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Provo seeks pit-bull answer

Some new neighbors moved in with their Rotweillers. They killed 2 cats the first week and chased our 6 foot son up on top of his van. These people would not get rid of these dogs until the sheriff and animal control had given them 20 warnings. Every neighbor we have called animal control at least once. The sheriff wouldn't do anything...couldn't do anything until they killed someone. This didn't happen, but it could have. The people who own these breeds are boneheaded. They destroy the peace of neighborhoods and don't keep the dogs in.

[quote]The Centers for Disease Control, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Humane Society of the United States examined 20 years of dog-bite fatality research and found that pit bull-type dogs and Rottweilers cause the most fatalities. However the report, completed in 2000, stated "enforcement of breed-specific ordinances raise constitutional and practical issues."[/quote]

Below is what the CDC report actually concludes:
(From CDC site)
[quote]A CDC study on fatal dog bites lists the breeds involved in fatal attacks over 20 years (Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998). It does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic. Each year, 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs. These bites result in approximately 16 fatalities; about 0.0002 percent of the total number of people bitten. These relatively few fatalities offer the only available information about breeds involved in dog bites. There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill.[/quote]

"The people who own these breeds are boneheaded. They destroy the peace of neighborhoods and don't keep the dogs in."

That is a rather large blanket statement. There are problem dog owners that own all breeds. The problem is not the breed it is the owner. Action should be taken against owners who let their dogs run at large. You ban pit bulls and rottwielers and these same types of owners will simply move to another breed as a new fad. Breed specific legislation is not the answer to the problems cited in this article

What this story is screaming is a loose dog problem, not a breed problem. Have AC pick up these dogs when they are reported loose. I am sure there is a leash law? How about enforcing that instead of going to the extreme of BSL which is unfair to the owners who do properly contain their dogs.

Because law enforcement does not adhere to local or state leash laws, that makes ALL owners of large breed dogs boneheads? In this case law enforcement seems to be a misnomer based on the lack of enforcement of the law(s).

The new neighbors are disrespectful of their new neighborhood and should be penalized for their actions, or better said inactions of not controlling their pet.

How are all owners of a large breed dog boneheads? The three I have at the house now don't disrupt anything. They don't run free, they don't kill neighbor's pets, they do bark - they're dogs and can't form words, they are not a nuisance, they are loved by the neighbors, they are obedient, and the German Shepherd Dog, has been trained not to go up to anyone unless I tell him to. I guess I'm a bone head for having large breed dogs.

Dogs reflect the owners. If the owners are careless so will be the dogs.

Police officers responded to 93 incidents of animal bites during the
past two years  nine of which were attributed to pit bulls, said
Provo Chief Administrative Officer Wayne Parker. Parker noted that
three of those incidents happened in the Provost neighborhood.

>>>>>>>>>>
Less than 10% of the bites were attributed to pit bulls. How does this make it a pit bull problem? What about the breeds that make up more than 90% of the dog bites here?
Animal control needs to pick up the loose dogs and enforce the leash laws!

It isn't the breed, it is the owners. We got a puppy, a 'terrier' that was so cute and grew up big and loved kids. They rode her like a horse.(the kids were small) Then we were told by a horrified neighbor when we moved that we had a "Pit Bull", a killer dog. Yep, turned out it was a Pit Bull Terrier. We didn't know that. She was a real danger to lick you to death. When we moved into a new place we could not have a dog so now she lives with a family that has six children and is still a gentle and loving animal.
Provo needs to enforce the ordinances against animals running loose, owners not taking care of them and whatnot, not try to ban a breed. Might as well try banning cowboys as almost all horse thieves are cowboys.

The problem is people who let their dogs run loose. I have dogs and it is a problem when I walk them to have loose dogs come running at us - never knowing if they are going to attack or are merely curious. We also have dogs roaming the neighborhood at night and tipping over trash cans and scattering trash. They are a problem and other people should not have to deal with dogs that are not theirs. Keep your dogs contained and under control and there is no need for further legislation.

As several have stated... this isn't a breed problem - it is a lack of enforcement. There IS a leash law. ENFORCE it. I can't believe, in the case of the bad Rottie owners, that "there was nothing law enforcement could do". Fine the owners BIG for the animals being loose. If the law doesn't allow for it, change THAT, but banning or restricting a breed is not the answer.

Your problem is definitely not the non-breed, 'pit bulls'.

It is a lack of enforcement of local bylaws. Dogs should not be running at large except at off-lead areas under direct owner supervision.

You likely feel there is a lack of resources. This is a common belief. Zero-tolerance enforcement of dog licensing and direction of those funds to animal services, rather than general revenue, will ameliorate your situation.

Don't buy into the myths and hyperbole about dangerous breeds/mixed breeds of dogs. None of it is supported by facts and scientific evidence.

While people like to reference the CDC's rather casual studies, the methodology and results are not widely accepted - even by the CDC team itself.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Obviously, you have a problem with negligent owners in your area. Try zero-tolerance enforcement of licensing and leashing for starters. You should see results with that approach.

