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Does this mean we have to register ol' Vernon?

Most of the people who complain wouldn't know a pit bull from a pit viper.

It's the owners, it ain't the dogs.

As far as Vernon goes Neo, the Dems want to have him muzzled anyway, so reigstration would be a moot point.

I'm not a supporter of his, but I still think he has every right to say what he wants in the political sphere.

Some people just don't get it.

I think that many more people than you think know exactly what a pit bull looks like. They clearly can take a bite out of things. We will hear alot about this letter, I'm sure. It doesn't always go back to the owner; an acquaintance of mine has a pit bull that took a chunk out of the belly of his girl friends dog. The pit bull has been taken care of very well. Sometimes it's in the breed of the dog and once in a while "the breed comes out". There are several other breeds of dogs who, by some unknown gene, have the potential of rendering some real harm. I used to have a doberman and a german shepherd who were very possessive. I didn't trust them around my friends; so when people came over, I put them in my bedroom. I understand that pit bulls' jaws can unhinge. Not all pit bulls are dangerous, but it takes just one time and these dogs do have a little history.

Jan,

Have you had ANY coffee today or is someone else posting with your name? I have never read such a questionable response from you before. Like JoeJoe, I do know a pitt when I see one and I agree with the letter writer (so I guess I am also complaining).

And as for ole Vernon having the right to say what he wants, do you think he has a right to suggest an opponent is gay just because he has not fathered any children? Apparently the lawmakers do not agree with that statement either. Otherwise there would not be such a thing as slander or defamation of character. Just because someone has the freedom to do something does not mean they have the right to do it.

Right joejoe.

I just have to ask, when you say "pit bull" are you referring to American Staffordshire Terriers exclusively or to one of the many crossbred offshoots defined as such by varias legally accepted classifications nationwide?

Pits aren't the "superdogs" the media often portary them to be. A condensed history lesson here. In the 1950's and 60's German Shepherds had a media reputation for being dangerous, in the 1970's Doberman's took the mantle, in the 1980's Chow-Chow's entered the competition and in the 1990's those damnable bloodthirsty Rottweiler's ravaged the countryside. Now it's the Pits.

I've at one time or another owned members of all those breeds, and haven't had a vicious one yet, geez I must be lucky.

Of course there are examples of overly aggressive Pit Bulls, just as there are of any breed, but you seem to be missing the common thread among the “dangerous” breeds of dogs I’ve listed above.

Once a breed is perceived and publicized as being dangerous, people who have the totally distorted values of desiring a “mean” dog become disproportionately represented among the breed’s ownership.

Thus the bad traits are not only encouraged but bred into future litters.

But guess what, more often than not it’s curable with proper socialization and training, and as for me, proving that was the main reason I’ve owned those breeds over the years.

Yup, Pits can be dangerous, but in the long term it’s the people that are the problem, and if you can’t bring yourself to believe that it’s just too bad you never met mine.

He lived fourteen years, died in his sleep curled up in front of the fireplace, and the only thing he ever attacked was a copperhead encountered on a camping trip.

What a dangerous dog.

Yvonne dear,

The reason I supoort Robinson's right to say whatever he thinks in the public domain is two fold. First, just the basic right of free speech and secondly because I oppose him but can't vote in his district.

I want everybody to know as much as possible about his stances and strategies on the issues in hopes that such knowledge will keep him from being elected.

The more people that hear him, the happier I'll be.

When it comes to Pit Bulls I didn't mean to imply that everyone is ignorant on the subject, just that - from where I sit - the media has totally distorted both the breed and it's physical characteristics.

I'm 78 years old, been a dog lover and owner my whole life, lived with everything from Yorkies to Mastiffs, and the toughest dog I've ever owned was a Border Collie mix. My four Pyrenees would back off from him, but even with that he never so much as tensed up around a child. There is a generalized problem within the bull terrier population right now, but IMHO it's warranted more by the irresponsibility of owners than the breed traits themselves.

I hope that clarifies your confusion as to my posts on these issues, and thank you for asking as to my intended meaning.

I think we must hold pet owners accountable. I don't believe in fining people for owning a certain breed. However, if their dog attacks someone because of the owner's negligence, they should do SERIOUS jail time. If a child or other person is seriously injured or killed, the pet owner should be eligible for a life sentence in prison.

Large dogs should be kept on a leash or caged at all times while outside. Parents should not let their small ones pet a dog just because the owner says "Oh, he won't bite".

I can imagine there are a lot of kids out there who have been bitten after being told by the dog owner "Oh, don't touch him, he'll bite your arm off"

ANY animal that is found to be off a leash when not in an leash free area or in a PROPERLY fenced in yard should be confinscated and not given back to the owner until adjustments can be made. I routinly see people walking dogs of all breeds being walked off lease in many public areas.

As for breed specif fears, let me add. I have been attacked by a Doberman and and toy poodle of all things. Believe me, all breeds can be visious. Of course, the one difference I think is this. WHen the poodle attacked me and I had the nerve to kick it, the owner went on and on about how could I have kicked her little dog. Ummmmm, because it was eating me? Those little teeth are sharp.

Janherman, Thanks for your response. I don't know about any dog's lineage but I know, hear and see some dogs that cause me concern and it is not because of a media blitz. When I see a dog, like a pit, which has a somewhat unique head for starters, I back off a little. My friend, who has a pit which viciously attacked another friendly dog, was absolutely shocked. This dog slept with him at night. I agree that pits can be mixed breeds and some may have been bred to be fighters. However, when I see one on the street, I cross over. One of the things that I was alluding to earlier, as is my understanding, a pit bulls jaw can unhinge and when it bits, it doesn't let go. I'm not talking about all pit bulls all the time but....
When someone says "pet my pit bull" I have never thought to ask about its pedigree as an assurance for safety. All dogs can bite, some dogs bite and chunk. I think that all dogs especially big dogs should be on a leash. I walk alot and have met pet owners who are walking big dogs in "public'. These dogs, family pets and sweet hearts, have muzzles(?) on them.

As an aside about viciousness being managaed by the owners,::Look at what happened to the lion tamer/entertainer who was attacked by his own cat during one of his many performances. I'm sure it was an unfortunate unusual occurance, an almost accident and so forth but it happpened.
There was a documentary on big cats and people who train them according to "all the right way" and they said to a person, that they have all been bitten at least once and a couple said they had been bitten several times.

I think that the writer's concerns are valid and I stand by my earlier letter which is several letters above this one.

I am a dog lover, just safty cautious.

Nothing wrong with being cautious joejoe, I've always taught my larger dogs to sit when being greeted by a child, but even then I've often cringed to see kids come running up to meet one of them without so much as asking permission ahead of time.

Running at a strange dog, I'm sure I don't even need to say what I think of that.

As far as your earlier letter goes my disagreement is with the breed specific intonations of it's content, and not with your overall concern for public safety.