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So many people have the ideas of the breed of dogs called "pittbulls". This bread had a very bad rap and who gives it to them is the people who poorly raise them and poeple who judge. I have been an american terrier owner all my life and they are the best dogs. They scored higher then little yap dogs and german sheapards are temparment test 82%. People need to stop being ignorate and just let them be. They get used for fighting and are torchered beyond belief. Look on Bad Rap web site and read the stories of this...

A Bridgeville man told police he killed his girlfriend's puppy yesterday afternoon because the animal would not behave before the Steelers football game broadcast. William Woodson, 22, is being held on $25,000 bail in the Allegheny County Jail, pending a preliminary hearing on animal cruelty at 1 p.m. next Monday before District Judge Elaine McGraw in Bridgeville. The puppy, a 13-week-old pit bull named Flip, had been the focal point of recent arguments between Mr. Woodson and his girlfriend, Christine Gielarowski, 21, with whom Mr. Woodson lives on Jane Way. Ms. Gielarowski still may face charges after she gave police...

9 Investigates: Pit Bulls Taken To Charlotte Shelter Costing Taxpayers Posted: 3:50 pm EST November 13, 2009 Updated: 6:34 pm EST November 13, 2009 CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- About 2,500 pit bulls come through pit bull row at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control each year. Most never leave -- at least not alive. Eighty percent go to the euthanasia room. “Shelters are just inundated with pit bulls,” said spokeswoman Melissa Knicely. She said that poses a special challenge at Charlotte’s facility because pit bulls can't be adopted out. But most have to be kept at least 72 hours, which means they...

Beloved cartoonist Berkeley Breathed had an unusual inspiration for his latest children's book, "Flawed Dogs." No it wasn't one of the Santa Barbaran's many rescued pit bulls, but it was one of Michael Vick's infamous dogs who was set to be put down. "The book happened because I came across both a picture and a quote at about the same time -- a picture of one of Michael Vick's fight dogs. It was set to be put down, but a shelter in Utah decided to take the dog and a few others at the same time and try to rehabilitate...

How should Pit Bull owners be punished if their dog attacks innocents? A Weekly Poll

The woman who had her pet dog cloned by South Korean scientists flatly denied early today that she was a bail abscondee accused of sexually assaulting and kidnapping a male Mormon missionary more than 30 years ago in Surrey. Rumours have been circulating about the true identity of Bernann McKinney, who this week appeared in Seoul with her five cloned pit bull puppies.

I’m sick of it. I’m sick of all the negative pit bull press. And I’m sick of the irresponsible owners who are causing it. There is so much information that is never brought to light — were the dogs that recently attacked a Culpeper woman and her grandson purebred American Pit Bull Terriers? Were they mistreated? What were the other circumstances that surrounded the attack? A gentleman by the name of Michael O’Reilly wrote a letter to the editor in Sunday’s Star-Exponent in regard to breed-specific discrimination. Part of his letter read, “While I don’t own a gun, I agree...

Pit bulls have a pretty crummy reputation these days. Between the myth of a pit bull’s “locking jaw” and the constant news stories depicting the dogs as ruthless-attackers of innocent children, it’s no wonder that many people have grown afraid of the breed. The fact is these dogs are no more evil than any other breed. Indeed, pit bulls usually score very high on dog temperament testing, they have a passing rate of 84% compared to the average dog score of 77%, and their sweet disposition around children has earned them the nickname of “nanny dog

LEESBURG (Virginia) —A Loudoun County judge has upheld a policy prohibiting county-run animal shelters from offering pit bulls for public adoption. Circuit Judge Burke F. McCahill ruled Thursday that publicly funded shelters are not required to make all breeds available for adoption. ...

A civil trial that will decide the legality of the Loudoun County Animal Shelter's policy against putting up pit bulls for adoption got under way in Loudoun County Circuit Court on May 5. Judge Burke McCahill heard from attorneys representing plaintiffs Ron Litz, of Sterling, and the Animal Rescue of Tidewater about how the policy violates a section of the Code of Virginia that says dogs cannot be deemed dangerous based solely on breed. In her opening statement, Lynne Rhode said that since a policy was enacted in 2007 that stated pit bulls can be transferred to another shelter if...

GRESHAM, Ore. - Gresham Police say a 20-year-old man has been arrested after investigators found photographs on the Internet of him sexually abusing his dog.

