Scarlett Pereira, 1-year old, was killed by a pit bull in East Providence, Rhode Island.
Clarifications and Updates
UPDATE 07/18/20: On July 16, East Providence police were dispatched to 99 Brookhaven Drive at 2:45 pm for a report of a "disturbance and confrontation." Police arrived to find a child dying with "significant" injuries from a vicious dog attack. Two adults were injured while trying to "intervene" to stop the attack, states a news release by police. The baby girl was transported to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, where she later died. Police described the dog as a "pit bull-type breed."
News footage revealed a large-scale police response, including a police investigator climbing onto the roof of the residence. On Friday, local authorities confirmed that police shot the dog from the roof of the home. Over the course of Thursday evening and Friday, Police Chief William Nebus told the media various -- and sometimes conflicting -- statements that we would like to address. The most egregious statement being that "maybe the dog didn't even know this was a child."
The dog that killed 15-month old baby Scarlett belonged to her grandparents. The young child was over at her grandparent's home on Brookhaven Drive when the dog violently attacked her. Chief Nebus told media outlets, "During lunchtime, there was some food set on the table outside, and the baby was crawling around in the yard where the dog had free reign." Then he categorized the attack as "unprovoked" because the child was not pulling on the dog or reaching for any food.
"There was no food on the ground both of them were going for, there was no hair pulling, no tail pulling, anything of that sort," Nebus clarified.
Chief Nebus then told WPRI: "It’s hard because even a family dog, a family-friendly dog, can suddenly lash out for whatever reason." Yet, the investigation had already categorized the attack as "unprovoked," which means there was "no reason." If a sliver of stimuli had been present, the pit bull's response was so disproportionate -- killing the child, attacking two adults and forcing police to open fire on the dog from the home's roof -- it can only be described as pathological.
Chief Nebus then excused the pit bull breed and denied it: "People might say this was just because it was a pit bull, but be careful of all breeds when you're introducing children," he said. "There was no fault here to throw around, whether it was the parents or grandparents, maybe the dog didn't even know this was a child and didn't realize the extent of what it was doing. I'm not trying to make excuses for that, but, the message is, be careful with all dogs and children."
Question: How can Nebus possibly make the argument of carefully "introducing children" when it is completely unknown (or unreleased by police) if the grandparents had ever babysat this 15-month before? Had the child ever been in contact with this dog in past? Had the child been in contact with the dog prior to lunchtime that day? Without knowing that information, carefully "introducing children" is an excuse Nebus dropped just after defending the pit bull breed.
He then excused the breed again, specifically, he excused fighting pit bulls. Nebus could have found this years-old insufficient justification, "maybe the dog didn't even know this was a child," in many places online. So, where does it actually come from? It stems from Dr. Randall Lockwood, who investigated dogfighting and fatal dog attacks during the 80s and 90s (See excerpts of Training Video Dog Bite Prevention for Law Enforcement and Other First Responders, 2004).
"I've seen many instances in investigating fatal dog attacks from pit bulls that were bred for the fight trade, that these were animals that simply had never learned to distinguish between another dog and a small human being. And the injuries that I've seen and some of the autopsies that I've assisted in, were of children who were essentially being treated by these dogs as another dog would be treated." - Randall Lockwood
It's bad enough to use a game bred dog excuse in the case of baby Scarlett -- unless there is reason to suspect her "grandmother" is raising fighting dogs -- but the second part of the sentence is even worse. Maybe the dog "didn't realize the extent of what it was doing." Normal dog breeds have bite inhibition. This dog had zero bite inhibition. This dog executed the killing bite, and did so without provocation. Then the dog attacked two adult family members who tried to intervene.
Next Nebus stated, "I'm not trying to make excuses for that, but, the message is, be careful with all dogs and children." Why? Because all dogs might have a similar pathological response? This type of obfuscation perpetuates an endless number of children being mauled, mutilated and killed by pit bulls every year. A dog breed that kills at a rate 6.5 times more frequently than the second top killing breed, rottweilers, and 12.5 times more frequently than third top killer, "mixed-breeds."
We agree that all dog owners should be careful with dogs and small children. Especially, when a child is visiting a dog owner's home. Over the 15-year period of 2005-2019, 27% (139 of 521) of dog bite fatalities involved the victim visiting or temporarily staying at the dog owner's home. Pit bulls carried out 75% of these attacks. Children ≤ 9 years old made up 62% of these victims. The risk factor is only amplified that much more when a young child is visiting a pit bull owner's home.
