Post by michele5611 on Sept 4, 2013 10:45:58 GMT -5
www.theridgefieldpress.com/21276/pit-bulls-are-they-dangerous/
Pit bulls: Are they dangerous?
By Steve Coulter on September 4, 2013 in Government, Latest Local News, Lead News · 0 Comments
Pit bulls — known for their extreme loyalty toward their owners — are also synonymous with unpredictable aggression and violence.
Most recently, dogs that have been labeled as pit bulls have shown the latter characteristics — two attacks have sent three people to the hospital in the span of four months here in town.
Floyd, a red-nose pit bull, was adopted by Kurt Mueller, a 2010 graduate of Ridgefield High School, last year. He has been living with Mr. Mueller at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland. —Kurt Mueller photo
Floyd, a red-nose pit bull, was adopted by Kurt Mueller, a 2010 graduate of Ridgefield High School, last year. He has been living with Mr. Mueller at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland. —Kurt Mueller photo
Although some residents believe there shouldn’t be any restrictions on adopting these animals, concerns are being raised on how pit bulls are being integrated into the Ridgefield dog community.
“At this point, pit bulls are adopted like any other dog and I’m not saying anything within that adoption process should change,” said Dr. Jeffrey Hubsher of Ridgefield, a veterinarian who owns South Salem Animal Hospital.
“With that said, one question keeps coming up in my mind — where are we going with all these adoptions? Most pit bulls are bred for protection, not for being a part of a general pet population. We know this and we know, as a community, we like to adopt dogs, but when will we start to look at what it means for the long-term dog population here?”
Pit bulls, which are not a distinct breed, are not bred in town. A majority of the population in Ridgefield are rescued from inner cities and imported to local rescue shelters.
Allyson Dotson, director of Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue (ROAR), says her shelter doesn’t identify dogs based on breed because it rarely takes in pure breeds.
In addition, she believes that the term pit bull is a subjective title that incorrectly labels dogs based on certain physical characteristics and offers negative stereotypes about them based on a broad classification.
“Pit bull is not a breed — that’s a common misconception,” she explained. “There are several breeds that typically fall under that label and they’re misidentified as something they’re not because of their muscular build and their big heads. It’s not right, but some people judge animals based on a label rather than individual personality.
“Dogs are like people and that’s why we do our assessments based on individual personality and not breed.”
She added that ROAR takes in thousands of dogs a year, but there’s never been a dog that has specifically called a pit bull.
While ROAR extensively evaluates its dogs’ temperament before taking them into the shelter, some veterinarians believe dogs that fit under the pit bull label — bull terriers, staffordshire terriers, and bulldogs — shouldn’t be welcomed into homes as pets.
“They’re not bred for families and we don’t recommend them as pets for families who have kids,” said Dr. Cliff Heidinger of Ridgefield Animal Hospital. “They’re raised to be aggressive protectors and even if they’re not bred for that purpose, they still have that aggression in them.”
He added that pit bulls make up a “very small percentage of dogs in town” and that Ridgefield Animal Hospital sees about 10 pit bull types a year.
While deconstructing the violent perception associated with pit bulls is difficult, it’s not impossible.
Kurt Mueller, who graduated Ridgefield High School in 2010, adopted a red-nose pit bull named Floyd from the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter and has never seen the dog get aggressive, despite living with him on a college campus.
“I think the college setting has helped him get along with other animals because he’s always around people — he’s never bitten anyone or caused any trouble on campus in the 15 months I’ve had him,” Mr. Mueller said. “I bring him home with me when I’m not at school and he’s never been a problem. He gets along fine with my other dogs.”
Floyd isn’t the only pit bull defying the stereotype.
According to an American Canine Temperament Testing Association study published in February, 86% of the American pit bull terriers (755 out of 870) passed their test. Comparatively, 75 beagles that were given the same test and only 60 passed — 80%.
Despite his concerns for the town-wide dog population, Dr. Hubsher said he enjoys taking care of pit bulls and wouldn’t want them to be restricted away from shelters in the area.
