what would you do?

a craven reader sent me this:

I’m curious to know how other pit victim supporters react in these everyday situations involving pits:

What do you do when you run into a pit bull somewhere like a pet supply store, dog festival, or dog park? Do you say anything to the owner? To others in the area?

Does it make any difference if the pit bull is an adult or a puppy? Does it make any difference if there are kids with the owner, or even kids walking the dog?

I’m curious what others would do. Here are a few scenarios that I’ve seen recently:

CASE 1) A middle-class woman and her children are at a local pet supply place with their friendly pit puppy. Everybody else at the store (also middle-class) comes up to oooh and aaah at it, pet it, say how much they LOVE pits, and how they want their own next dog to be a pit TOO. Admirers include families with toddlers and young children, and other people with dogs.

Would you join in petting the friendly little puppy? Ignore it and walk past? Start a discussion of how dangerous pits can be when they grow up?

What if the owner of the pit puppy asks point blank if their (friendly, 3 month old) puppy can come over and meet your dog? At what age of puppy/adult dog would the answer ALWAYS be no?


CASE 2) You’re at a large annual dog fest with over 1000 dogs. The fest has been going on for 20 years and has never had an injury due to a fight. All of the pits present are well behaved, and none seem aggressive towards people or other pets. As you wait in endless lines for food and events, you notice several small dogs in line are going up to sniff and play with pit bulls who are also waiting in line. The dogs are so close that their leashes are even getting tangled. Neither the pit owners nor the small dog owners are paying any attention to their dogs. Most are busy watching contests or looking up the line.

Would you ignore the pits and assume that they must be reliable? Walk away from each line as soon as a pit bull joins it? (Or not even go to a festival that has pits in attendance?) Warn the small dog owners to pick up their dogs and keep them away from the pit bull? Get your break stick out of your pocket “just in case”?


CASE 3) You’re at a mountain look-out. Nearby is a biker-looking couple walking a large pit bull that is straining at his locked Flexi.

Do you say anything to the pit owners? If so, do you snark about how irresponsible they are to have a pit on a Flexi? Or make a friendly approach and offer it as a “gentle suggestion”? On your way down the trail to the parking lot, do you warn people with kids and/or dogs about the dangerous dog up ahead?

I’m curious how others handle these real-life situations. I’m looking for things people would REALLY do (or have done in similar situations), not things you WISHED you could do if you had the nerve.