Monday, April 18, 2011

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thank you anonymous craven desires reader!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Patty Khuly is at it again

The name Khuly is derived from ancient Aramaic and, depending on usage, means either "the village idiot" or "a copious amount of dung." Ex: Watch where you step, Patty Khuly just spewed khuly all over the place in her most recent blog post on fake service dogs.

Khuly has a veterinary practice which serves an exclusive clientele of amoral lying nincompoops. We know this because she spends a lot of time blogging and in virtually every post she includes an experience she recently had with one of her clients lying or being a nincompoop.

Last year, Khuly wrote about her plan to call her illegal pit bull mix a service dog to circumvent the Miami-Dade pit bull ban. In the original post she writes very clearly and precisely that yes she will call her pit a service dog, but when she found herself struck by a shit storm of angry emails in which khuly rained down hard upon her, she first blamed her critics for putting the illegal pit bull's life in jeopardy, and then deftly used the classic 5th grade retort, "I was only joking."

She decided to leave the topic alone because "though I believe it worthy of continued discussion, and the issue undoubtedly deserves a higher profile as a trend that must be addressed, the fact remains: once insulted, any given community can be really, really unforgiving...despite any well-meaning clarifications."

See what she did there? She shifted the blame from her outrageous, illegal proposition to the supposedly inflexible reactions of service dog owners. I do not know how this woman got a degree; there is only so much blame you can lay at the feet of your fetal pig before you just start to look silly.

Despite swearing off further posting on the fake service dog issue, compelling reasons have brought her back. First, she saw other people doing exactly what she threatened to do in her blog: pass their dog off as a service dog. And, second, she happened across one of the hundreds of articles condemning the same issue.

The gist of her new article is that the growing problem of service dog scamming is a sign that pet owners are not willing to accept the status quo and they are fighting back. Since we want to take our dogs everywhere, we obviously should be allowed to do so without being forced to break the law. Pet owners should not and will no longer stand for "dogless dining," being relegated to "the smallest parks and the crummiest beaches," and being "regarded as pariahs by the transportation industry." Oh, and then she slips pit bull bans or as she calls it, "right to death legislation" as one of the justifications for "revolting."

See what she did there? She came back and said she was justified for calling her pit bull a service dog - she is just one of the many who are lifting up their voices and saying "we're not going to take it anymore" by going out and breaking the law.

Don't be fooled by the last sentence in which she suddenly distinguishes people who are "revolting" against unfair laws from the "ethically challenged" and "just plain ignorant" service dog scammers. The only revolt she mentions in the article is service dog scamming.

Khuly will always be Khuly!


weekly frankenmauler roundup 04/15/11


TAYLOR HERNANDEZ aka ms gamedogs has made the frankenmauler roundup. it seems TAYLOR was out walking GAMBLER, her craven eddy game bred APBT, when a large shit bull charged. TAYLOR did what any experienced dogwoman would do... she dropped the leash and let her mutant deliver the death blow before breaking it off. click HERE and listen to TAYLOR describe the incident on her mutant radio show. the discussion about the "scuffle" starts about 37 minutes into the show.

hideous mutant - JULIE RUSSELL probably thinks Thomas overreacted.
04.13.11 bangor, michigan what the hell is going on in this state? 55 yr old Lorraine Crandall was hospitalized after being attacked by a shit bull when she tried to save her chihuahua, Max. her husband Thomas heard his wife and dog screaming and came to their aid. he beat the hideous mutant with a stick and then used the stick to keep the mutant from attacking him. Max suffered broken ribs and other internal injuries resulting in a $3200 vet bill. it is not known who the owners are.

04.08.11 UK a toy poodle named Tula was killed by a nanny dog during a walk in the park. Wendy Green's 6 yr old granddaughter witnessed the attack. the Green family has been left traumatized and unable to get another pet.

04.08.11 bloomingdale, new jersey a stray shit bull attacked two people and their dogs.

04.09.11 australia 30 yr old KEITH ALLEN WALDOCK came home (to mommy) drunk. he flew into a rage when he saw a 12 wk old kitten on the kitchen table. he grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and threw it outside where his ridgeback/pit promptly killed and ate half of it.

04.10.11 utica, new york RUTHANN CHAYA'S hideous mutant somehow got loose and attacked Geannette Maxam-Taylor and her dog, in her own yard. the shit bull was still attacking when the cops arrived and dispatched it on the spot. CHAYA has been cited for dog at large and chasing/harassing. just one more problem for poor RUTHANN. i see her little tattooed brother CONRAD is in jail again. why it seems like only yesterday, he was on oneida county's 10 most wanted list.

04.11.11 canada Pitbull kills again in, this time in the GTa
http://www.cp24.com/latest/
Video is on the top right of the link. Basically a pit bull stafford terrier dog attacked another ladies dog for no reason and killed it Why is it that pit bull type dogs are doing this and not welsh corgies, or shitzoo, or yorkie, or poodles? Its always pit bulls, is it the media reporting is biased?

04.11.11 canada a german shepherd and a pit bull killed an alpaca. there have been previous complaints of them running loose and being aggressive but the laws are written in such a way, the authorities can't do anything until someone is injured or killed. a grow operation with 258 plants was discovered when LE investigated the attack.

04.11.11 bloomingdale, new jersey a stray pit bull attacked two dogs and their owners during a dog walk.

