Click to see Captions Only | Videos Only
« Previous GIF: Iz on a Roomba, Ur Argument iz Invalid | Post-cheezburger satisfaction. Next »
When 97-year-old Sophie Thomas found herself surrounded by her neighbor’s pitbulls, her kitteh, Tiger, came to her rescue. Tiger ran out into the pack of dogs, and led them away from the Thomas, who was able to make it inside her home. Tiger soon showed up at the door, completely unharmed. Thomas says that Tiger probably saved her life.
Tiger deserves a medal for bravery! Or at least a tasty treat!
Via: Arbroath
 | narf! on I Has A Hotdog: Too Cute Too… |
 | cavebear on Cyoot Kittehs of teh Day: Happ… |
 | lost scot on Happy Birthday, Maru! |
 | Calikitty on Cat Owners’ Minds vs. Do… |
 | drivernjax on Animal Videos: Maru Celebrates… |
| cavebear on Animal Videos: Goofy Leop… |
 | Lemon Curry? on Animal Capshunz: A Wild F… |
 | cathi on Animal Videos: Maru Celebrates… |
 | Joel on The Story Of The Lolrus |
 | Ted Moffatt on Animal Videos: Maru Celebrates… |
 | stuff on Animal Capshunz: A Wild F… |
 | Ted Moffatt on Animal Memes: MOAR Evil C… |
 | talavania on Animal Videos: Maru Celebrates… |
 | pcm on Animal Videos: Maru Celebrates… |
 | Srsly? on Animal Memes: MOAR Evil C… |
Cheezburger Company Blog
Lolcats - Lolcats n' Funny Cat Pictures
I Has A Hotdog - Loldogs n Cute Puppies 
Animal Capshunz - All of the Internet's Animals. Captioned
Animal Videos - Cute and Hilarious Animal Videos
Animal Gifs - Cute and Hilarious Animal Gifs
Daily Squee - So cute your brain might explode. 
Historic LOLs - Captioned Portraits of Yore
My Food Looks Funny - Funny Food Photos
So Much Pun - Visual Puns and Jokes
ROFLrazzi - Lol Celebs and All That's Fab Funny in Showbiz 
Totally Looks Like - Stuff That Looks Like Other Stuff
Must Have Cute - See. Want. Must Have!
If Style Could Kill - OMG Style!
Pundit Kitchen - Lol News and Lol Politics Fun 
Lovely Listing - Strange Findings in Real Estate Listings
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-94wNw88f65Rhk.gif?labels=MTVN%20Digital%20Tribes\")
Tasty treat? Cat deserves a swordfish steak!
And pitbulls’ owner needs a knock on the noggin…I tell ya…
I concur: a sound knock on the noggin!
Agreed, that owner is a bit disturbing.
Lots of pit bull owners are like that. They don’t even understand how dangerous those dogs can be when what they think of as their territory is occupied by people they don’t know.
And the woman had injuries too. “Just playing”?
No, she understood how dangerous her dogs were. Notice how she didn’t make eye contact with the camera, and how her body posture was closed and defensive. She just didn’t care about the old woman, all she cared about was herself and not looking bad. I’ve met her time more times than I can count, and every responsible dog owner I know hates people like her. More obsessed with their own security and their own ego than with the safety and security of anyone else, including their dogs. They disgust me.
Could be embarassment after the fact- but when you take on large dogs, you still take the responsibility
Catherine
Foresight
Maybe some people should get pit bulls – but not people who don’t have a yard. They are not indoor dogs.
Yeeah, circling and lunging like that isn’t “playing”. It’s pack hunting behavior when trying to take down dangerous prey. Circle the prey, lunge one at a time to confuse and wear down the prey while minimizing threat to individual pack members.
Well, they may have been playing, but a small frail elderly woman can still get hurt in that play
Catherine
Foresight
Is she an example of what is known in the USA as “trailer trash”?
Yup.
Yes!
Indeed – trailer trash. Those dogs should be removed from that environment. Probably her kid(s), too. She doesn’t look like the type of owner to bring in her animals for routine vet visits; although she has money for tatoos!
Yeah, I’m sure you know everything about this woman’s life, financial situation, her financial situation when she got those tattoos, her priorities, and what it’s like to be her. So you’re totally justified in judging her.
Image says a lot. Maybe it’s not always factual, but tell me that you never judge by appearances.
Sure, I make knee-jerk assumptions, but I know they’re just that–reflexive, and therefore subject to all kinds of subconscious biases and prejudices. I don’t presume to know the truth about that person’s life.
Either way, the woman did not sound or seem repentant that her dogs were trying to kill an old woman, and yes, someone that lives in a trailer, with four pitt’s and has as many tattoo’s as she does is considered trailer trash, it is a negative term but it applies.
Also, your comment to Mina says you made a judgement right there, even if you didn’t voice it, and trust me, you are not better than that, and I am sure that first judgement stuck with you, because it is human nature to do such things. I myself do it as well as every person on this planet. You don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but first impressions last a lifetime, thats why when you meet a scumbag, even if a year later he seems to be alright you still think he or she is a scumbag.
Oh my god, my point is, you can never know what it’s like to be someone else, and making assumptions about this woman’s life in order to judge what she should and should not be spending her money on is something that disgusts me. People not raising dogs responsibly also disgusts me, but that’s no reason to start talking about this woman’s personal life.
I see all over the place lately this idea that poor people should only spend their money on certain things, and if there’s any evidence that they spent money on any kind of luxury, that means they obviously brought their poverty on themselves and don’t deserve any of our sympathy. And it’s disgusting. The lack of empathy is disgusting.
True, we may not know what its like to be someone else, but I agree with the earlier comment about her body language and so on, she knew she could have been in real trouble, and the’ they were only playing, they wouldn’t hurt a soul ‘ BS is heard all the time when a dog attacks someone, even their own kids. In the UK, pit bulls have to wear muzzles, its illegal for them not to, for just this reason. They are bred to be fighters, its dumb to expect anything else.
I’m not saying we can’t judge this woman as being an irresponsible dog owner. But the comments I’ve been seeing about her being “trailer trash” and “that kind of person” owning pitbulls and spending money on her tattoos are going WAY beyond that.
I’ve talked about breed discrimination elsewhere in this comment thread so I won’t respond to your last sentence.
I agree! Unfortunately, that kind of reaction is indeed pretty common with people who own dangerous dogs and don’t manage them appropriately. Actually, I’m pretty sure pitbulls are illegal here in the UK, along with a few other similar breeds, although we still get some terrible dog attacks despite this.
Notemily, ai am liking that link! Having been poor, not-so-poor, and slightly-less-than-poor, as well as pretty comfy and doing-OK, I completely like that article. And, as I said below, I hate the term, “trailer-trash.” It is demeaning to everyone who lives in a trailer, and, in its ignorance, it demeans the speaker of the words.
how can she be trailer trash when the vid says she lives in the House behind the old lady? just pointing that out
Arashi~~~the house behind the house was a trailer …. watch the vid again….just sayin
I hope that not all first impressions last a lifetime, as some of mine have turned out to be wrong. We can usually portray ourselves through our image and body language, but not always.
Actually, I’ve learned not to trust first impressions. I’m surprised many people haven’t learned that, and let first impressions dominate their opinions about people/things? It’s just a form of prejudice, really.
Alright I seen the video several times alright I watched it over and over for about twenty minutes. The fence is thin wood, the young woman has a slight tick with her neck when she talks. He head is turned showing a bruise on the upper cheek, her lower jaw juts out and after he finishes her statement he teeth set back and her jaws clench. The trailer the screen door is half way off. Not cause someone pulled on it, but because someone left in a hurry. Nice dogs? A simple sign on the fence telling people to stay out, and yet no sign I seen warning of the potential dangers of dogs. Be happy that wasn’t me instead of that elderly woman. I keep a .45 Automatic on me and I wouldn’t have hesitated to use it. I might have gotten into trouble but I would made damn sure I would have survived to get into trouble.
She’s not being judged for being trailer trash or for having tattoos. She’s being judged for not giving a rat’s ass that her dogs could have killed somebody, and for clearly not doing anything to prevent it happening again. When you display yourself publicly as being that kind of d-bag, then you automatically open yourself up to comments about the other, less savoury parts of your life, like your trailer and your tats. If she wasn’t such a tool, nobody would have said a word about her tattoos. She did this to herself.
Sorry, nope. Doesn’t work that way. Just because Sarah Palin is a horrible politician, that doesn’t mean you get to be sexist towards her. Just because Barack Obama is a President you might not agree with, that doesn’t mean you get to be racist towards him. And just because this woman is a horrible dog owner does not mean you get to be classist towards her.
I’d just like to thank you for raising the intellectual bar on this comments page. The proper place for a knee-jerk reaction is inside the head, where it can be considered properly, not on a public forum.
Can I just say you’re awesome, notEmily, I want to do your taxes for free
Seriously!
“Should be removed”? You mean they wouldn’t be automatically?
Over here (UK) if a dog attacks someone like that it’s immediately taken away (regardless of breed) and if it’s got a track record (ONE previous incident) it’s pts. Oh and the owner is usually banned from keeping animals for life.
Impressive. USA should be so lucky.
I am disgusted by the lenient and lax laws for owners of
dogs like this. They enable abusive, neglectful,
selfish people with brazen disregard and no concern for the freedom or safety of others. Totally irresponsible.
I am going to speak out toward changing our laws.
Thank you for sharing this. I really appreciate it.
Good Kitty, smart gramma.
She was right to strike the nose.
It does surprise and hurt them good thing to know about.
I have heard of several dog attacks that were caused by breeds not regulated under the Dangerous Dogs Act, and those dogs got to remain with the owners BECAUSE they are not a “dangerous” breed. From what I have recently read, nothing can be done if a dog is not on the list, and all they can do is recommend the dog be managed better. One of the biggest faults of this kind of legislation is that it focuses on the dog instead of the type of owner. That’s why the UK has seen a dramatic INCREASE in dog attacks since this legislation has passed, and is also why many European countries have repealed similar laws in favor of responsible ownership laws, which target the owners of every breed of dog, as they are ultimately responsible for their pets’ actions anyway.
At least a few good cheezeburgers.
I know huh! XD
wow o_O amazing kitteh is amazings
Noblesse oblige
Indeed! Teh king shud take kair ov his peasunts!
or teh qween… teehee
Someone give this cat a cheezburger!
yay foar teh tygur kitteh!
Hoomans alwaiz getted tehmselfz in trobuls, gotta goes an saives dem.
Yay, kitteh!
O, an btw, Tiger is booteefull!!!
The other kitteh that saved her owner (a younger woman who was badly bitten) from some dogs a month or so ago was a calico also. Coincidence?
Calicos and torties do have spunk.
My lil torte will try to charge hyuuuuge kittehs that even williboi hesitates to tangle with. Course she only does it when I’m nearby…usually running behind her yelling!
My Josie wuzza caliko.
Wen hur an I mooved in wif nawt-sekkund huzbin an himz weenur goggie, teh goggie wantid to mayk frenz wif Josie.
Josie wuz havvin nuffin to do wif goggie. Hur got awl hissy an growlolee butt goggie nawt geddit.
So, hur smakked goggie akross teh noas!
Goggie yelped lyk hur had been shot! I sed, “Yoo iz teh drama kween. Josie nawt haz poynty enz!”
Frum then awn, Josie wuz teh noo boss of teh howse.
Oh, an Dini izza caliko too.
Hur haz teh spunkee too. Wen sumwun comez in2 teh howse, Sarah heds foar teh hills whiel Dini goes strate up to dem an sniffs dem, lyk “Who iz yoo an wut yoo doin in my howse?”
SuzyQ is the braver of the two when it comes to strangers too. Williboi will disappear until at least ten minutes after the person has left. SuzyQ will peek round the corner if the person isn’t too noisy.
They both run for cover when someone comes up to the door….they must think the V-E-T does house calls.
I hadda tayk teh girlz 2 teh v-e-t dis moarnin.
Wen wii gottid dere, Sarah curloled up in teh carryur to hied. Dini wrapped hurself arownd hur, lyk a protektib big sistur.
Ohai red. Ai wabed when ai wentid past Kaintukee Fridegg adn Sundai.
Wut wuz yoo doin in KY?
An, moar importantlee…..
WHY YOO NAWT BISIT ME???
Ai wuz nawt dribing teh bus. Wii onlee stawped foar teh fuelz. Ai nawt cawled LCB either adn Ai wuz awn hur lawn awlmoast.
Did yoo luuk at it in teh lite?
Yep adn lissuned tu awl teh speechifiying at teh mawl. Why duz dem cawl it a mawl when der iz nawt wun shawp in site?!
I has no eye-deer.
Mebbe yoo git mauled dere?
I has ta agree, dem calico kittehs is tuff!!! I has a german shepherd hoo looooooves kittehs and is best buds wif my kitteh. But ah tooked him to visit mah momma and sisters, and mah sister’s calico kitteh, Waffles, did nawt like mah goggie at awl nd trahd too eet his hed!!! All hims did was walk in tru da front doar and she wuz on him like stink on a skunk. He dint fite bak or run way or nuffin, jus rold onta his bak and screemed…
Dat mean kitteh tore up hims eer and nao it flops all over da plase. Mah mom dont let Waffles into dah same room wif mah Ruger no more when we go see dem
Awwwwwwww…hao tweet….dini pertecktin her lil sistur.
