In 2012 I had no idea the bull terrier I had selected for the masthead of this blog may or may not be as good a “buddy” as I then assumed. The pit bull debate is very polarizing, with both sides digging in and seizing into their viewpoint with such ferocity and tenacity that a “break stick” may be needed to loosen up opinions. Two clarifications are needed to dispel some of the confusion in regards to this issue:
1) Any pit bull
ban would be grandfathered in. This means that fears of a family member being
taken away would be unfounded. The ban would apply entirely to future lethal
dogs, dogs which owners have never met or formed an emotional attachment with.
2) Arguments
that there is no scientific consensus as to what exactly a pit bull is, and
that would therefore nullify a reason for bans, are a red herring. An
intelligent, reasonable ban would include the top five most dangerous breeds.
This would therefore include Rottweilers.
Overview
“Pit bulls
make up only 6% of the dog population, but they’re responsible for 68% of dog
attacks and 52% of dog-related deaths since 1982, according to research
compiled by Merritt Clifton, editor of Animals 24-7, an animal-news
organization that focuses on humane work and animal-cruelty prevention.....”
“Another
report published in the April 2011 issue of Annals
of Surgery found that one person is killed by a pit bull every 14 days, two
people are injured by a pit bull every day, and young children are especially
at risk. The report concludes that ‘these breeds should be regulated in the
same way in which other dangerous species, such as leopards, are regulated.’
That report was shared with TIME by PETA, the world’s largest animal-rights
organization......”
“As pit-bull
attacks become more and more common, they’re getting increasing attention on
social media, but not always in support of the wounded children. In March, a
Facebook petition to save Mickey, a dangerous pit bull in Phoenix, got over
70,000 likes. Mickey was facing euthanasia for mauling 4-year-old Kevin
Vincente so badly that he cracked his jaw, eye socket and cheekbone. Kevin is
facing months of reconstructive surgery, but
more people were concerned with saving the dog than helping the boy.
Mickey’s Facebook page has now become a social-media landing page to save other
dogs that are considered dangerous. ........”
“Even PETA,
the largest animal-rights organization in the world, supports breed-specific
sterilization for pit bulls. ‘Pit bulls are a breed-specific problem, so it seems
reasonable to target them,’ said Daphna Nachminovitch, PETA’s senior vice president of cruelty investigations. ‘The public is misled to believe that pit
bulls are like any other dog. And they just aren’t.’ Even the ASPCA
acknowledges on its website that pit bulls are genetically different than other
dogs. ‘Pit bulls have been bred to behave differently during a fight,’ it says.
‘They may not give warning before becoming aggressive, and they’re less likely
to back down when clashing with an opponent.’”
Pediatric dog bite injuries: a 5-year
review of the experience at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
“Five
hundred fifty-one patients aged 5 months to 18 years were treated in the emergency
department after suffering dog bite injuries during the study period……. Grade
school-aged children (6 to 12 years) constituted the majority of victims (51
percent), followed by preschoolers (2 to 5 years; 24 percent), teenagers (13 to
18 years; 20.5 percent), and infants (birth to 1 year; 4.5 percent)……. More
than 30 different offending breeds were documented in the medical records. The
most common breeds included pit bull terriers (50.9 percent), Rottweilers (8.9
percent), and mixed breeds of the two aforementioned breeds (6 percent).”
Mortality, mauling, and maiming by
vicious dogs
“Our Trauma
and Emergency Surgery Services treated 228 patients with dog bite injuries; for
82 of those patients, the breed of dog involved was recorded (29 were injured
by pit bulls). Compared with attacks by other breeds of dogs, attacks by pit
bulls were associated with a higher median Injury Severity Scale score (4 vs.
1; P = 0.002), a higher risk of an admission Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 or
lower (17.2% vs. 0%; P = 0.006), higher median hospital charges ($10,500 vs.
$7200; P = 0.003), and a higher risk of death (10.3% vs. 0%; P = 0.041).
“CONCLUSIONS:
Attacks by pit bulls are associated with higher morbidity rates, higher
hospital charges, and a higher risk of death than are attacks by other breeds
of dogs. Strict regulation of pit bulls may substantially reduce the US
mortality rates related to dog bites.”
Characteristics of 1616 Consecutive
Dog Bite Injuries at a Single Institution
“Dog bite
injuries remain a common form of pediatric trauma. This single-institution
study of 1616 consecutive dog bite injuries over 4 years revealed a much higher
prevalence of dog bites as compared with other similar centers. Though
inpatient admission was rare (9.8%), 58% of all patients required laceration
repair, primarily in the emergency department. Infants were more than 4 times
as likely to be bitten by the family dog and more than 6 times as likely to be
bitten in the head/neck region. Children ≤5 years old were 62% more likely to
require repair; and 5.5% of all patients required an operation. Pit bull bites
were implicated in half of all surgeries performed and over 2.5 times as likely
to bite in multiple anatomic locations as compared to other breeds.”