04.11.11 newaygo county, michigan an ugly shit bull named BELLA killed a 12 yr old poodle that was tied out on her porch. the pit nutter JESSICA VINCENT blamed her young daughter for leaving the door open. VINCENT said that it was a freak accident and "It's not like Bella did it on purpose. She was just playing with that poodle and it went too far." this is not the first time people have complained about BELLA.
"Because they are very prey driven, very unpredictable and very strong," says Officer Sterling. "It makes them a high risk dog and extremely dangerous and the owners are not always responsible."
rip Brandy

04.12.11 UK a 66 yr old woman in a disability scooter and a lhasa apso in her lap were attacked by 2 nanny dogs in a bank. the nutter, a 50 yr old man was also bitten. he is being investigated.

rip Apache
04.12.11 australia Rhianna Caley described the attack on her cat in HER backyard as "frenzied". the two staffy crosses had broken through a fence and flexed their DNA on Caley's 12 yr old cat. the pit nutter showed up a few minutes and apologized.
"When I got there, the cat was not breathing or moving and as soon as I picked it up I could feel and hear its bones moving around inside." if craven eddy reads this, he'll probably get a boner. this shits better than viagra, ain't it eddy?

Findlay and Ellie
04.13.11 UK a man, his 9 yr old son and 8 month old puppy were attacked by 2 nanny dogs on an evening walk. the pit nutter, described as a 20-25 yr old white male, collected his mutants and walked away without a word.

HEATHER WOLFE
04.13.11 gambrills, maryland an 84 yr old woman was hospitalized when she tried to save her lab mix from her granddaughter's shit bull. a second shit bull (out of 11) joined in the attack. the lab died, granny was hospitalized and the ungrateful bitch of a granddaughter who has been squatting in her basement is fighting the dangerous dog declaration. in addition to the dangerous dog charges, she has been charged with no licenses and no rabies vaccines. HEATHER WOLFE was living in her grandmother's basement with her 5 adult shit bulls, 6 puppies and 4 yr old daughter.

rip Shadow
04.14.11 san jose, ca 13 yr old Shadow was savagely mauled by 2 shit bulls during a late night a walk through a park. the vets recommended euthanasia due to the injuries. Shadow's owner was also injured trying to save her dog.

04.14.11 UK a punk nutter set his shit bull on George while he was tied outside of a pharmacy. George's owner and a good samaritan were bitten trying to free him.

rip Bailey
04.14.11 canada Bailey was killed by a shit bull while on an after school walk with her 11 yr old owner. the shit bull is 10 yrs old and was legally grandfathered into the 2005 ontario ban but was not muzzled as required by law. the pit nutter has agreed to dirt nap it. the residents want mutants banned from apartments. i support that law. note there is video footage of this assassination in the link.
TYRUS is caught on video pleasing his owner.
this is the unnamed father of pit nutter JENNIFER MAYER. he has a pit bull too. and if they pass the ordinance banning pits from apartments, he'll have to move.

04.14.11 kansas city, missouri two weeks ago a shit bull was out harassing other dogs and then attacked a teenager and her dog during a walk. the family is furious that the unnamed pit nutter has their dog back. if the dog attacks again, it might be impounded. the city claims they are balancing the rights of dog owners with public safety. once your dog gets loose and attacks, you should loose your dog owner rights.

there has been 4 separate dog attacks in tum tum, washington in the last 5 days. the killing spree wiped out at least 11 sheep, 25 goats, 25 chicken, geese and 10 rabbits.
here are your hints:
1) nothing was eaten
2) the sheep had their faces chewed off
any guesses?

04.14.11 spenard, alaska a man shot and killed a stray shit bull that SOMEHOW got into his back yard and "tussled" with his akita/mastiff mix. no charges. the castle law rules.

UPDATES

ANTHONY HILL proving that you can't keep a nutter down
xenia, ohio last september HILL'S mutants broke through an exterior wall and tried to attack Linda McGaughey's chihuahua. Linda laid down on top of her dog to protect it and was seriously mauled. she can walk but with a limp. she noticed that the pit nutter had pits again, a violation of his probation. she reported him. his probation officer checked it out and found weapons and drugs. he is in jail without bond for violating probation, weapon charges are expected.
see also the sept 17, 2010 roundup

CITIZEN SHOOTINGS

houston, texas the castle law was applied in a north east houston neighborhood wednesday. BILL'S 7 1/2 month old shit bull puppy SOMEHOW got over or under a 6 ft chain link fence and into the neighbor's yard where he was shot and killed. BILL'S wife is considering legal action. her panties are in bunch because they called the cops and they said no crime was committed. Mr and MRS BILL still have at least 2 other pit bulls.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Jack Johnson


Jack Johnson, wife and gripping dog in Chicago

Jack Johnson nee John Authur Johnson
March 31, 1878 - June 10, 1946

One of Johnson's "prize bulldogs" attacked one of Johnson's fans in Detroit and "nearly chewed his arm off". "...after considerable trouble [Johnson] succeeded in releasing the dog's hold..." The victim, Sam Lewis pressed charges. The outcome is unknown.

interesting factoids

Johnson's first wife killed herself in September 1912. Johnson beat her many times during their turbulent relationship.

Three months later, he married 18 yr old prostitute, Lucille Cameron. She divorced him in 1924 citing his infidelity.

Johnson had a penchant for young white hookers. He even married one to avoid prison but later was found guilty after another prostitute testified against him. Johnson was convicted under the Mann Act and served 2 years in Leavenworth after living in exile for 7 years in Europe.