Yah, hur is AWSUM big sistur!
In teh beginnin, I wuz skeered of how hur wud tayk it wen I bringed Sarah in butt dey get alawng grate.
Long ago I had a rescue whippet (Rocket) that was tagged a “cat-killer”. When I brought him home and introduced him to my siamese girl Sushi, she told him promptly with a smack across the nose that she was the queen. (she did not have pointy ends either) From then on for years, when Rocket came face to face with Sushi, he would back away slowly until he had clearance to run…
Indeed. The tortie I had, Rumpleteaser, sure didn’t take crap from anyone.
We think that, like Tiger, she was trying to protect her home/humans when the damn Husky from next door got her
…
No coincidence. Calicos are very smart kittehs. Tuff too. I have a momcat Calico and her big, beautiful baby who is a non calico. Cali kicks her butt and keeps her in line on a daily basis. Cali kept her babies alive in the wild until we adopted them.
My Callie will attack any size dog … she even went after a half wolf. No dog of any size … or demeanor … is tolerated. Callies are AWESOME
dis kitteh deserves lots of cheezburguers11!1!!1!
Kitteh deserves toona ebry dae free frum dat sillah boi an hiz mawm should be slappd upside da hed rite aftur.
Friendly dogs my arse…more than two is a pack and they obviously are untrained by the owners. They are soooo lucky the cat saved her hoomin from any harm.
I agree. If your dog is “playing” it’s not going to bite somebody hard enough to cause injury…those dogs were in a predatory hunting pack mode and that woman is lucky her kitty is so awesome. I have nothing against pit bulls, but all dogs have to be trained and treated properly, and not allowed to run loose.
Devil’s advocate here, nawt trying to start fite butt! Ai am a nurse and the wounds on dat ladee’s arm were really tiny. Shee iz 97 yrs old! Peeples skin gets reely thin as dey get older. Dat goggie culd have been playing and snagged her wif it’s collar and caused those owies. I’m sure she was skeered and goggies could have hurt her bad just by knocking her down, though. YAY Tiger and hope naybor has learned to be mor keerful.
Former veterinary assistant here:
Not playing. Dogs that are playing exhibit completely different behavior. A moving pack, surrounding a victim, sending in one or two individuals as exploratory—
this is _not_ play. Not only is this not play, but it is unusually feral for even an aggressive human-raised dog.
I agree! They were packing! Lost my kitteh to a pack. Bad thing. Owners were clueless. Dog with family good; dogs out on their own, usually bad. Dog lady did not have sufficient fence for her dogs and should be fined and warned. Pitbulls in hands of clueless humans very bad! They are aggressive breed.
Many skritches for kitteh and catnip and sunspots.
Also a former veterinary assistant of 6 years:
Just because you watched a news clip of a minute and a half with about 15 seconds of an elderly woman telling you what the dogs did does not give you the authority to say how the pack was acting was not in play. Sorry, but you have no idea, and you may have these people fooled but not me, sister. Pit bulls have a bad rap and this is a premium example of why. This is a very vague and one-sided report. I agree the dogs should not have been loose but to say for certain that they were not playing is horse s**t. 97 year old women are fragile. I wouldn’t allow my boxer to play with my 94 year old grandpa. You should be ashamed of yourself for buying into this sensationalism against pit bulls if you were, in fact, a veterinary assistant. I’m certainly glad you didn’t work at MY clinic. For all you people who get pissed because I don’t agree with the majority of you: I DO NOT THINK THESE DOGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOSE. I just don’t believe everything the “news” tells me, this is obviously a biased story designed to pull at your heartstrings and I don’t buy into crap.
The dogs shouldn’t have been loose. I agree. The owner looks like trailer trash. I agree. I agree with Amanda though. I call bull shit on the story. I have pitbulls. They are not aggressive at all, but they are very strong, quick, and athletic. I don’t think that four such dogs, intent on doing harm would have been stopped by the cat. If anything a) the dogs weren’t pitbulls or b) they were playing and she was stratched rather than bitten. Any pitbull that bites gets an instant death sentence from animal control anywhere in the US that wasn’t in the story. If it makes you feel better, believe the video, but I don’t.
Frankly, I care less about the breed than the behavior. Speaking as someone who loved my boyfriend’s pit when we were together (and who generally dislikes dogs).
The woman described the behavior rather well and no, it doesn’t sound like ‘play.’
That being said, yes, older people do tend to injure easily.
Amanda ~ as a Vet Tech … I work in an area where there are a lot of pits….most nice dogs….but think of yourself as 97 years old and these dogs and any animal will sense your fear.
I am not saying these dogs are bad dogs but they are predators and will act as such in the right situation.
This owner (yes I am making a judgement) not about her tats but about the condition of her home…I know still a judgement….I work with many clients who do not think about consequences…..
If this was my Gramma I would be very upset!
BTW are the up to date on their vaccines? Rabies?
this is wrong.
Good KITTIE!
Alright if you don’t buy into it get surrounded by 4 obviously hungry pit bulls that can snap your bones like toothpicks. Let them circle you and lunge at you and in their attempt to get you on the ground where you are vulnerable and let one of those four hungry bastards clamp his jaws around your throat, where his job is to sever the vein and if you are lucky the artery so you don’t have to suffer the suffocation involved with that kind of crushing power. WHILE this is going on the other three are biting into you and tearing at your flesh while your still somewhat ALIVE! Take some time to think about it and tell me as a Veterinary assistant who helps get the vet the needles and the surgical tools to fix pets and animals. Does your training in the veterinary field also play into pack hunting and pack mentality. I know how packs work I’ve seen enough dog packs in my life to know better than to listen yo what you have to say. Dogs pack up for two reasons. Neglect and food, I am willing to bet as well your story would change if you were cornered by a pack of dogs viewing you as on the menu.
Dude, if they were Poodles, I’d say they were packing. Pack or solo dogs display the same behavior. They will (like many animals), target the very young and very old (weak), first. Perhaps it was a territory thing, who knows. But I’ve had a solo dog do the same to me when I was like 14 and walking to school. It was a total stray….he circled me for about a block and then finally went in from behind going for my calf. I let him go for it because I had my shoulder bag full of heavy textbooks already inbound. He latched onto my calf only to have my 30lb+ book bag crash into the side of his face an instant later. I’ve owned dogs and cats for years. If you let your dogs run stray then you’re inviting trouble. Any dog, no matter how well trained, will act on instinct when alone. Put several together and it just strengthens this. The owner looks like trailer trash I agree but like someone said we can’t judge her on that IMO because, life is VERY hard on people at times and we have to make due with what we can get. If that means living in a run down trailer then so be it. However, we CAN judge her on the fact that she let her dogs run about and some poor old lady got into a bad situation because of it. Even if they WERE playing, if any of us were to be walking to the mailbox and came around the corner to see this situation, tell me you wouldn’t think something like “omg that poor old lady is getting attacked!” If it were me, there’d be several large blasts and some dead dogs I can tell ya that.
i love you for this….people are extremely biased and the news is only concerned with making you feel bad for the injured person. i agree they shouldnt have been loose but you cant always help that even.for example I had a pitbull named paul that used to open my apartment door and the front door…he would take trips to cvs and the condos by our house and he didnt hurt anyone.although he was an exception we knew he wasnt going to hurt any1….everyone knew him and he was gentle. of course you have to try and keep your dog inside especially if it likes to “play” or is “aggressive” or not properly trained. For whatever reason they approached the old lady the owner should have made sure they couldnt get out. so unless your dog is paul…..lock your damn house up!!!!
Oh shut up moron.
nice touch twit!
Donut use werds like moron – iz nawt nice.
Please play nice in dis place.
.
*DERE’S CAKE IN DA BREAK ROOM*
Honestly, when you’re trying to make a serious point, you’d be best served not to do it in LOLspeak. More referring to rumtumtugger than you.
what is the point of being insulting?
Because he’s not intelligent enough to express himself any other way?
Packs of dogs do not “play” and draw blood when someone is not rough housing with them. They “play” too hard with an older person or a very young person and you end up with a human corpse on your hands.
The woman will be lucky if the older lady doesn’t press charges and have the poor dogs put down– incredibly irresponsible, and the poor dogs may have to pay for it! (Thank goodness this wasn’t another instance where they found the older person’s body a few days later, though.)
That woman was just lucky her cat was so brave. Even if you are elderly and have thin skin, that was not a tiny wound. These dogs are dangerous and should have been reported to animal control. All the cute talk does not disguise that these dogs were circling her and at least one bit her. They should be quarantined and evaluated. Dangerous dogs should not be running loose. Everyone always thinks “Oh, my dog is not dangerous, they were just playing” when really the dog is a threat. I feel for this poor woman having to live next to this idiotic dog owner.
kathyb~~agreed. I so love it when I am in an exam room and a dog in growling and snarling at me ( and cats too) and the owner says.. oh fluffy has neber bit anybudy. Well I am not gonna be the first one!
~ (that was joking a little)
I think if you have a pet that is deemed “dangerous” or has a bad rep you should be even more responsible to make sure your dog or cat is not.
I have been attacked by a lab…..and a dachshund…..
train your dogs.
don’t deny that any animal can do damage ….. I have scars to prove it.
and I AM a trained professional
Yes, I have had two pets killed by dogs that were loose and running in a pack. As soon as dogs are off the owner’s property and in pack mode, all bets are off.
Agree that these dogs were out of control but sometimes dogs nip in fun. I’ve even gotten nicked when wrestling with a friendly dog with his mouth open- my fault totally…
I grew up with a woofer (and lots of cats), a collie-shepherd cross, who was a big, friendly thing but he liked to bark. The last time that dog got loose way-back-when and barked at someone from across the street the police came to our door and said if he got loose again they’d shoot him. I always thought they overreacted but this seem just the opposite. I don’t get how the neighbor actually has injuries and the dog owner just says “oops.” Creepy!
Those pit bulls attacked a person. No question, those pit bulls are due for a permanent sleep. If the 97 year old lady were to sue, that would be part of the court order.
Definitely!
Give me a bruckin’ feak. If four pit bulls were inclined to attack a person, they would not circle in and feint in and out. They would grip and hold.
The lady describes a situation that must have transpired over many seconds. The dogs had all the time in the world to attack if they were going to. It doesn’t make as exciting a rescue story, and the cat’s appearance may have saved her from getting injured if the dogs got more boisterous, but undoubtedly the real reason the human didn’t get hurt was because those dogs were not human aggressive.
Dogs, properly trained, will not act that way. When you have a Bully breed, you need to train them from puppyhood to NOT jump up, NOT mouth or “play bite” and definitely NOT be hyper around humans. What the lady describes are dogs that are hyper-excited and ill trained…add that to a pack of bully breed dogs and “play” can turn into attack at a moment’s notice. Also, if one of them jumped up and knocked her down just to give her a kiss, the owner would STILL Be liable if she died from a broken hip, or a heart attack. I love dogs AND cats, and I do NOT believe that Pit Bulls are monsters, but they need RESPONSIBLE OWNERS. If your dogs are able to break OUT of your house through WINDOWS, there’s a SERIOUS problem.
You are quite right. Pitbulls are _not_ monsters. They are actually one of the most affectionate breeds of dog available today (owing mostly to the “terrier” part of their lineage, no doubt).
The problem with pitbulls is that their reputation makes them extremely popular with idiots. I feel for dogs like this, but without firm guidance and better socialization, they will be a public nuisance, and possibly become a threat.
I feel bad for those dogs. The lack of training from the owner has pretty much ruined their chances at having a well-adjusted type. And this story just adds to the “OMG SCARY PITBULL” hype. They are amazing dogs in the hands of capable and caring owners.
I’m glad the woman is ok and that her cat showed up at the right time!
I have always heard that pit bulls are extremely affectionate — with their families. But I also get the impression it’s not too uncommon that they can be unexpectedly aggressive with people they don’t know. And they *are* uncommonly strong, so when they do choose to be aggressive it’s more of a problem than it might be with many other breeds.
I’m sure the idiocy of the owners doesn’t help, mind you.
Yes, pitbulls are extremely affectionate to their owners, and also extremely loyal. It makes sense that unless the owners introduce new people into their territory properly the dogs will be trying to guard their humans.
Like Like Like. You are so right. I have a beautiful friendly brindle pit girl, and we had her from eight weeks, but it took a LOT of training to get her to where she is today. We took her to a bully-breed specialist for training – which is really training for the owners, by the way – and the results have paid off.
DON’T get a bully breed just because you think they look cool – you should ONLY get one if you’re willing to put in the time and dedication to train them properly and give them LOTS of supervised exercise every single day. A tired pit is a happy pit, and a bored and restless pit can get dangerous
Also, the reason pitbulls can get so aggressive is because they are VERY submissive- if you stand up to them, they freak out and bite/attack you cause that’s all they can think of to get you to go away. My sis has a pitbull mix, and he’s the scardiest pup I’ve ever met. She’s a vet, so she’s trained him right (he runs away from scary things) but a lot of people don’t.
They *may* have been hassling her because of the ‘wounded deer’ thing, and then ‘holy cow this little ball of evil is trying to get me, kill it!’ OR They may have decided that being hit over the head by the wounded deer required a retreat!
