Ban bad owners or pit bulls?

Question

Pit bull supporters always say intead of banning the pits we should ban the bad owners? OK. And HOW do they propose to do that? Put them in ovens like the NAZIS did? Very scary. That is called genocide folks. Banning a breed of dog is like banning a certain kind of gun or anything else that is man made. Because pits are just one of the 2000 breeds of dogs which were all made by man so PLEASE dont compare it to banning people!! My god, what is the matter with you pit lovers? Listen to yourselves sometime. SO HOW do you propose banning PEOPLE!? ANd I really dont think cities are going to go to the enormous expense of making people take and pass pit bull owning exams. That is just idiotic when there are 2000 breeds of other dogs to choose from.

Answer 1

We have this problem in New Zealand too as I guess all countries with pitbulls do.

Our RSPCA works towards identifying the bad owners and prosecuting them etc but it is scary to think what damage is done to people, other dogs and the pitbulls themselves before action is taken. Some of these owners commit attrocious acts to the dogs themselves before they are caught. Like cutting the dogs ears down on a slant to make them look more 'staunch'. No vet, not medical care, just a home job in the back yard. It makes me sick. Can barbarick acts like this make the dogs themselves more vicious?

What scares me about dog breeds like this is, no matter how good the owner, these dogs have breeding and genes that makes them vicious, lethal and dangerous.

How many times do you hear of the loving family pet turning on a child and ripping it's face apart? Too many times.

There was a case here in NZ a few years ago of a women in an apartment building who shared a floor with 2 men who owned 2 pitbulls. She was coming home for the day when somehow these dogs got into the hallway and mauled her to death. It was shocking, distressing and so sad. The dogs were put down and the owners prosecuted and they went down fighting and defending their 'loving pets'. It was reported they moved from the apartment building and after time now have 2 more pitbulls in their 'care'.

It's a huge thing to suggest but maybe there should be a ban on these dangerous breeds. But then who makes these decisions? Does society have the right? Who draws the line and when will it end? How many more people and animals alike will have to die or be badly mauled before things change?

Answer 2

Because they don't care enough right now to be concerned and if there was yet another law enacted that couldn't be enforced, it would just be a waste. Most of the 'laws' right now are not be enforced, even the legitimate ones. People drive 20+ mph over the speed limits, they run others off the road, they run over people, they kill people, they molest children, they do whatever they want with little regard to what 'laws' are out there and law enforcement can't/won't enforce what we already have. The law abiding citizens will abid by laws already - will do what is right already even without someone enacting a law. There are dangerous pit bulls out there - they are being bred that way and being reared to be dangerous and there are a ton of idiots that own dogs, and a high percentage of those own pit bulls so you have dangerous dogs because you have stupid people and again, stupid isn't against the law and unfortunately it is prevelent and incurable and reproduces, frequently. Ya can't enact laws against it either... Who do you propose to be the person to make the decision that this pit bull breeder is breeding 'bad' pit bulls and that pit bull breeder isn't? They have breed wardens like that in some of the European countries and it does little or no good and actually, from the way it appears, has simply perpetuated 'bad' in all aspects. The old 'absolute power corrupts absolutely' thing :)

Answer 3

I think th emore correct term would be..To "Punish the deed, Not the Breed".. Pit Bulls shouldnt be singled out, because really it is a case by case basis. Any breed can attack...poodles, labs, dalmations, etc..have all bitten before...it just seems that pit bulls have a bad rep..thanks in a big part to the media. The #1 myth is that pit bulls have human aggression, or that they carry a gene for it..and that is just soo stupid and uneducated..pit bulls are just like any other dog.IF a pit bull shows any aggression towards a human, it is because the dog was abused, not raised properly , and iot certainly wasnt socialized..as wouldbe the case with any breed of dog. The 2nd myth is that they have lock jaw. First of all LOck Jaw does not exist....pit bulls have a great tenacity to grab onto to things and hold on...but this is just a trait, not a dangerous trait...they have all control of their jaws, and ofcourse if they are trained properly and are holdong onto something, it should be dropped once given the cammond to do so. Pit Bulls are very smart, its known that the make great therapy dogs, they helped during 9/11,,,,some are used as drug sniffing dogs , and they are great at lifting the sprits at the senior citizens home.

These dogs are NOT for everyone..but really each individual has certain breeds that are more well suited towards their lifestyle then other breeds. pit Bulls need strong owners tha will take the time to train them, and owners that have time to spend with them...pit bulls are also very adaptable dogs..but should never be left alone outside all day.

I have 3 pitbulls, and I love the breed.. For the bad owners, I dont think the should be burned alive LOL..but they should be punished, be it a fine, or a court taking away their rights to be a pet owner...and in some cases jailed. I do not think pit bulls should be banned nor any breed for that matter....dogs are dogs..pit bulls are dogs..that make awesome pets. As long as you have the pit as a young pup, you teach him, train him, socilize him and treat him right, there will be no problems...

Answer 4

I don't think people should ban pit bulls. My friend has a pit bull and it is very playful and sweet. If they are trained properly than there is no reason to ban them. Nor ban bad owners. If they purposly trained the dogs poorly, than they should be punished, like a fine or have the dog snached away. If they just don't know how to train, they should be offered help. Pit bull owners should be warned to train the dog to obey as a pup. But ban the dog? No. If some people train the dogs wrong, should we really throw it out on the street because of what WE did? Imagine it, the dogs are just doing what they have always been told to do! Bad owners are definetly the problem. And you say about 2,000 other breeds? Each one of thoose breeds could be trained to be as vicious as mistrained pit bulls. Bad owners should, again have to pay some kind of fine, instead of wiping out a perfectly good breed of decent dogs.