Johnson was killed in a car accident in North Carolina. Angry at being denied service in a diner, he took his aggression out on the road. Johnson was 68.


links




www.dailymail.co.uk


John Colby and Jack Johnson

The Experts

Cowardice asks the question, "Is it safe?" Expediency asks the question, "Is it politic?" And Vanity asks the question, "Is it popular?" But Conscience asks the question "Is it right?" And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right.MARTIN LUTHER KING


Behaviorists/veterinarians

RANDALL LOCKWOOD, PhD

HUGH WIRTH, veterinarian



NICHOLAS DODMAN, BVMS, ACVB, ACVA

on the MA muzzling law
After a spate of attacks by pit bulls this summer, Massachusetts lawmakers passed legislation requiring the dogs to be muzzled in public. Some pit bull owners protested, but a Tufts expert says the law may be a good idea. Breeds like pit bulls and Rottweilers, says animal behavior expert Nick Dodman, are hardwired for aggression.

“Some of these dogs are as dangerous as a loaded handgun,” Dodman– director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at TuftsSchool of Veterinary Medicine – said in an interview with The Boston Globe Magazine.

Genetics play a big role.

“No doubt about it, pit bulls are genetically predisposed toward aggression,” he told the magazine. “Justas certain breeds of dogs were bred to herd, certain were bred to hunt, certain to point, and others to swim.”

While most pet owners accept that their dogs have certain genetic behavioral characteristics, there is still resistance to the idea that some dogs are more dangerous than others.

“Everybody accepts [genetic behaviors like herding or hunting] until you throw in the word ‘aggression’ and things like a full, crushing bite, which some breeds were specifically bred for in the past.”

Statistics on dog attacks reinforce the link between certain dogs and dangerous behavior.

“It’s like a scene from “Casablanca” when they say, ‘Roundup the usual suspects,’” Dodman told the Globe.“It’s always German shepherds, chow, husky, pit bull.The numbers do the talking.”

He added that pit bulls and Rottweilers alone account for more than 50 percent of the fatal dog attacks every year. Despite the danger, the owners of these dogs often fail to take proper precautions.

“A lot of owners of aggressive breeds are suffering from denial and ignorance, because no one wants to be fingered as having that kind of dog,” Dodman said.


“Genetics does play a role and people who think it doesn’t are kidding themselves,” says Dodman. “The pit bull is notorious for a very hard bite. They are always No. 1 in the lethal dog bite parade. The dog was bred for pit fighting. It was bred to never give up, to bite and hang on.”



KATHERINE HOUPT, VMD, PhD, DACVB



BONNIE V. BEAVER, BS, DVM, MS, DACVB, Professor and Chief of Medicine, Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University
Executive Director, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists



The AVMA warns veterinarians to be careful about supplying behavioural evaluations of dogs for insurance purposes.

"It's risky for veterinarians," said Dr. Beaver, explaining that there are many situations in which a dog may behave aggressively, and temperament tests can't rule out the possibility of aggression. "You don't have temperament tests that can identify all possibilities."




BENJAMIN HART, professor emeritus at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and animal behaviorist
"It's quite common for a pit bull to show no signs of aggression. People will call it a nice dog, a sweet dog, even the neighbors - and then all of a sudden something triggers the dog, and it attacks a human in a characteristic way of biting and hanging on until a lot of damage is done."
"It's very poor policy to allow any child around a pit bull, in my mind, let alone climb on a dog."


KATHRYN HAWKINS, DVM
After seeing another dog die from a pit bull attack, I feel compelled to write. The opinion that pit bulls are "mean because of the way they are raised" is often not the case. A Both of the dogs I took care of that died were attacked unprovoked by pit bulls that were in families that raised them responsibly. Just as a retriever is bred to hunt birds -- an instinct you can't stop -- many pit bulls have a genetic tendency to attack other animals. When they do, they are extremely powerful and don't quit. I have never been bitten or growled at by a pit bull -- they are very friendly. But when the instinct to attack another animal occurs, they cause serious damage, or death. They don't bite people any more often than other breeds but when they do, it's bad. The aggressiveness toward other animals and damage they do is not because of "the way they are raised" -- it is usually due to a genetic instinct not in the control of the owner.



ARTHUR HERM, veterinarian, animal control
He said he disagrees with those people who believe they can train aggressiveness out of dogs, and added he believes aggressiveness is “inherent” and “genetic” in all dogs while pit bulls “seem to have more of that.”



MICHAEL W. FOX, veterinarian, animal behaviorist



SHERYL BLAIR, Tufts Veterinary School symposium - Animal Aggression: Dog Bites and the Pit Bull Terrier
The injuries these dogs inflict are more serious than other breeds because they go for the deep musculature and don't release; they hold and shake.
GARY WILKES, animal behaviorist
No other breed in America is currently bred for fighting, in such great numbers as the American Pit Bull Terrier. No other breed has instinctive behaviors that are so consistently catastrophic when they occur, regardless of how rarely they happen. The reality is that every English Pointer has the ability to point a bird. Every Cattle Dog has the ability to bite the heel of a cow and every Beagle has the ability to make an obnoxious bugling noise when it scents a rabbit or sees a cat walking on the back fence. Realistically, if your English Pointer suddenly and unpredictably points at a bird in the park, nobody cares. If my Heeler nips your ankle, I’m going to take care of your injuries and probably be fined for the incident. If your Beagle bugles too much, you’ll get a ticket for a noise violation. If your Pit Bull does what it’s bred to do...well, you fill in the blank.



