against that?

An aggressive dog, just as an aggressive bear is a fearsome thing. Don't have to be a Rhodes scholar to figure that one out.

When the million dollar dog kennel gets built we can fill it with Pit Bulls and then give every one a shot in the paw.

It makes me sick to sit here and read all these ignorant comments from people who have obviously never owned a pit bull. I have had the wonderful privilege of rescuing my pit bull who had a not so great life from a person for 2yrs and you would never know it because she shows more love and compassion then half of you on these posts. She plays with my neighbors kids and is around my 7 month old niece all the time and you know what she does best she licks them to death. Not ONCE has she ever bitten or shown aggression towards any person so you shouldn't judge all dogs on one dogs actions. ANY dog can be trained to be vicious and I have been bitten by many little yappy dogs so should we ban those too??

Paul, please try to avoid announcing on Patch your intention to murder people. Thank you for your cooperation.

Labs and golden retrievers are one of the highest in dog bite insuarance claims. Cesar the dog whisperer is worth millions. His right hand dog is a PITBULL. Why would he put his family at risk and his reputation?

Nelson, please provide your source.

I have Liberty Mutual and found the following;

Risk factors for individual dogs are analyzed for breeds that the company classifies as potentially dangerous, namely:

Akitas.
Alaskan malamutes.
Presa Canarios.
Chow chows.
Doberman pinschers.
German shepherds.
Pit bull terriers.
Rottweilers.
Siberian huskies.

Travelers asks 3 questions.
1. Dog? does not matter what kind.
2. Pool?
3. Trampoline?

lots of angry folks here stirring the pot, as usual the same people. Thanks to those who post statistics and have an enlightened view about animals. There are "No Bad Dogs." Only dogs that were abused, not socialized.

Gretchen: IMO some breeds should not be trusted family pets. Do you agree or disagree?

Nelson: Since you have chimed in on this topic, where do you stand on a leash law for Seekonk?

Please pardon the interruption: I find it so interesting that there are 30+ posts about dogs, breeds and how irresponsible pet owners are. Its truly too bad that the same amount of attention is paid to humans.

David it's under dog bite claims not under risk factors

Deb. Pets that are not contained in a yard by fence,chain or invisible fencing should be on a leash when leaving the home. Tks

Most cities and towns have a leash law, and Seekonk is pretty good at keeping loose dogs in check. But I can remember a time when it was the wild, wild west.

The ignorance of some people - even the author of this article astonishes me. First of all, all pit bill owners are not drug dealers/ thugs/ deviants. I am an owner of a rescued American Staffordshire Terrier ( one of the many breeds classified as a Pit), I am a Registered Nurse and my Fiancé works for the US Navy. We do not keep our dog "chained jumping at the fence". She is our family, our pet, and she has stolen our hearts. We have taken her to obedience classes where she has proven herself to be one of the smartest dogs in the class. As for the statistics in this article- the author should be ashamed of himself. Dogbites.org is a breed biased website that preaches false information and made up statistics. You want reliable sources try the AKC's website because they are the only know organization to conduct studies on dog bites.

When all of this breed specific nonsense comes to a head I will be fighting on the side of the pitbulls. For those who have been dumped, abused, neglected. For those who are our family, our furry friends, our hearts. I will fight so that this ignorance will stop. Humans have created this mess. Now it's time we fix it. You go Massachusetts - stand up for our Pits. We're all they've got.

Brittany, you wrote that Dogbites.org is biased, but the American Kennel Club is a good source for information. The AKC actively opposes breed specific legislation. Why would it be more credible?

I've been on DogsBite website and compared the information they have to that of the AKC'S website. The AKC conducts scientific peer-reviewed studies that have been published in numerous journals. I have found no such articles connected to Dogbites statistics. Although I do not agree with everything the AKC does I do believe they put science behind their work unlike other fanatical websites.