“I know a lot of wonderful pit bulls — they’re dogs that are capable of doing a lot of good and can be wonderful pets,” he said. “My nervousness doesn’t come from any dog individually, but rather what their presence here means for the dog population in the future. Will the increasing amount of pit bull and pit bull mixes in the community affect the gene pool here in town and make dogs more aggressive? That I don’t know.”
Dr. Hubsher added that pit bull adoption happens for a variety of reasons.
Some home owners want protection, while others seek companionship. A majority, like Mr. Mueller, are looking to save an animal’s life.
“They’re not usually bred for gentleness, so what are they being bred for?” he asked rhetorically. “Most pits are bred as pets that have a high degree of protection and they are adopted by people who want a pet that can protect them from someone invading their space.
“A lot of people know they’re more dangerous than other breeds and that’s what sparks their interest — they want to help.”
Dr. Heidinger agrees, but adds that the adopters are often unaware of the animal’s behavior. He suggests people interested in adopting pit bulls should do more research.
“Some owners are completely unaware of their dogs behavior, or what its capable of, until they see it first hand and at that point, it’s too late,” he said. “They have very specific personalities and are bred for specific purposes, which causes them to not fit well in certain situations.”
Ms. Dotson said that ROAR gives pet adopters a packet of information about how to take care of dogs in general but the shelter does not give breed-specific advice.
“Our goal is to educate people before they take an animal home permanently and it’s our belief that everyone should be capable of adopting animals,” she said. “We treat every dog and every adoption individually and make sure that we are matching the right family with the right dog.”
Some of ROAR’s animals come by local surrender — people turning in their pets, while some of its rescued animals come from out of state.
Dogs and cats stay in the shelter as long as possible, until they’re adopted.
Ms. Dotson added that the transitional period — both from home to shelter and from shelter to home — is extremely important in a dog’s long-term behavior.
“As good as our trainers and our volunteers are here, it’s still considered a cage for the dog, so we want it to be as comfortable a transition as possible when they come in,” she explained. “When they are leaving, we want them to be acclimated with their new owners and we make sure there’s a comfort level between owner and animal.”
She said she’s never had to reject a dog for failing a temperament test in her three years as ROAR’s director.
She added that dogs rarely get returned to the shelter and that a majority of the time it is because home owners aren’t ready to take care of a pet.
“It’s almost never because of an attack or an act of aggression, though that has happened,” she said.
One of the implicit risks of adopting a pit bull is that it could have been irresponsibly bred and trained for dog-fighting — a sport that is now a felony in every state.
While Dr. Hubsher is quick to rattle off the positive qualities of pit bulls — obedient, smart, trained and, most of all, loyal, a negative stigma continues to surround the breed.
“I can’t speak for everybody but, generally speaking, we’re looking for nice animals and nice dogs — not ones that are known for unpredictable behavior toward adults and even kids,” he said. “Most of us are not looking for guard dogs who could end up biting the neighbor every time he comes over.”
He said the recent attacks have generated minimal
amongst dog owners at local parks and other areas of town where dogs are walked.
What alarms Dr. Heidinger is the ferocity of the animal’s bite.
“Pit bulls tend to hold on when they bite — they don’t let go and they pull and tear flesh, causing really serious injuries,” he said.
Ms. Dotson believes this another area where the pit bull label leads to misconception.
“All dogs have teeth and are capable of biting,” she said. “Aggression is not specific to one breed of dog.”
Dr. Hubsher says that rescuing pit bulls from inner cities and the southern United States has been happening for a while, but he has noticed an increase recently.
“I see a predominance of pit bulls and pit bull mixes in larger rescue shelters around this area,” he said.
He explained that mixed breeds are less aggressive than pure breeds, but their activity is still largely unpredictable.
“What it comes down to is, what are we looking for in our pet community?” he asked. “Many pit bull owners think its a misperception to label their dogs as vicious or aggressive, but it’s not just perception — these dogs put action into that perception and that makes it a reality that we have to deal with as dog owners.”
