I’m prejudiced. I don’t like pit bulls. They are ugly. They are scary. And they can be very deadly.
When I see a pit, I walk the other way, leash or no leash. I’ve seen the damage they can do. I’ve seen what happens when they turn suddenly.

Please, spare me the diatribe about how tame and docile pit bulls are, how your little baby rode on its back. Tell that to Baby Dinah, a sweet Miami 3-year-old who always rode on the back of Brutus until one day, for no explanation, Brutus turned into a mauling machine, wrapping his jaws around her little face, thrashing and altering her world for a lifetime. Yes, she lived. Barely.

Sure, blame the kid. Blame the owner. Blame society. It’s not the doggie’s fault. After all, they are only bred to be a vicious killer.

In England, pit bulls have been banned from import. Those already in the UK are deemed a “dangerous breed,” must be muzzled in public, registered, insured, tattooed and sterilized. Similar laws exist in Australia, Denmark and Singapore. Washington, D.C., has passed local legislation branding pit bulls and Rottweilers as “dangerous,” requiring muzzles in public. In addition, owners must carry a minimum liability insurance policy of $50,000.

Between 1979 and 1996, there were 199 reported dog bite fatalities in the United States. Leading all breeds, far ahead of its closest rival, were pit bulls, posting 60 of those deaths. Next was the Rottweiler with 29.

And, they are horrible, flesh-ripping, terrifying deaths.

Most large dogs are capable of bone-snapping jaw pressures of 200 to 450 pounds per square inch. Pit bull jaws can exert nearly 1,500 pounds of pressure, several times more than a German Shepherd.

What kind of person would want to own one of these killers and bring them out into the public arena?
Studies conducted by the Center For Disease Control say that the one breed of dogs most likely to bite are pit bulls, followed, again, by Rottweilers.

Every year, nearly 5 million people are victims of dog bites, 334,000 of which require emergency treatment at hospitals. It costs nearly $1 billion dollars a year to treat these injuries. Nearly one-third of those are due to pit bulls. State Farm Insurance, by itself, processes more than 14,000 dog bite claims each year, paying out more than $80 million. Some insurance companies are refusing to insure owners of certain breeds. Need I mention which breeds?

Children are the most frequent victims. Dog bites, in general, account for more emergency room visits for children than injuries suffered in playgrounds and from bikes.

It can happen anywhere, anytime. It just happened recently in Haywood County. On Sunday, the 25th of February, the face of a 2-year-old boy living in Waynesville was mangled in his own yard by his own father’s pit bull. Anyone who has traveled Howell Mill Road to the railroad tracks has seen the tethered animals, pulling, menacing. It was nothing more than a tragedy in waiting. The owner kept 38 pit bulls on his property. You heard it right. Thirty-eight cute little killer doggies for the little child to play with. Always docile and tethered. Never a threat. .

Until, that is, the 25th of February. It only takes one time.

Now that child is scarred for life.

Famed Veterinarian Doctor Ian Dunbar says that prospective pit bull owners need to be aware that from six months of age on these dogs can suddenly develop a desire to test their strength against other dogs and humans, the so-called “turning-on” factor. He stresses training as an essential factor in dealing with this breed.

Some say they keep large numbers of pit bulls for breeding. Or for companionship. Hmmm. Others say, it’s for dog fighting, a felony in the State of North Carolina. That’s if you’re caught.

According to experts, at least 40,000 people witness or participate in staged dog fights annually in the U.S., lured by gambling profits and the lust for a blood sport. The overwhelming dog of choice is the pit bull. Enthusiasts say the breed shows more “game” than any other animal, meaning they can fight to the death without losing tenacity. In packs, this muscular animal once fought lions and bears in staged events.

Here we are, 2,000 years since the Roman Coliseum and Atilla the Hun, and people who get their jollies watching animals spilling blood as they mangle each other to death are still around. It makes me wonder about the owners.

Well, much to my chagrin, pit bulls aren’t going away because there are still people out there who think they are a cool dog. So the next best thing is to educate people on what, or what not, to do in the case of a confrontation. According to experts in the field:

1) Avoid direct eye contact. Any dominant dog may view long direct eye contact as a challenge and may engage in physical confrontation to assert itself in rank. When the snarling begins, look the other way, and back off (slowly).

2) Don’t run. Trying to out-run the dog only adds to the chase element, and most three-legged dogs can out-run a human with two.

3) If you are knocked down by a dog, curl up into a ball and protect your head.

4) Dominant dogs will often take offense at being touched on top of the head, neck or back. A pit bull or other highly rank-motivated dog may provide little, if any, warning before it bites.

5) Most dogs are territorial protective and will bite to protect their space. That includes cars, paths, enclosures and the yard it’s tied up in.

6) Do not disturb the dog if it’s sleeping, eating or tending to its puppies.

7) If two dogs are fighting, do not physically intercede. A highly agitated animal may redirect its aggression at anyone interfering.

8) Roaming dogs often revert to ancestral behavior, especially if roaming with other dogs.

9) Be wary of false indicators of friendliness. Remember, a dog wagging its tail can still bite.

Well, I’m just one humble dog lover who claims no special expertise in the breeding and raising of any canines. But I feel safe in offering one more piece of advice, one that I’ve followed and urged my family to follow. We’ve never been sorry. If that same advice had been followed by those 60 Americans between 1979 and 1996, they might still be alive today - stay clear of pit bulls.

(Marshall Frank is a writer who lives in Maggie Valley. His book, Beyond the Call, is available in area boosktores. He can be reached at mlf283@aol.com)

 

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