Answer 5

You have answered a lot of the same questions that i have. And when people say they want to ban bad owners, they in no way mean KILLING them. YOU are the one who said this. You are the wierdo who thought of putting them in gas chambers and ovens. What we mean by banning owners is requiring a person to be educated on dog care in General, and also the breed they chose to adopt, or buy. And my idea to do this is to require a person to go to a pass some kind of class before they can get their dog license. Any bad dog comes from a bad owner. It doesn't matter what breed it is. Pit bulls are NOT the most likely dog to attack a human. If you did some research on the breed you would find out that they LOVE people, and were specifically bred to love people. If anything, they have a problem with being aggressive toward other dogs. And even this can be prevented through early training and socialization. If we ban pit bulls because they can do so much damage when they DO attack, then we need to look at EVERY other large breed dog. I got attacked by a golden retriever who almost tore my face off. His head is just as big as a pit bulls, and it has just as many teeth. If he would have bitten a child instead of me, that child would not be here. And this dogs owner is also irresponsible because she didn't do anything about this behavior. She excuses her dogs behavior, and neglects to seek help. I think you should meet a pit bull who is owned by a responsible person. This might change your mind about pit bulls, once you see how sweet they actually are. Do you think SOO many people would stick up for them if they were really vicious killers? If they were as vicious as you, and other people say, then we wouldn't even be alive right now to stick up for them...

Pit Bull video, i hope you watch it:
http://gprime.net/flash.php/thepitbullproblem.

Answer 6

The idea behind the "ban the owners" statement is said with the idea that this breed is not for everyone (many breeds are like this) and that they should really be with experienced dog people who can handle them. Too many people get this breed and realize it's way more dog that they expected initially (which could have been avoided with researching the breed FIRST, but most don't bother with this either). Tho I like the breed and disagree with BSL, this is a breed (and yes, there are other breeds like this) that can be very dangerous in the wrong hands.

I agree that regulating ownership will never happen as it's just too costly and time consuming to do. But it would be nice if someone, who is convicted of a serious drug/weapons charge, be banned from owning this breed. Why? Because the illegal dog fighting that is done is quite often linked to these other illegal activities. If you break the law, you lose the right to own this breed, period. Too expensive to do and too hard to regulate, but it sure would be beneficial to this breed and help keep them out of the hands of the bad owners. The cost effective route is to simply ban the breed. It's such a shame.

Answer 7

PUNISH THE DEED NOT THE BREED.

ANY dog can be dangerous in the hands of the wrong owner....from a pomeranian to a mastiff. We are not proposing literally banning people. But instead punishing irresponsible owners.

And there are only around 150 breeds recognized by the AKC. But, hey, pit bulls today....YOUR breed tomorrow. And there are numerous breeds that are commonly mistaken for a "pit bull". Not counting mixed breed dogs! Sure, you know that your lab/boxer mix isn't a banned pit bull. But how are you going to prove it to animal control when they come to seize your "dangerous" dog that looks like a pit. Under BSL, it's guilty until proven innocent!!!

Can you find the pit bull?:
http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Findthebull/findpitbull_v3.html

Breed Specific Legislation (passing laws banning or restricting certain breeds) does NOT work. And it takes a lot of time, money, and effort at the same time. That's why many places have repealed such laws. Because it's ineffective and does not target the REAL problem...the other end of the leash.

Stronger laws are needed for dangerous dogs of ALL breeds. And harsher punishment for people who abuse, neglect, or encourage uncontrolled agression.

Please watch this short video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0dC8BPA0VoI&search=pit%20bull

Top 10 most dangerous breeds:
http://dogpolitics.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/02/top_10_most_dan.html

ALL dogs bite:
http://www.understand-a-bull.com/BSL/OtherBreedBites/AllDogsBite.htm

Mistaken identity:
http://www.understand-a-bull.com/BSL/MistakenIdentity/WrongId.htm

Answer 8

If you've ever been around a normal pit bull you would know that they are some of the friendliest dogs around although they are quite rambunchus. They should definitily not be banned. As far as bad owners there's not much way to "ban" them. There are ways to fine the hell out of them, put them on probation, incarcerate them in extreme circumstances, and make it a criminal act for them to ever own another dog. It makes a lot more sense than banning a naturally friendly breed of dog. Remember, you can train any dog to be mean and to fight. Most attacks occur because someone has mistreated the dog. I think some of them also occur because the dog's hyper nature freaks people out and they in turn freak the dog out. The important thing to remember is to keep your dog on a leash. This applies to everydog from tea cup poodles to bull mastiffs.

Answer 9

I don't even believe the pitbull ban in those cities (Denver one of them, I think?) are really happening. Maybe some people here know better and can tell me. But from what I've seen, police don't care. I don't see anybody getting a ticket for breaking the leash law. So what's the point of debating the pitbull ban if we can't even enforce the leash law? If it's like the leash law, then it's just gonna be the law-abiding people giving up their family pitbulls, while the criminals keep their vicious pits. I say we work on enforcing the leash law first. A pit on a short leash is ok by me. A golden retriever running loose is not.

Answer 10

They are speaking metaphorically, of course. But the point is made. Bad dogs are a result of poor ownership. I have seen vicious dogs of every breed. Moreover, Pittbulls and Rottweilers, by far the two most misaligned breeds, are actually the most sweet, loving, family pets that you will ever find. It's those owners who don't take responsibility for their half of the relationship that make their dogs unhappy or unstable. The breed doesn't matter. I've had pitts, rotts, labs, there all dogs, and when treated as such they are all wonderful companions. What you be like if the people you love the most isolated you out in the yard, treat you like hell, and never pay attention to you unless they are feeding you?

Banning breeds is also a violation of civil liberties my fellow Americans.

How many more of those do you want to give away?