To be fair, Nebus appeared shaken during most of the media interviews. We imagine every single responder who saw the scene was too.
Lastly, we will address the new information published in the Providence Journal's article. East Providence City Clerk Samantha Burnette told the newspaper that her office could find no license for a dog residing at 99 Brookhaven Drive. Understanding the animal’s licensing status is a goal of police investigators, Major Christopher Francesconi told the Journal. The Rhode Island Department of Children Youth and Families has also been notified, Francesconi told the paper.
07/17/20: Pit Bull Kills Child in East Providence
East Providence, RI - Last night, WJAR reported that East Providence police were dispatched to the area of 99 Brookhaven Drive at about 2:45 pm for a "disturbance and confrontation," Police Chief William Nebus said. It may have sounded like a disturbance, because people were trying to control the dog, he said. Multiple people were taken to the hospital; the extent of their injuries was unknown. Today, Nebus' office issued a release stating that a baby girl died from her injuries.
WPRI video footage from Thursday, shows a police investigator on the roof of the family's home, while police, fire and animal control vehicles surrounded the residence. The release states that family members were eventually able to contain the dog in the backyard. The investigator may have been on the roof to determine how best to remove the dog from the backyard. If there were no safe options, police presumably shot and killed the dog ("dog was euthanized by police").
"They scaled the roof, I heard two shots, then another two shots, and then they just cleared everybody out." - Neighbor Heidi Dorazio, WPRI
In addition to the dog killing the baby, two adult family members were taken to Rhode Island Hospital for injuries sustained while trying to stop the attack. The dog is described as a "pit bull-type breed" that belonged to the family at the residence. The release states that family members injured the dog while trying to intervene to stop the attack. In another "multi-victim" attack, one family pit bull produced three victims, killing one. This is categorized as a "rampage attack."
Earlier this year, there was an "unprovoked" rampage attack in Plainfield, Illinois, after a male pit bull attacked four family members, killing one. The 25-year old victim who died, Devin White, was the owner of the dog. The pit bull also attacked three other people in the household: a 52-year-old woman, a 25-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man. All four victims were transported to local hospitals by ambulance. Plainfield police officers also dispatched that pit bull at the scene.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 17, 2020
East Providence Police Investigating Dog AttackEast Providence, RI -- On July 16, 2020, at approximately 2:45PM, East Providence Police responded to a residence on Brookhaven Drive for the report of a disturbance in progress. During the response, further information was obtained by dispatchers, and officers were advised that a child had been bitten by a dog.
Upon arrival at the residence, officers located a 15 month old female with significant injuries from the dog attack. Police immediately began life-saving procedures. The East Providence Fire Department arrived on scene and continued attempting life-saving care. The baby was transported to Hasbro Children's Hospital by East Providence Fire personnel. Sadly, the baby succumbed to her injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Two adult family members were transported to Rhode Island Hospital for injuries sustained while attempting to intervene in the attack.
The dog, a pit bull type breed, was injured during the incident by family members attempting to intervene and contained in the back yard of the residence. With the assistance of East Providence Animal Control, the dog was euthanized by police. The dog belonged to the family at residence.
At this time we are not aware of any prior incidents involving this dog, but the case remains under investigation by the East Providence Police Detective Division and East Providence Animal Control.
Caitlin Callahan DeAngelis, who is organizing the fundraiser for baby Scarlett states, "Yesterday afternoon, my former brother in law and his wife had their baby girl tragically taken from them. She was 15-months old and just starting to walk. She was brutally attacked by a family member's dog and did not make it." She adds, "My heart aches so hard for them right now. I cannot imagine the burden of losing my baby so tragically and then bearing the unexpected expenses of burying her."
WLNE reports the dog belonged to the child's grandparents. At the time of the attack, the child was being babysat. "It started out like any other day, where a parent dropped their child off at their grandparents’ house for babysitting and a visit," Chief Nebus said. "During lunchtime, there was some food set on the table outside, and the baby was crawling around in the yard where the dog had free reign, it was a fenced-in yard, and the dog just, unprovoked, went after the child."
