The pit bull problem, article

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/07/30/Floridian/The_pit_bull_problem.shtml

The pit bull problem
St. Petersburg Times Sat, 29 Jul 2006 10:27 PM PDT
Pit bulls have a horrific reputation for attacking people and pets. They are banned in several places, including Miami-Dade County and Denver. Some animal shelters refuse to adopt them out.

The pit bull problem
By KELLEY BENHAM, Times Staff Writer
Published July 30, 2006

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Pit bulls have a horrific reputation for attacking people and pets. They are banned in several places, including Miami-Dade County and Denver. Some animal shelters refuse to adopt them out.

Pit bulls - actually a group of related breeds such as the American Staffordshire terrier, the Staffordshire bullterrier and the American pit bullterrier - will sometimes attack without warning. When they fight, they can persevere through ripped ears and snouts and broken legs.

Pit bulls are overrepresented in dog bite statistics because they are overrepresented in the dog population, said Adam Goldfarb, an issues specialist with the Humane Society of the United States. "My personal opinion is they are the most popular dog in the history of the United States," he said. "They are the dog of choice for drug dealers, gang members and anyone else who wants a tough-looking dog."

The other side of their reputation is a steady personality and affection toward people.

The American Temperament Test Society tests dogs for such traits as stability, shyness, aggressiveness, friendliness and protectiveness. Last year, the more than 1,000 pit bulls it tested passed at a higher-than-average rate. They tested better than beagles, cocker spaniels, collies and Pomeranians.

Historically, pit bull type dogs were bred never to direct their aggression at humans. In a dog fight, they had to be trusted not to turn on their handlers, who would touch the dogs to direct them or pull them apart. Before pit bulls became macho status symbols, they were considered so gentle around kids they were nicknamed "the nanny dog." Think of Pete on Our Gang.

As with many popular breeds, from cocker spaniels to Dalmatians, irresponsible breeding has altered their basic nature. People who wanted attack dogs mixed them with breeds better suited to the job.

Polk County Animal Control has adopted out pit bulls routinely, as long as they were friendly toward people and other animals. Everyone, from Sheriff Grady Judd on down, thought that breed-specific policies were a bad idea.

The issue for Polk County, in deciding the fate of Hewitt Grant's dogs, was not that they were pit bulls, but the intent of the person who owned more than 100 of them. They had to guess what influence he had on them, both in their training and in their blood.

Good Article on Bullies

http://www.alibi.com/index.php?story=15663

Quote:

Pit bulls have gotten a bum rap. Considered in the public consciousness to be one of the most dangerous dog breeds in existence—indeed, some believe it to be the most dangerous—the pit bull is viewed as a fickle, unpredictable dog with a tendency for baby-mauling and other sorts of dastardly behavior. But the breed hasn’t always borne such a stigma.

Teddy Roosevelt had a pit bull. So did Thomas Edison and Helen Keller. At the turn of the century, pit bulls were heralded the “All American Dog.” So what’s changed?

 

Quote:

It’s a commonly held belief that pit bulls bite down with 2,000 pounds of pressure and have locking jaws. The problem with such statements is that they're not true. In fact, according to a study by a National Geographic scientist, pit bulls only bite down with 230 psi, the same as nearly every other breed of dog its size.

 

Quote:

Yet the notion that pit bulls are inherently aggressive is also false, as is the idea that all pit bulls, or even most pit bulls, are dangerous. In a study of 122 breeds of dogs by the National Temperament Testing Association, it was found that American Pit Bull Terriers passed with a rate of 83.4 percent, beating out the scores beagles received (78.7 percent) and nearly tying with golden retrievers (83.6 percent). What about the idea that pit bulls are more dangerous than other dogs around children (hence the attention-grabbing headlines)? You might have guessed—that sentiment’s also false. In fact, pit bulls were once regarded as the “Nanny Dog.” They’re no more dangerous to children than any other canine.

 

Mother on Trial for her dogs - GOOD!

Here are some of the interesting facts that are coming about in regards to the situation where a young child was killed by his parents pit bulls when left at home alone. The dogs had an aggressive history, uncaring caregivers and were in season and breeding. This was a situation where no-one would win regardless of a dog's breed. Ignorance and carelessness, greed and just plain worthlessness. May she be found guilty in the death of her child.

7/17 opening day of trial
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/07/17/MNGRBK0EJU1.DTL
The 9 year old boy was bite the night before the attack and Nicholas was bit on the stomach and arm the day of before the Mother left him home alone.
7/18 report on trial
http://cbs5.com/local/local_story_199214024.html
Prosecutor Linda Moore did get Faibish to recount an incident some 20 years ago, when he sicked his pit bull on a another dog.Steven Faibish admitted, "I told my dog to get that dog ... Screw this guy and I told him get him, yeah ... Let's put it this way ... that dog didn't want to play any more."
7/19 report on trial
http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_200172826.html
Day 2 Notes: Fatal Dog Mauling Trial

http://cbs5.com/local/local_story_200170636.html
It sounds like both of the Faibish boys had been bit by the dogs during dogs mating. Also Nicholas was not capable of following directions due to language delay that had been present since at least 1st grade.