ALEXANDRA SEMYONOVA, animal behaviorist



JOHN FAUL, animal behaviorist


Surgeons
DAVID A. BILLMIRE, MD, professor and director of the Division of Craniofacial and Pediatric Plastic Surgery at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center "As one who, for the last 30 years, has been on the receiving end of the dog-bite injuries that pass through the Children's Hospital Emergency Room, as well as on the staff at the Shriners Hospitals for Children where we see the late effects of these injuries from across the nation, I can categorically tell you that the problems associated with dog bites are indeed breed-specific." "Starting about 25 years ago, my colleagues and I started to see disturbingly different types of injuries. Instead of a warning bite, we saw wounds where the flesh was torn from the victim. There were multiple bite wounds covering many different anatomical sites. The attacks were generally unprovoked, persistent and often involved more than one dog. In every instance the dog involved was a pit bull or a pit bull mix." "...[H]ow many mauled children do we have to see before we realize the folly of allowing these dogs to exist?" "There are plenty of breeds available that peacefully coexist with human society. There is no need for pit bulls."



MARK WULKAN, MD, surgeon at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
"There is a difference with the pit bulls. In the last two years we've seen 56 dog injuries that were so severe the patient had to be admitted to the hospital so this doesn't count just a little bite and then goes to the emergency room. Of those 56, 21 were pit bulls. And then when we look at our date even further, of the kids that were most severely injured, those that were in the hospital for more than 8 days or had life threatening injuries, 100% of those were pit bulls."






JOHN BINI, MD, chief of surgery at Wilford Hall Medical Center



MORTALITY, MAULING, AND MAIMING BY VICIOUS DOGS, April 2011 Annals of Surgery



DAVID E. BLOCKER, BS, MD, Dog Bite Rates and Biting Dog Breeds in Texas, 1995-1997




PETER ANTEVY, pediatric E.R. physician, Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital
Dr Antvey sees at least five dog-bite victims a month in his emergency room. Unfortunately, he said, "the biggest offender is the pit bull."



MELISSA ARCA, MD
The reality is that any dog can bite, and statistically speaking, a child is most likely to be bitten by the family dog or a dog that they know. When you're talking about bite severity resulting in life-threatening and even fatal injuries, pit bulls and Rottweilers are the main culprits.

Experience absolutely colors our perception, and in this case I can't help but be affected by what I've seen. I will never forget a young child I treated in the ER during my pediatric residency. She suffered severe facial lacerations and tears to her face after a pit bull attack in her local park.




HORSWELL BB, CHAHINE CJ, oral surgeons
Dog bites of the facial region are increasing in children according to the Center for Disease Control. To evaluate the epidemiology of such injuries in our medical provider region, we undertook a retrospective review of those children treated for facial, head and neck dog bite wounds at a level 1 trauma center. Most dog bites occurred in or near the home by an animal known to the child/family. Most injuries were soft tissue related, however more severe bites and injuries were observed in attacks from the pit-bull and Rottweiler breeds. Younger (under five years) children sustained more of the injuries requiring medical treatment. Injury Severity Scales were determined as well as victim and payer mix demographics, type and characteristics of injury, and complications from the attack.



Dr RICHARD SATTIN, chief of unintentional-injuries section of the Centers of Disease Control
We're trying to focus public attention on this greatly underestimated public hazard.

In 1979, pit bulls accounted for 20 percent of fatal attacks by dogs. That figure had risen to 62 percent by 1988.


Nobody knows the dog population of the United States or the exact breakdown by breed.
We do not believe that pit bulls represent anywhere near 42% percent of dogs in the United States. Therefor, we believe that the pit bull excess in deaths is real and growing.



ROBERT D. NEWMAN, M.D.
As a pediatrician I was disturbed to read Vicki Hearne's assertion that there are no bad breeds, just bad dogs (Op-Ed, April 15). There is ample evidence to suggest that certain breeds of dogs are more dangerous to children than others.
From 1979 to 1994, there were 177 known dog-bite-related fatalities in the United States. Of these fatalities, 66 percent were caused by five breeds: pit bull, Rottweiler, shepherd, husky and malamute. If you include crosses among these five breeds, that number rises to 82 percent. Other breeds, like Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers were not implicated in a single fatality during this same period.
I laud the American Kennel Club's attempt to include information about dog breeds considered ''not good with children'' in the coming edition of ''The Complete Dog Book,'' and lament the fact that the book is being recalled at the request of some breeders.
Seattle, April 16, 1998



Dr. EDGAR JOGANIK (after trying to reattach scalp and ear to a pit bull victim)
Pit bull attacks are typically the most severe, and in about one-third of all attacks, the animals are family pets or belong to close friends.
That should be the message, that these dogs should not be around children, adults are just as likely to be victims.
Everyone should be extremely cautious.




DR. MICHAEL FEALY
When a Pit Bull is involved the bites are worse. When they bite, they bite and lock and they don't let go... they bite lock and they rip and they don't let go.



DR. CHRISTOPHER DEMAS
Bites from pit bulls inflict much more damage, multiple deep bites and ripping of flesh and are unlike any other domestic animal I've encountered. Their bites are devastating - close to what a wildcat or shark would do.



DR. AMY WANDEL, plastic surgeon
I see just as many dog bites from dogs that are not pit bulls as bites from pit bulls. The big difference is pit bulls are known to grab onto something and keep holding so their damage they create is worse than other breeds.