It's like relying on Wikipedia for concrete information. You may find pearls of truth but anyone can contribute regardless of their knowledge. You cannot be sure what you find is the truth

Brittany:
What a wonderful, thoughtful and educated comment. Some of the comments here are based on such ignorance and outright hate,that it is hard to know how to respond. As a person that has done animal rescue for over 30 years, I could never put into words the suffering that I have seen, particularly with this breed. The things that i have seen are not suitable to print in a family friendly online newspaper. It would be hard to even write about it. But I will say this:
We here in Massachusetts do not kill animals because of what they look like - enough said.

Of the 88 fatal dog attacks recorded by DogsBite.org, pit bull type dogs were responsible for 59% (52). - This is from the DogsBite.org. What defines a Pit Bull type dog. This website sure does not give us specifications. Also, the "Pit Bull" breed is not a breed at all but a grouping of dogs with similar characteristics like the Am Staff, American Bulldog, American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier among others. So basically you are grouping at least 5 different breeds together to make up this 59%? Also, this information was collected by DogsBite but I would love to know what qualified individual identified each and every dog involved in these fatalities as it is often difficult to tell the breed of dog because of the many mixes.

I think it is irresponsible to lead the readers to believe that there are no breed specific traits and all breeds can thrive in any environment. Or maybe I am wrong.

In the 1800's and early 1900's the Staffordshire Terrier was refered to as the "Nanny Dog". In one parent households or if both parents were forced to work in the shops and factories due to extreme poverty, they would have a Staffordshire to watch the children, often as young as toddlers, to make sure they not only were safe all day, but that they didn't get themselves in trouble. There was no fear of the dog turning on the child, as the child was the dog's only real focus in life.Obviously there is a difference, these dogs were not fought, they were family dogs. We cannot expect a dog that has had a life of violence, abuse and forced aggression to be a family pet. However, the aggression and anger ANY dog displays is not their fault, it is at the fault of the owner or the person who has taught the dog that violence is to be rewarded. We need harsher laws on the owners who are breeding and training fighters, or are knowingly raising aggressive dogs, starting with PROMPTLY removing ALL animals from their care. Any legislation placing fault with animals or punishment for these animals is unnecessary. Blaming an entire breed for aggression on a few dogs is not the answer and I applaud Mr. Patrick for seeing this.

Just like some people, dogs go bad and sometimes the breed should be lost. We are in Afghanistan to wipe out the Taliban. The Nazi's had to be put down in WW2. Do anyone of you dog lovers out there want those people next door? Well that's how most normal folks feel about Pit Bulls.

Paul, I pose you a question- What say you the idea of outlawing black people from living in Massachusetts due to the fact that they seem to have higher rates of gang violence, poverty and being incarcerated? If we find them in our state we should probably just have them put to sleep, right? Does that seem racially unfair? So is Breed Specific Laws. Breeds are different races of dogs. If you wouldn't do it to a human, don't do it to a dog. We are no better than any other animal, we're a few chromosomes from flinging poo, we won the genetics lottery. But last time I checked we're all mammals, we all breathe, bleed and die. The way I see it, we're just a more vicious, gluttonous, greedy, rude and spoiled animal that over time have become more entitled with time and technology. And by the way Paul, it seems as though by the comments posted here, the majority of people are anti-BSL. So it sounds like "normal" people are against labeling an entire breed as "beyond repair". So please don't put words in anyone's mouth.

Briana: You can't be serious. There is a big difference between what we are debating here about dogs and equating that to humans. A better analogy would be gun laws. We regulate guns for a reason. We regulate guns to keep them out of the hands of some. We also ban certain weapons because of the amount of destruction they can do.
All dogs have the potential to bite. But not all dogs can kill in an instant. .

Roxanne: This is not about hate. This is about common sense.

