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First UK pit bull amnesty begins
BBC ^ | 1/2/07 | n/a

Posted on 01/02/2007 8:54:10 AM PST by kiriath_jearim

The United Kingdom's first amnesty for pit bull terriers has begun in County Antrim.

Owners of the illegal breed of dogs who live in the Ballymena area have been given the month of January to hand in animals without fear of prosecution.

On Monday, a five-year-old girl was mauled to death by a pit bull terrier type dog, on Merseyside.

Ballymena council dog warden Nigel Devine said 14 dogs had been checked and most turned out to be legal breeds.

"There was one gentleman whose girlfriend or wife was about to have a baby. They contacted us asking us to come and check the dogs," Mr Devine said.

"Out of their four dogs, two were confirmed pit bull and two weren't. Those two dogs are being brought in.

"The vast majority that we have checked are from a family background. They have children, it is reassuring for them that they don't have a dog that at any time could turn on them."

The idea for an amnesty followed a pit bull attack on a family in County Antrim in November.

Sean and Deirdre Doherty, their son Ben and a family friend escaped with only minor injuries after an horrific attack by a pitbull-type dog in Randalstown Forest Park.

Recalling the incident, Mrs Doherty said someone would have been killed if the family's pet labrador, Troy, had not fought the dog off.

Troy was killed in the attack.

"(The dog) turned me on my back and was quite literally going to rip my face off when my husband got it from behind and pulled it off me," Mrs Doherty said.

"The dog then broke free from my husband and went after the kids, it was just about to pull them down from behind when Ben's dog (Troy) dived into the side of the dog and pulled it away from Ben and down into the gully."

Commenting on the County Antrim move, David Wilson, of the Ulster Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said the criminal trade in dangerous dogs must end.

"There is a serious problem out there. We have seen evidence of that in the last 24 hours," Mr Wilson said.

"We are not in the business of having family pets put down. But there is a significant hard core out there with these dogs that are using them for criminal activities."


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: clicheofinanity; dogofpeace
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1 posted on 01/02/2007 8:54:11 AM PST by kiriath_jearim
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To: kiriath_jearim

Well. First guns, then knives, now dogs are to be handed in. I wonder what will be next?


2 posted on 01/02/2007 9:00:41 AM PST by Sender ("How do you know what the fish think? You're not a fish." -Hui Zi)
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To: kanawa

ping


3 posted on 01/02/2007 9:09:25 AM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: Sender
Britain outlawed the White Terrier in the mid 1800's and issued a decree for the extinction of those dogs. They were exceptionally aggressive, considered a common nuisance and carried rabies.

Their genes are now incorporated into the pit bull breed.

Britain is enforcing laws their "Dogs of Peace" laws they've had on the books since the 1800's.

4 posted on 01/02/2007 9:10:14 AM PST by muleskinner
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To: kiriath_jearim
In my experience, it is the mentality of the owners that causes most problems with these dogs. If the owner is smart enough to have the males neutered they are generally smart enough to keep them from harming people (which the neutering plays a great part).
5 posted on 01/02/2007 9:12:49 AM PST by msnimje (You simply cannot be Christian and Pro-Abortion.)
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To: msnimje

"In my experience, it is the mentality of the owners that causes most problems with these dogs."

ding ding ding we have a winner!

Any dog can be taught to be mean. I have a 100 lb German Shepard who gets pushed around by a 5 poung Yorkshire Terrier.

Granted getting mauled by a Yorkishire Terrier is usually not a life an death matter... and I don't like Pit Bulls at all(ugly dogs) but sad to see others being penalized for the actions of a few idiots.


6 posted on 01/02/2007 9:19:19 AM PST by Syntyr (Freepers - In the top %5 of informed Americans!)
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To: kiriath_jearim

Banning a particular breed across the board is as ludicrous as banning a particular race.

This is liberalism at its height, in my opinion, because it doesn't call for personal responsibility, just blanket rules.

Pisses me off!

By the way, most pit bulls are GREAT dogs. And ALL breeds have some that are aggressive.


7 posted on 01/02/2007 9:24:02 AM PST by spacejunkie
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To: muleskinner

wow, I didn't know that. thanks!