“They are so aggressive because they are so passive”… what a moron.
“Passive” and “submissive” are not the same thing. A dog who is submissive may feel insecure and lash out. It’s the fight-or-flight response.
This is twice. What is your problem? Where do you get off calling everyone else a moron?
Express your opinion intelligently and politely.
Or keep it to yourself.
Man, you pit bull apologists are hilarious.
Obviously you have never raised one. I might as well say that chihuahuas are the most evil breed in the world because every one that I met has been a tiny ball of snarls, but that would be pretty ignorant of me, wouldn’t it?
I’ve seen a pit bull get attacked and wounded by a golden retriever for its food, so are you uneducated or just an idiot?
And there speaks an irresponsible pet owner!
By that logic, that means the 16-year-old girl who attacked me when I was a child should be killed too, right?
You’ve said a lot. Time you stopped.
Nah. I’ll stop when people stop being so ignorant, which isn’t bound to happen any time soon.
Yay, Tiger! Go kick some goggie butt!
tiger the cat? more like cat the tiger!
U WINZ
Aweshum kitteh! Where kans I mail a cheezburger to kitteh???
I like this
That is really quite a cat! Not only brave, but knew just what to do.
Good cat! pitbulls are bred to be mean! Theres no excuse why they attacked her and they were NOT playing >:C
See above, they aren’t bred to be mean. They are in fact INCREDIBLY submissive, and then *taught* (not bred) to fight as a way to get scary things to leave them alone.
I agree, they should have been better secured since they aren’t properly trained, but pit bulls are victims too! (Mr Vick, I’m lookin at you!)
I retired and moved in with my daughter. She has a beautiful pit bull but because of all the hype, i was afraid of the dog. As it turns out he is such a sweetie I fell in love with him. Years ago German Shepherds had a bad name; after that it was Doberman Pinchers and now it’s Pits. What’s next, kittehs? As for the people in trailers with tattoos….I think we know who the real white trash is on here. Most of the time I’d rather spend my time with the tattooed trailer people.
People like you are the reason pit bulls have a bad name. I’ve been bitten in the face by a Labrador. I’ve never been bitten by my pit bull.
Lawdy, Savannah, i’ve been bitten before by ferrets, hamsters, kittens, puppies, and all, but now by my friend’s pitbull-boxer mix.
I hate Pit bulls and more importantly the trashy people that own them and do not secure them. Too bad granny didn’t have a gun!
I’m sorry but I find your comment offensive. I own a pitbull and I am nowhere close to being trashy. I live in a nice house, I have nice car, I’ve worked an office job for over 11 years. My dog is sweet and wouldn’t hurt a flea let alone a human. Yes, there are idiots that teach their pitbulls to be mean but in general they are not. Please don’t make blanket and ignorant comments as this. I don’t appreciate being called trashy, and I’m pretty sure many on this list feel the same way.
I argue this exact point with people in my area all the time. Pitbulls are dogs that can be very dangerous, yes. But it’s not the fault of the dog, it’s the fault of owners that don’t know how to handle them properly and unfortunately the media won’t pick up stories about all the GOOD pitbull owners with well adjusted and well handled dogs. They only hype the instances where they’ve gotten out of control and bad things have happened. It’s not fair to the breed or the actual good people that own them…
THIS x10.
everyone who thinks the media is completely idiotic when it comes to publishing good stories reply “AYE”
AYE
This x100
No snarky comments about killing animals here, please.
Whenever a pit bull bites someone, the news goes OMG PITBULL. When it’s another kind of dog that bites, they just say ‘a dog’. They never report that a lab or a foxhound bit someone.
You’re a brainwashed idiot who gobbles up whatever the media feeds you. Try some critical thinking once in a while.
Agreed. My pitbull has never bitten anyone, or myself, for that matter. There wasn’t headlines when I got bit in the face and my nose slashed open by a labrador.
And thanks, but I’m far above white trash.
Did I miss something about the owners of the pitbulls being charged ’cause they should have been! And Antikythera pitbulls were breed to rip out the throats of bulls so they are indeed very dangerous and there is absolutely no reason to have one. Thank goodness they’re are banned here. Too bad they weren’t put down. After all how do we know they’re not going to do this again? And a big salmon steak to Tiger!
Actually, bull dogs were also trained to attack bulls. Do you think there is also no reason to have a bull dog? How would England feel if the English bull dog was banned – and if people all over wished they were “put down”. Shame on your ignorance.
I agree with Nell.
I’m in the process of adopting a rescue pit bull. He’s a very sweet dog, and I’m college educated, IT professional and affluent.
I don’t like hateful idiots who post their ridiculous ignorant crap on the Internet, but here you are, diana. You don’t see me wishing everyone you encounter had a gun, now do you?
not everyone who owns a pitbull is white trash. we don’t need to stereotype here.
but my observance over the years has been that anyone who owns any kind of dog that attacks people are usually trashy. i have seen these people with my own eyes and they seemed almost amused by the fact that their dog attacked someone. those people should not be allowed to own an animal.
i have also met the compete idiot who did not understand “what the big deal was” when their dog bit a little girl so severely they had to do a skin grafting. apparently to that woman, her dog was “just playing”.
sadly these people exist and others have to suffer for it.
Sheesh, being a little over-sensitive. Diana said “trashy people that own them AND do not secure them”… she didn’t say anyone who owns one is trashy.
Seems like the pitbull argument is a lot like the right to own automatic weapons argument… Guns are only dangerous when people are involved, and same with pitbulls. But why would I want one in my home?
Difference is the automatic weapon won’t form up in a pack if you leave it unattended and go hunting by itself.
That said though, guns and dogs can be seen as tools. A working dog is indeed a form of tool. You train a dog to herd or hunt then it’s helping you and is thus a form of tool or working dog. Tools living or inanimate need to be handled with the respect they deserve. If you have a dog who can generate enough pressure with its jaws to break human bones in non-94 year old humans then you should treat it as such and be sure it’s secure and properly trained. I don’t go leaving weapons laying about were anyone can get them, I wouldn’t go leaving my dog runing about were it could get at anyone.
And it’s not that they are pitbulls either. If this were several labs or poodles it’d be the same for me. All I see is a group of dogs with no owner in control to be the alpha. Thus I’d be on guard because I know that animals are just that, animals. And, they can act accordingly i.e. unpredictable. Sweet doggy spot may be the best dog in the world. But when he goes out with a group of his buddies he may be the most obnoxious dog on the planet. Owner shows up and hey he’s a good dog again. Perhaps he won’t even be the aggressor in the group, but he would still contribute to the pack.
I love animals, but I treat then with the respect they’re due. Just like I’d treat a bandsaw or large sander or even a moving car with the same respect……it’s dangerous…..it can kill…….I’m the one responcable for it NOT killing myself or others.
Don’t worry, with an attitude like that, you won’t have to worry about any of the heroic Pit Bulls going out of their way to save you from danger as they do the people who love them.
Yay Tiger!!!! That’s showing those nasty goggies.
BS the dogs were playing!! In packs they are nasty creatures, just like teenagers. :.P
Agree totally about Tiger — what an awesome kitteh!
love the teenagers in packs line, too
I would Fed-Ex that kitty the best food I could get my hands on if I knew where to send it. I would use a twelve gauge negotiation tool if I had to continue any discourse with those dogs. Setin said ” …neighbor actually has injuries and the dog owner just says “oops.” Creepy!” Setin is right, and the next time won’t be just creepy for this gentle old woman, it will be violent. If anyone has a street address for this woman I’d love to have it. Could you imagine the look on her face when some huge package arrives out of nowhere?
I did a search and found a story that said the dogs are in quarantine and the owner has been fined so they aren’t getting off scot free.
Thanks, that’s good to know. I hope it was a huge fine.
I also hope the dogs will be taken away from them and put up for adoption by loving, responsible owners. Those people don’t deserve to have pets!
Don’t hate dogs – some breeds shouldn’t be owned by morons! OOPS my dog bit her??? – gimme a break. Shut that idiot owner in a yard with two strange pit bulls that are on the hunt and see what they do to HER. Make sure she can’t get out of the yard and nobody comes to help HER!
What a brave puddytat! She has a wonderful home and I hope she has it furrrever!
No breed should be owned by morons.
I agree!!! Very brave, Good kitty!!!!! And while I like dogs, I also do not believe they were ‘playing’. The dog owners should be required to put up a high fence! And Im surprised animal control wasn’t there since the lady did get bit!
That dog owner… the words “white trash” appear in my head.
*snerk*
Was it the tats up to her collarbones that gave it away?
Not that that’s offensive or anything.
Hooray for Tiger! Boos and hisses to the dog owner! Kittehs ar brave creetures. Mai Missy B proteked meh wen sumwun had borked into my hoem and maed dem nawt com into mai bedrum. Hisses and spitzes and growlies! A liddlol behbeh kitteh she wuz! Hooray foar Tiger!
Ohai KCT!! Hoaw u doin? Ur Missy B iz wunnermuss kitteh aifinkso!
am i the only one that cringes at listening to her talk about “just enough time to run inside… fearing the worse for Tiger, I washed my wounds…” etc? How about calling someone to help poor Tiger? Guess might be not much help… but at least try…. it sounds like Tiger came to her rescue while she abandoned Tiger…. Maybe I think too much =3
I think the poor woman was too shaken to be thinking quite that clearly. I hope the dogs don’t get out again.
I think it’s more than reasonable to forgive a 97-year-old woman who was just attacked the selfish act of running out of harm’s way and cleaning her wound instead of worry about her cat, loyal and selfless as it was.
I would argue you’re not thinking enough, if you’re gut reaction wasn’t, ” I’m so glad that feeble old woman was okay!”
If something happened to the cat, it wouldn’t have been her fault – don’t forget that!
No, I thought the same. I’m “only” in my sixties, but still, I’m an old lady, and the first thing I would have done was call the police or animal control for help. (Then, being the impulsive fool I am, I probably would have grabbed an inappropriate weapon such as a garden implement and run after them to try to save my kitty, bleeding all the way because I wouldn’t have taken time to wash my wounds.) Of course, this lady is in her nineties, and if she’s anything like my mom, she’s not always thinking clearly and is probably very fearful.
They make the pitbull owner look bad the with the scenes the decided to show of her house. Also they cut her off… >=\
YAY TIGER!!!
Why do Pitbull owners always live in denial? The lady had a wound on her arm and was “Scared Stiff”.
Also, why do they need that many Pitbulls? The more you have, the more likely they’ll act as a hunting pack.
Those dogs were bred to aggravate bulls by grabbing them by the nose and NEVER let go, they were never meant to be family pets.
I like dogs just fine, I just think people aren’t always smart about caring for them and controlling them.
Actually, that’s not true. Pit bulls were bred to be ‘family-orriented’ dogs. >.>
and that’s only partially true. These dogs were bred as hunting dogs & used for hunting wild livestock; they were bred for strength and endurance AND also bred for fighting. A dog is loyal — being bred as a “family” dog means that the dog is going to be just that, loyal to what it sees as its pack or family/territory, and going after anything that encroaches on that territory that’s not part of the family/pack.
“Never meant to be family pets”?
Please. At the turn of the century, pit bulls were known as “nanny dogs,” because families could trust them to look after their children. There are many photos of pit bulls with children. For example:
http://inlinethumb60.webshots.com/2427/1201331825015913979S425x425Q85.jpg
or
http://www.lawdogsusa.org/images/oldpic1.jpg
Pit bulls are loving and gentle if allowed to live up to their natural potential. Sick people who pervert their natures by using the dogs’ innate loyalty to make them fight–those are who should be ostracized, not their victims.
I also think that the wound they showed on the 97-year-old woman’s arm was pretty small for the damage a vicious pit bull could do. I don’t deny that she was afraid; I just wonder exactly what the nature of the dog’s “attack” was.
Actually, most types of pit bull terriers were bred speciffically to be aggressive, either to hunt or for baiting (the ‘pit’ in the name comes from pit fighting, i.e. dog fighting). Of course, not all types of bull terrier will have been bred for fighting and not all of those who have been will attack and maim someone, but we can’t deny that these things were bred to kill.
I hate dog fighters and love pit bulls, however, while you are right to one degree you are completely wrong in what you mean. They were bred to never quit in a fight, but they were also bred to be non-human aggressive. Fighting dogs have to be handled while having horrible wounds and any dog that bites is instantly killed and doesn’t pass on its genes. The gamest (most aggressive fighting dogs) are the least human aggressive due to breeding they have. I love German Shepards and grew up with them, but your average GS is WAY more likely to bite a human.
You’d know this if you made any attempt to educate yourself, but most fighting Pit Bulls lived in the home, with their owners family, sleeping with their owner’s children with no incident whatsoever. A Pit Bull that could not be 100% trusted around humans was culled.
The amount of breed discrimination going on in these comments is depressing. Yes, some dogs are vicious and attack people, but the fact that these dogs are pitbulls is not WHY they attacked this woman. My sister once got bitten by a Chihuahua–does that mean Chihuahuas are a vicious breed? There’s a stereotype of pitbulls (not even an actual breed) being vicious, but that doesn’t mean all or even most of them are. Any dog can become a problem if its owner doesn’t know how to properly train it.