ANDREW FENTON, M.D.
As a practicing emergency physician, I have witnessed countless dog bites. Invariably, the most vicious and brutal attacks I have seen have been from the pit bull breed. Many of the victims have been children. In a recent study from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, pit bull attacks accounted for more ER visits than all other breeds combined.

In young children, the most common part of the body injured was the face. Numerous studies have proven that the number-one cause of dog bite fatalities is the pit bull breed. I am certain that many attacks are due to owner negligence, but the fact remains that many were unpredictable and were perpetrated by formerly "loving and loyal" pets.

Dr. Chagnon has every right to leave our town as she claims she will if pit bulls are banned, just like every one of her patients has the right not to attend her clinic where she brings her pit bulls. I applaud Mayor Pro Tem Joanne Sanders for bringing this issue to the forefront. In the interest of public safety, I recommend we enforce a spay/neuter requirement on pit bulls while reviewing and revamping all of our policies relating to animal bites.




DR. PATRICK BYRNE, Johns Hopkins Hospital
I can't think of a single injury of this nature that was incurred by any other species other than a pit bull or a rottweiler.



JUGPAL S. ARNEJA, MD, FRCSC, KARA PAPPAS, B.S., WILLIAM HUETTNER, M.D., ARLENE A. ROZZELLE, M.D., GURBALBIR SINGH, M.D., FRCSC
A ten-year, two-institution review of pediatric dog attacks: Advocating for a nationwide prohibition of dangerous dogs
PURPOSE:
Affectionately referred to as ‘man’s best friend’, dog attacks in the pediatric population often test this analogy. Pediatric dog attacks are a significant public health issue that negatively affects the psychological well-being of a child. We performed analysis of our cumulative two-institution pediatric dog attack data, present representative cases and offer evidence to support a nationwide prohibition of dangerous dogs.
METHODS:
A retrospective review was performed at two urban Children’s hospitals from 1996-2005 of all dog attacks presenting to the plastic surgery service. Charts were reviewed with analysis of patient demographics, injury site, operative intervention, and dog-specific data.
RESULTS:
109 patients were included for review, with 83% of attacks occurring in the facial region. Mean age was 3.9 years (range 2-18 years). 67% of attacks involved multiple anatomic sites, 95% required surgical intervention with 30% requiring a skin graft or flap reconstruction. 88% of dogs were known to the victim, 46% of attacks were provoked, 73% of dogs were euthanized and 57% of dogs were deemed to be of a dangerous breed (Pit Bill or Rottweiler). Mean hospital duration was 4.7 days and 27% required additional reconstructive plastic surgery. Figures below illustrate a representative case of a 4-year old female attacked by her aunt's dog, resulting in a complete nasal amputation, preoperatively (upper), at time of forehead flap reconstruction (middle), and five years post-operatively (lower), with an acceptable functional and aesthetic reconstruction.
CONCLUSION:
Dog attacks in the pediatric population produce significant costs including physical morbidity, psychological disability, and financial strains. A majority of attacks were by a known dog, in the facial region, by dogs which we define as of a dangerous breed. Much of the injury patterns are unique to children and these injuries and associated costs can be significantly diminished, as the problem is often preventable. Our cases present the ‘tip of the iceberg’ as our cases only represented consultations directed to Plastic Surgery. The Province of Ontario, Canada has banned Pit Bulls since 2004, as have several American cities. We describe the scope of the problem, preventative guidelines, and outline why organizational advocacy in plastic surgery should be directed towards a national prohibition of dangerous dogs.




M. A. DEWAN, EDWARD J. WLADIS, Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery, Lions Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Albany Medical College, Slingerlands, NY
Periorbital trauma from pit bull terrier attacks.
PURPOSE
To report the nature of periorbital trauma after pit bull attacks. While these attacks have been well-characterized in the popular media, no case series has documented the ophthalmic manifestations of this trauma.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed all cases of pit bull terrier attacks that presented to the oculoplastic and orbital surgery service at Albany Medical Center between 2008 and 2011. The age, gender, extent of the injuries, care provided, follow up interval, and complication rate were evaluated for each patient.
RESULTS
Seven patients were identified, with a mean age of 17.2 years. Six of the seven patients were in the pediatric age group. All patients suffered eyelid lacerations, and only one patient had additional injuries. Four patients (57.2%) suffered a canalicular laceration. Despite the lack of post-operative oral antibiotic use, no patient developed a wound infection.
CONCLUSIONS
In the ophthalmic setting, pit bull terrier attacks most frequently involve children and result in eyelid lacerations. Canalicular injuries are common after these attacks.




ALAN BECK, Sc.D


MERRITT CLIFTON, journalist, Animal People editor
There are very few people, if any, who have written more on behalf of dogs over the past 40-odd years than I have, or spent more time down the back alleys of the developing world observing dogs in the habitats in which normal dogs came to co-evolve with humans. But appreciation of the ecological roles of street dogs & coyotes, exposing dog-eating and puppy mills, opposition to indiscriminate lethal animal control, introduction of high-volume low-cost spay/neuter and anti-rabies vaccination, introduction of online adoption promotion, encouraging the formation of thousands of new humane societies worldwide, etc., are not to be confused with pit bull advocacy. Pit bull advocacy is not defending dogs; it is defending the serial killers of the dog world, who kill, injure, and give bad reputations to all the rest. Indeed, pit bull advocacy, because it erodes public trust in dogs and people who care about dogs, stands a good chance of superseding rabies as the single greatest threat to the health, well-being, and human appreciation of all dogs worldwide.