Characteristics
of Dog Bites in Arkansas
“CONCLUSIONS: The results of this retrospective review are aligned mostly
with the general trends found in previous national and global studies,
supporting the notion that family dogs represent a more significant threat than
often is realized and that, among the breeds identified, pit bulls are
proportionally linked with more severe bite injuries. Our data further validate
previous studies that note an increased risk of bites and bite severity in
children younger than 5 years.”
Dogs and Orthopaedic Injuries: Is
There a Correlation to Breed?
“CONCLUSIONS: Thirty-nine percent of all dog-bite related emergency
department visits at our facility resulted in an injury requiring orthopaedic
treatment. Pit bull terrier bites were responsible for a significantly higher
number of orthopaedic injuries and resulted in an amputation and/or bony injury
in 66% of patients treated, while bites from law enforcement dogs and other
breeds were less associated with severe injuries.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/29912736/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/29912736/
Morbidity of pediatric dog bites: a case series at a level one pediatric trauma center
Morbidity of pediatric dog bites: a case series at a level one pediatric trauma center
“Of 650 dog
bite incidents, 282 met the criteria for inclusion in the trauma database.
Median age was 5 years (range, 2 months to 17 years) and 55% (154/282) of
patients were male. Pit bulls were most frequently responsible, accounting for
39% (83/213) of incidents in which dog breed was documented. Fifty-three
percent (150/282) of dogs belonged to the patient's immediate or extended
family. Sixty-nine percent (194/282) of patients required operative
intervention: 76% laceration repairs, 14% tissue transfers, and 2%
neurosurgical interventions. The most severe injuries were depressed skull
fractures, intracranial hemorrhage, laryngotracheal transection, and bilateral
orchiectomy. Median length of stay was 1 day (range, 0 to 25 days). There were
no mortalities.”
Undeniable Statistics
-----“In the
13-year period of January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2017, canines killed at least
433 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% of these deaths. Rottweilers, the
second leading canine killer, inflicted 10% of attacks that resulted in human
death. Combined, two dog breeds accounted for 76% of the total recorded deaths.”
-----“The
13-year data set shows the combination of pit bulls, Rottweilers and ‘baiting’
bull breeds, fighting and guardian breeds -- American bulldogs, mastiffs,
bullmastiffs, presa canarios, and cane corsos -- contributed to over 80% of all
dog bite fatalities.”
-----“The
13-year data set shows that 48% (208) of all fatality victims were 9 years old
and 52% (225) were 10 years old, a significant rise from the early CDC study
years (1979 to 1988) when victims 10 years only comprised 30% of all deaths.”
-----“A
breakdown of adults fatally attacked by pit bulls follows: Pit bulls inflicted
91% (21) of all dog bite deaths in the 10-29 age group; 72% (36) in the 30-49
age group; 74% (56) in the 50-69 age group; and 66% (50) in the 70 age group.”
-----“Of all
age groups, children ages 0-2 had the most victims, 27% (115). The highest
age-specific fatality rate is infants aged 1, which comprised 48% (55) of this
group. The 50-69 and 70 age groups followed, each accounting for 18% (76) of
all deaths.”
-----“From
2005 to 2017, family dogs inflicted 54% (232) of all fatal attacks. 64% (149)
were perpetrated by pit bulls, up from an earlier period of 56% (2005 to 2010).
Of the 284 fatal pit bull attacks, 52% (149) involved killing a family or
household member.”
-----“In the
13-year data set, 9% (38) of fatalities involved chained dogs, down from an
earlier 6-year period (2005 to 2010) of 14%, and down from the CDC study period
(1979 to 1998) when ‘restrained dogs’ killed 17% of all dog bite fatality
victims.”
-----“In the
13-year data set, only 21% (89) of all fatal dog maulings resulted in criminal
charges. Pit bulls were implicated in 75% (67) of these criminal cases vs.
attacks not involving pit bulls 25% (22) and at a rate 2.5 times higher than Rottweilers.”
“Each year, approximately 4.5 million people in the U.S. are bitten by
dogs. While the majority of dog bites do not require medical attention,
thousands of patients are treated in emergency departments (ED) and hospitals
for dog bite injuries each year…….. In 2008, about 316,200 ED visits involved a
dog bite, a rate of 103.9 visits per 100,000 population. Approximately 9,500
hospital stays involved a dog bite, a rate of 3.1 stays per 100,000 population.