I was in a pet store once and someone came in and said she just wanted a dog that barks a lot, to be a guard dog. That kind of thinking–ignoring the dog’s needs, the dog’s temperament, and the level of responsibility that comes with owning a dog–is why dogs end up as problems, not what breed they are. It might be that people who buy Pit Bulls and Rottweilers and other “dangerous” breeds are buying them BECAUSE they want a vicious guard dog, and not bothering to properly train them as a result.
notemily~~yes you r correct….I was just assaulted by a chihuahua….the owner was afraid of this little guy! and he was nasty.
I do not understand why people get so insulted by a “bad owner” who just happens to have a pit.
I have met many great pit bulls, mastiffs, cane corsos, with GOOD owners.
So instead of ripping on the breed ….. the owner should be held accountable.
I still say….if this was my gramma I would be a bit upset….any dog can be aggressive~~~why do people call terriers “terroist’s”? cause they can be really nasty!
So yes the “bully” breeds can be and are good dogs…..
I just had a dog in my clinic that bit a 3 yr old in the face. it was not a pit…..just a mix.
Like I said above. responsibility on the owners part is key.
And if I was 97 and 4 pits were circling me I would not say hey nice doggie
I am in put in mind of Neil Gaiman’s “The Price”.
An amazing story by an equally amazing author.
That story made me very sad for the kitty.
I have a pit bull mix and love pit bulls as much as anyone does. However, if this was my dog and she got out and scratched/frightened a 97 yr old woman? I would be first ‘killing’ the dogs, then begging forgiveness. (Given ginger’s excellent behavior in the retirement home we’ve visited, I’m not really worried about this.) Poor woman.
If you’d kill your dogs because of YOUR poor training, then you don’t love your dogs. What would you say to them? “Sorry I failed you and have to murder you in order to make myself not feel as bad!”
brave kitteh – yes deserves many cheezburgers… however, as many have said; pit bulls are made aggressive… i have 3 kittehs and 1 puppeh (pitbull, german shep & golden lab mix) it’s hysterical to see the 58 lb pup get chased by the 14 lb kitteh… most importantly you must be a responsible pet owner to any and all pets…
Seemyprecious: Pit bulls are like any other dog. Some -are- dangerous and some are like this pit bull and her kitteh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLnhy6oHQ1M Or this pit bull and his baby chickens: http://www.youtube.com/user/texasgirly1979?feature=chclk#p/c/4A2DC39B3706F0E1/5/m2OC5Z1Fii8 See what a difference a good owner makes?
I dunno if any1 else mentioned this already… besides all the other stuff, why are 4 pitbulls living in 1 trailer home?
Pitbulls can be well trained with a responsible owner, but I would doubt this owner is very responsible- not only for them getting loose, but owning too many dogs in a small environment. They need more space to live.
joining the chorus here, but pit-bulls themselves aren’t the problem, it’s typically bad owners who think having a pit is a substitute for detectable, functioning harbls who turn pitbulls bad. that said, funniest pitbull-related backfire i ever saw was a buddy of mine who let his youngest daughter spoil the dog rotten, eventually Kong decided that he was HER dog only and her protector so until the day the dog passed on, my friend had to be very careful about the tone he took with his little girl or the dog would challenge him and if he scolded her or admonished her away from where Kong could see or hear, the dog would still give him dirty looks if she came back upset
awww
Gud kitteh! Bad goggies!
Dis sweet lil’ ole ladee is goin to be verry confuzzled when bags upon bagsses of cheezburgers show up on her frunt porch.
An I want to hug Tiger… and lil ol’ ladee. How scary.
Wow, there’s quite a few idiots posting here. “Pit bulls are bred to be mean..”, Lol. What a load of crap. My family has had at least one pit bull in the house from the time I was born until I moved out, and now that I have my own place I have two pitties named Benny and Joon (props to anyone who knows where the names came from ^^). I have never ever had a problem with my dogs. They are both sweet and loving, despite the fact that Benny is a former fighting dog I adopted from a rescue center. Considering he spent the time between 16 weeks old and 2.5 years being abused, starved, and taught to shred any dog that came near him, the fact that he has no lingering aggression towards dogs or people is a testiment to a pit bulls true personality.
The fact is also, those pit bulls didn’t actually attack the woman. Yes, that was predatory behavior and their owner should be blamed and fined for it, or have the dogs taken away, but people need to understand how pit bulls operate when attacking. They’re a terrier/bulldog breed. Their attack style closely follows that of a bulldog; they don’t waste time with feints. A pit bull on the attack, unlike most dogs, simply rushes in, clamps down, and holds on until its prey stops moving. The fact that they didn’t just rush in and attack means they were trying to gauge if the woman would be a threat or not. She said she hit one and it backed off; that means they weren’t too keen on attacking in the first place.
All in all, there is no reason for the dogs to be put down. They should be removed from the owner, assessed to see if they can be rehabilitated, and adopted out to people who will actually take care of them.
PS: gives kitty cheezburger. Good cat!
I see your point. It all goes back to the owners. Pitbulls can be too much dog for most people. They don’t realize that dogs need training & socializing. Most of the attacks I’ve heard about tend to be from dogs that are kept in back yards and fed. There is no interaction between the people and dog. They basically go feral. But, this can happen with any dog.
Thank you – I have a friend that works for a pitbull rescue group, and they are often called out to homes to rescue pitbulls that have been terribly abused by their owners, and also rescue pits in danger of being put down by Animal Control because they were deemed too aggressive for adoption. I have read many of her success stories on her blog, and I hope she has a chance to comment here at some point (I sent her the link). She has been able to rehabilitate quite a few dogs that other people and shelters simply gave up on.
I have yet to see anyone mention one of the other horrors that accompany pits raised by their owners for dogfighting – many smaller pits end up as “bait dogs” for the ones being trained to fight. They are essentially chained up so they can’t move and the other pits are commanded to basically beat the crap out of the bait dog. They almost always lose ears, tails, chunks of flesh, a great deal of blood, and suffer physical and emotional scars from it, if they even survive the wounds inflicted upon it. No dog of any breed deserves that kind of abuse. The rehabilitation process for these dogs can be slow and very difficult, but it can be done.
The dogs’ owner is the cause of her dogs’ behavior, and I’m glad to see in a previous comment that the dogs were removed from the home and she was fined. Hopefully the shelter that has them also has a local pitbull rescue group that can rehabilitate the dogs and get them into much better homes.
Benny and Joon? Maybe for Benn’Joon from Looking For Group online comic?
Benny and Joon is a great movie :3 Johnny Depp hearts all around
Forget a cheeseburger. Somebody buy that cat a whole Mcdonald’s Restaurant!
BULL****.
For one thing, if a “pack” of pitbulls were on the prowl, they would not have a) ALL been distracted from their original “target” (the old lady) or would have b) eaten the cat. No way a cat could get away from FOUR pits. No question.
Nice story. Total crap, though.
Not really. If the woman is standing still, and the cat is moving, then yes, the predatory instinct in the dogs will automatically zone them in on the moving target.
There’s a REASON you’re not supposed to run away when you see a strange dog.
Also, if you don’t think a cat can move that fast, then obviously you’ve never had the privilege of trying to catch a cat who snuck out the front door.
the old woman hit the f**king dogs no wonder they attacked her
A few weeks ago a local man was mauled to death by two pit bulls. He was in his 90s, as well. The old lady was very lucky. For those of you who are down playing the woman’s fear, let me tell you that it’s very real. Old people don’t have the strength, coordination or balance to fend off even a ‘playful’ dog. There was a study done a few years back that noted the fact that animals are the #1 cause of falls and injuries among old people. My mother in law had a tooth knocked out, an arm broken and lots of bruises due to being knocked down by her playful German Shepard. She would not give her up! She was a good dog, but very spirited.
Is it necessary to swear (or fake-swear) on this site? And f you recall, she hit one AFTER it lunged at her.
KITTY! Show those dumb doggies who is the boss. I wuv cats!!!
How about buying that kitty a cat food company
Exactly why cats > dogs
that dog owner needs a smack so hard it knocks some of the stupid out of her.
I think Tiger actually thinks s/he is a real tiger… At least s/he HAVE the heart of of a TIGER!
People do not give animals enough credit. What a good kitty.
What *really* went on in that garage? My guess is that Tiger now has a pack of pitbull minions who will do her bidding whenever she calls upon them.
LOL true…every one one knows that kittahs rule!
Where is Cesar Milan to teach that dumb owner how to take care of her dogs when we need him? People who won’t take the time to train their dogs shouldn’t own dogs of any breed. Thank goodness that kitty was there! Cesar says he doesn’t do cats, but no problem, cats train people and people train dogs…
Way to represent, tattooed white trash pit-bull owner X4. “Oops, sorry… s**t happens!”
I am a bull-terrier lover… but people like you need to be Tasered and their monsterous animals need to be put down.
“Monstrous animals?” I’ll have to remember that one, the next time someone’s kid attacks another kid at school. They’re monstrous, put them down!
Well….if the kid attacks with the intent to kill, I actually might agree with the “put them down” bit. It would solve a lot of the worlds problems if we weed out the troublemakers right from the start. Sure would be a lot less stupid posts on forums that’s for sure
Tiger is a credit to kittehs everywhere!
There is nothing wrong with pitbulls. There is a lot wrong with the owners who don’t do their jobs, which is to make sure dogs are well socialized and know their manners.
Anyway, within every cat, no matter the breed, is the brave heart of its mighty dire ancestor, just as every dog, no matter the size, is a wolf within. (salutes to all animal heroes, especially Tiger!)
kittah says “mom don’t worry about it, I have plenty of lives left.”
Brave Tiger!
Re the pitbulls are evil/wonderful debate: here in Hawai`i a small child is badly injured every year or so by one. They may be wonderful dogs if properly trained, but obviously a lot of people can’t, won’t, or just don’t know how to do that, and others pay the price. So– should animals who often do cause serious harm– whatever the reason–be pets?
One child per year? Four children per year in any given area are killed by their own parents. And you’re worried about dogs?
Define “area,” please? 4 children a year ARE NOT being killed by their parents in the pacific northwets. Or 3, or 2, or 1! Please show the source for these outlandish statistics?
And, yes, I am acquainted with pit bulls. I dated a guy who had the sweetest pit bull, her name was Little Eva. I could hold a doggie treat in my teeth, and she would stand on her hind feet, place her front paws gently on my shoulders, and, very gently take the treat from my mouth, gobble it, and then lovingly rub up against me. We were good friends. UNTIL she had her first litter. At that point, she began to attack anyone who approached her, even to feed her, and even if we went NOWHERE near her babies. She finally had to go to a shelter, because, even though she was well trained and sweet, pre-gestation, she turned into a monster afterwards. Good training, done by responsible people, does not always make a difference.
Responsible owners don’t breed their dogs unless they are health-tested (multiple generations back), temperament-tested, titled in a sport or championed in the ring. Unless your friend went through all of that trouble for his dog and waited until she was at least two years old to breed her, he was not doing her, or the breed, any favors. Secondly, a dam with pups is often defensive and aggressive, even when she’s not around them. That’s an instinct that every dog breed will possess to varying degrees per individual dog, and it says nothing of the character of the dog or breed of dog.
As for the comment about children getting killed by their parents, according to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, 1,760 children died from abuse or neglect in 2007, and it appears that the number of fatalities has been rising over the past few years. To put things in perspective, according to the Centers for Disease Control, on average, 17-35 people die every year from dog attacks, and that is from all breeds combined. Interestingly, the number of fatalities has not increased since pit bulls became popular. The breed has simply grown in popularity, and has replaced other breeds that used to take the top slot. Banning them will do nothing but put another breed in that position, as German Shepherds, Rottweilers, and even Bloodhounds have been there throughout the decades. Whatever “tough” breed becomes popular with the wrong crowd will be the breed everyone hates. It has been going on since at least the 1800′s, and will continue as long as people refuse to acknowledge the human element, which is the single most common factor in dog bite related fatalities.
And to think, this person is able to cast a vote.
Yes we’re worried about the dogs.
Please stop posting.
Ooohhhh, the pitbulls were “just” playing! And we thought it was something serious! Ok everyone, they were just playing! Move along nothing to see here!
I hate it when dog owners don’t take responsibility and always come up with the excuse “he / they were just playing!”
Proovs that kittehs can be just az loyul az goggies!
DUUUDE! My cat saved my life, too. I was asleep and I stopped breathing, my cat started clawing at my head so I would wake up. It’s the truthiness
Of course, here come the pitbull defenders. Did you see that woman’s arm? JUST PLAYING? I have friends who have pitbulls who are just the sweetest nicest dogs in the world. I will not be alone with them because they were bred to be vicious. Then you get the standard argument “If they are raised properly, blah blah blah…”. Well, unfortunately for pitbulls the dregs of society seem to be the ones that want to own them and it seems like many of them are brain-dead, ergo, lots of horrible, mean dogs with the ability to hurt people.
If I was that woman I would get a gun and shoot those dogs if they came near me again.
You’re right Michelle! It seems only trailer trash owns these dogs. You’d never seen one of these in Beverly Hills!
Yes, you would. I live in LA, and I see them everywhere. I own one and I’m not trailer trash. Jada Pinkett Smith loves her pitties; Jessica Alba has a pit; Linda Blair has a pit rescue.