STANLEY COREN, PhD
"A dog's breed tells us a lot about that dog's genetic heritage and makeup. Genetics is a strong determinant of personality. In the absence of any other information, we can make a reasonable prediction about how the dog will behave based upon its breed." p 84

"When we crossbreed, we lose some of that predictability, since which genes will be passed on by each parent and how they will combine is a matter of chance. Fortunately, there is some data to suggest that we can still make predispositions without knowing much about its parentage. John Paul Scott and John L Fuller carried out a series of selective breeding experiments at the Jackson Laboratories in Bar Harbor, Maine. By happy chance, their results revealed a simple rule that seems to work. Their general conclusion was that a mixed breed dog is most likely to act like the breed that it most looks like." p 77

Dog trainers/animal control

TARYN BLYTH, Dog Trainer
  1. No one is saying that a lot of Pit Bulls can’t be “successfully” socialised with other dogs. Many socialised from puppyhood are very friendly and outgoing with other dogs. The problem arises if and when fighting behaviour is triggered. Even if the Pit Bull does not start the fight, getting into conflict with another animal will often trigger their “grab, shake and kill” response.
  2. “Normal” dogs engage in “ritualised” forms of aggression when they come into conflict. This involves lots of noise, but no real damage. However, when Pit Bulls fight they engage the shake-bite/kill-bite part of the predatory sequence with often fatal or near fatal results. There is seldom time to intervene to rescue the other dog before serious damage is done.
  3. When Pit Bulls engage in a fight, far from this inducing an aversive state of mind (most dogs are in a defensive, survival mode during fights), opioids and dopamine are released in their brains making them feel really good - this feeling is so pleasurable that they will often seek out this behaviour again. In the same way that a border collie is built to feel really good when herding sheep, Pit Bulls are built to feel really good when fighting.
  4. Due to the opioid release during fights, Pit Bulls do not feel pain and so fight on regardless of injury - trying to stop a fight is incredibly difficult.
  5. When “normal” dogs fight, they usually respond to appeasement behaviour from their “opponent” i.e. as fighting is not designed to kill, but to resolve conflict without serious harm, one dog may “give in” and display behaviour which will cause the other dog to back off. Pit Bulls do not respond to appeasement behaviour during fights as this would have been counterproductive in the fighting pits and has been bred out of them.
  6. In my experience Pit Bulls have a very low reactivity threshold - this means that stimuli at low intensities which would be ignored by other dogs are often triggers for aggressive behaviour in the breed. They also have very high arousal levels - they become physiologically aroused very quickly and to extreme levels.
One of the huge problems is actually the fact that the breed is extremely friendly and when well-socialised they are usually quite tolerant and very sweet. What people don’t realise is that the danger does not lie in the fearful, defensive under-socialised Pit Bull (as is so often the case with other breeds), it lies in the dog who will be triggered not into defensive behaviour, but into a predatory/fighting behaviour which is enjoyable and carried out in a happy state of mind - therefore a happy, outgoing dog is in this case no guarantee that one will not have a problem. In fact, due to the sociable nature of the dogs and apparent easy-going temperament, Pit Bulls are often put into situations which they are not equipped to handle - this is how so many tragedies occur.

TRISH KING, Director, Behavior & Training Dept. Marin Humane Society

The fourth undesirable characteristic - arousal or excitement - is actually the most problematic. Many bully dogs cannot seem to calm themselves down once they get excited. And once they get excited all their behaviors are exacerbated. Thus, if a dog is over-confident and has a tendency to body slam or mount, he or she will really crash into the other dog or person when he's aroused, sometimes inadvertently causing injury. He may begin to play-bite, and then bite harder and harder and harder. When you try to stop the behavior, the dog often becomes even more "aggressive." In this way, play can turn into aggression fairly quickly. Research on the brain has shown that excited play has exactly the same chemistry as extreme anger. This allows a play behavior to switch quickly into aggression. And, once the dog has become aggressive a few times, the switch is much easier.



DIANE JESSUP, pit bull expert, breeder, former ACO
"Jessup, the animal control officer in Olympia, uses two pit bulls to train police and animal control officers on surviving dogs attacks.
Unlike dogs who are nippers and rippers, her pit bulls are typically "grippers" who bite down and hang onto their victims."


Jessup believes that much of dog behavior comes from their genes. “I truly believe that a dog is about 90% genetics,” says Jessup.
on protection sports
This difference in “sheepdog versus bulldog” mentality in a trainer is best understood when training the "out!” or release command. It is common practice for those training shepherds and sheepdog types to use force such as hard leash corrections or electric shock to get the dog to release the sleeve. Sadly, I had one young man come to me because a club trainer was slugging his little Am Staff bitch in the nose, till she bled, trying to get her to release the sleeve. She would not! And of course she would not! She was a good little bulldog, hanging on for dear life, just as her bull and bear baiting ancestors of old did. She was a super little gripping dog, who took the pain she experienced as just “part of the job” once her owner set her upon the sleeve. And this is the response from well bred pit bulldogs—to ignore pain while gripping. It is, after all, what they are bred for! Give me a bulldog like her, rather than one which will allow itself to be yanked off the sleeve due to pain.



MICHAEL BURNS, Los Angeles Animal Control Lt.
You have a dog that has aggressive tendencies enhanced through constant and incestuous breeding. If there are some recessive genes on the aggressive or psychotic side, they will make themselves manifest.

