Why I'll never own a Pit Bull

[Masherbrum]

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- A plucky Jack Russell terrier named George saved five children from two marauding pit bulls, but was so severely mauled in the fight that it had to be put down, its owner said Wednesday.

George was playing with the group of children as they returned home from buying sweets at a neighborhood shop in the small North Island town of Manaia last Sunday when the two pit bulls appeared and lunged toward them, Allan Gay said.

"George was brave -- he took them on and he's not even a foot high," Gay told The Associated Press. "He jumped in on them, he tried to keep them off.

"If it wasn't for George, those kids would have copped it."

One of the children, Richard Rosewarne, 11, was quoted in the Taranaki Daily News on Wednesday as saying George fought with the pit bulls to keep them off his 4-year-old brother, Darryl.

"George tried to protect us by barking and rushing at them, but they started to bite him -- one on the head and the other on the back," Rosewarne said. "We ran off crying and some people saw what was happening and rescued George."

But George was so badly mauled that a veterinarian had to put him down, Gay said.

South Taranaki District Council official Graham Young said the two pit bulls had been impounded, and likely would be put down because of the attack.

In New Zealand, owners of dogs judged to be too aggressive can be required to have them neutered and dogs involved in attacks are destroyed.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

[Mickey1992]

RIP George.



I have two baseball bats (front door, garage) ready for the first pit bull that I see loose in my neighborhood.  Fortunately Ohio has some good vicious dog laws.

955.28 - (A) Subject to divisions (A)(2) and (3) of section 955.261 of the Revised Code, a dog that is chasing or approaching in a menacing fashion or apparent attitude of attack, that attempts to bite or otherwise endanger, or that kills or injures a person ..... can be killed at the time of that chasing, approaching, attempt, killing, or injury. If, in attempting to kill such a dog, a person wounds it, he is not liable to prosecution under the penal laws which punish cruelty to animals.

[moneyguy]

a .45 would also do the trick

[Mickey1992]

Originally posted by moneyguy
a .45 would also do the trick

Too worried about hitting my own dog or a neighborhood kid.  I save my rounds for human intruders.

[Vulcan]

Thats not the worst, last week a lady up north got killed by a couple of dogs (I think they were bull mastiffs).

Most of the country want fighting dogs gotten rid of.

[moot]

Sounds like exotic weapons, lawn mowers etc are fair game

[Slash27]

Originally posted by Mickey1992
RIP George.


I have two baseball bats (front door, garage) ready for the first pit bull that I see loose in my neighborhood.  

good luck with that

[moot]

Yep, a lightweight blunt like a baseball bat will only anger them, unless you hit just right, or have enough of a mass advantage to make them fly on impact.

[Sikboy]

that's my big reason for not owning a Pit Bull too: Too many sensless attacks on them by Jack Russels. When will people learn that just because a dog looks cute on a sitcom, that doesn't make it an ideal pet.

-Sik

[Vudak]

George

[Vudak]

Originally posted by moot
Yep, a lightweight blunt like a baseball bat will only anger them, unless you hit just right, or have enough of a mass advantage to make them fly on impact.

And we're to believe that punching a shark in its nose will make it go away

Nah, you hit anything with a baseball bat, it's going to hurt.  Unless it's rabid it sure as hell is not sticking around to fight.

The trick of course is hitting it with the baseball bat and not missing and getting yourself killed.

[eskimo2]

But if we can’t have Pitt Bulls how else are we to show how tough we are?

[Vudak]

Originally posted by eskimo2
But if we can’t have Pitt Bulls how else are we to show how tough we are?

I say if you want people to think you're a big man, just get yourself a trophy wife instead.  A lot more fun and the only person who might get hurt is you

[Seagoon]

I get tired of the (forgive me for putting it this way) idiots who intentionally buy vicious fighting dogs to look cool and then totally fail to live up to the responsibility to keep their land sharks under control 24/7. Destroy the dogs and jail the owner for reckless endangerment. One Jack Russell Terrier being forced to do an Old Yeller impersonation is the only thing that prevented a negligent homicide.  

For the sake of full disclosure I should mention that I am not happy about the potential of this scenario occuring in our own life. Our neighbor has a psychotic Rotweiler that is keeped penned in his fenced in back yard and which can stand with his front paws on the top of the chainlink fence. While we were fostering a Giant Schnauzer I had to take to walking the dog the long way round the neighborhood so I wouldn't pass the yard and set the dog off (snarling, insane barking, initial attempts to jump over, etc.). We've already had to warn the kids if they ever see Mr. Rotti out on the street to hightail it inside ASAP.

[Shifty]

Originally posted by Vudak
I say if you want people to think you're a big man, just get yourself a trophy wife instead.  A lot more fun and the only person who might get hurt is you

Eskimo is on to something though. I've not seen a pit bull owner (where I live anyway), that isn't trying to project  a look how tough I am image.

Plus I hear people say things like, "It's such a sweet dog it sleeps with our children."

These same peoples children have rags for clothes. However their parents always seem to have enough money for booze, cigarettes, and $200.00 worth of fireworks on the 4th of July.