Defenders, you need to look at the statistics — pit bulls & pit bull mixes were responsible for 50% of dog-caused fatalities in a 20 year study done by the CDC in 2000; they were responsible for over 60% of dog-related fatalities in 2009 ALONE. On TOP of that, check this link out: http://www.scribd.com/doc/24436191/Dog-attack-deaths-and-maimings-U-S-Canada-September-1982-to-December-22-2009 and check down the list for pit bull. You’ll see the numbers jump WAY up over all the other breeds. Inbred viciousness or stupid owners — either way, the stats back up the reputation.
Whatever,
Look at the populations that own a large number of the these dogs. It is not the dogs. The same kind of stats existed when they owned rotts, german shepards, and dobermans. Additionally, I have personally seen several news videos of “pittbull attacks” that were clearly mixed breed dogs or other breeds. However, pitbull mauling makes the headlines….I question the validity of your statistics.
“Look at the populations” seriously? Veiled racism alert.
The reason you have to cite a CDC study from 2000 is that the CDC no longer keeps records of dog bites by breed because THEY have realized how often the breed is misreported. Ask your local EMT how many dog bite injuries they witness by non-pits that never make it to the news…..
“December 2009″ was the closing date for that study, not 2000.
Do you know how many people are attacked every year by Labrador Retrievers? Here’s a hint: a lot more than are attacked by Pit Bulls. Would you be comfortable with her dogs if they were Labs?
Again, I have to request, will you give us a link to your source for statistics?
Am I the only one to notice that the news reporter talks about picking Dandelions but the shot is of Marigolds?
This news report is clearly biased as are most of the commentators here. This is why I do not watch the news.
I think they said she was “pulling” dandelions. Maybe she was weeding her marigolds?
I’m just trying to fathom what it must be like to live in such a small trailer with four dogs.
The dog’s owner looked as scary as the dogs!
What a skank!
WHO the h*** need FOUR pit bulls anyway???
Someone who loves Pit Bulls? If it were four Chihuahuas or four Labs, I’m willing to bet you wouldn’t be so surprised. Just because someone owns multiple Pit Bulls doesn’t mean they’re a gang member or something.
That dog owner is TOTALY at fault even if they were not pitbulls! They need to have a fence around their property to keep the dog in, I believe that is the law in most states. The older woman is VERY fortunate she is alive! And she should have herself checked for any diseases and make sure those dogs are up to date w/ their shots. Also how did four dogs get out of that tiny window w/out her noticing?????!?! Total negligence on her part if that woman had been seriously injured this woman would look at jail time. As for kitty GOOD KITTY!
The old woman should probably invest in a can of bear mace or at least, jogger’s pepper spray. If the owner can’t be arsed to take care of them properly the first time, what’s the chance she’ll do it again? That’s probably why she’s so defensive in the video- the whole ‘I know it’s my fault but I’m totally not responsible!’ attitude.
Defenders, you need to look at the statistics — pit bulls & pit bull mixes were responsible for 50% of dog-caused fatalities in a 20 year study done by the CDC in 2000; they were responsible for over 60% of dog-related fatalities in 2009 ALONE. On TOP of that, check this link out: http://www.scribd.com/doc/24436191/Dog-attack-deaths-and-maimings-U-S-Canada-September-1982-to-December-22-2009 and check down the list for pit bull. You’ll see the numbers jump WAY up over all the other breeds. Inbred viciousness or stupid owners — either way, the stats back up the reputation. (sorry for the double-post, meant this as a reply to the entry, not to someone’s comment)
And how exactly did the CDC get their numbers? And how do we know the dogs were pits? Because someone at the pound, or a cop, or a medical worker said so? Really? I have a guy here who is a “pit”; his genetic profile on blood work shows him to be 49% bull terrier and everything else under the sun is in there, including beagle. Absolutely, if a dog like a pit bites, it will cause a LOT of damage – but which breeds are most likely to bite? That is a different question. My friends 2 year old daughter was bitten on the face by their tenants small mix breed dog. I think if we looked at breeds most likely to bite, we’d see different types of dogs show up.
BTW, I’d like to see statistics of pits that have not bitten attacked or mauled vs. those who have. Maybe what we’d see is that of all the pits out there, only a few percentage of the breed has actually caused harm.
Pits have lots of muscle for their good size, and were also selected for the famous “locking jaw.” (Yes, I know it’s not physically accurate, since the jaw doesn’t ‘lock.’) They just get a very good grip and don’t let go– very good trait in rat-hunters or any dog that may have to be in a fight.
Blue heelers and Australian Shepherds do the same thing– but they don’t have the same build as pits.
It’s not so much the issue of if they bite, it’s the issue of how much damage they do when they bite. I’d lay odds that toy dogs are the #1 biters, because most of the folks I know sound exactly like that tattooed woman or find it flat out funny that the dogs bite.
Take that higher damage coupled with the go-to dog for– what did someone call it, a substitute for functional nads?– and it makes perfect sense.
Infants and small children are mauled and killed by toy dogs all the time. A woman lost an entire limb to infection after her Chihuahua bit her. Just, FYI, in case you had actually deluded yourself into thinking toy dogs can’t and aren’t as dangerous as bigger dogs.
As someone who has been bitten by all sizes of dogs, I’d much rather take on a large dog who I have a half-decent chance at being able to grab, than a toy dog who can move at the speed of effing light.
*is not surprised that TK has been bitten by all kinds of dogs*
Why, because I work with dogs in a professional setting, and as such, know a heck of a lot more than the people here who are trying to pass off their ignorant, discriminatory propaganda as fact?
No, because you’re a mean-spirited jerk who would piss off anything with a brain just by being in the same room.
Again, I have to say, what is your source for these alleged facts? Or, are we to take your obviously prejudiced statement as truth?
At least with a Chihuahua I can crush it under my foot or (more satisfying….sorry guys but I really hate Chihuahuas), crush the life out of it with my bear hands. Also the Chihuahua isn’t going to be able to put my NECK in it’s MOUTH and snap it. It could probably grab my wind pipe and suffocate me…maybe….but I’d probably have a solid chance of fending it off vs a larger breed. Either way, it doesn’t matter what the breed….dogs can be dangerous just like any other animal.
I agree that Pitts can be, and often are, very sweet dogs. My neighbor has one that’s just a doll and super loving. But that’s because they’re good owners (good human, here’s a nom), and don’t just ignore the animal.
I love it when someone that clearly has never been around a pitbull in their life tries to pretend they are some sort expert on the breed and dogs in general.
Did you believe that there were weapons of mass destruction, too?
See this is why it’s now illigeal to own a Pitbull where I live, owners were too dumb/not responsible enough to understand this bread, and now in Ontario, Canada it’s illegal to own them, and I’m glad. Most reports from dog attacks were from that type of dog, you don’t often hear of poodle, labs and beagle attacks! It’s not for nothing they use them in illigal dog fights, they have the perfect fighting instinct. That owner should ahve her dogs removed and put down before thay make a snack of some small kid!
I know the only poodles (not toy poodles) I’ve known were incredibly vicious– they’re just not a very popular breed, since they don’t have the rep of pitbulls.
The only reason you don’t hear about those attacks is because the NEWS doesn’t report them! There was a poster up above who had his face bit and nose split open by a so called sweet LAB and it was never reported anywhere. If it was a pit though the News would have grabbed it and embellished it and made it a sensation!
Shar peas were raised by Chinese nobility as fighting dogs for centuries, back when it was only deemed an activity for the “higher classes.” . Shar-Pei translated means “sand skin” or “shark skin”. Their uniquely rough, loose, prickly coat enabled the Shar-Pei to wriggle out of its opponent’s grasp while fighting in the dog pits.
Chow Chows are commonly adopted as pets, but have such a reputation for attacking strangers in an attempt to defend their home or owners that some homeowner’s insurance companies will not cover the breed anymore.
As far as dog fighting goes, here’s the wikipedia entry on it. If you flip down to the section which begins with Animal Welfare and Rights, it goes into detail the levels of abuse the dogs go through during “training.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_fighting Thankfully dogfighting has been deemed a felony in most countries at this point.
I’m sorry, but the dogs are not at fault here – the owners are. As stated in a previous comment, an update on the story that someone else found said that the dogs have been put into quarantine and the owner fined. Hopefully they will be able to rehabilitate the dogs, get them properly trained and socialized, and adopt them out to much better owners.
You’re an idiot. The reason you don’t hear about Poodles, Labs, and Beagles attacking people is because those stories don’t make any money. Do you seriously only get your information from the media? A large majority of the stories you read about “Pit Bull attacks” are by dogs who later turn out to be Labs and Lab mixes. Notice how you never see any stories correctly that, though?
I have a friend who was almost killed by a LABRADOR DOG when he was 6 years old. It ripped it’s chain out of the yard ran across 3 houses to where he was playing in the front and proceeded to rip him into little pieces. He’s lucky he lived. He had to relearn to walk again. Breed does not make a dog, the way it was raised the way it is treated make all the difference.
Yeah Tie-gurr!! What a good Meow! She needs Cheezburgerz for lifes!
More trailer trash giving pits a bad name. I have a 2 year old pit who has never snapped at nor bitten any other living creature. I’ve had her since she was 4 months old. She’s a guard dog and defends me and my mom, but is a great dog
Well done Tiger.
Pit bulls are not, as a breed, a problem – its just the kind of people who have them and don’t train them properly. Unfortunately they are the only ones the media want to know about! We don’t (generally) have them here in the UK but my two dogs regularly play with several different staffies who are all great. My soft as they come labrador has been attacked and injured 3 times – by a Yorkie who came back into the attack 3 times, a Jack Russell ditto and a spaniel who shot across over 150 yards from its owner to attack!!!
It sounds to me like those dogs are not trained. Pitbulls are known to be an aggressive breed and NEED proper training, or they can be dangerous. Those dogs need to leave that house and go to an experienced dog owner who can train and care for them properly.
I’m glad the lady wasn’t hurt, and that lil’ kitteh deserves a lot more than a tasty treat! Good kitteh!
Pit bulls and other dogs with aggressive reputations appeal to people who want to use dogs to protect them and/or intimidate others, and that may very well be why they end up involved in so many attacks. No properly trained and handled dogs would have treated the woman this way, regardless of breed.
There is no justification for the owner to be in possession of four dogs of such a size in her home. If she is living in a standard size trailer, there is not adequate space for that many of these animals.
The owner has obviously placed her own interests so highly above those of her neighbors that she is responsible for creating a dangerous situation and should not be allowed to keep pets unless she can get help and then prove her capacity to deal with them in a sensible, humane and responsible manner.
As an aside, I was bitten twice by my former neighbor’s German Shepherds, but that neighbor was abusive to them and had beaten the dogs on multiple occasions that I witnessed. It was not sufficient abuse for me to be able to report the neighbor, but there had to have been more beatings that no one saw. The dogs’ aggressive behavior was the fault of their owner!
Maybe we need to have ownership of the so-called “vicious” breeds limited to individuals who can prove that they can and will deal with these pets appropriately.
I tried to post a comment when this post first appeared, but it said it was “awaiting moderator approval” or something and never showed up. In that comment I talked about how I was in a pet store once and saw some people who wanted a dog, and their only qualification was that it barked, because they wanted a guard dog. I felt bad for whatever dog they got, because it didn’t sound to me like they knew anything about the responsibility of training a dog properly, and they just wanted a dog that would seem aggressive enough to scare off strangers. I think it’s that kind of mentality that leads to people getting pit bulls because of their reputations, and then they don’t train them properly and it’s a self-fulfilling stereotype.
But I don’t support any kind of breed-specific legislation. Breed is a social construct, just as race is in humans. The only reason there are dog breeds at all is because HUMANS decided they wanted dogs that looked a certain way or acted a certain way, not anything innate to the dogs themselves. How do you prove a dog is of a dangerous breed? Does it have to have a pedigree? What if it’s a mutt? Genetic testing on every dog? That seems unfeasible. Not every dog can be easily categorized, and like a few others have said, ANY dog has the potential to be dangerous. People who don’t train dogs properly disgust me, but that doesn’t mean I think we should make owning certain breeds against the law.
(“Pit bull” isn’t even a recognized breed in and of itself, it’s an umbrella term applied to a few breeds and mixes.)
“Breed is a social construct?” So, there is no science involved, and genetics is a myth? PUH-LEEZ!!!
And please follow this link, explaining about the BREED of Pit Bulls:
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/breedinfo.php
I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make. No, I don’t think genetics is a myth. But there’s as much variation in personality and temperament between dogs of the same breed as there is between dogs of different breeds. There might be general tendencies, but just as stereotypes are often wrong about people, they are also often wrong about dogs.
Personal anecdote: My parents have had two dogs in my lifetime, both Brittanys. The first one was meek and submissive; the second one dominant and aggressive. Training the second one was MUCH harder because he resisted all our efforts and wanted to be the alpha dog in the house, while the first one was eager to please us. They both had the playful feistiness that Brittanys are known for, but other than that they were very different dogs. Brittanys are supposed to be sweet-natured and easy to train, but that doesn’t mean EVERY Brittany is, so why would every pit bull be violent or aggressive just because that is the stereotype?