ST. LOUIS --A man who shot and killed a pit bull on the street this morning told police it had been attacking his own dog. St. Louis police say the man called 911 to tell them what he'd done. He told officers that the pit bull was attacking his dog and another one. A department spokeswoman said she didn't have any further details on who owned the dead dog or if it had been on a leash. It happened about 7:30 a.m.

For quite some time now, FReepers on both sides of this pit bull issue have been arguing, attacking, & harassing the "other side". What has this accomplished? Unfortunately very little except anger & strife amongst fellow republicans on this message board. I think it has gotten to the point now where both sides should pretty much be able to concur that this is pointless, as it is unlikely that either side is going to change their mind. We are all FReepers, and there is no use in turning against each other on any issue. We need to stay united to...

Their loyal nature, their eagerness to please, are the very qualities that make pit bulls easy prey for dog fighters. And now, Best Friends Animal Society and other animal welfare groups have joined forces to help future canine victims of this organized crime. On April 8, representatives from Best Friends, Bad Rap, ASPCA, National Animal Control Association, Maddie’s Fund, Nevada Humane Society, Spartanburg Humane Society and the Humane Society of the United States met in Las Vegas to address the matter of dogs seized as a result of cruelty investigations into animal fighting rings. The meeting was in response to...

Cheyenne, Dakota and Tahoe One of the top-rated Search and Rescue (SAR) dogs is Dakota, an American Pit Bull Terrier. Dakota is owned by Kris Crawford, who has 2 other pit bulls that are also certified SAR dogs! Dakota is so good at what she does, NASA handpicked Kris and Dakota to assist in the recovery of the Astronauts after the tragic 2003 shuttle disaster. Kris and Dakota were also involved in the Laci Peterson investigation. Kris and her team have been involved in many cases and have made national news on several occasions. Cheyenne, Dakota and Tahoe are also...

BY STEPHANIE BARISH | wpix.com April 2, 2009 SHERMAN, C.T. (WPIX) -- A pony, racing around a field on Route 39 in Sherman, Conn. Wednesday, was severely injured after being mauled by two pit bulls that escaped from a neighbor's yard in West Fairfield, officials said. Anna Walsh, a mail carrier who was working at the time, witnessed the entire incident and saw the dogs leaping and biting the horse's mane, tail and neck. She said the whole thing seemed surreal. "There was no barking, no noise," Walsh told The News Times. "It was like when you watch Wild Kingdom,...

The story of Daisy Mae the pit bull is like that of any other survivor — she suffered pain, got back on her feet, and is now living a sweeter, more meaningful life because of her experience. Daisy Mae, formerly part of a dogfighting operation, is now a therapy dog in Santa Barbara making weekly rounds at Cottage Hospital’s pediatric ward and Villa Riviera retirement home. Gentle and affectionate, the three-year-old cuddles with the elderly and frail, and even allows small children to hold her tight when they are undergoing painful medical procedures. Her miracle of rehabilitation mirrors that of the dogs...

LULING, Texas – Caldwell County investigators say a 2-year-old boy was attacked and killed by a pit bull dog. The child was found in his backyard Thursday afternoon with the dog nearby. Deputies haven’t said whether or not if it was the family’s dog. The animal has been picked up and is now in the custody animal control officers. News 4 WOAI has a crew there and will update as more details become available.

CALIFORNIA CITY - In an effort to curb vicious dog attacks, the city council will consider an ordinance aimed at regulating ownership of pit bulls and Rottweilers during its regular meeting Tuesday. The meting begins at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall, 21000 Hacienda Blvd. The proposed breed-specific ordinance will require owners of pit bulls and Rottweilers to register their dogs under a special breed registration, in addition to the regular dog license. This registration will have an additional fee of $100 and require owners to provide a recent photograph of the dog. No more than two...

ACTON - Johnny Depp and his canine entourage rushed to greet a visitor to their property with a flurry of tail wags and hand licks through a chain-link fence. The young American Staffordshire terrier mix was rescued from death row at a shelter. Now, the happy, outgoing and well-behaved dog is awaiting adoption and a new home with a loving family. Unfortunately, not all dogs like Johnny are as lucky. Johnny, his canine friends Tyler and Annie and many other dogs are based on 2½ acres at actress and philanthropist Linda Blair's Rescued Animal Wellness Center. Blair formed the nonprofit...