…….. The average cost of a dog bite-related hospital stay was $18,200,
approximately 50 percent higher than the average injury-related hospital stay.
……. Common principal diagnoses for dog bite-related hospitalizations included
skin and subcutaneous tissue infections; open wounds of extremities; open
wounds of head, neck, and trunk; and fractures of upper limbs.”
and
Pit bulls
join several other breeds on the list of dogs that are recognized as more
likely to attack and cause significant injury: The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention analyzed data and found the following breeds are implicated in a
majority of dog-bite fatalities:
Pit bulls
Rottweilers
German shepherds
Huskies
Wolf hybrids
Malamutes
Doberman pinschers
Chow-chows
Saint Bernards
Great Danes
Just a few of the younger 2018 dog
bite fatalities……..
https://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-fatalities-2018.php
Just a few of the younger 2019 dog bite fatalities……..
Just a few of the younger 2019 dog bite fatalities……..
Severe
Attack in Omaha: Another Beautiful Face Destroyed by a Family Pit Bull in a
Multi-Pit Bull Household
Infant
Killed by Family Pit Bull While Under Care of Grandmother in Miramar, Florida
6-Year Old
Boy Killed by Rescued Pit Bull in Blair County, Pennsylvania
Family Pit
Bull-Mix Kills 4-Year Old Boy in Bexar County, Texas
Milwaukee
Woman Mauled to Death by Her Dogs Over the Weekend
Man Dies,
Woman Seriously Injured by Dog in Owensboro, Kentucky
New Family
Pit Bull Kills 3-Year Old Girl in Duncan, Oklahoma
2015 Reconstructive Plastic Surgery
Statistics
In 2014,
more than 28,000 people underwent reconstructive surgery as a result of being
bitten by dogs. See page 9, first procedure on the list.
Bottom Line
What pit
bull owners are basically saying is that they are willing to allow
approximately 26 men, women and children to be violently and horrifically
mauled to death every year in the U.S. just so they can get their enjoyment of
owning any one of the 5 most dangerous breeds. And when they have 300 other
safer breeds to choose from? And add the thousands of emotionally traumatized
children whose impact can never be physically measured. The narcissism and
savagery of pit bull owners and advocates can’t be overstated.
Related Posts
Conceit & Vanity: 21 More Examples of Safe, Cuddly Pit Bulls (and Other Dangerous Breeds) That Turned Violent https://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2018/09/conceit-vanity-21-more-examples-of-safe.html
Narcissism & Entitlement: 21 More Typical Examples of Safe, Cuddly Pit Bulls That Turned Violent https://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2018/08/narcissism-entitlement-21-more-typical.html
20 Typical
Examples of Safe, Family Pit Bulls That Turned Violent http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2018/08/20-typical-examples-of-safe-family-pit.html
Additional Resources
Aggressive Dog Genetics & 21 More Ferocious Family
Dogs https://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2018/09/aggressive-dog-genetics-21-more.html
A Pediatrician’s Plea & 21 More Vicious Dogs https://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2018/09/a-pediatricians-plea-21-more-vicious.html
A Pediatrician’s Plea & 21 More Vicious Dogs https://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2018/09/a-pediatricians-plea-21-more-vicious.html
Conceit & Vanity: 21 More Examples of Safe, Cuddly Pit Bulls (and Other Dangerous Breeds) That Turned Violent https://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2018/09/conceit-vanity-21-more-examples-of-safe.html
Narcissism & Entitlement: 21 More Typical Examples of Safe, Cuddly Pit Bulls That Turned Violent https://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2018/08/narcissism-entitlement-21-more-typical.html
Additional Resources
How to Care For Dogs Recovering From Surgery or an Injury
https://yourdogadvisor.com/dog-surgery/
How To
Prevent Dog Bites
https://yourdogadvisor.com/dog-surgery/
What to do
if an unfamiliar dog approaches you and you do not want to interact with it
What to do
if you are bitten or attacked by a dog
Diseases You
Can Get from Dog Bites
Estimated
U.S. Cities, Counties, States and Military Facilities with Breed-Specific Pit
Bull Laws https://www.scribd.com/doc/56495216/Estimated-U-S-Cities-Counties-States-and-Military-Facilities-with-Breed-Specific-Pit-Bull-Laws
The science
of how behavior is inherited in aggressive dogs https://www.animals24-7.org/2015/11/10/the-science-of-how-behavior-is-inherited-in-aggressive-dogs/
Jerry De Luca is a Christian freelance writer who loves perusing dozens of interesting and informative publications. When he finds any useful info he summarizes it, taking the main points, and creates a (hopefully) helpful blog post.
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