Pit bulls: Are they dangerous?
By Steve Coulter on September 4, 2013 in Government, Latest Local News, Lead News · 0 Comments
Pit bulls — known for their extreme loyalty toward their owners — are also synonymous with unpredictable aggression and violence.
Most recently, dogs that have been labeled as pit bulls have shown the latter characteristics — two attacks have sent three people to the hospital in the span of four months here in town.
Floyd, a red-nose pit bull, was adopted by Kurt Mueller, a 2010 graduate of Ridgefield High School, last year. He has been living with Mr. Mueller at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland. —Kurt Mueller photo
Floyd, a red-nose pit bull, was adopted by Kurt Mueller, a 2010 graduate of Ridgefield High School, last year. He has been living with Mr. Mueller at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland. —Kurt Mueller photo
Although some residents believe there shouldn’t be any restrictions on adopting these animals, concerns are being raised on how pit bulls are being integrated into the Ridgefield dog community.
“At this point, pit bulls are adopted like any other dog and I’m not saying anything within that adoption process should change,” said Dr. Jeffrey Hubsher of Ridgefield, a veterinarian who owns South Salem Animal Hospital.
“With that said, one question keeps coming up in my mind — where are we going with all these adoptions? Most pit bulls are bred for protection, not for being a part of a general pet population. We know this and we know, as a community, we like to adopt dogs, but when will we start to look at what it means for the long-term dog population here?”
Pit bulls, which are not a distinct breed, are not bred in town. A majority of the population in Ridgefield are rescued from inner cities and imported to local rescue shelters.
Allyson Dotson, director of Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue (ROAR), says her shelter doesn’t identify dogs based on breed because it rarely takes in pure breeds.
In addition, she believes that the term pit bull is a subjective title that incorrectly labels dogs based on certain physical characteristics and offers negative stereotypes about them based on a broad classification.
“Pit bull is not a breed — that’s a common misconception,” she explained. “There are several breeds that typically fall under that label and they’re misidentified as something they’re not because of their muscular build and their big heads. It’s not right, but some people judge animals based on a label rather than individual personality.
“Dogs are like people and that’s why we do our assessments based on individual personality and not breed.”
She added that ROAR takes in thousands of dogs a year, but there’s never been a dog that has specifically called a pit bull.
While ROAR extensively evaluates its dogs’ temperament before taking them into the shelter, some veterinarians believe dogs that fit under the pit bull label — bull terriers, staffordshire terriers, and bulldogs — shouldn’t be welcomed into homes as pets.
“They’re not bred for families and we don’t recommend them as pets for families who have kids,” said Dr. Cliff Heidinger of Ridgefield Animal Hospital. “They’re raised to be aggressive protectors and even if they’re not bred for that purpose, they still have that aggression in them.”
He added that pit bulls make up a “very small percentage of dogs in town” and that Ridgefield Animal Hospital sees about 10 pit bull types a year.
While deconstructing the violent perception associated with pit bulls is difficult, it’s not impossible.
Kurt Mueller, who graduated Ridgefield High School in 2010, adopted a red-nose pit bull named Floyd from the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter and has never seen the dog get aggressive, despite living with him on a college campus.
“I think the college setting has helped him get along with other animals because he’s always around people — he’s never bitten anyone or caused any trouble on campus in the 15 months I’ve had him,” Mr. Mueller said. “I bring him home with me when I’m not at school and he’s never been a problem. He gets along fine with my other dogs.”
Floyd isn’t the only pit bull defying the stereotype.
According to an American Canine Temperament Testing Association study published in February, 86% of the American pit bull terriers (755 out of 870) passed their test. Comparatively, 75 beagles that were given the same test and only 60 passed — 80%.
Despite his concerns for the town-wide dog population, Dr. Hubsher said he enjoys taking care of pit bulls and wouldn’t want them to be restricted away from shelters in the area.