People have called all kinds of dogs “pit bulls.” Some breed-specific legislation bans “pit bull-type dogs”. I’m asking, who decides what is a pit bull-type dog? Some legislation bans not only the American Pit Bull Terrier, but the Staffordshire and the Bulldog (source). I don’t think a tendency towards one temperament or another is any kind of reason to ban a breed (or a loose category of breeds like “pit-bull-type dogs”).
What I mean by “breed is a social construct”: For example, in the link you posted, it talks about “proper temperament” for a breed of dog, which is the temperament that the people who decided the breed standard (often arbitrary) decided that dog should have. So whether a dog has a “proper” or “improper” temperament is a HUMAN judgement, not anything innate to dogs. And deciding what is or is not a “pit-bull-type dog” certainly seems arbitrary and socially constructed to me. You can’t tell genetics just by looking. Plus, we’re far from knowing exactly how genetics influence behavior. Even if we could test every dog’s genes, we still wouldn’t be able to tell whether or not they were a danger to humans.
I respect your stated opinion, it is thoughtful and well documented. In fact, I cited the same source down-thread.
Thank you, this is the kind of discourse I was seeking in my final post.
Sometimes, in a discussion such as this, people get caught up in the emotions of the issue. I appreciate a clear and well reasoned argument, which you have provided. The name calling and emotional anecdotes do not advance anyone’s argument, they only foment anger and idiocy.
Honest, factual, and source-cited response is much more effective. I am listening with an open heart, an open mind. Please see my own friendship with a brindle pit, is somewhere in all this discourse.
But, for now, my grandson’s snake, Radisher, is wanting out to play, I will give her my attention, and be back tomorrow, Gigglol, she is tickling my neck. Have a peaceful heart, discourse does not need to create enemies.
The ownership of ANY breed should be limited to individuals who can prove that they can and will deal with these pets appropriately.
Any dog that travels in a pack can hurt people. When I lived in the country a German Shepherd and 2 labs were running in a pack, killing chickens and they even penned up my horse. The media makes a big deal about Pits, in prior years it was Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Doberman’s. Poor Pitts are made mean by sub humans that fight them for sport. They are tortured and forced to fight dogs. My dog is a mix and was socialized from the time he was trapped and he loves other dogs. You can’t generalize dog breeds and humans. 4 dogs in a little trailer without daily exercise is asking for trouble though. No matter what “breed” they are.
Seattle/Tacoma area, a pack of dogs killed two mares. (they were going for the foals) If I remember right, they were all standard “family dog” breeds.
Last year, spring time, if memory serves.
Agreed about 4 dogs in a trailer without exercise. Headed for trouble. Any dog breed can “pack”.
That woman doesn’t give a damn that he dogs attacked the older lady. If the dogs are so “friendly” why were they locked in her son’s room in the first place? This dog owner is a complete and utter moron. She is the reason that some people shouldn’t be allowed to breed. If she can’t raise dogs properly, I doubt she can raise a child properly.
I’m very sad about the misguided pit bull information in these comments. Surely, had those dogs wanted to attack, they would’ve as they had plenty of time to do so. Pit bulls are energetic rambunctious dogs and bowing/lunging can very much so be a sign of playing.
They are known for being extremely people friendly (and that makes sense, even for those bred for dogfighting because humans have to pull them out of the rings) and actually don’t always make good guard dogs because of this fact. Just ask the Jehovah’s Witness that came to my door the other day – my pit bull licked his hand and wagged her tail the entire way.
I am very saddened that the caption on the news program was “attacked by pit bulls”. It sure didn’t sound like much of an attack. For the record, my australian cattle dog drew blood by scratching me one day because he was excited I was home and jumped in my arms.
Please, check out badrap.org or pbrc.net for more information regarding this wonderful, mistreated and misunderstood breed.
P.S. Pit bulls are known for being DOG aggressive, which is entirely different from human aggression which is considered a flaw in any breed. Even so, not every pit bull is dog aggressive and plenty of other breeds are dog aggressive as well.
Thank God that Tiger is all right, and her person. As for the dogs, sorry to say it here on this site, but I believe they should be euthanized, along with all other dogs of this type that so frequently turn on others for no reason whatsoever. They are bred to be aggressive, and they do have genetic memory of that. Get rid of them. They are no use to anyone.
Wow. My pittie will be bummed to hear that. I don’t believe that dogs for “no reason”. I think you have a breed that was bred to be a fighter, to not back down and you need to know how to guide it. What about chihuahua’s – they love to nip and bite, ask any groomer. I can tell you from having participated spay/neuter clinics here in Watts, Ca., where most people have big breed dogs that the 2 times I’ve come close to being bitten it was small dogs. The media loves to report this type of behavior in pits. Strange, they’ve never reported on my pit, who has now slept on the couch for the 557th consecutive day since I’ve gotten him. Not a very interesting story, I guess.
The statistics I’ve seen rate small dogs as being the cause of more bites than larger breeds. I would have to say that my own experience supports this. I’ve been bitten by a cocker spaniel and a toy poodle and the owners were in complete denial about it too.
People freak out more with the big dogs because they can cause more damage. In any case, it is the owner’s responsibility to train and maintain control of their dog no matter the size or breed.
Give your boy a snorggle for me! My female akita/pit mix is as sweet as pie and has somehow managed to make it through 16 years without biting anyone. No one’s ever done a story on her either.
I appologize if there is a double post. I am posting this again because the #$%@^@# naughty word filter didn’t like the breed “c0cker spaniel”. Mods you really need to turn the filter down!
The statistics I’ve seen rate small dogs as being the cause of more bites than larger breeds. I would have to say that my own experience supports this. I’ve been bitten by a c0cker spaniel and a toy poodle and the owners were in complete denial about it too.
People freak out more with the big dogs because they can cause more damage. In any case, it is the owner’s responsibility to train and maintain control of their dog no matter the size or breed.
Give your boy a snorggle for me! My female akita/pit mix is as sweet as pie and has somehow managed to make it through 16 years without biting anyone. No one’s ever done a story on her either.
I worked in a kennel in the 1970′s, where we had a saying “Big dogs will show you their teeth, but it’s the little dogs that bite.” It was true, in our experience.
Yeah, let’s kill ALL the dogs that look a certain way because they MIGHT bite someone! *eyeroll*
Oh, the ignorance.
1. There is no such thing as a dog who “turns for no reason.” Anyone who thinks such a thing has absolutely no understanding of canine behaviour. Just because the reason isn’t one you would understand or deem reasonable doesn’t mean it isn’t a reason.
2. I said this down below but I’ll say it again – American Pit Bull Terriers are among the most friendly dogs on the planet, and along with many other large, strong breeds, were bred specifically to be incredibly human friendly. Please educate yourself on the origin of a breed before you make incorrect, sweeping statements about them.
3. You must be one of those people who thinks all dogs who aren’t hunting dogs and live in cages in the backyard like slaves are useless and should be culled, right? I certainly hope that isn’t an animal you own that is in your avatar, or I truly pity them, knowing the fate they meet if they become of no use to you.
I just want to look as good at 97 as this woman does. And still be able to do yardwork. I am so impressed.
me too!
I don’t think this is an issue of friendly or not friendly dogs. I have 3 big dogs – a Shep, a Pit and Lab/Sharpei mix. They are “good” dogs – but that does not mean that they won’t “pack” given the right circumstances. That is why my dogs are spayed/neutered, because it deters aggressive behavior; they are not outside unless I’m supervising; I have tried very hard to get them socialized, but my pit is just programmed to be nervous and high strung.
For myself, I’d like to see the dogs – the lady said ‘pit’, but maybe they’re not. I just hate for the breed to get more bad press. *sigh*. I’d like to know if they’re spayed and neutered; I’d like to know why they have 4 dogs in an effing trailer without a fenced yard. BTW, when my dogs are in the yard, (which is fenced), they are not allowed to bark at neighbors or fence fight with the neighbors dogs, or chase squirrels. Those behaviors promote pack/predator behavior in the dog, IMO.
Since I do cat rescue, and have many cats in the house, I can tell you that the cats in the house are “off limits” in the dogs minds, whereas the ferals in the yard, they want to chase. That is something that we will have to work on probably for ever.
All this to say that it is not an issue of “good dog” vs. “bad dog”, because there is no objective standard. I think it’s knowing your dog, knowing the breed, and knowing how they react in different circumstances by creating those circumstances, observing the behavior and correcting it when you need to.
Now that kitty – I hope it still has the other 8 lives!!!
I have the exact some doggie make up in my house. My pit is my sweet little princess though, she would never hurt a fly. I’ve had her since she was 5 weeks old and being drug down the street on a chain by little ghetto kids trying to sell her for $50. I got her for $10. I couldn’t leave her with them. She’s simply the most devoted thing in the world.
The male pit we had before her was a fighting dog rescue. He eventually had to be put down, the aggression was too strong for him to get over even with intense, constant, professional bully breed training. I hated to do it, but sometimes reality sucks. When he jumped through a closed double pane window to go after a neighbor it was my only choice. Per the neighbor and animal control. I couldn’t have agreed more as much as it hurt to do.
I can say from experience that you’re 100% correct. The pit I raised… awesome, the pit I rescued… ruined by the humans he had before me. I still miss that dog. I am glad this lady and her kitty are alright.
Givez Tiger lots of gushy fuds an sum cheezburgers an sum ice creem! He deserves it!
Zen et all the anti-pit bull people: You’re right. There does need to be many, many less pit bulls. Let’s examine the current scenario. Innocent people are being maimed or occasionally killed. Pit bulls make up 50% of the dogs being put down and 1 in -600- will find a home. Far too many of them end up like this at the hands of dog fighters, backyard breeders and the macho idiots that help keep the attack rate high:
No animal deserves that, whatever you think of a pit bull. You want things to change for dog and animal? Great. Make participating or watching dog fighting a felony. Make neutering pit bulls -mandatory-. Raise the penalties on animal abuse of all kinds and support your local animal country with funding (they’re the ones that enforce the leash laws). All that will keep people far safer than waiting for pit bulls to be replaced by the next rottweiler/doberman/pit bull.
Why exactly do you think neutering a specific breed of dog should be mandatory? Not only has research come to light in recent years that altering may not have the same behavioural impact as we once thought – and in fact, in the case of female dogs, it has been shown that many dogs come out MORE aggressive after being spayed than they were prior to being spayed – but there are many reasons why someone may opt until a later age to alter a dog, if they do at all. We know that altering a dog before they are physically mature (anywhere between one and three years depending on the size of the dog ) causes their bones to be longer and weaker than they should be, resulting in brittle bones, various diseases, etc. Some people think that the risk inherit in putting a dog under anesthesia isn’t worth it. Owning an intact dog doesn’t mean you plan to breed your dog, nor does it mean you let your dog roam.
Also, you working under two assumptions: that the attack rates by Pit Bulls are high (they aren’t – the vast majority of dog attacks reported as Pit Bulls are actually Labrador Retrievers, American Bulldogs, and your generic mixed breed dogs), and that you can prove a dog is a Pit Bull, which you can’t. The tests that they do have are very sketchy and unreliable. Who gets to decide who is and isn’t a Pit Bull? The same people who are making that decision NOW under the current BSL laws, resulting in many, many non-Pit Bull dogs being taken away because they have a square shaped head or brindle markings?
The pitbull owners are awful! Pitbulls just aren’t as naturally docile as most breeds. Owners should have to take a training course and be certified to be able to own one, let alone multiple! I can’t believe they said the dogs were only playing. These people are irresponsible gits!
Most breeds are not “naturally docile.” Anyone who has ever owned a terrier, a hunting breed, or any high-drive dog (i.e. the majority of breeds) can tell you that nothing could be further from the truth, and it’s that type of ignorance which lands many good dogs in shelters when they turn out to be too much to handle. And not that I don’t think that EVERY dog owner should attend a training class, but clearly you know nothing about the American Pit Bull Terrier – a breed which was specifically bred to be incredibly human friendly. A fighting Pit who was aggressive towards people was culled from breeding lines even in their fighting days because their owner needed to be able to reach into the ring and pick them up without risking the dog turning on them. Most fighting Pits lived in the home with the owner’s family and children with no incidents. A Pit who attacks a human is doing so AGAINST his nature due to poor training and socialization.
Regarding statistics on dog bite injuries:
“Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada,
September 1982 to December 22, 2009
By compiling U.S. and Canadian press accounts between 1982 and 2009, Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, determined the breeds most responsible for serious injury and death:
The combination of pit bulls, rottweilers, presa canarios, and their mixes:
* 80% of attacks that induce bodily harm
* 69% of attacks to children
* 83% of attack to adults
* 68% of attacks that result in fatalities
* 74% that result in maiming”
This is from:
http://www.dogsbite.org/bite-statistics.htm
Also, if you think this site is biased, please go to wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_States#Fatalities_reported_in_2009
Also:
“Studies indicate that pit bull-type dogs were involved in approximately a third of human DBRF (i.e., dog bite related fatalities) reported during the 12-year period from 1981 through1992, and Rottweilers were responsible for about half of human DBRF reported during the 4 years from 1993 through 1996….[T]he data indicate that Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67% of human DBRF in the United States between 1997 and 1998. It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities.” (Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R. Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. JAVMA 2000;217:836-840.)
From:http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html#Thedogsmostlikelytobite
and:
http://www.petsdo.com/blog/top-ten-10-most-dangerous-dog-breeds
1. Pit Bulls
A pit bull is a fearless dog that will take on any opponent. They will lock their jaws onto the prey until it’s dead. Pit bulls have a reputation of mauling people to death and they are highly sought for dog fighting.