Cocoa Mulch

Is Cocoa Mulch Dangerous?

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp

 

Quote:

Veterinarians have noted that cocoa mulch contains ingredients that could pose a health risk to dogs (and other pets that might be tempted to ingest it):

"Cocoa mulch is a risk, especially to dogs," said Dr. Larry Family of Aqueduct Animal Hospital.

Found in most home garden centers, cocoa mulch is known for its fine texture and the sweet smell the fresh mulch gives off.

But getting past the scent, Family says cocoa mulch can be dangerous if a dog starts eating it. It contains two key ingredients found in chocolate: theobromine and caffeine. Similar to eating chocolate, he says a dog that eats just a few ounces of cocoa mulch could starting having stomach problems and it could get worse if it eats more.

"As time goes on they might act restless, excited, it can produce tremors and seriously seizures," Family explained.

"Puppies are very curious animals. So they're going to be attracted to various things around the yard and [the effect of eating cocoa mulch] seems to be more severe in the small breeds, and it depends on the amount they actually ingest," Family said.

A Dog's Nose!

A dog's nose will lead them to trouble.  They have great noses but unfortunately their wonderful sense of smell gets them into serious problems.   The bottom line for a dog is "if it smells good....eat it".  That causes serious problems when what is smelling good is a house plant, chocolate, grapes, rat poison and other harmful products such as human medications.  Dogs will sniff through your totes and handbags in a heartbeat to find tasty goodies.

 

New dog medications are chewable and flavored and smell yummy to encourage dogs to take their medication. This can cause problems when left unattended.  A dog will chew through a plastic bottle to eat the contents and cause an overdose.

 

Antifreeze is another big deal because it is tasty and deadly.  There are pet friendly antifreezes on the market and if you have pets - please look into it.  Many times a poisoned dog can be saved if they receive treatment within 30-60 minutes post ingestion.  Keep this in mind and supervise your dog.

Puppies, puppies everywhere

We need foster homes! We have lots of puppies and no place for them to go. They are falling from the sky. Anyone interested in fostering one of these puppies, please let us know.

The adorable babies to the left are in a shelter waiting for foster homes. They don't have a whole lot of time to get that second chance. We have several more on a waiting list as well. If you have time for a puppy, let us know. They will be fully vetted (inc spay/neuter) before being placed in foster care.

Summer Dog Safety

With the summer heat full upon us, there are some important things to remember regarding heat and pets

• Walk your dog in the early morning or later evening to avoid overheating your buddy. Avoid strenuous activity
• Do not leave your dog outside unattended in the sun or outside on extremely hot days
• If you must put your dog outside, make sure they plenty of water in containers that can not be tipped over and plenty of shade and shelter. Dog houses are not always good sources of shade as they can trap heat.
• Avoid hot asphalt and streets during walks as it can burn your dog's feet
• Do not leave your dog in a hot car, even with the window cracked. Temperatures in cars can shoot up quickly to hundreds of degrees.
• With summer fireworks or thunderstorms, do not leave your dog unattended outside. Many dogs are frightened of thunder and fireworks and can run off. Keep your pets safe and secure INDOORS. Do not take your pet to firework displays. It may be fun for you but it is not fun for your dog.

The Fourth of July can be nightmares for shelters as large numbers of unattended family pets panic at the sounds and flee only to find themselves lost and alone. Animals can hear and feel these noises from miles away.

Update on SUMMER

Summer is doing very well. She is adjusting to life in her new foster home and learning good inside manners as well as some basic obedience. Her neck is healing faster than we expected and it seems that she will have no lasting effects from the injury!!! She is full of energy and loves to go for walks and to play fetch in the back yard. She still has one more major hurdle to cross though. She has to go through heartworm treatment. We are going to wait a little longer before we start this just to ensure that health is at 100% which will give her the best chance to pull through the treatment with no complications. We feel strongly that this girl will do fine because she has proven that she is a SURVIVOR. Her is a new picture of Summer showing everyone how pretty she is and just how GREAT her ears are :) We are still looking for a permanent home for Summer as she will be ready in the next month or so, if anyone thinks they would like to provide this girl a home please feel free to check out the adoption info portion or our website.

Foster homes desperately needed

 

There is always an influx of dogs in the summertime and we need foster homes.  Currently most of our NC volunteers are located in the triangle area.  If there is anyone in the triangle area who is interested in fostering a pit bull, please let us know.