Chief Nebus reiterated that the investigation showed the violent attack was entirely unprovoked. The child wasn’t pulling on the dog or reaching for any food, reports WLNE. "It was horrific, I mean, everybody’s imaginations can run wild and it still wouldn’t be the true picture of what was there and seen by the officers that arrived first," Chief Nebus told reporters outside of the public safety complex building. Police said they are not aware of any prior incidents involving the dog.
East Providence police investigator is seen on the roof of the home after a fatal pit bull attack.
East Providence police gather outside home where a pit bull attacked three family members.
View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Rhode Island Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.Related articles:
02/11/20: 2020 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull Attacks Four Family Members, Killing One in Plainfield
11/04/19: Pit Bull Attacks Rise in Pawtucket After State Preemption Law Muted City's Pit Bull Ban
10/31/19: 2019 Dog Bite Fatality: 4-Year Old Boy Killed by Pit Bull His Family Was Housing...
Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent "baseline" information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.
For spiritually bankrupt people, the lure of owning dangerous canines is too great to resist. Why is it not illegal to possess dangerous canines? Extremely high popular demand, is why. The thrill of possessing dangerous canines is so great, that even normal cognitive functioning people willingly force their children to play the odds and be exposed to the risk of extreme threat. Normal cognitive functioning can never compensate for spiritual bankruptcy. We are surrounded by inanimate objects that are dangerous, but the inanimate objects are not capable of self configuring to full auto mode. Dangerous canines, however, appear to be ok/fine, but then suddenly, unprovoked, they self configure to full auto mode. There is very good reason why people possess motor vehicles and other inanimate objects. The only reason why people have a strong desire to possess full-auto dangerous canines is to assuage their deep-seated aggression drives.
People will grasp at the food on the table as the “reason” this dog attacked… as if the very presence of food justifies a dog attacking anyone.
People continue to justify these attacks… fireworks, the presence of food, health emergencies, a startling sound, dogs were fighting and separated, etc…. as if any of those make it okay that a dog reacted violently. It’s not okay, and normal dogs don’t kill because of these things. Pits and other highly reactive, incredibly strong, horribly tenacious breeds are being pushed as safe family dogs, yet when these sorts of family activities occur (as they will) the attacks are somehow justified. No dog should be that reactive. Any dog breed that proves itself over and over again to be that reactive has no place in society.
Poor baby. There’s hopefully going to be a point at which being supposedly ignorant of the danger of these breeds is going to sound just as silly as someone saying “I didn’t know drinking impairs your driving” or “I wasn’t aware that parked cars get intensely hot in the summer” or “it never occurred to me that leaving a baby unattended in the bath could be dangerous.” People wouldn’t cut anyone who made those claims any slack, and they shouldn’t for those who allow babies around these dogs.
These ” parents ” need to be arrested and charged with Manslaughter and Reckless Endangerment !
This is a terrible, and all too common, scenario. Parents dropping off a child with a caregiver or relative who owns one of these monsters. There seems to be no end in sight with this preventable carnage.
I wonder if photos existed of this baby with its “nanny dog.” If so I’m sure they’re gone now. Oddly the mother has only an ultrasound picture of the baby on her Facebook page, along with a picture of two German Shepherds and a quote that they’d be taking over “big brother” duties when the baby is born. That was their official birth announcement. So one can see the mindset of the parents… they were likely just fine with their child going to a grandparent’s home to visit the baby’s “uncle” or “aunty” pit bull.
Talk of a baby being a sibling to animals makes me retch and shows an inbalanced view of pets versus people, so it’s not shocking that they’d fall into the camp of “it’s all in how you raise them.” You know, if their dog died, no matter how beloved, they would grieve and get over it. The dog would have been dead in 12 to 15 years anyway. But when an actual CHILD dies, that is something that will never be gotten over. A hole is left gaping in that family. The whole order of parent caring for child, grown child caring for elderly parent, and all the subsequent memories and generations to come are destroyed when that baby dies. Real siblings (not dogs) born in the future will be aware of someone always missing. There will be baby pictures of a person who never grows up. The loss of a child is heart rendingly sad and can tear couples apart. To say a child is a sister to a dog is deluded. Ask these parents 20 years from now, when their baby should have been a young woman just entering adulthood and the “brother” dogs are long since dead, “Who do you wish was still here?” Unless they are completely unfeeling and devoid of all natural human affection, they would say, “Our daughter.” Ask them if it was worth it to their parents to own the number one killer of children. Ask them if they could go back, would they still leave their precious baby in the care of the “nanny dog” that day?