They are different. There's an absence of the normal sounds a dog makes when it attacks. It's almost a workmanlike way they hold on in an attack. It's a persistence I haven't seen in any other breed.




KURT LAPHAM, a field investigator for the West Coast Regional office of the Humane Society
Most breeds do not multiple-bite. A pit bull attack is like a shark attack: He keeps coming back.



DAVID GENDREGSKE, Clare County MI Animal Control Director
“In my opinion they appeal to the most irresponsible pet owners and to younger people,” he said. “The younger people have no jobs to support the animal, or they have to move where animals aren’t allowed and (the dogs) end up here.” Certain people like pit bulls because they are intimidating, he said. “They want to scare people. It’s an intimidation thing. They’re number one with those being incarcerated. If there’s a dog left behind (when someone is sentenced to jail or prison), it’s always a pit bull,” he said. He cited the time a pit bull got out of a car and attacked a horse. He was pulled off, but he went back and grabbed the throat. He was pulled off again and again and went back after different parts of the horse. “What kind of a dog but a pit bull would do that?” he asked. “All dogs can bite but not with that ferocity. “ Some people will say that how a pit bull acts and reacts is dependent upon how the dog is raised, he said. “But he was raised to kill for centuries,” he said. “You can’t breed it out in one generation.” If the popularity of pit bulls is a fad, it’s a long term one, he said. “I keep seeing more and more pit bulls,” he said. “It’s getting worse.” Pit bulls, he said, are not good as a working dog, except for perhaps wild boar hunting. “And they’re not one of the smarter breeds,” he said, despite other’s beliefs that they are intelligent.



KEVIN COUTTS, Head Dog Ranger, Rotura, New Zealand
There was concern among dog authorities about American pitbulls being allowed into New Zealand as they were dangerous, unpredictable animals, Mr Coutts said.

"A lot of people in this town get them because they are a staunch dog and they will fight. They are perceived as vicious ... It's frustrating they were ever allowed in the country ... we can't go back now though," Mr Coutts said.


COUTTS' comment on a pit car mauling
This sort of thing happens when people own this breed of dog and then don't look after them.



GARRETT RUSSO, dog trainer
I estimate Medical & Veterinary bills related to injuries caused by pit bulls in the Tompkins Square dog run in 2011, $140,000.00. Estimated Medical (human) & Veterinary (canine) bills from all other breeds and mixed breeds combined during the same period, $5,000.00. (Estimate gathered from reports to by owners to the dog park association.)



VICTORIA STILWELL, celebrity dog trainer
Presas are not to be fooled with, they're dangerous. You've got a fighting breed here. You've got a dog that was bred for fighting. You've got one of the most difficult breeds to handle.



CESAR MILAN, celebrity dog trainer
"Yeah, but this is a different breed...the power that comes behind bull dog, pit bull, presa canario, the fighting breed - They have an extra boost, they can go into a zone, they don't feel the pain anymore. He is using the bulldog in him, which is way too powerful, so we have to 'make him dog' (I guess as in a "regular" dog) so we can actually create the limits. So if you are trying to create submission in a fighting breed, it's not going to happen. They would rather die than surrender.". If you add pain, it only infuriates them..to them pain is that adrenaline rush, they are looking forward to that, they are addicted to it... That's why they are such great fighters." Cesar goes on to say..."Especially with fighting breeds, you're going to have these explosions over and over because there's no limits in their brain."



STEVE DUNO, dog trainer, pit bull owner
"The dogs that participated in these attacks weren't Pekingese. You don't have herds of Pekingese roaming the city attacking people. When someone says all breeds are created equal, well then they're denying the definition of what a breed is. Breed serves a particular purpose."

"I like them. They're eager. They're athletic. They're aesthetically pleasing. But even if they're bred perfectly, they can be problematic, particularly with other dogs."

"When you combine the breed specific behaviors ... with owners who either don't give a rip, or with owners who (have) too much dog, you have a problem."



JEAN DONALDSON, dog trainer



ARLENE STERLING, Newaygo County, MI Chief Animal Control Officer






JIM CROSBY, pit bull hired gun




Insurance industry

PILAR WAGNAR, Allstate spokeswoman, Clearwater, FL



Lawyers/Judges

THOMAS J. MOYER, Chief Justice, Ohio Supreme Court 1987-2010
"The trial court cited the substantial evidence supporting its conclusion that pit bulls, compared to other breeds, cause a disproportionate amount of danger to people. The chief dog warden of Lucas County testified that: (1) when pit bulls attack, they are more likely to inflict severe damage to their victim than other breeds of dogs; (2) pit bulls have killed more Ohioans than any other breed of dog; (3) Toledo police officers fire their weapons in the line of duty at pit bulls more often than they fire weapons at people and all other breeds of dogs combined; (4) pit bulls are frequently shot during drug raids because pit bulls are encountered more frequently in drug raids than any other dog breed.... The evidence presented in the trial court supports the conclusion that pit bulls pose a serious danger to the safety of citizens. The state and the city have a legitimate interest in protecting citizens from the danger posed by this breed of domestic dogs."