Deb, how silly of me. The err of my ways, I really should not have compared a living breathing life with thoughts, feelings, emotions and the ability to feel pain with...a living breathing life with thoughts, feelings, emotions and the ability to feel pain. Most definitely I should compare these dogs better to the INANIMATE object that I carried into war to protect myself and KILL people. Much more accurate. Those apples and oranges are so much more alike.

A life is a life. You're welcome to call me small minded, that I believe that on this planet and in this universe- we are not the center of it. Our lives are truly not as valuable as any other. (At nearly 7 billion I'd say we are an overproduced species that could use some thinning, really.) We of course put more value on humans because they are our species, but that doesn't mean it's true.

Either way, everyone's welcome to debate it but there isn't much say anyone can do. The law will be signed in November and breed profiling will end. And in Massachusetts the American Staffordshire Terrier will be given the same rights as Golden Retrievers, Chihuahuas and Beagles (All of which have bit me. But you don't see me running around screaming "Off with their heads!")

There are some really extreme viewpoints here but no matter what your spin is, it all comes down to regulated risk. As long as a leash law is enforced and adequate insurance coverage is REQUIRED, then the risk is mitigated. If you cannot afford or obtain insurance for the dog, the you should not have it. If you cannot afford to be sued should a dog bite occur, then you should not have it. This is all part of being a responsible dog owner.

I think the new law is fine. Any local ordinance must be all inclusive and cannot discriminate. I suppose a city or town could legislate that ALL dogs must be on a leash and muzzled when in public. In fact, some might welcome such an ordinance. I, for one, get kinda tired of jumping off the sidewalk or crossing to the other side every time someone is walking one, two, three dogs. I don't blame the animal anymore than I blame the gun. I blame the owners.

Maybe we should consider stiff criminal penalties for owners of any dog that assaults another living being.

I understand some people love animals more than humans. I look at all people the same and I don't care what color they are as long as they don't have a Pit Bull on a leash that is pulling with all its might to break free and maul my family. Humans should come first, not crazy, time bomb, dog fighting, killing machines.

"...crazy, time bomb, dog fighting, killing machines." Funny, sounded like you were talking about a human there at first.

You make it sound like they meet up on their own on Friday night to fight each other to the death because they wanna make some extra Beggin' Strips money or for fun. Dogs are a product of the humans (You know, the ones you don't ever judge unless they happen to have a Staffordshire Terrier with them, then they are evil heathen beasts on two legs.) Stop hating the dogs and start hating the people. Be angry with Michael Vick. The dogs didn't have a choice. If a dog is not shown love, is abused and sees violence as a positive, it will turn out vicious. So do humans. Dogs are no different, and as a matter of fact- dogs are WAY more forgiving than most humans ever would be.

My neighbor has a pit and I have to say he is the most loving, adorable fatso i've ever met. He is sweet and gentle with me and both of my girls. My sister on the other hand has a pomeranian shih tzu who by all stereotypes should be this loving little lapdog. Tell that to my nephew who has a cut on his chin from the dog biting him in the face. Or tell that to my neice who cant even go near the little critter without him going beserk. Or how about the fact you cant touch him when hes asleep without the fear of being attacked. Dogs are like people. They have there own personalities. You cant blame it on just certain breeds.

God gave humans domain over the animal world. Makes it humans fault. Never has any dog growled at me, never have I done a dog or any animal harm. Stop hating and provoking them. any animal bites when threatened somehow, just as any human would punch if their life was indeed at risk. The Bible says to turn the other cheek and yet we fight Back tell me... how can you say that about an innocent creature who only needs and wants your affection. How dare you kill so many innocent animals for just being what they are......ask any black or native American how their ancestors feel about being the human equivalent. or for those of you who watch movies....James Cameron...avatar watch it...

Jennifer: Hi! Are we related? I have a friend whose dog suddenly started biting and had to be put down. I asked someone who's knowledgeable about animals what might cause this. He said a brain tumor or Lyme disease -- similar to Lyme rage in humans. But this would be true of any breed.