Safety questions persist years after pit bull attack

SuzanneC said on August 23, 2011 at 1:12 PM

Ok Eric, I understand spellcheck not catching correctly-spelled words that are used incorrectly, but surely spellcheck caught "resposnible" and "exptected." Did you just not pay attention?

unregistered36 said on August 22, 2011 at 8:21 PM

Some day (hopefully soon) pit bull ownership will have strict controls and substantial penalties for people that own these types of dogs when they attack other dogs and or people ... Hope it doesn't take another tragedy TO BAN THE BREED !!

justaguy1267 said on August 17, 2011 at 5:53 PM

@johnson...it also tells me that these great dog owners who are homeless and can't even feed themselves, can't possibly be taking care of these animals in a humane manner with vet care and the massive amounts of food they can put away. Man, you shot yourself in the foot with that analogy! Good one!

justaguy1267 said on August 17, 2011 at 5:44 PM

@johnson..."and they have never attacked" ....really? Never? What does that tell me you ask? It tells me that you are just another idiot spewing nonsense statistics that are based on emotions and of being emotionally attached to a breed that proves itself to be a menace to society! Do a google search and enter Pitbull mauling or Pitbull attack/Seattle and get a dose of reality! FOCUS ON THE FACTS

johnson5101 said on August 17, 2011 at 12:47 PM

Okay, folks here I go again. Say what you want, make all the excuses you want...I repeat - Homeless folks living on the street with tons of activity, noise, and people around them daily have pitbulls which they take with them everywhere and they have never attacked. What does that tell you...it's how they are treated and raised. Why can they figure it out and others can't. Obvisouly it's not the size of the home they live in, or the price of the car the owner drives, it's what the owner does with the dog. Every decade there is a breed that is singled out, in the 70's it was the Doberman. Then the Rotterwiler. now the Bully breeds, specifically pit bulls. FOCUS ON THE HUMANS.

shimo said on August 16, 2011 at 11:39 PM

Here is an oldie but a goodie idea for Ms Gorma, sleep with a .357 underneath your pillow. It can be as therapeutic as a teddy bear is to a child.

justaguy1267 said on August 16, 2011 at 8:34 PM

@trustbutverify, you are right on. Pits are the big problems they are because they are everywhere, in larger numbers as ghetto status symbols. Why is the pound full of pits at all times? Because stupid people breed them, can't handle them and turn them in. The trailer parks don't allow pets! Often they bite people and the owner doesn't tell Animal Control when turning the animal in to save its life. These powerful dogs are plentiful and cheap and any doosh can own one and feel like a bigger man. Big dog...little tool.

trustbutverify said on August 16, 2011 at 11:23 AM

I like large strong dogs and feel that there is a need for those animals out on a farm or in the country with a very responsible owner. And for many strong breeds that are bred properly and handled well and all importantly, have a responsible owner who regularly exercises and observes the dog for bad behavior, even city life is ok. I just can't stand the show off owner who does not take care of his animal strutting around a strong unstable dog that could kill a grown man. In the past, the same type of people probably strutted Dobies and Rotts when they were the macho dogs of the moment. Now, from what I see many pits are unstable dogs, you can see the fight-to-the-death breeding it in their nervous eyes. It is too bad that pit bull owners and breeders are ruining a breed. In a way pits are a victim unto themselves by these irresponsible people. Notice how many pit owners and breeders are a bit odd and off? it's not complicated. Bullies who never learned their lessons on the playground.

Clayhund said on August 16, 2011 at 10:17 AM

@trustbutverify What totally blows me away is that 9 of ten dogs reported in the media as being a pit bull is not really a true pit bull. The media has labeled over 40 different breeds pit bulls, while there are only 4 breeds that are true pit bulls. Ok, if it was a pit bull for reals, which pit bull was it? Was it an American Pit Bull terrier, a Bull Terrier, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or an American Staffordshire Terrier? Why isn't the specific breed listed in the headline, rather than a generic name used to describe 4 different breeds? It's because the media is about bad news, and ever since criminals switched from Rottweilers to Pit Bull Type dogs, the media has been on that. There is no denying that the media is all gloom and doom, and fear sells. Pit bulls are pretty much equal to German Shepherds and many other dogs of that size, and there are many other dogs much larger and stronger than pit bulls. If cities were concerned, they would have a size limit on dogs; not breed

trustbutverify said on August 16, 2011 at 9:33 AM

It totally blows me away when I hear these pit bull loving idiots talk about what a good in-city family dog they are! You don't have to be Einstein to know that these physical specimens are naturally high-strung extremely strong and how potentially dangerous they could be. Any dog can hurt someone but these dogs are so much stronger and are bred specifically to be ferocious and are often inbred by irresponsible owners. What person in their right mind would want such a unstable very strong animal as a city pet? The answer is obvious, very stupid people. And often these same dumb people use these dogs as a sort of lowlife status symbol to show how tough and machismo they are as they are so insecure. They are too selfish and stupid to care about how easily innocent people including children, the elderly and other pets could become victims of these accidents-waiting-to-happen. For many years laws in this country have been passed to protect people from the actions of stupid people.

Clayhund said on August 16, 2011 at 8:37 AM

@justaguy1267 basically what I am saying, is I seriously doubt you have experience with pit bulls, because according to you, you are saying the exact opposite of the AKC and UKS, and you experience is much different then most other people. If you did have pit bulls like that, why were they like that? Did they have a chemical imbalance, did you chain or pen them most of the time, did you exercise them daily..... ? Something was either wrong with the dog or how your raised it, as I know many pit bull owners, and the only ones that had any types of issues, were those that didn't know how to control the dog, and the dog became alpha. Maybe you are lying, maybe you are not, but 100% of the people I know that control their animals, regardless of breed, do not have any issues. BTW, if you didn't socialize your pit bull at a young age with other dogs and kids, that is a grave mistake. Was your pit bull neutered, as males has serious aggression issues when not neutered, with all breeds.