Weight: 55-65 lbs.
Origin: United States
Dogs most often make wonderful pets, however in certain circumstances, any type of dog can be dangerous. Even friendly dogs, can inflict great harm in the wrong circumstance.
So, TorachiKatashi, I have shown you my sources, and related personal experience with a pit bull I loved. Can you please cite sources for your statements, your arguments?
Emotional rhetoric only goes so far, published sources are more reliable. I invite you to an intelligent discourse on the subject, with no name calling, no emotional pleas, no casual rhetoric?
Dogsbite is a hate site created by a woman that has admitted to having a mental illness that forces her to make hasty generalizations based on little evidence. She regularly bans people from her site if they don’t share her beliefs, even if they have evidence from a reputable source that contradicts her own. Her extreme prejudice towards the breed has made her irrational. She was also known by the moniker “bitbypit” a full year before she was supposedly attacked, and she has been sued by at least one person for defamation of character. She also takes studies out of context on her site to make it appear as though they prove her points. Also, the Merritt-Clifton study has been rejected by experts as biased, intentionally misleading, and outright false. The author is the editor of a magazine about animals, yet he displays an utter ignorance for the very breeds he chooses to malign. He has also refused to provide the documentation of all of the dog attacks he used to compile his story. I would suggest reading the entire CDC/AVMA study, as this was performed by un-biased, educated people, and they go into great detail explaining why basing everything on breed is counterproductive. Many sources use only one quote from the entire study, which you quoted in the next post below, but most fail to read the rest of their conclusion, which does state that irresponsible ownership is the single most common factor in all dog attacks. They even provide sound advice at the end of the study, relating to possible education programs for dog owners and better enforcement of current ownership laws, such as leash laws and anti-tethering.
Pit bulls are not automatically bad dogs. Like any dog, they need training or suprevision for appropriate behavior. That’s why there are leash laws.
The owner says that it was an accident-that her son left his bedroom door open and they went out the window. That makes no sense ( if the door were open, they would have gone out the door). Regardless of that, if you chose to own dogs, you are responsible for what they do, and if you own large dogs, you are especially responsible.
4 pitbulls seems to be an awful lot for folks who are not taking full responsinbility
And it’s a shame, because there are many good pit bulls, but they get labelled due to poor owner behavior like this
Catherine
I would just like to say that as a ‘cat person’ I would find four strange dogs appearing out of no where and circling me very threatening and frightening nvm being a 97 year old woman along with it.
As for the demeanor of the dogs is it possible that they were trying to play but reacted to the old ladies fear. I’m slightly concerned about 4 large dogs being kept in such a small house though with such large gardens surely an outdoor run would be better but like I said im a cat owner so what do I know.
Man, I came in expecting to have to stand up for my breed of choice, but the majority of you are people who actually think!
Kudos!
As for the story, as usual, hard to comment due to the proven bias.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/359112/national_canine_research_council_reveals.html?cat=17
I remember watching this video article on 9&10 News here in northwestern Michigan and I went to college not far from Harrison. Seeing this kitty get her due on ICanHasCheezburger put a huge smile on my face. She deserves a whole seafood buffet!
As for the pit bull argument, I do agree that it all comes to training when it comes to that breed. There’s one by my apartment that is absolute mush, but I’ve also run into ones that could tear my arm off!
I was attacked by two men in the doorway of my apartment when I was 18-19. My cat Oreo was the only one that ‘came to my defense’. I kicked one of them in the groin and then down the stairs, the other I grabed his junk and twisted as hard as I could, before I knew it they were running away.I guess their stuff hurt too bad to do anything with it. I looked down and my cat was at my feet, ears back, hair rased, and charged after them. I was pretty proud of myself for fending them off – and my cat for going after ‘em. I would love to know what the cat actually did to them, if anything.
BTW, police were called, they were caught.
I am glad to hear that you and your dear sweet kitty, Oreo, are ok
I hope those two pond scum get their butts beat up in jail 
That dog owner should be on her knees thanking Tiger for drawing her dogs off before they could hurt that lady, or worse. I know I would’ve been scared out of my wits.
Seriously?? They probably weren’t pitbulls. Most people can’t even correctly identify a pitbull. Way to continue the stereotype.
Why the h$11 does someone living in a little tiny little trailer feel the need to have 4 pit bulls?
If your neighbors life depends on your kid remembering to shut his bedroom door, something is WRONG. Throw the book at these losers.
the dogs should be re-homed, and their present owner out down.
ok ok, pitbulls get a bad reputation because their OWNERS don’t know who to train them or treat them. My sister has a pitbull and my friend has two and another firned has one and they are the most lovable pitbulls I have ever seen. They are not mean at all and love people and attention. It all has to do with the owners. And those idiots who use pitbulls for dog fighting are disgusting. That’s another reason they have a bad rap because people train them to be vicious. The pitbulls I know just want love and attention. My sisters pitbull still thinks he’s a tiny puppy and loves to lay in your lap. He’s crys if you go upstairs or in the other room without him! He’s such a big baby.
But I do agree that the owners of those dogs taht attacked that lady shouldn’t have all those dogs if they can’t take care of them. If people want to buy a pitbull ,they better do their research and make sure they can care for the dog properly, just like any breed of dog.
It pisses me off that people get all weird about pitbulls. Yes they can be dangerous, just like any dog. Rottweilers get a bad rap too, and I know two different people who each have one, and they are lovable and sweet. So for all of you idiots out there who don’t know anything about dogs, you shouldn’t judge the breed because people are stupid and don’t know how to take care of their f**king dogs.
I hate typing sometimes….I typos make me seem like I don’t know how to spell. I really should spell check before posting =[
Someone give that cat a cheezburger! See, that right there is precisely why I’m a cat person.
I agree with you 100 billion percent! XD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v8OoiL1ce8&feature=related One of the 8+ I found about pit bulls saving someone’s life. They are great dogs, just not dogs everyone should have. A well socialized pit bull taking a bullet to defend his owner is awesome, an abused and neglected pit bull acting aggressively like its been trained in the same manner is bad.
I think we are missing a key point here in our debates here. The breed is not “Pit Bull”. That is a nickname give to the breed after it was “aggravated” though breeding for one thing – pit fighting. The American Stafford-shire Terrier itself is not a vicious breed unless it comes from an unpure line, or is simply not properly raised (or a combination of both).
The bravery of this kitten made me cry. More heart than such a small body could reasonably be expected to contain.
I think the old lady deserves a reality check. Pitbulls are only dangerous when abused or they’re threatened. Something tells me nanny mcphreak isn’t gonna be a threat to them, and clearly they weren’t abused since they didn’t kill her. Wait to derp it up again America.
There was a lady a few years ago(you can google it) who had a pack of loose pitt bulls chase her small dog into her house through a pet door and then attacked her. For almost 30 minutes thay attacked and mauled her untill she was almost dead. She finnally got to her phone but part of the wait came from the fact rescue workers could not get to her because the dogs turned on them. These turned out to be well fed family pets whose owner had no idea because she had never seen aggresive behaviour out of her dogs before. I have raised and trained dogs all my life(family business) Pitt bulls, when allowed to run in packs WILL become aggresive, no matter HOW well fed.It is the pattern that was bred into the dogs long before thay became family pets. Pitt bulls were for 100′s of years bred for fighting(hence the name “pitt”) And you cannot reverse 100′s of years of bred in instinct in just the 40-60 years they have had to do it since the dogs have started to become popular as pets. Ask people who own shepereds. These dogs, born and raised in cities, never seeing a sheep in their lives will instictavly try to herd other pets, kids,etc.I incourage all my clients who want a pitt to never own more than one and to take all precautions to never let them have a chance to roam free, and get them proper training.
amazing…this kitteh is my hero
Ohai, all. I am late with my comments, because I did not see this post until I noticed AngelPlume was posting, and came to see what was what. He is a dear and honorable friend, but it was the subject matter and emotional posts that drew me.
I have posted, upthread, my sources and some published statistics. If anyone is able to refute these facts, please continue on here. I will check back. Thank you for hearing me out, sunny.
zat kitteh be a heros! tuna for ebeweyone!
Alright statement here. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND teaches their pit bull dogs to have a pack mentality. No one as I said before and I will say again. Stray dogs and dogs that are not being fed will pack together to hunt, and if they cannot find large prey like deer or anything else that will sustain the ENTIRE pack they will hunt the next biggest thing. Tell me I am talking out my backside, go into the dilapidated areas of the Lower 9th ward that had pit bulls and rottweilers, and German Shepard’s. Seeing them pack up and hunt together you mean to tell me that the kind natured fluffy and Fifi aren’t going to lose that mentality when they pack up? Ah hell no. What was a cute lovable dog stops being fed it will survive even if it means EATING YOU! But I do agree it is the woman’s fault for letting these dogs pack up after not feeding them and letting them bond this way by letting them all sleep together, probably outside in the back yard, and feeding them the equivalent of one dogs serving of food. They will pack up when hungry and neglected and the woman isn’t hiding her face from the camera if anything shes starting to wonder if her and her kid might no longer be safe.
SUPA KITTEH! Is to smart for boggies,and iz smartier dan hoomin
pitbulls are inbred and worthless, they should all be wiped out
Put them down humanely, they have been damaged beyond redemption.
Including the owners. (You only need to look at her to know white trash when you see it).
okay for one pitbulls arent always dangerous they become that way because of the owner. no matter what any dog that is aggressive was more than likely made that way by a human. Its not the dogs fault its that stupid womans and she should take full responsibility for what happened to that poor old woman.
Kill the pit bulls now. Put the owner in a yard with four pit bulls who want to “play” with her. Please have a coroner’s van nearby to pick up the body of this moron.
It saddens me to see so much emotional upheaval, so much name-calling, on our beloved ICHC.
My thoughts?
* My mother is 86, and somewhat frail. I would hate to see her frightened like this, whether or not she was truly in danger.
* Calling someone names does NOT confirm that you are more intelligent, or more “right” than they are.
* Tattoos and a trailer do not equal “trash,” at least in my eyes. I have had quite respectable, upwardly mobile friends of various races, who lived in trailers for their own reasons. To save money to buy a house, because their apartment building burned down, and they needed a place to live quickly. Because they had bad credit, and were trying to re-establish a credit score by paying their rent on time. And the choice of whether or not to have tattoos is a personal one, and “tattoos up to the neck” do not make a person bad, or trashy.
* If you wish to win someone to your point of view, name calling and statements like, “if bad dogs should be put down, then bad children should be killed, too,” or “don’t call him a moron, you twit” only perpetuate irrational discourse, they do NOT improve it.
* What if the dogs belonged to the woman’s father, and, when he died, she took them to find homes for them, instead of sending them to a shelter to possibly be euthanized, and is absolutely aware that her trailer is too small for them? It could easily be a temporary situation.
And, finally, yes, I am completely aware that in my attempt to ask people to be less judgmental, I am being judgmental.
OK, that was my 50 cents worth. I am done this this post now. And no, I am not an authority on “propriety of commenting” or manners, or anything like that. Just explaining what I saw here. And, well, sort of wishing I had never opened my mouth.
Please have a peaceful heart,
sunny
Some people should not be allowed to own pets. What was the lesson here? This is not amusing. These people are brain dead.
Even if the dogs WERE just “playing” it doesn’t take much to knock an olde person down. A fall could mean a broken bone, which leadsto death in a lot of cases for the elderly. They should not have gotten out and whether the dogs were playing or attacking, it is obvious that the kitty cat DID save her life.
Sunnyhuckle – (cutest name ever) The problem is that this is a big problem and really DOES need to be addressed. I really like the UK laws. I will advocate to institute them here. There are no freedoms without responsibility. Bless.
Thank you for the compliment about my name. I have no problem with honest discussion, is the name calling and making wild statements without any reference to source; ie, didn’t I read here that in any area, 3-4 kids are being killed by their parents…blah blah blah. Well, if that is happening in Portland/Salem, the media are keeping it very hushed-up! I am sure you know what I mean about rash statements. I understand that it needs to be discussed, and I am all for that. I just prefer to see it done without all the acrimony, name-calling, and judgment of a person’s way of life based on where they live, or if they have tattoos!
Have a peaceful heart,
sunny
was there no legal consequence? does she have any friends or relatives to help her ? the dogs` owner gave the typical response. -the reason they got out was her son left the window open-she does not see how that makes no difference. A woman of her age out making sure her yard is neat…and some young stupid people who have no realizing sense at all. too bad I don`t live near the lady. anyone reading this who lives in her town, try and find a way to redress this- making sure it never happens again-though legal channels of course.
that kitteh iz a hero. dat woman cood have gottin seereeiz injureez or maybe cood haz died. im very proud uv tiger. God bless that cat with such a brave heart!
That incident should have been reported to the police. In most instances when a dog bite breaks the skin, the dog owner should have to provide proof that it has been vaccinated against rabies. At least in the state where I live, a second bite requires the dog to be put down. Most states have laws about the number of dogs that can be owned by a family and I suspect four dogs in a trailer may be against the law. Also, why isn’t she required to have a much sturdier fence if she has a an aggressive breed like that? I would bet that’s not the first time those dogs got loose and bit someone. Furthermore, four pit bulls are expensive to feed. I’m wondering if they are fighting dogs that earn their keep by making gambling $$ for the owners. You don’t need four pit bulls for security.