If they are human, this will haunt then for the rest of their lives. Was it worth it?
Sorry to say, but some of these people will choose the dog over the daughter.
Why? Because they’re, as Sellis said, completely unfeeling and devoid of all natural human affection.
That’s why they gravitate toward dogs. They’re operating under the mistaken belief that dogs love them unconditionally.
The reality is that dogs are not capable of such a thing. What some humans see as affection — the tail wagging and the licking — is actually the dog’s attempt to ingratiate the food source. All dogs do this, pit bulls included.
Once again, the root of this problem is the out of control worship of dogs. Until dogs are put back in their proper place, the attacks and the maulings will continue.
I’m surprised your post is still here unchallenged. You speak as if all dog breeds are the same. As if a beagle does the same thing that a pit bull does. Dogs, in general, are not the problem. Certain breeds are the problem.
Is sounds like the pit may have been an “auntie dog” or “ uncle dog.” Maybe they considered the siblings together as well so let them play together in the back yard.
I will never understand why the medical associations do not become more vocal about pit bulls. Study after study is published with little noise following it. The animal (pit bull) welfare groups make so much noise and do it constantly that many people do not know these studies exist or where to find them. As for these parents, shame on them for trusting family pit bulls. Really, it is worse than shame, it is criminal. They chose, in 2020, to put their child in a home with a pit for childcare. As for the grandparents, I wonder if they are just stupid or senile to have pits at grandparent age. They all deserve the regret and PTSD this will cause them for the rest of their days. Leaving a child on the ground or babysitting one with a pit in the home should be considered criminal. I can’t wait to see what these grandparents look like and hear their excuses. Part of me hopes they are nanny dog people.
Part of me hopes that too, Christy. But it will probably be hard to ever know. Most people seem to immediately scrub their social media accounts of any references to the attacking dog. Funny how they can have the time and the mental energy to do that when so bereaved… I know my social media accounts would be the last thing on my mind if my child or grandchild were killed. Unless I looked culpable in the death, I suppose. I guess that’s the difference.
I pledge to you all right now… when my toy poodle/mini dachshund mix or my toy Aussie/corgi mix mauls someone to death, I promise not to try to erase photos and references to them from social media. It’s an easy promise to make, because somehow I don’t think I will ever be in that situation with my normal dogs. And there would not be so many dog bite related fatalities this year, if individuals had simply owned “normal” pet dogs instead of pit bulls and their ilk, as well as other high prey drive, high tenacity breeds not suitable for pet homes. Normal dogs. That’s all that people need, especially grandparents being used as child care for a baby.
More dead babies.
Between the murdered seniors and the dead babies there’s an onslaught of pitbull murders.
If there was a product on the market that killed people at this rate in bloody horror, it would be banned, immediately.
That’s the problem with the dog lurvers and particularly, pitbull lurvers. They insist that dogs are their babies–not products they purchased or owned and thus are responsible for the use, of.
Personally, I find the word “adoption” utterly reprehensible. Children are adopted. Dogs are purchased, even if they are purchased from some place claiming to be a “rescue”.
When someone purchases a weapon, they are responsible for what happens, afterwards. When someone buys a car–they are responsible for any accidents they incur while driving it. If the defective brakes fail a few times then they lend it to a friend–they can’t then claim ignorance of why their friend was killed or claim to be surprised by the resulting deaths.
It’s that mindset of “it’s a family member” as opposed to “I own a dog.”
They’re deliberately purchasing dogs with a high percentage of defective brakes then blaming everything BUT the fact they purchased a line of products with a high degree of defective brakes.
Generally when that happens, the product is banned because stupid or ignorant people insist on buying it because they’re sold on the speed or paint job.