Breed bans don't work. They create endless problems for officials and citizens. The 'breed' thing is nothing but a red herring, which is why it is a complete failure wherever it is implemented.

Good luck with your scofflaw dog owner problem.

As most of these comments have stated, it is a people problem, NOT a dog problem or a breed-specific problem. I completely agree. Let's not have a knee-jerk reaction and ban those "evil" pit bulls. That shows a clear lack of education.

Enforce the leash laws and educate people on how to be responsible pet owners (there seems to be a wide array of opinion as to what "responsible pet ownership" means). Owning a dog means you make a 10-15 year commitment to that animal- providing food, shelter, veterinary care and vaccinations, providing for all of its needs (not just physical needs), picking up after it, and not allowing it to roam free unless in a designated off-leash area. DO NOT GET A DOG IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO STICK TO THESE COMMITMENTS. I do all of the above and more with my 2 large dogs and I am tired of those individuals who consistently do otherwise. A few people's negligence and disregard ruin it for those of us who are responsible pet owners.

Enforce the existing laws and there won't be this problem with any breed.

Fact: Breed bans do not work!
Fact: Out of 93 dog bites, only 9 were attributed to 'pit bulls'. Being that this term generally applies to three types of dogs; American Pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, and the Staffordshire bull terrier (as well as any dogs that may be mixed with any of these), then I find the fact that only 9 bites being attributed to three different breeds should not even be used in an argument for breed specific legislation. If anything this proves my point that breed bans will not solve the problem caused by negligent dog owners who own dogs in all shapes and sizes.

Whenever there's a problem, politicians have to act as if they're doing something. It's easier to pass a new law instead of providing more funding for Animal Control.

If Provo just strictly enforced the leash laws in that area, there wouldn't be a problem.

I could not agree with you more. My nieghbors have always let there dogs fun free and they are a pain but it is the owners that are not teaching the dogs. I have had many dogs over the years and we have tried to train them so they don't run and don't bite and neighbors have loved our dogs but have not liked my nieghbors dogs which are the ones crapping on everyone's lawns and running free. This article never mentioned people talking to the owners but only the police. Why not try to get to know your neighbors and talk to them?

Sorry to disrupt the "all dogs are the same" story here. I've been an insurance agent for over 23 years. So I refer you to the Merritt Clifton report.
It is a study from US & Canada from 1982 to 2006.
It's rather lengthy so I'll just give a couple of comparisions to enlighten a few dog lovers here. And I happen to love many breeds of dogs.
There are several columns of incidents breaking down things like "Attacks", Child victims, Adult victims,
death, maimings, & notes.
The study lists all breads of dogs from a to z.
For example Akita- 48 attacks- 39 maiming 1 death.
Chow dogs 49 attacks-6 deaths-32 maimings.
Pit bull terrier 1110 attacks-104 deaths-608 maimings.
Insurace companies are the ones that see, and pay for all of the bad owners behaviors. But let's stop pretending that one dog is the same as the next.
My favorite stories are the ones that say "he was always so gentle he'd almost lick ya to death. Then he got out one day and killed, maimed etc. I just couldn't believe he would do that."
I do like the legislation that holds owners responsible/liable for their pets actions.

The law will not help you. take matters into your own hands and make your neighborhood safe for you and your children.

I have had a problem with my neighbors and their dogs for years.

You step outside the house and they start barking. This may go on for an hour. You wake up in the middle of the night with barking, barking, barking.

Their poop piles up on MY fence and falls through the chain link into MY yard. It must be a foot deep.

It stinks like a pig farm all summer especially when we a a nice little afternoon shower.

Three big dogs for years -- two low quality labs and one big brindle colored something. Big poop, big barks, big stink, big nuisance.

A million complaints finally resulted in a big cardboard something that covers the view. NO poop removal. NO barking resolution.

When irresponsible people have dogs the situation often becomes unbearable. It is all the same,if they disturb the peace the police need to do something.

Hell, they made "cloak boy" stop singing, why can't the make running, biting, and being nasty boy knock it off?

It actually is a breed problem. The reason is the bite force. Most breeds, German Sheperds, Golden Retrievers, and most other large dogs bite with a force of 600 to 800 lbs per sq inch. Bad, but not terrible. On the other hand, Pit Bulls have a bite force of over 1200 lbs. That is bone breaking. The problem is that when one of these dogs go bad, they are really bad. Yes, it usually an owner issue, but that doesn't make much of a difference to the victim. Ban the breed.

This situation reminds me of the illegal immigration debate: (1) an issue that many people believe is a problem; (2) laws already on the books that, if enforced, would solve the problem; (3) lack of enforcment of the laws; (4) the problem grows; so (5) politicians feel a need to write new laws. I agree with "This about appearance": just enforce the current laws and avoid all the debate, grandstanding, and gridlock that new proposed legislation causes.

If your dog (pit bull or not) comes after me or one of my kids in my presence, it is going down. I carry the means to defend myself, and I will feel no compunction whatsoever in killing your lose dog if it attacks. These dog owners should be fined and prosecuted to the fullest possible extent.