More pit bull attacks (pitbulls, most dangerous, versus)

[TimtheGuy]

Originally Posted by citybythebay

LOL...another untrue statement.

BTW...what insurance company doesn't charge higher premiums no matter what you own...ie., house, boat, car or three ....???...too funny! LOL

Are you saying insurers don't want to know if you own a pit bull? While I am no agent, I think they do. I see no correlation to house, boat car?????

I am saying your homeonwer premium will be higher if you own a pit bull. It will be a surcharge like having a wood stove or fireplace as there is inherently more risk. While there will be no surcharge for owning a poodle, lab, golden, beagle...etc. unless there has been a claim. Just like there will be no surcharge if you don't have a fireplace or woodstove.

Any agents want to chime in?

[citybythebay]

Originally Posted by TimtheGuy

Are you saying insurers don't want to know if you own a pit bull? While I am no agent, I think they do. I see no correlation to house, boat car?????

I am saying your homeonwer premium will be higher if you own a pit bull. It will be a surcharge like having a wood stove or fireplace as there is inherently more risk. While there will be no surcharge for owning a poodle, lab, golden, beagle...etc. unless there has been a claim. Just like there will be no surcharge if you don't have a fireplace or woodstove.

Any agents want to chime in?

LOL...I was making a funny about the insurance industry as a whole...ya know...how they like to either rip people off... no matter what you own....guess it flew over pretty quick!...no biggy...

I own an APBT and my insurance is no higher than the next person.
However, there are quite a few companies that take advantage of all the hype and join that alarmist club ...but I know which ones those are and I steer people away from them.

Matter of fact, my insurance agent has three APBT and two Neapolitan Mastiffs. I love my agent!!

[TimtheGuy]

Originally Posted by citybythebay

LOL...I was making a funny about the insurance industry as a whole...ya know...how they like to either rip people off... no matter what you own....guess it flew over pretty quick!...no biggy...

I own an APBT and my insurance is no higher than the next person.
However, there are quite a few companies that take advantage of all the hype and join that alarmist club ...but I know which ones those are and I steer people away from them.

Matter of fact, my insurance agent has three APBT and two Neapolitan Mastiffs. I love my agent!!

Ya, it went right over my head.

[Slig]

While you pitbull activists continued your bickering a seven year old boy was killed by a pitbull in North Minneapolis. The dog bit him repeatedly in the neck, his dad tried to help him and he ended up being hospitalized for bites as well. Pit Bulls kill...it's a fact.

[Slig]

Pit bull kills 7-year-old Minneapolis boy at home

[jbmath26]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']Pit bulls, like all dogs are great companions. I can’t believe anyone would actually think its ok to ban certain dogs. I have been working with dogs now for the past few years and I can say from my experience that evil dogs don’t exist. Next time you see an “evil” dog I suggest taking a look at the owner. [/font]

[Rottie_Grrrl]

Ok, so let's say we ban all the Pit Bulls...do you really think the people who want theses dogs for all the wrong reasons, who mistreat them, give them no training and no socialization are going to stop getting them?

Let's say we managed to wipe the breed from the face of the earth...do you think that these same people who want them for their tough image or protection aren't simply going to switch to another breed? Then that breed will become the "dangerous dog dejour"...as Rottweilers, Dobermans, and German Shepards have been in the past...

This isn't a problem that can be solved by banning a breed of dog...that gives people a false sense of security..."now that the pit bulls are gone my child is safe from dog bites"...tell that to the 12 year old girl who was mauled by 2 Cocker Spaniels in NE Mpls a couple months ago...or the man who was attacked in New Brighton 2 months ago by a Laborabor Retriever...tell that to Paula Ybarra who was viciously attacked by an American Bulldog...the woman in France who received the worlds first face transplant, her injuries were sustained from a Laborador Retriever...

Owner responsibility and zero tolerance for human aggression is the only answer...the fact that it takes 3 bites for a dog to be deemed dangerous is ridiculous...ZERO tolerance...one bite and you're out...mandatory licencing, owner education, and canine obedience....dog ownership should be a privledge, not a right...if you cannot responsibly care for, train, and manage a dog you shouldn't be allowed to own one...period.

I am the owner of both Rottweilers and Pit Bulls...none of my dogs have ever bitten anyone and they never will...why?

Because they've been trained, loved, and socialized.
Because I never allow my dogs to be around children unsupervised.
Because the education of my dogs, and the people they come in contact with is an ongoing thing.

Think of a car…in the wrong hands it’s capable of serious injury and death. So what do we do? We train drivers…you’re not allowed to drive unless you studied proper driving techniques, passed a test, and received a license. Then your driving is monitored for the rest of your life. If you handle that car in a irresponsible manner you get a ticket. If you continue to do so, you get fines and your license is taken away. If you’re found driving after that, you go to jail…
Thousands of people are injured or killed by cars every year, but you do hear anyone talking about banning them?

It’s like the saying goes… “If you outlaw pit bulls, only outlaws will have pit bulls”. The vast majority of the owners of the dogs that bite and hurt people aren’t following the laws to begin with…do you really think that banning a breed will change that?

[AVguy]

You guys are talking right past each other. The issue is whether or not it is worth the risk to have mistreated, dangerous dogs in our cities. Yes, I venture to say that most pit bull owners are fine owners, maybe even excellent owners. These are probably the pit bull owners posting on this web site and you are likely in the majority.

Now for the rub: Not every pit bull owner is a good owner. Fair enough? In fact, many of these bad owners get pit bulls because these bad owners can train pit bulls to be incredibly dangerous. Is it worth the risk to allow bad owners access to deadly weapons? Many say "no" because these bad owners often lack the judgment and ability to safely contain their dogs, which in turn, endangers nearby neighbors and children. It's like any other animal--we don't allow tigers in our cities, not because they are inherently dangerous, but because bad owners would put all of us at risk.

That's the debate. People who disagree with you don't necessarily hate pit bulls; rather, they are concerned about the risk posed to society when pit bulls are in the hands of bad owners.

[AVguy]

This is a matter of preventable risk, not risk in general. We have risks everywhere in society, but we tend to outlaw risks that are seen as preventable.

The lack of enforceability of laws does not mean that we shouldn't have them. Meth is illegal, as well it should be, but we still have meth epidemic. We shouldn't make meth legal just because we can't catch everyone. It's about 'making the honest man honest.' Your analogies do not fit.

Notice that these dogs bit, but did not kill the victims. I can train my terrier to be very mean, but she isn't going to kill anyone.

[Rottie_Grrrl]

The Pioneer Press just did a piece about previous fatal dogs attacks in Minnesota since 1960...not one of them was by a Pit Bull

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_6652261

Two of them were by Alaskan Malamutes...should we ban them too?

I'm all about preventing risk...but as I said, outlawing one breed of dog isn't going to cut the risk of dog bites...

The vast majority of pit bull owners are responsible pet owners...these dogs are involved in therapy work and law enforcement and score on the average higher by the American Temperament Testing Society than many of the so-called "safe, family breeds"...

You said "It's about 'making the honest man honest.'...it's the honest, responsible owners of these breeds that are going to suffer if BSL passed...it's the well behaved and loving family pets that will be turned in or seized because those responsible owners have had their pets registered with the city.

The irresponsible owners of badly trained and socialized dogs aren't going to be lining up to turn them in...those dogs will be chained to a post in the basement, where some unsuspecting child who is not being monitored by their parents are still going to have access to them...