“I know a lot of wonderful pit bulls — they’re dogs that are capable of doing a lot of good and can be wonderful pets,” he said. “My nervousness doesn’t come from any dog individually, but rather what their presence here means for the dog population in the future. Will the increasing amount of pit bull and pit bull mixes in the community affect the gene pool here in town and make dogs more aggressive? That I don’t know.”
Dr. Hubsher added that pit bull adoption happens for a variety of reasons.
Some home owners want protection, while others seek companionship. A majority, like Mr. Mueller, are looking to save an animal’s life.
“They’re not usually bred for gentleness, so what are they being bred for?” he asked rhetorically. “Most pits are bred as pets that have a high degree of protection and they are adopted by people who want a pet that can protect them from someone invading their space.
“A lot of people know they’re more dangerous than other breeds and that’s what sparks their interest — they want to help.”
Dr. Heidinger agrees, but adds that the adopters are often unaware of the animal’s behavior. He suggests people interested in adopting pit bulls should do more research.
“Some owners are completely unaware of their dogs behavior, or what its capable of, until they see it first hand and at that point, it’s too late,” he said. “They have very specific personalities and are bred for specific purposes, which causes them to not fit well in certain situations.”
Ms. Dotson said that ROAR gives pet adopters a packet of information about how to take care of dogs in general but the shelter does not give breed-specific advice.
“Our goal is to educate people before they take an animal home permanently and it’s our belief that everyone should be capable of adopting animals,” she said. “We treat every dog and every adoption individually and make sure that we are matching the right family with the right dog.”
Some of ROAR’s animals come by local surrender — people turning in their pets, while some of its rescued animals come from out of state.
Dogs and cats stay in the shelter as long as possible, until they’re adopted.
Ms. Dotson added that the transitional period — both from home to shelter and from shelter to home — is extremely important in a dog’s long-term behavior.
“As good as our trainers and our volunteers are here, it’s still considered a cage for the dog, so we want it to be as comfortable a transition as possible when they come in,” she explained. “When they are leaving, we want them to be acclimated with their new owners and we make sure there’s a comfort level between owner and animal.”
She said she’s never had to reject a dog for failing a temperament test in her three years as ROAR’s director.
She added that dogs rarely get returned to the shelter and that a majority of the time it is because home owners aren’t ready to take care of a pet.
“It’s almost never because of an attack or an act of aggression, though that has happened,” she said.
One of the implicit risks of adopting a pit bull is that it could have been irresponsibly bred and trained for dog-fighting — a sport that is now a felony in every state.
While Dr. Hubsher is quick to rattle off the positive qualities of pit bulls — obedient, smart, trained and, most of all, loyal, a negative stigma continues to surround the breed.
“I can’t speak for everybody but, generally speaking, we’re looking for nice animals and nice dogs — not ones that are known for unpredictable behavior toward adults and even kids,” he said. “Most of us are not looking for guard dogs who could end up biting the neighbor every time he comes over.”
He said the recent attacks have generated minimal
amongst dog owners at local parks and other areas of town where dogs are walked.What alarms Dr. Heidinger is the ferocity of the animal’s bite.
“Pit bulls tend to hold on when they bite — they don’t let go and they pull and tear flesh, causing really serious injuries,” he said.
Ms. Dotson believes this another area where the pit bull label leads to misconception.
“All dogs have teeth and are capable of biting,” she said. “Aggression is not specific to one breed of dog.”
Dr. Hubsher says that rescuing pit bulls from inner cities and the southern United States has been happening for a while, but he has noticed an increase recently.
“I see a predominance of pit bulls and pit bull mixes in larger rescue shelters around this area,” he said.
He explained that mixed breeds are less aggressive than pure breeds, but their activity is still largely unpredictable.
“What it comes down to is, what are we looking for in our pet community?” he asked. “Many pit bull owners think its a misperception to label their dogs as vicious or aggressive, but it’s not just perception — these dogs put action into that perception and that makes it a reality that we have to deal with as dog owners.”
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