I have owned pitt bulls. They can be very friendly around their family and people their family welcomes into their territory. But pitts running loose, especially in packs, can become aggressive. Every pitt owner should be aware their friendly, family dog has the ability to become a very different dog when out of their sight. This lady, especially if she is gonna own more than one pitt, which I never recomend, shouldtake better precautions or give up her dogs.
What a good and brave kitty! She deserves a rotisserie chicken all to herself! I would say something about the owners of the dogs, but I would probably break the internet.
I am so sad to keep hearing “trailer trash” here. It is as bad as n****r, or ch**k, or w*t-b**k or d**o. or any other baseless, demeaning term, aimed at a specific portion of humanity.
Have any of you, who use the term, known enough people who live in trailers, mobile homes, or manufactured homes, to make such a judgment? And, BTW, who appointed you judge?
Even cweenmj lives in a “rolling palace.” Does that make her trash? No, it does not! She is a kind and generous person, who spends much of her time helping people.
I am so disheartened to see so much venom here, in such a special place. But, I am probably speaking to the wind.
Please, have a peaceful heart!♥
Anyone can see the dog owner isn’t concerned about anything but her own wants. What is needed is for the animals to be removed or develop a sudden case of lead poisoning not just for the safety of the entire neighborhood but also for peace of mind for anyone living around them. The authorities should also prohibit the owner from owning a dog of any kind until she passes some kind of course for animal ownership.
No one should ever be faced with aggressive dogs of any breed, let alone a 97 yr old woman. She is lucky to be alive. The owner needs to be severely fined, required to put the animals down and prohibited from owning any canine. She clearly does not understand appropriate training and displays no sense of responsibility or concern. This is not a person who should ever be permitted to have dogs. It is not the breed, it is the breeding and the training…this owner is 100% responsibile and will live to regret it if she continues this kind of animal ownership.
Ok, I didnt take the time to read all of the thousand comments, so advance apologies to anyone whom didnt have a negative comment about the dogs, or their owners. We have an Amstaff Pitbull, and Ill tell ya, she is the most DOCILE animal. Even more so than our three cats. And yeah, she sometimes plays by grabbing our hands or upper arms with her mouth. But not in a biting way. She barely uses pressure. It very well COULD BE that these dogs were playing the same way, but by yanking her arm away, the lady caused the injuries, herself. No, its not a definate, but NONE OF YOU know otherwise, you are ASSUMING. Ignorance of that magnitude is what gives pitts a bad name.
Also, I have been poor my WHOLE adult life. (18 years) I am also a generous, kind, loving, giving person. But if being poor makes me trash, good, Ill take that from all of you. I know better. So what if someone lives in a trailer. SOME PEOPLE PREFER A TRAILER and have enough money for a HOUSE. Doesnt matter, a HOME doesnt have to be STATIONARY.
As for those who claim the dogs should be put down, (some said violently killed) you should be ashamed of yourselves. Takes a big man (or woman) to kill a lesser being than yourselves, doesnt it? I agree that if say, a dalmation, had you by the throat, you should use necessary force to get them off you. But I doubt ANY of you would say the DALMATION needed to be killed. So, what of the TERRIER that ripped my ankle open? Leaving a scar I bear today, 21 years later? Should he have been killed? After being treated, all I wanted to make sure was he was HEALTHY. Finding out he was, I let him LIVE HIS LIFE. I just never walked in front of him again. Easy peasy. No need to kill INNOCENT animals. YES INNOCENT. A dog doesnt have mental capabilities to discern right from wrong after all.
Ok, Im done, before I get REALLY mad……
Pitbulls are awesome dogs, but as a breed they tend to need a LOT of attention and supervision. I think that the news report said a lot about the owner of the dogs without saying much at all. Her excuse for the incident is that her son didn’t close his bedroom door and the dogs jumped out of his bedroom window?! Seriously?! These dogs seem to be the bosses in this house: she does not pay enough attention or provide enough supervision for her dogs, but I do believe that accidents happen as far as the dogs getting out of the yard. (And for the record, it does appear that her home, trailer or not, is very worn down and needs some work.)
As far as brave little Tiger, I think she’s an awesome little kitty and that she did a great job to distract the dogs, but I think it might’ve been an accident on her part too. Like “Hi, Mom, picking flowers? OH NO THERE ARE DOGS HERE RUN!” and she ran and the dogs gave chase. I’m glad that the lady managed to get away without injury, but my first thought was, “But what about your kitty? Aren’t you worried that 4 dogs will hurt her?” I believe Tiger was an accidental heroine and that she’s lucky she got away without getting hurt.
In any case I’m really glad it all ended up okay, that the older lady and the cat are all alright, and that the dogs didn’t do anything that their owners would regret. I think it’s worth noting that at least in my personal opinion – as a person that used to live with a pitbull – if you are to have a pitbull for a pet that it really should be your ONLY pet, as they require THAT much attention, supervision, and discipline. They are a very time-consuming pet to own and can be at times a little overwhelming.
Step 1: Macho dbag buys a dog to look cool, chains it up in yard to scare off burglers while he reads guns and ammo or something.
Step 2: Dog is neglected, eventually acts out, contributing to reputation of scariness of that breed
Step 3: Next overly macho douche buys dog of that species due to reputation of scariness, attaches required spiked collar and then neglects it because he isn’t in this to have a dog as a FRIEND or anything.
Repeat from step 2!
And when I say “neglects dog” lets not forget all those people that beat “tough” dogs like bulldogs because they WANT them to be aggressive, or cut their ears up to make them look tough…
Any dog is only as good or as bad as you train it. People just have developed myths about pit bulls over time. But in this case, she mustn’t have good neighbors. I am a ‘Dog Fan’ more than I am a ‘cat fan’. But cats are okay. But, the Pitt Bull breed is a little bit more energetic.
By the way, This is one of the only sites where you DON’T have to PAY MONEY to just simply talk to other people, any one agree?
Also, the difference when dogs and cats were domesticated…
-Cats said, these humans treat us so good, that we must be gods!
-Dogs said, these humans are so awesome, THEY must be gods!
To Notemily: I’m gonna have to agree with you on this one. She certainly appears like the typical irresponsible pet owner, but to make assumptions about this woman based on tattoos, and trailer-living is absurd. Also, I believe Americans’ loss of compassion for the poor is directly related to this mindset of any notion of a “luxury” the poor might possess means they brought their poverty upon themselves. Anyone else notice the elderly lady lived in a trailer too? What does that make her?
…regarding pitbulls: someone on here made the excellent point that 40 years ago the “dangerous” dog was german sheperds, or german police dogs, as my dad use to call them. Then it was boxers and bulldogs, then it was dobermans. Now it’s pitbulls. The drug dealers in my neighborhood have all kept up with the trend as well, changing their dog with the latest cool “dangerous” dog to have. ANY DOG CAN BE A KILLER. Just give it a cruel owner who teaches it with fear and pain instead of love and kindness, and you’ll have your killer dog. My father, a history professor, thinks it amusing that pitbulls are seen as natural born killers, as they were prized in the 19th century as family pets, and would be advertised by breeders with portraits of babies and children lying across them. They were bred for their TRUE traits which are loyalty and great attachment to humans, esp. children. Frequently in wealthy families a boy’s preteen birthday presents were his first very own Winchester and his very own Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The Dangerous Breeds List was developed by insurance companies as a way to deny insurance or insurance payments to their insured based on the type of dog they owned. It has done more to alienate and demonize dogs like Pits than any other single thing, except possibly stupid rappers and imbeciles trying to prove they’re men, like Michael Vick. I have 5 cats and a dog, all rescues, and they all get along, because I raised them as my babies. My dog has no doghouse or backyard chain, as I don’t believe in chaining dogs. I walk her, play with her, and she’s happy. Every cat or dog is born exactly the same: with perfect trust for humans, and a great ability to bond with us. It is why ancient man tamed them to sit at their hearth many many years ago. It is ONLY at the hands of the real animals, that dogs become vicious. And lastly. I want to say God bless Tiger…whatever he did, he’s obviously a special cat to one elderly lady. We are so blessed to have the pets in our lives. As Doris Day used to say, “The cost is very small, but the reward is very great.”
I love how any dog breed automatically becomes a “pit bull” when there is an “attack”. Especially when it comes out later that the “pack” was comprised of a black lab and a dachshund! Or Akitas! Or German Shepherds! Or (gasp!!) Standard Poodles!! Pit bulls sell papers, other breeds don’t.
Never mind that the pit is the number 1 family dog in the WORLD and scores much higher in temperament tests than breeds such as the Golden Retriever. (Check out statistics on http://www.atts.org — statistics that are NOT media driven.) Ever heard of the “Nanny dog” breed? Named because they are so good with children and families? Yep, pits. Pit bulls are the number one most stolen dog because anyone who knows anything about dogs KNOWS that pits are generally friendly enough to go home with ANYONE. This is why some breeders of bully breeds use another breed, such as Standard Poodles – true facts – to guard their pits.
Another point of interest — people as elderly as the woman who was “attacked” can get scratches (like she displayed to the camera) from their own fingernails when hardly applying any pressure at all since their skin becomes PAPER thin. My FIL is COVERED in bruises and deep scratches that are all self inflicted. If he scratches with any pressure at all he can rip off a whole chunk of skin! If his pomeranian jumps up on him and scratches his leg — through jeans — a huge bloody piece of skin will peel off. Heaven forbid that the claws should land on the arm or there will be a HUGE wound. He has to keep a huge roll of paper towels and gauze by his chair to constantly staunch the blood flow that occurs when his skin touches anything.
I’ve also noticed that many elderly people have nothing to do except watch tv/read newspapers and pay attention to what their neighbors are doing. Most of the ones I know get extremely judgmental about such things as say … people with a lot of tattoos. Or dog breeds that they hear through the media are “mean”. I love my FIL and his brother, but they are the MOST snoopy and judgmental curmudgeonly people that you’ll ever meet. When they come home from the doctor all we hear about it is what nationality the nurse or doctor was and how “those people should go back to their own countries.” They spy on their neighbors and get pissed if non-white people move into the neighborhood. They’ve made negative comments regarding bully breeds because they “hear those are mean dogs.” Makes me ill that they are so turned inwards against new things and other people in their “golden years” and they very much remind me of Clint Eastwood’s character in “Gran Torino”.. except that Clint’s character’s attitude changed as he got to know his neighbors.
I’m not saying that the woman who started this ruckus is anything like them.. but you never know. There could be all kinds of hate and discontent behind the scenes on both sides that we’ll never see. If this elderly lady or her family has a vendetta against the dog owner, you can BET they’re hoping that people will rise up in their defense and take away the dogs / fine the dog owner / kick her out / or any combination of such things.
Whatever happened, if the cat “led the dogs off” in any fashion, it sounds like these dogs weren’t cat aggressive or the cat probably wouldn’t have escaped unharmed.
Smells like a made up story and a bunch of drama blown out of proportion to me, especially with the inflammatory “ZOMG OH NOES PIT BULLZ” thrown in.
Don’t believe everything or even a quarter of what the media spins.
And the people in this thread that make comments about poisoning / shooting creatures? Shame on you. If the dogs are truly aggressive it is the *owner’s* responsibility and the owner that should be punished. Even dogs that have been forced to fight in pits can be rehabilitated (although I have my doubts about their owners. Look at people like Michael Vick.)
I’d say that the bottom line here is that the older woman was hurt. Doesn’t matter if she had “thinner skin”- she was in her yard, the dogs were running loose and didn’t belong in her yard, and they injured her, by getting into her space, whether they were “attacking” or “jumping up”. Given that she was elderly, they could have knocked her down and caused a broken limb or pelvis, even if they were being “friendly”.
It doesn’t matter if she “started it”. Those dogs were runnning loose, it was her space not theirs, and she’s not required to like them.
She has a right to be safe from the risk of injury in her own space. Even if the dogs were friendly, they were not behaving themselves and they were not being controlled by their owner.
Pit bulls are certainly not demons, nor should they be demonized. All pets , however, rely on their humans to either teach them to be good citizens, keep them under control when they’re in public, or keep them locked down out of the public. This is especially true of larger dogs, who can more easily injure others with inappropriate behavior
This owner did none of the above. She had a good sized number of dogs, she evidently did not train them to behave well, she permitted them to run loose( even if they went out the son’s window, she is still responsible for what they do)and, as of the article, she was not taking responsibility for her dogs or expressing much regret for their actions.
It’s not that she has tatoos or lives in a trailer. It’s that she has a lot of dogs, is irresponsible for their behavior, and is putting others at risk. And that’s trashy behavior, regardless of your socioeconomic group
Catherine
Foresight
cats r awesome (by the way it most likely did it for its owner, NOT FOR THE CAMERA/ITS EGO!!!!!)also ive almost always got a calico but they were almost all dumb,stupid, an brain dameged.p.s. i once had a cat with a curly tail like a pigs but it was furry, she was amazing,sweet, ect, but 1 night she disapered, i still havent gotten over her and its been like 7 yrs.
Yeah ok….that is corney… Techinically the dogs did NOT attack the lady sooo i think she needs to get a life. This is gay.