A whole lot of people have no idea that these dogs are actually dangerous. The campaign to make sure that the average person doesn’t understand how dangerous they are has been extremely successful! I am aware of them only because I witnessed one kill my neighbors little sweet border collie and then the animal control officer left with out taking the put bull. That evening when the owners let it out to terrorize the neighborhood someone ran it over. Then the animal control officer cared! Then I happened to come across this website. BUT I could just as easily have remained ignorant! You see things all over the internet and the shelters all screaming that they’re safe! It took me a lot of time to convince my adult daughter that her friends pitbull was a vicious killer that could snap at any minute. I was unable to get through to other rational members of my family that think I’m overreacting to a single dog “fight” they don’t want to see all of the dead babies and are revolted by my telling them about the children who were unfortunate accidents! Sorry to burst anyone’s bubble but their propaganda campaign has been very successful and the people who have fallen for it are the VICTIMS! I honestly doubt that grandmother or mother had a true sense of the danger they were putting that baby in! It’s too the point where they media and law enforcement cover up the danger of these dogs! Oh and as for dogs not being able to love, you need to read the 100 SILLIEST THINGS PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THEIR DOGS. Even most scientists have stopped lying about animals being incapable of feeling, especially since they no longer dissect them while they’re awake! So pit bulls having serious aggression doesn’t mean that normal dogs with brain chemistry and structure the same as the animals called humans are not capable of love, and all other feelings!
It’s so refreshing to read these comments and enter a sane world. So many good points. This ludicrous idea that dogs are children or siblings is maddening. This past week, we’ve witnessed dead children, the elderly, and the disabled being mauled. The recent story about a six-yr-old little hero on national TV for saving his sister’s life was confusing regarding the breed of the dog. It was referred to as a Shepard mix or breed “unknown.” But the attack was described as a lunge and then a latching on to his face. Once again, no pictures of the dog. Somehow, nothing in the stories addressed the danger of vicious dogs. The media made it into a feel-good story and then simply glossed over what kind of monster did this to him? The child required 90 stitches in his face!. The boy is truly amazing, but why does he and all children have to live in a world where this happens WAY too much?
Terry:
Reminds me of the dog trainers and sensible folks that slagged the video where the cat saves a child from a loose pitbull mauling.
While the general public and dog lurvers were all, “YAY for da cat!” most sensible dog trainers were aghast that a cat should have to save a toddler from a rampaging pit bull trying to murder him in his own driveway after clearly stalking the child on his tricycle.
You know it’s insane when a cat has more sense than the dog owners.
When will it end?! When will people wake up and see that pit bulls have no place in our society? Countless children murdered before they truly start to live. This little girl was only just starting to walk. Her life was taken before she was even able to walk on her own. That is tragic and it should be the cause of outrage! These attacks should be getting national media attention. If every single pit bull attack on innocent children made major news like the covid-19 virus, these things would probably have gone extinct long ago.
Yes, the cop was under extreme stress at the time but when I see “dog” substituted for “pit bull” I see intention. Especially when “ all dogs” or “ any dog” comes up. It is inexcusable for him to say there is no one to blame.
Honestly, how does a marriage survive this? If this were my in-laws, I would have such deep hatred for them and my husband if he defended them or was responsible for convincing me this was a ok baby sitting situation. If it were my parents, I could not look any of my in-laws in the eye ever again and rightfully, I would expect them to hate me. But, this would never be me because I hate pits and I don’t associate with people who have them and o cut ties with any who get one.
The comments from Chief Nebud regarding pit bulls are horrific and will only serve to produce more dead children. How dare he issue statements like this after having seen the bloody aftermath? “I’m not trying to make excuses for that…” he says. Oh, but you are, Chief. And you’re reassuring every pit owner that it won’t happen to them if they take precautions. The blood of babies is on your hands, Chief Nebus.
I guess the only singular excuse I can find for this man’s words is that he can’t comprehend in his mind that a DOG, someone’s PET, could possibly do that to a child if it knew it was a child. Well, either that or he goes home to one of these dogs himself every night and he has to reconcile that in his mind.
I’m trying to understand how pit people constantly go back and forth on pit bulls. One second they’re just like any other dog, the next they’re a special breed not for the average owner. One second they were originally “nanny dogs”, the next they can’t properly idenitfy a human child vs a small animal. Pit nutters, please get your lies straight. If the death of innocent children wasn’t a factor, this would almost be humorous. No other dog breed has this many inconsitencies by its own supporters.
It is ridiculous to state that the dog “didn’t know what it was doing” when it latched down to kill this little girl. It’s ridiculous to imply that this dog “didn’t know what a baby was” and that’s why it killed her. All dogs who meet a baby won’t know what they are at first, but they won’t all kill them unprovoked. This man made excuse after excuse while then having the nerve to say he wasn’t trying to make excuses. The simple answer is that a pit bull did what pit bulls do and attacked an innocent person without provocation, causing her death. The sooner more people understand this, the sooner we can be rid of these monster dogs.