Clayhund said on August 16, 2011 at 8:31 AM

@justaguy1267 Wrong, if you were knowledgeable about dogs, then you would know pit bulls are excellent dogs. Just need a good owner, just like any other dog. Bigger the dog, the more tuned in the owner should be. I have a pit bull and a mastiff, and they are not a problem whatsoever. I've lived and worked with dogs my entire life, running the gamut of many different breeds, and all I can say is that pit bulls are among the elite. I was raised with Goldens and Shepherds, and the pit bull is just as intelligent, with more loyalty. How many pit bulls have you experienced, by living or working with them? If the answer is none, then you lack knowledge and are going from hearsay. Every generation or two, there is a new breed that is a vicious killer, and that breed always becomes popular as a result, good people adopt, bad people move on to another breed, and the ignorant folks of the world fear the new breed of criminals. History is important so we prevent making the same mistakes, right?

bernal1349312124 said on August 16, 2011 at 8:24 AM

Unfortunately, the "irresponsible" owners that Calli describes are the rule instead of the exception. It ends up being and "if-then" logic situation. If a certain type of person is attracted to pit bulls, then they will perpetrate this type of neglectful custodianship of the dog, if the dog is treated the way these certain types of owners treat their pets, then the dog will eventually attack. I love animals and there is one in our neighborhood who is kept locked on her owner's deck 24/7. I feel horrible that this "family" hangs out in their house and completely ignores their dog. She breaks out every once in a while and my first instinct is pity, but my second, is "look out, she's got an axe to grind."

ecuriel said on August 15, 2011 at 11:28 PM

Pit bulls attract a specific kind of owner, and the owners create dogs like this - and the breed is being / has been corrupted by these owners. Nobody buys a pit bull because they want a gentle dog who's good with children, they want a dog that will tear apart any living thing that crosses the property line. I am one of many who feels the breed should be outlawed. They were able to do it in FL, there's no reason other states and counties can't do the same thing.

justaguy1267 said on August 15, 2011 at 10:43 PM

@Calli-not a liar or an idiot you fool. You'll realize what a FOOL you really are when these one of a kind pits of yours maul your kid you little worm of a jagoff!

luckylucy said on August 15, 2011 at 10:09 PM

How many people have to mauled and god forbid killed, before restraints are put on Pit Bull ownership. The are a dangerous breed.

Calli said on August 15, 2011 at 7:52 PM

No, I'm not in denial. You're a liar or an idiot.

justaguy1267 said on August 15, 2011 at 7:10 PM

You are all in denial about Pits, sorry to say. The old line "it's how you raise them" is a joke. I am a knowledgeable dog owner and have had more than a dozen great dogs. I also had American Pits and they were spoiled like my labs are now. On occasion, they turned on me, killed the neighbors dog, attacked other dogs in public while on leashes to the point I was afraid to take them anywhere. I would not let children pet them due to their unpredictability. When I had my own child, my pits were given away. I recently heard a man on the radio who raised his pits like I did, who was in agony because his "loving" pit turned without warning and killed his small daughter. Your dogs haven't mauled anyone YET. Say what you want, but they're like leaving a loaded gun on the coffee table with kids around. It's not the breeds fault that people bred them to be that way but they simply are unpredictable and dangerous.

Calli said on August 15, 2011 at 6:51 PM

It's entirely irresponsible owners. The APB has been around for 100s of years. They are excellent pets, known to be extremely good with kids and highly devoted. However, if you mistreat them, fail to socialize them with animals and people, restrain them up in the back yard, don't do anything with them and fail to spay and neuter, you're going to have a frustrated and unpredictable animal. The APB is NOT a Poodle, they have powerful jaws and they are a terrier. Look what happens to inmates after being institutionalized! There are always the idiots, like freedomfrank who get on here with no knowledge about the breed and makes idiotic comments. I await them.

qballrail said on August 15, 2011 at 6:46 PM

I'm relieved to know she is pulling through. That's a horriffic thing to live through. The owners should be brought up on attempted manslaughter charges and the county right along with them. It's inexcusable and owners need to be more responsible. If there were stronger laws on the books, this would happen less frequently. Yes, I firmly believe pet owners should be as responsible for their animals actions as if they committed the offense themselves. That would make people think twice before being irresponsible. This is coming from a life-long animal lover and owner. It's despicable this woman has to carry these scars for the rest of her life because the owners and county won't take responsibility, especially with the papertrail of complaints! My partner was attacked a couple of times by dogs and I know it's horrific. She still carries the burdon while working very hard at overcoming her fears. I hope REAL justice is seen here.

johnson5101 said on August 15, 2011 at 5:32 PM

This article is calling out the authorities and the owners and not the breed of dog, it's about time. It is very aggrevating to me that so many people and cities ban pit bull dogs when they are not at fault. We have three within our family and they are amazing loving pets. So many homeless folks in Seattle have pitbulls as pets and companions - their dogs are around so much noise and people and have never attacked anyone, EVER! But...homeowners with yards and homes have issues with them. It goes right back to it's how any dog is raised, trained, and treated.

lin1945 said on August 15, 2011 at 5:29 PM

Frankly, Gorman deserved twice or three times the amount. Shame on the owners but more shame on Pierce County. You helped ruin this woman's life and there is no amount of money that will put her back together.