Pit bull attack traumatizes senior; pet killed Andrea Verdin Staff Writer Thursday, February 26th, 2009. Issue 09, Volume 13. Two pit bulls broke into a 63-year-old woman’s home off of Almond Street on February 18, killing her small dog before dragging its body into the backyard. According to witnesses, the pit bulls got out of a nearby yard, jumped over two four-foot-tall chain link fences and into the yard where the poodle-mix was located. Then, they followed the poodle into its home through a 10-inch-wide, one-foot-tall dog door. Once inside, the dogs rummaged through the kitchen garbage container, then attacked...

INDIANAPOLIS -- The owner of two pit bulls who attacked a woman outside her home on Indianapolis' north side was arrested Tuesday, more than two weeks after the attack that forced doctors to amputate one of the victim's legs below the knee. Lee Carroll, 31, was taken into custody on four misdemeanor counts related to the attack -- two counts of failure to restrain a dog, resulting in serious bodily injury and two counts of harboring a non-immunized dog. "He had no clue he had a warrant out for his arrest," said Animal Care and Control Lt. Jerry Bippus. "He...

In an effort to crack down on gangs, Lancaster is considering a plan that would also crack down on dogs -- specifically, pit bulls and Rottweilers. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/01/lancaster-pit-b.html

MILWAUKEE (Jan. 26) - Jacqueline Sedlar and her 12-year-old daughter were walking home when the girl peered over a neighbor's fence and a pit bull took a chunk from her eyebrow. [This is the lede only, due to AP copyright restrictions. The rest of the article tells how Ms. Sedlar went on to try to have her community, West Allis, WI, adopt a breed specific "pit bull" ban, the mayor vetoed the ordinance in favor of a "dangerous dog" ordinance, and how other communities deal with the dangerous dog problem.]

MOUNTAIN HOUSE — With some quick thinking — and a little bit of salami — a multiagency effort to capture two aggressive pit bulls roaming a neighborhood was successful.Around 7:45 a.m. Wednesday morning, a woman called San Joaquin County Animal Control saying two pit bulls were terrorizing a child care business she runs out of her home on Adams Street while parents were trying to drop off their children. With the closest unit in Lodi, animal control called Station 98 in Mountain House asking if the firefighters there could assist until more help arrived, according to an incident report.Before leaving...

From The (Myrtle Beach) Sun News police blotter: On December 29 in Carolina Forest in Horry County, a victim said that while their cat was on the back patio, he and his wife heard a commotion. They ran to the patio and saw a pit bull that had broken through the screen, grabbed their cat and broke out dragging the cat. The victims chased the dog and got their cat, which they took to an animal emergency hospital. The cat was expected to survive but required more treatment. The officer located a subject who said he was watching the dog...

Associated Press - link only

RUBIDOUX, Calif. (KABC) -- A man has been killed by a pair of pit bulls in the Rubidoux area of Riverside County shortly after noon Friday, according to authorities. The attack took place in the back yard at a home at 5787 Kenwood Place in the community of Rubidoux. The investigating officers are from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. "At 12:10 this afternoon, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department received a call of a man that had been mauled by two pit bulls," said Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez, Riverside Co. Sheriff's Dept. "Deputies arrived and found the [60-year-old] man still in the...

The Nebraska Humane Society is offering "good citizen" classes for pit bulls to allow owners to comply with Omaha's new muzzle law. The Omaha ordinance, which takes effect in January, requires all pit bulls in the city to be muzzled in public unless they pass a canine "good citizen" test, KETV in Omaha, reported Thursday. "They have to be able to put up with distractions, loud noise, somebody running and they have to be allowed to walk on a loose leash," trainer Cathy Guinane said of the "good citizen" test.

Two neighbors, three dogs, and one gun. It all made for a very terrifying and troublesome scene today on the Northshore. On Maris Stella Street in Slidell, a pair of makeshift tombstones now rest where a pair pit bulls used to play. "I treat my dogs like family," said owner Brian McGrath. "I can't replace those dogs now." McGrath says his dogs were needlessly killed. "It just doesn't add up," he said. "The story doesn't make sense." Slidell police officers say the dogs broke through two fences to get into a neighbor's backyard, where they attacked another dog and allegedly...

Archdale, NC -- It sounds too bizarre to be true, but a local woman fended off a four-legged intruder's attack with a butcher knife. Nancy Verzone says a loose pit bull first went after her rat terrier in her backyard. When she snatched her dog from the pit bull's jaws, the attacking dog followed her inside. "Here I was just stabbing just as hard as I could to get him to let go and he kept coming and coming," says Verzone, who has the bloody t-shirt to prove it. "The harder I stabbed the more he got mad," she says....

