Bulldogs Sent Home
UPDATE 03/13/08: The American bulldogs have been released back to their owner; the same owner that left them by themselves for the weekend. He also tells the media a bold-faced lie: "They were in quarantine for ten days got a positive report from the vet, animal control wouldn't even label them potentially dangerous."
The Martins declined to be interviewed, but said that Joanna and the family dog are doing better. Members of the neighborhood are afraid of the dogs now; they're not too fond of their owner either. Just last week the homeowners association passed an amendment to prevent more attacks by them and other vicious dogs.
Owners of vicious animals or attack animals are required to pay $100 dollars per day, as long as they harbor the animals.
This is a neighborhood where Stewart's dogs are not wanted anymore. It is a scenario that is duplicated all over the United States thousands of times. No American citizen or family should be forced to live near dangerous, vicious dogs. We don't allow coyotes or mountain lions in our neighborhoods either.
03/05/08: American Bulldogs Attack a Woman
Foley, AL - Breed-specific pit bull laws should always include the American bulldog in its definition of a pit bull. The two stem from the same lineage. As they share many genetic (and physical) characteristics, pit bull owners often try to dodge breed specific ordinances by calling their pit bulls "American bulldogs."
The most recent victim, Joannah Martin, has 18 stitches in her arm after a pair of American pit bulldogs attacked her. When she and her dog fetched the paper that morning, the animals bolted from across the street and attacked. Her husband James said, "I opened the door and saw my wife on the ground being mauled."
The dogs' owner, Austin Stewart, says that nothing like this has ever happened before. His two dogs, Boomer and Thunder, were home alone over the weekend. Yet, they managed to open up the latch to the fence to attack Joannah and her dog. He says that euthanizing his dogs because of the attack is "a little dramatic."
These creatures were officially named “American Pit Bulldogs” until the 1970’s.
The Bully breeders have been extremely creative with changing breed names over the years to distance the dogs from their British blood sport heritage, adding “American” or regal sounding “Staffordshire” to disguise it.
Just once, just once, could I read a story where a bull breed owner shows ANY empathy at ALL for the victims? How about an apology? Really, it would be funny if it weren’t so scary. Do you have to be a sociopath to own these dogs?
I am beginning to think so.
It’s part of the culture of owning these dogs. The owner of the dog that attacked me never even asked my welfare indirectly — to animal control or my attorney; both made a point of letting me know this…
Again and again these reports show it’s the owner, not the dog, that is at fault. Why would a responsible dog owner leave two massive dogs alone for a weekend? It simply makes no sense. Bored dogs will find something to do. In this case they found a way out of their fenced yard.
The owner should be punished, not the dogs.
The dogs left their territory to attack…That’s a common Bully breed characteristic.
You have to be living under a rock not to know the risks of owning one of these breeds. They calculated it when the bought the dog, don’t expect contrition from them.
the bull dog created the pit bull and when the bull dog nearly became extinct after ww2, they used a lot of pit bull blood to revive the bull dog breed. add to that that today many bull dog breeders are deliberately crossing bull dogs with pits.
there is very little difference between these two breeds.
I hate to think of all of the people who have a neighbor just like Austin Stewart…
i feel safer already howie! that $100 ought to do the trick!
This story put me in mind of Knoxville, Tn in how they returned dangerous dogs back to their irresponsible owner.It no wonder thugs think it is cool to have dangerous dogs and let them attack.
I am living that nightmare right now in Georgia. I was just attacked by my neighbor’s American bulldog and her pitbull. The court case is pending. One dog is still with her, the other in quarantine because it didn’t have its shots. She not only didn’t ask after my welfare, not only didn’t apologize, but tried to blame me for the attack and lied on her report to animal control. For YEARS I have been reporting this woman and her dogs, only to be told they have to hurt somebody before anything will be done. Well, now they have hurt someone, me, and they’re still with her. I’m furious and outraged. Georgia is the most backwards state I’ve ever lived in. It’s ridiculous.
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