WILLIAM M HOEVELER, US DISTRICT JUDGE, ADOA v Dade County, Florida
Despite plaintiffs' contention that there is no such animal as a pit bull, plaintiffs' own experts have written articles about their pedigreed dogs referring to them by the common nickname of pit bull. At trial, these experts identified photographs of dogs as pit bulls, rather than delineating the dogs into any one of the three breeds recognized by the kennel clubs. Moreover, veterinarians commonly identify dogs as pit bulls -- rather than one of the three recognized breeds -- by their physical characteristics. Two veterinarians, testifying for the defendants, stated that they are often called upon to identify a dog's breed because it is an integral part of the animal's health record. This they do by reference to standard physical characteristics. Generally, these veterinarians testified, owners themselves know what breed their dog is.

There was ample testimony that most people know what breed their dogs are. Although the plaintiffs and their experts claim that the ordinance does not give them enough guidance to enable owners to determine whether their dogs fall within its scope, the evidence established that the plaintiffs themselves often use the term "pit bull" as a shorthand method of referring to their dogs. Numerous magazine and newspaper articles, including articles in dog fancier magazines, refer to pit bull dogs. Veterinarians typically refer to the three recognized breeds and mixed breeds with conforming characteristics as pit bulls. In addition, the veterinarians who testified stated that most of their clients know the breeds of their dogs.



DON BAUERMEISTER, Council Bluffs, IA prosecutor



BOB JOHNSTONE, Cincinnati, OH city attorney



KORY NELSON, Denver, CO City Attorney
The most significant point about the justification for bans or restrictions of pit bulls is that these are not dependent upon a claim that every pit bull has a higher than average propensity for attacking humans. The justification is based on the clear evidence that, as a group, pit bulls, compared to other breeds, generally have a higher propensity to exhibit unique behavioral traits during an attack. These behaviors havea higher likelihood of causing more severe injuries or death. The Colorado Dog Fanciers trial court made this clear, stating that, while it could not be proven that pit bulls bite more than other dogs, there was “credible evidence that Pit Bull dog attacks are more severe and more likely to result in fatalities.” The court, in great detail, noted fourteen separate areas of differences, including: strength, manageability and temperament, unpredictability of aggression, tenacity, pain tolerance and manner of attack.

A municipality that is experiencing a problem with pit bull attacks needs to consider for itself the best course of action to protect its citizens, especially those most likely to be unable to defend themselves from the tenacious and sustained attack of a pit bull, who will likely bite, hold, and tear at its victim despite efforts to stop it. However, given the clear rational evidence, breed-specific legislation is still a legally viable option.There is no new evidence that undermines the holdings of Colorado Dog Fanciers, only new relevant evidence that adds additional support for BSL, as the differential treatment of pit bulls is based upon logical, rational evidence from the scientific field of ethology.



KENNETH PHILLIPS, Attorney for dog bite victims dogbitelaw.com
In 2013, there have been 18 canine homicides of which 17 were committed by pit bulls or pit bull mixes. Our dogs are not killing us. Pit bulls are killing us. And although pit bulls attack and kill strangers like Claudia Gallardo, 38 (killed by a pit bull in the front yard of its owner's house in Stockton, California) and Pamela Devitt, 63 (killed by 4 pit bulls running at large as she took a walk in Antelope Valley, California), the usual victims are our children, parents and guests.

I have come to believe that the modern pit bull should not be thought of as a dog at all. A dog is man’s best friend, but this is an animal that will kill the man, his wife, his children, his parents and the guests in his home. Clearly this is not man’s best friend; clearly it is not a “dog” in the sense that we think of a dog. Charles Manson was anatomically a man, sociologically a neighbor, and legally a citizen, but he is spending his life behind bars because he was a deranged individual who orchestrated mayhem and murder. Just because pit bulls look like dogs, they do not have to be thought of like we think about dogs such as golden retrievers and Yorkshire terriers.

In almost all homicides carried out by pit bulls, the owners and neighbors express shock and disbelief because the animal never gave a sign that it wanted to kill anyone. But to me, this is like a drunk driver expressing shock and disbelief that his car could kill. In both types of cases, a person made a choice to do something incredibly reckless, either by getting drunk or by getting the animal that makes headlines because of the frequency and brutality of its killing. We need to stop people from doing these reckless things.

Lawmakers have to stop listening to the nonsense about breed specific laws which is spouted by the owners of bully dogs like pit bulls. Since 2006 there have been 3 psychological studies which focused on the personality and behavioral traits of the owners of pit bulls and other high-risk breeds of dog. A study published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence showed a link between ownership of high-risk dog breeds and deviant behaviors, crimes against children and domestic violence. Another study concluded that "vicious dog ownership may be a simple marker of broader social deviance." A third study established that the owners of high-risk breeds of dog displayed more antisocial thinking styles, have an arrest history significantly higher than owners of other dogs, and engage in fighting to a significantly greater degree than other dog owners. They also had higher levels of overall criminal thinking patterns to go with the actual criminal behavior. These people, who are fixated on the animals that kill, maim and terrorize, are not the people that a lawmaker needs in his camp. Reasonable people want fair laws that provide a solution to the obvious problems caused by pit bulls.


Pit Bull breeders, owners, fanciers, experts

DIANE JESSUP, Washington pit bull owner and expert



JOHN ROCKHOLT, South Carolina dogman


MARK PAULHUS, HSUS southeast regional coordinator


KATE RINDY, co-author Pit Bulls Are Different, former HSUS employee and assistant to Randall Lockwood, former executive director of Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society




PEGGY E. WARFLE, Manager Wake Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animal Shelters, Raleigh, NC.





DAVID PREMACK, PhD



this list will be continually updated