LANCASTER [CALIFORNIA} - County Animal Control officers have concluded a two-month effort to crack down on pit bulls, an effort that led to nearly 100 citations and the rounding up of more than 150 canines. The crackdown was initiated in September by Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, whose 5th District includes the Antelope Valley. Antonovich was responding to complaints raised by the City Council concerning the number of pit bull-related injuries in Lancaster. Councilmembers were advised Nov. 12 that county Animal Control officers had raided 42 illegal kennels, investigated 87 pit bull owners for possible inhumane treatment, investigated...

Pitbull kills granny, 74 Nkosana Lekotjolo Published:Nov 19, 2008 A WITNESS has described how an enraged pitbull terrier bit an elderly woman in the face before pulling her to the ground and savaging her to death. Grace Page, 74, died in the horrific attack at her home in Eldorado Park, south of Johannesburg, yesterday afternoon. Timothy Jacobs, 17, said he saw Page’s eyes being ripped from their sockets by the dog — reportedly owned by her sons. Jacobs said he wanted to jump over the fence to help Page, but his father stopped him — fearing that the dog might...

Kind of cute with some good stuff. A portion of all sales goes to Operation Gratitude. Worth a look.

Marjorie Knoller was originally sentenced in 2002 to four years in prison after a judge reduced a jury's conviction of second-degree murder to involuntary manslaughter...Trial evidence showed that Whipple suffered 77 wounds from the 150- and 130-pound dogs and lost one-third of her blood.

SAN FRANCISCO -- A judge denounced Marjorie Knoller today for indifference to the fate of a neighbor who was mauled to death by Knoller's dogs in a San Francisco apartment hallway and sentenced the former attorney to 15 years to life in prison for second-degree murder. Superior Court Judge Charlotte Woolard, who had reinstated a jury's murder verdict for the January 2001 attack at a hearing last month, rejected a defense lawyer's request for probation today and said the horrific circumstances of the crime far outweighed Knoller's previous crime-free record. Woolard said Knoller had not bothered to put a muzzle...

A 36-year-old Boulder man is recovering after a pit bull bit his ear off near the Boulder Creek Path, according to police. Witnesses told officers that Edward Valdez was being aggressive with a friend’s 4-year-old female dog, Freya, when the attack occurred at about 7:05 p.m. Tuesday in the 1000 block of Canyon Blvd., just west of Boulder High School, said police spokeswoman Sarah Huntley. Valdez was wrestling with the dog before being bitten, witnesses told police. “A couple of people said he was pulling the dog by its ears and head-butting the animal,” Huntley said. “After a short period...

ABILENE, Texas — A 7-year-old boy died after he was apparently attacked by two pit bulls along a road, and deputies summoned to the scene had to shoot the dogs before they could reach him, authorities said. A driver saw Tanner Joshua Monk lying beside a road near Breckenridge on Sunday with two dogs nearby, Stephens County Sheriff Jim Reeves said. She got out of the car to help him, but the dogs became aggressive so she called 911, he said. Two sheriff's deputies who came to the scene shot the dogs to death when they also became aggressive toward...

LONGVILLE — A Longville woman was mauled to death in bed by her two pit bulls on Sunday. According to Beauregard sheriff's officials, Kelli Chapman, 24, may have been sleeping when the mauling occurred sometime between 10:30 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. Sunday. Deputies were dispatched to 586 Martin-Baggett Road after the woman's husband, Jason Chapman, called 911 at around 7 p.m. BPSO spokesman Robert L. McCullough said that Chapman returned from work around 6:45 p.m. and found his wife in their bedroom, where she was sleeping when he left for work at around 10:30 a.m. Chapman said the pit bills...

AMARILLO — A miniature horse given to a boy with brain cancer by the Make-A-Wish Foundation was killed by a pair of pit bulls who were found roaming in his yard, authorities said. The 31-inch tall horse, Anniversary, was donated by the foundation to 3-year-old Christian Vasquez in late August. Christian, who was diagnosed in January with a malignant form of brain cancer, received a pull cart, a blanket, a halter and a bridle set from the foundation on Saturday, said Jelaine Workman, executive director for the foundation's Amarillo chapter. Two days later, Anniversary was found dead on his property...

AMARILLO — A miniature horse given to a boy with brain cancer by the Make-A-Wish Foundation was killed by a pair of pit bulls that were found roaming in his yard, authorities said.