8 posted on 01/02/2007 10:37:06 AM PST by vimto (time)
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To: kiriath_jearim
Pit.

Bull.

Amnesty.

England is utterly, merrily, insane.

9 posted on 01/02/2007 10:37:58 AM PST by Lazamataz (I just want to be loved from the bellybutton down. Is that so wrong?)
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I'm certain this will be the end of the criminally inclined usage of dogs as extension of their illegal activities.

No way they will simply choose another breed--say a Rottweiler -- and continue as before. This is a brilliant plan, GB.
10 posted on 01/02/2007 10:44:06 AM PST by Dysart
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To: kiriath_jearim

It's a damn shame about these dogs. The breed has been ruined by people. Take a female coon dog, and breed her to a male coon dog, and you'll get puppies inclined to tree coons. Take two mean pits and breed them, and you are likely to get mean pits.


11 posted on 01/02/2007 11:29:18 AM PST by weezel
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To: Dysart
"Mrs Doherty said someone would have been killed if the family's pet labrador, Troy, had not fought the dog off. Troy was killed in the attack."

A Lab is a big dog and well-armed.

A 100-pound dog dragged a jogger (a high school junior) down our little town's Main Street last week—puncturing her legs from ankles to waist in the process. A motorist stopped the attack and transported her to the hospital. FReeper Bill Noble knows.

I've been bitten twice by the big dogs of strangers—once at age 11 and once at 55—but I still love my much-smaller dogs. Something needs to get done, though.

12 posted on 01/02/2007 11:30:01 AM PST by Eclectica (Ask your MD about Evolution. Please!)
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To: Eclectica
Something needs to get done, though

Yes, of course. People have to maintain control of their pets. If they cannot control them, then they aren't worthy of ownership.(Many people fit this category, sadly)

13 posted on 01/02/2007 11:34:07 AM PST by Dysart
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To: weezel
"It's a damn shame about these dogs. The breed has been ruined by people."

Are you kidding? The dogs were bread to bite the noses of bulls and hold on until they brought the bull to his knees. As such they are brutally strong and stubborn as a mule. Their stubbornness makes them almost untrainable and their strength makes them deadly.

People didn't "ruin" the breed. Pit Bulls behave exactly as they were bread to behave. Aggressively and violently. They were never designed to be family pets. They were designed to fight Bulls in a, now outlawed, sport known as bull baiting. People who have Pit Bulls as family pets are risking the lives of their families and everyone else who comes into contact with their dogs.

People who want family dogs, should choose a breed that was bread to be affectionate, easily trainable, compliant, and with less formidable strength and less powerful jaws. Almost any other dog is a better choice than a Pit Bull.

Sure Pit Bulls can be affectionate, but they are primarily bread to be aggressive and stubborn, traits bread into them which were designed to make them deadly.
14 posted on 01/02/2007 12:18:08 PM PST by monday
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To: monday

bread>bred


15 posted on 01/02/2007 12:51:01 PM PST by gcruse (http://garycruse.blogspot.com/)
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To: gcruse

thx


16 posted on 01/02/2007 12:56:49 PM PST by monday
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To: monday; MizSterious; Kokojmudd; brytlea; Darnright; Sensei Ern; sangrila; rattrap; dervish; ...
Today's Pit Bulls bread to be...

affectionate...

easily trainable...

and compliant...err...

...guys, I said compliant...That's a good dogs...

17 posted on 01/02/2007 2:19:43 PM PST by kanawa (Don't go where you're looking, look where you're going.)
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To: kanawa; monday

The fine breading of your dogs is readily evident, as is your rye sense of humour...;-)


18 posted on 01/02/2007 2:23:02 PM PST by Joe 6-pack (Voted Free Republic's Most Eligible Bachelor: 2006. Love them Diebold machines.)
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To: Joe 6-pack

I was loafing around with nothing better to do.


19 posted on 01/02/2007 2:25:08 PM PST by kanawa (Don't go where you're looking, look where you're going.)
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To: kanawa
"I was loafing around with nothing better to do."

I figured as much....I was just trying to butter you up.

20 posted on 01/02/2007 2:27:02 PM PST by Joe 6-pack (Voted Free Republic's Most Eligible Bachelor: 2006. Love them Diebold machines.)
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