“A terrible accident,” is always used by the news, police and pit lunatics. Remember when Ikea had dressers falling over on children and killing them? That’s a terrible accident. Now, I see PSA’s warning parents to secure dressers to the wall. But not with the pit plague. It goes on and on. If “any” dog could turn and execute a child, dogs would no longer be pets. Who would have “any” dog that could do this? Colleen named it perfectly…this was a “rampage” carried out by a bloodthirsty time-bomb…not just “any” dog. Notice, the monster turned on the owners. Was that a “terrible accident” too? Even the police couldn’t contain this killing machine.
all dogs can be dangerous …….!???
That’s like saying , all cats can be dangerous after someone gets attacked by a pet Lion !
For all you ppl out there with yorkies, poodles and king cavaliers.
Better watch out , your child is in potential GRAVE DANGER 🙄
Murderous pack hamsters on the loose.
RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!
Yep. I’m over here eyeing my two Frenchies now, just wondering when they’re going to turn on me…
There are so many inconsistencies with the logic of pit pushers.
It’s all in how you raise them… but rescue this several year old dog we know nothing about.
It’s all in how you raise them… that well-loved, well-trained dog that turned on its devoted owner must have secretly been abused.
It’s all in how you raise them… but let’s adopt out the ex-fighting dogs, because they will be so grateful and love will heal them.
They’re nanny dogs… but you shouldn’t ever leave a baby alone with them.
They’re nanny dogs… but if a baby is killed it probably must have cried, crawled on it, or pulled its fur, thus getting what it deserves.
My pittie would never hurt a fly… but if you disagree with me I’ll sic my dog on you.
Pit bulls would never hurt a fly… but if someone comes into its yard of course it’s going to kill it because it’s a protection dog.
Pit bulls are no different than any other dog… but they are the bestest, most special dogs ever and I’m never going to get another breed.
The media is biased against pit bulls, which is the only reason they seem to be attacking more than other breeds… (pit owner unavailable for comment because he or she is watching one of the many programs devoted exclusively to pit bulls, or a television show starring a pit bull, or a news segment explaining that all dogs bite, or The Dodo’s latest pit bull feel good story).
Pit bulls aren’t even a breed… see my new shirt and bumper sticker that says “I love my pit bull.”
Pit bulls aren’t even a breed… I know it’s true because I read it on the “pit bulls are the best” Facebook page and it was written by a real pit bull expert who wins trophies at pit bull shows.
Pit bulls weren’t bred to be fighting dogs… but of course if your little yappy dog walks by one it is going to attack it because it feels threatened.
Pit bulls make the best service dogs… but that pit that killed a man having a seizure was just scared and didn’t know what to do.
Blame the deed, not the breed… but pits which kill or maim should get another chance.
Blame the deed, not the breed… (pit owner not available for comment since he or she ran away from the scene of the latest mauling and is desperately trying to wash the blood out of pibble’s coat).
It’s racist to be critical of a certain breed of dog… but don’t you know Chihuahuas are just the worst ever?
Ban stupid owners, not a breed of dog… everyone should get a pit bull, because until they do they won’t know the truth about this wonderful breed.
Pit bulls are the smartest and most loyal of dog breeds… but they sometimes get really confused and can’t tell a toy from a person.
MY sweet pibble would never hurt me because it’s my whole world, my everything and I love it… (pit owner unavailable for comment because she is bleeding out in the back bedroom, weakly pummeling against Bella or Zeus with fists that have been shredded to meat with exposed veins and tendons, while Bella or Zeus continues to shake and tear at the owner’s throat until she can’t even get enough voice to keep pleading with her beloved pibble and tell it to please stop as it kills her).
Wow…well said. You covered it all because you’ve seen and heard it all. Last year, I reached out to a woman who had been shredded by a pack of pits. She was dragged off her bike and nearly killed. Not only did she not blame the breed, to prove her point, she decided to adopt a pit mix. On this issue, I have to accept, there are some things I will never understand.
Completely unfathomable. Sounds like mental illness, really.
Some women marry serial killers in prison.
At least in that case, they might get some romantic letters and a book deal.
I suspect this woman thinks that getting a dog that terrifies her, will help her get over her fear.
All it *will* do, is make her training that dog nearly impossible every time it triggers her panic–thus leading to the inevitable outcome that even a fake psychic could see, coming.