Yet another dog attack in the Antelope Valley has resulted in death. This time, the victim was a nearly 10-year-old female golden retriever-chow mix named Nakita, who was in her own back yard the morning of Oct. 10 when the attack occurred, according to Monique Alexander, Nakita's owner. Alexander said she left her home in the 1600 block of East Norberry Street at about 6:30 a.m. Oct. 10, headed to a business meeting. Nakita was in the yard, she said. When she returned at 1 p.m., Alexander said, she opened the door to let her dog inside. "Normally, she's at...

MIDDLEBURG, FL -- Two pit bulls killed their owner in Middleburg Tuesday morning. The incident happened at a home on Cosmos Road, which is south east of County Road 218 and Hibiscus Avenue. The victim is identified as 42-year-old Tina Marie Canterbury. The dogs turned on her when she took out the trash this morning. Authorites say the dogs also bit the woman's grown son in his neck. He's been treated at the scene for his injuries. A family friend rushed over and shot one of the dogs. Both dogs ran away. Deputies trapped one of the dogs right away...

The Valley Press, in this week's completely unscientific but utterly democratic "Have Your Say" feature, asked voters: Cities such as Denver have enacted bans on pit bulls. Would you favor a ban on pit bulls in the Antelope Valley? Of those who responded, 77, or 27.5%, said "yes," and 203, or 72.5%, said "no." Survey responses included: \uE06F Too many people get pit bulls and train them, for whatever reason, to be mean. They attack innocent people if left alone and they are very unpredictable. I think they should be banned in the entire state of California. D. Green Palmdale...

All but one of the 49 dogs still in custody after the prosecution of Michael Vick on a dogfighting charge have the potential for placement, the office of U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg announced Monday. A team of certified animal behavior experts evaluated the dogs and deemed only one an immediate candidate for euthanasia, according to a document filed in U.S. District Court in Richmond . That dog has a history of biting people and showed “intense aggression to humans to the point where the evaluation could not safely be completed,” the document said. At the prosecutors’ request, District Judge Henry...

If John Erickson hadn't had his gun with him when a neighbor's pit bull attacked him, there's no telling how bad things might have been. Erickson, 22, was walking up to his house on 400 South near 700 West in Orem on Wednesday when a neighbor's pit bull bit him from behind. As he rode his scooter to his house around 8:30 p.m., Erickson saw the dog sitting calmly while a neighborhood girl petted it. Then he parked and took three or four steps toward his house when the dog bit him. "All of a sudden the dog grabbed my...

By Nick Britten Last Updated: 3:54am BST 21/09/2007 Seven men are facing jail after being convicted of one of the bloodiest and most barbaric dog fights ever discovered. Police raided a kitchen showroom to find two pit bull terriers on the verge of death after spending around two hours relentlessly ripping into each other. The RSPCA said there was a worrying increase in dog fighting amongst gangs of young men. Twenty six men were convicted over the fight in Alum Rock, Birmingham, last February, which pitted the dogs, Elvis and Bullet, against each other. Birmingham Magistrates' Court was told the...

LAKE LOS ANGELES - Two pit bulls were shot by a sheriff's deputy Monday when one of the dogs tried to escape and another lunged toward him after they had viciously mauled a pony, officials said. The pony was euthanized by a veterinarian at the scene due to the extent of its injuries, said Deputy Kelly Simon of the Lancaster Sheriff's Station. Deputies said half the pony's face was bitten off. The pony's owner, who also owns the pit bulls, shot at the dogs with .22 snake shot after he saw them mauling his pony, Simon said. The dogs, a...

SEATTLE -- A neighborhood is reeling after two pit bulls viciously attacked a man and his 2-year-old dog. Bob Walston said he and his dog, Maggie, were taken by surprise by the pit bulls while they were out walking on Tuesday morning. He said there was no owner in sight. "Those pits we're going so fast, and they just grabbed Maggie. And I started screaming, 'help help, someone help' as loud as I could," he said. Bob grabbed Maggie to try to save her, but he said the pit bulls refused to give up, biting him as he tried to...

Sue Gorman had no idea she had so many friends. The Key Peninsula woman found out just how many she had when she came home from the hospital Sunday to a home she almost didn’t recognize. It had been transformed by a small army of people who wanted to do something, anything, for a woman whose story had so touched and horrified them. Although some of the workers were neighbors, many of them had never met Gorman. When they heard of the Aug. 20 attack on the disabled woman – by two pit bulls in her own bedroom – they...