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12 thoughts on “2013 Dog Bite Fatality: 7-Year Old 'Visiting' Galesburg Boy Killed by Pit Bull

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  1. I went to the original article and was pleased to see that most of the comments thus far have been supportive of the family and are AWARE that the offending dog was a pit bull, even thought that author of the article probably was too afraid to say it. Of course, at the bottom, there is a typical "Of COURSE, it's tragic, but you know, it would have been ANY breed!" Then they go on with their pit-loving nonsense.

    It doesn't seem to matter what happens in the news. I can't see to convince ANYONE that something that requires a break stick to stop a fatal dog attack is not something that should be kept as a pet. Even pit bull proponents say that you SHOULD NOT use a break stick on any other dog breed as it will seriously injure the dog. Does that not tell you that maybe, pit bulls are different from other dogs? Seems like common sense to me.

    It's a good thing that I read this, tragic thought it is. I have been looking for another job lately. I volunteer at a (legitimate) no-kill shelter for cats and small animals, and I absolutely love it. I saw a job posting for another shelter that was close to home and I thought it was a dream come true. The problem is I found out that they are up to their eyeballs in pit bull propaganda and that they take in pit bulls from dog fighting operations, "train" them, and re-home them. It was crushing, and I hemmed and hawed, thinking that if I wore a mask, used a break stick, etc. I would be safe. Ultimately, I decided to decline because ethically, I can't be part of someone getting injured or killed because some pit hole shelter thought it was a great idea to home a fighting dog with a baby or kitten. I also can't risk my own safety working with those kinds of dogs. I have no idea what training or equipment, if any, the shelter requires in order to handle these pit bulls, but it looks like none. After all, if they are just like other dogs, why bother? In the event that I DID get injured, the other pitiots would probably blame me and do nothing to help me. For minimum wage and no benefits, it's just not worth it.

  2. The people need to contact the publisher and editor of that newspaper and ask them why they chose to protect the interests of the dog breeder business lobby by hiding and suppressing the status of the offending dog.

    This is business interests trumping media ethics and trumping public safety.

  3. Ah, here it is! I know we were all waiting on pins and needles for "the excuse":

    The Director of the Knox County Humane Society, who would not go on camera, did tell us that pit bulls have a bad reputation for being an aggressive breed, but she said an animal is what an owner makes it.

    This dog had never shown aggression according to its owner, but the AC implies she abused it to make it attack Ryan Maxwell.
    Disgusting.

  4. So, pit bulls have to be abused in order to attack? Yeah, sure. Just like retrievers need to be abused in order to retrieve.

    Epic fail, animal control.

  5. Please take a look of the Illinois Pit Bull DBRF map….If you inspect the AVMA headquarter icon just outside Chicago, note that it is almost completely obscurred by red Pit Bull DBRF balloons.

    I once read a vet tech comment that every time Aunt Millie drops $5K having FiFi sewn back together after a Pit Bull gripping, that the Vet can retire a month earlier.

    *DISCLAIMER…THIS HAS BEEN IMPORTANT PUBLIC SAFETY MESSAGE

  6. A mother allowed her daughter and a murderer's fighting dogs to move into her home.

    What kind of dogs would a murderer, a selfish person who hurts other people, choose to have?

    Fighting breeds. Pit bulls.

    Who would let these dogs into their home?

    We are seeing a repeat pattern year after year. The watercolor artist lady was another one.

    Children and grandchildren pushing pit bulls into their parents and grandparents homes, to hurt their own relatives and take advantage.

    Parents and grandparents must say no to being put in this situation.

    There is a reason that others aren't allowing these dogs on their property.

  7. A newspaper story details how Ryan's favorite TV show was Finding Bigfoot. Local people contacted Discovery's Animal Planet, that produces and airs the show, and they agreed to dedicate an episode to Ryan.

    Does anyone see the hypocrisy of a cable TV channel that routinely produces and airs shows dedicated to lobbying for pit bull breeders and dealers?

    Many of Animal Planet's shows have been little more than advertisements for pit bulls, fighting breeds, deceiving the public with myths designed to cover up the problems with these breeds, and ignoring the deaths and injuries for children, in the TV channel's drive to exploit these dogs and allow the pit bull industry to create mayhem in society that takes away other people's rights and lives.

    Animal Planet has helped to enable the pit bull industry to prey on children, in their quest for profits.

    There seems to be a disconnect among middle class and poor people that don't understand that the rich pit bull lobbyists and a media that caters to them are manipulating society and destroying their children with this neverending pit bull propaganda and promoting.

  8. Regarding the recent update-

    Last week a gal was killed by a lion at a big cat sanctuary. The family is distraught but understand the lion was just being a lion.

    Indeed the pit bull was just being a pit bull, doing what pit bulls are supposed to do.

    The big difference here is that there are not multi million dollar business placing lions into homes and convincing people that its just how you raise them.

  9. I got my cuddly lion as a cub and he wouldn't hurt anyone! He'd rather lick you to death! It's all how you raise them. Only abused lions attack.
    U R racist against lions.

    ;-p

  10. 2009 Galesburg Pit Bull article…They knew they had a pit bull attack problem a few years ago:

    Fourteen dogs, all pit bulls, were deemed dangerous in 2008 and 2009 to date. Only one person opted to pay the extra fees to continue to own the dog. The others were either surrendered to the animal shelter, or given away. There are currently two dangerous dogs, one pit bull and one Labrador retriever, that are being kept and paid for in Galesburg

    http://www.galesburg.com/news/x1689190066/Large-number-of-pit-bulls-in-shelter-a-concern?zc_p=0

    PREVENT THE DEED, REGULATE THE BREED

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