I went to a psychologist to help me to deal with PTSD. I switched psychologists after mine confessed to owning a pit, and she mentioned “teddy bear”… and that was my cue 🙈 I also compare women who own these dogs to the types of women who enjoy the idea of changing a beast, that somehow they are the exception to the rule… It is a narrative used in 50 shades of grey all the way to Twilight. The idea of loving a beast and controversially being loved and protected in return is romanticized. How the hell could this PSYCHOLOGIST not see that? I guess some people become psychologists to help unstable people, and obviously this will attract them to the idea to own unstable animals, but honestly I doubted her intelligence and capabilities the moment she told me about her “sweetheart teddy bear”. I would love to see stats on pitbull owners who were also married to criminals or unstable partners. How much do you really care about your child if you choose an unstable dog? It’s a gamble! I care more about my Yorkie than they care about their children, and that’s disturbing.
I recently met a new neighbor who had a pit who, unprovoked, attacked her and latched onto her face and she blamed herself because she had hugged her dog and “read it wrong.” To her credit, she had the dog PTS, but the cognitive dissonance was sad to witness.
I keep asking the Pitbull nutters or those contemplating getting pitbulls, “What can you possibly get out of a pitbull that another dog cannot do, just as well, or better?”
They’re too unstable to be protection dogs. They are too unpredictable to be family pets and they’re too prey/fight driven to be any kind of disability assistance animal.
Making them, in this society, utterly pointless as well as a societal menace.
Sellis, your comment should be made into a meme or something else we can all easily use when (futilely) arguing with pit fantasists because it encompasses everything.
Anyone is welcome to do so!
To me it seems no different to the crazy people who marry convicted murderers and are then murdered by them. Bonnie and Clyde syndrome but with dogs. Here in the UK Pit bull’s are prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act. I started looking on this site as I wanted to rehome a rescue dog. The dog rescue sites here are full of unwanted Staffordshire Bull Terriers and they are really pushed and promoted by charities, this site has really helped me decode the information from the rescues and made me realise most of the dogs are listed as “only pet” no “small children to visit” “no cats” I wanted a dog not a liability I didn’t think about this much until I read about it on here and now the alarm bells are ringing. I still want a dog as I lost my 2 dachshunds to old age and I miss having a dog. I have asked to go on a respected assured breeder’s wait list for a small scent hound.
There are several dachshund breed rescues in the UK if you search it.
https://www.facebook.com/TheRedFoundation.DachshundRescue/
https://www.facebook.com/DachshundRescueUK/
https://dachshundrescue.org.uk/
My dachshund Delilah is 12. I wish you luck in your search. They are darling little dogs.
Joanne:
I’d never discourage someone from a rescue dog. I have a preference for highly trainable dogs around 10-12 months.
What I want to hear from a rescue org is, “I don’t know why it’s here other than it seems a bit rambunctious” or “new baby/moved to a no-dog condo/owner died, etc” which is commonly why people dump dogs. What I don’t want to hear is “Oooo poor baby it’s abused” because I know they’re shilling me a line of sh*t in 99% of the cases. My present dog was hauled out of a sledding kennel that was raided.
I always advise people to go with a dog training/dog handler friend who will steer them clear of power breeds and help find something suitable for a companion dog. I test for temperament, intelligence and trainability but that’s prolly just me. Go home and wait a day. Then I decide. If I feel anxious instead of feeling anticipation it’s the wrong dog.
It comes down to not buying into the looks or the sales pitch and as a guideline, looking at, “Can I work with this dog to get the kind of manners and sociablity I need or will this dog just be so much fixer upping that it won’t bring something great into my life?” Or “Is this dog potentially more trouble than its’ worth?”
Also a red flag is that they won’t allow you to handle several dogs for a minimum of a half hour each–to check for behavioural problems and temperament or spend their entire time telling you how many problems you’ll have to solve or hoops you have to jump through (no kids/cats/warrantless searches of your house) before they’ll sell you the dog.
I am so sick of people defending these dogs please stop the nonsense how many people and children have to be killed for them to realize that they are dangerous and do not need to be provoked at all. a lot of times they turn even on their own owners the same ones they love and protect so what is the excuse there; there is no excuse for these people to have to have a Pitt Bull for a pet none what so ever.
I work in Animal Control, and can personally attest to the insanity of pit bull supporters.
