Dangerous scenarios
One of the most dangerous scenarios involving pit bulls and rottweilers is not addressed in media stories after occurrences of serious and fatal attacks. The scenario entails bringing a child into the home of a friend or relative who owns a pit bull or rottweiler. The reverse scenario -- inviting the owner of a pit bull or rottweiler into a home with a child -- is just as dangerous. Three factors are at stake in these scenarios: The breed of dog, "new" situations and children.
DogsBite.org cannot underscore enough the volume of serious attacks, some of which are fatal, that occur when a child is "visiting" the home of a pit bull or rottweiler owner (See: Natalyee Murphy, Dallas Lee Walters and Izaiah Gregory Cox). Under no circumstances should a person agree to take care of a friend or relative's pit bull or rottweiler if there are children in the home or may be visiting the home either. (See: Colton Smith and Quillan Cottrell).
The risk to the child is too great.
Additional materials:
- Staying Safe - Learn about more dangerous situations with dogs.
- Victim Funds - Learn how you can help survivors of serious attacks.
- Just Say No - How to stop a person from bringing a pit bull into your home.
Reporting a dangerous dog
Many people are unaware that one does not have to wait for a "bite" to report a threatening (menacing), loose or stray dog. Many attacks occur due to this lack of understanding. Always report problem dogs to your city or county animal control or Sheriff's department. If that dog ends up biting and seriously hurting a person, but there is no documented paper trail behind it, authorities will have their hands tied and the victim may have no recourse for medical expenses.
If the dog owner lives on a rental property, it is beneficial to send a certified letter asking the landlord to ensure that proper containment infrastructure is installed and that the dog is declared on the renter's insurance policy. This act normally places the landlord into the "liability equation" and motivates him to take care of the situation. Cell phone photographs and video of the dog's behavior can be sent as supporting evidence to show that an attack situation is imminent.
When reporting a dog bite -- defined as the "breaking of the skin" -- anticipate the dog owner to plead with you not to. Many dog owners do not want that "first bite" on record and may offer you a "home nurse" solution. Do not accept. Proceed directly to a hospital, tell the doctor you have a dog bite, which should trigger a formal bite report (what the dog owner hoped to avoid), and receive proper dog bite medical treatment, otherwise you might die (See: Dolly Newell).
In many places it is also a misdemeanor crime to not report a dog bite.
Additional materials:
Stopping a dangerous dog
Many U.S. courts have declared pit bulls as "lethal weapons." Police officers have the right to shoot and kill pit bulls when under threat or when protecting citizens. Examples of police officers shooting dangerous pit bulls are so common that DogsBite.org began tracking these instances in 2008. In a recent 11-year report released by the New York Police Department, the data showed that when dangerous dogs are shot 72% were pit bulls followed by rottweilers with 10%.7
The inability for the average person, much less a child or senior citizen, to stop an attacking pit bull may be the single most powerful reason why pit bulls must be regulated. A 2009 incident shows that Chicago police officers were forced to shoot an aggressive pit bull 10 times to stop the dog's assault. Prior to being shot to death, the dog attacked a pregnant woman, hospitalizing her.8 This incident clearly illustrates the undeniable public safety threat that pit bulls present.
Additional materials:
Legislating dangerous dogs
Over 500 U.S. cities, the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Army and the New York Housing Authority have adopted policies that target pit bulls and several other breeds due to the unreasonable risk posed by them. Such policies are designed to prevent an attack before it occurs, as there is never enough insurance funds to put these severely injured victims "back together" after an attack. (Top former U.S. enforcer of pit bull laws, Tom Skeldon, explains this clearly in an online interview.)
Additional materials:
DogsBite.org is a large resource
The dangerous dog breed issue is both deep and wide. It is also a worldwide problem and not unique to the U.S. The nearly 2,000 web pages of DogsBite.org reflect this. We encourage readers to review our Special Reports located at the top right of this page, our "Must Read" blog posts, our most recent stats and to spend time in the victim realities section. Watch the victims tell their stories in videos, view the medical funds that we are tracking and read the victim voices.
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