I love dogs – normal dogs. Yes, 80 percent of the dogs in our adoption center are pitbulls. I’ll be the first to tell you that you probably shouldn’t take any home.
I’m so sick of the bad dog apologists, and the pitbull ‘mythbusters’. Pitbulls don’t have ‘locking jaws’ – technically, no. However, I’ve broken up over a dozen pitbull fights, and these dogs will clamp down and not let go, so the lack of a special locking mechanism means nothing.
Yes, all dogs bite. When I respond to a dog bite call, it could be any breed. But every serious dog attack, with EMS and cops on scene and literal puddles of blood – always a pitbull or other power breed responsible.
The worst thing about is that pitbull supporters have to drag every dog down to the same level in order to validate pits. Hey, any dog can kill you. Any dog can murder your baby, they say.
No, not any dog can, not any dog will. Stop blaming every dog for the problem of pitbulls.
Well said, Scott.
Good comment.
“Any dog can” is baloney (being polite here) because if it were true, it would mean that risks are equally distributed across all breeds of dogs, and that bites and maulings and deaths would also be equally distributed across all breeds of dogs.
And yet that’s not what we see. At all.
The statistics clearly show, even when breed % of the total dog population is adjusted for, that some breeds are higher risks than others when it comes to inflicting bites. Some breeds are higher risks than others for inflicting serious injuries via bites.
And less than a handful of breeds, or breed types, are in the highest risk category for maiming and killing. And only one breed type is the lopsided “winner” when it comes to killing other domestic animals by the tens of thousands, every single year.
It takes a special kind of personality (a disordered one) to look at a Papillon or a Yorkie and claim that owning that kind of dog is just as risky as owning a pit bull (but but but “any dog can! including your little 5-pounder with a tiny mouth!”)
I also have yet to see a pit owner successfully verbally command their mauler to release when it has clamped its jaws on a victim. And yet German Shepherds and Mals can be, and are, trained to do exactly this. A powerful dog that is also highly biddable is way less risky than a powerful dog that can rarely be stopped from attacking even when it is hit, kicked, beaten, pepper sprayed, tased, knifed and shot.
Nice to meet you Scott.
I used to dog train for a rescue/animal control housing facility.
I too was aghast at the *amount* of pitbulls in there. Now we have BSL and guess what? Other, easier-to-manage dogs are now in the facility taking up space. Which is good–as families looking for pets are at far less risk.
I too, think pitbull nutters are atrocious dog owners. Every excuse for atrocious behaviours and unwilling to do the work to fix the problems as they whinge on about feeling sorry for how misunderstood their lunging, disobedient menace, is.
Then add in genetics. Every dog is *not* a pitbull. Someone email me post haste when a springer spaniel murders a grandma.
My assessment of pitbull lovers was that they felt utterly powerless in their own lives and were rebels without a cause. Pitbulls are a “feel good” cause that’s easy to fight for, without having to actually change anything in society while simultaneously virtue signalling. Add in the bonus that half the neighbours are terrified of being mangled by the beast and there’s a cognitive dissonance that just boggles regular peoples’ minds.
It’s good to hear the accounts of those who have been in shelters/rescues and know the reality. Also refreshing to hear that in places with BSL, a family has a chance at getting a normal dog.
I’ll keep up with those Springer Spaniel mauling death stats. If I hear of any fatalities due to that breed I will let everyone know. Should be any day now, since “all dogs can kill,” right?
So true Scott, they don’t have a ‘lock-jaw’ just an extremely strong jaw that the average adult male person, cannot open with their bare hands…lock-jaw pffft! ridiculous notion, been doing the rounds for decades, just an urban myth, imagine being mauled by a pitbull or x pit ‘type’ mutt…we all know it’s the pit bit in a mixed dog breed that is so dangerous, 3/4, a half or even a 1/4 pit is still a dangerous dog
That is an excellent point about pit owners not being able to get their dogs to release once they’ve attacked. They can’t even get them to release THEMSELVES if the dog attacks the owner! I can’t imagine having a dog so powerfully driven by its genetic predisposition that not only will it simply choose not to let go but you can’t even force it to let go without a break stick or severely injuring or killing it. “But but but pit bulls don’t have locking jaws,” the defenders cry out. Okay. Sure. They may not have jaws that “physically” lock as they attack, but for all practical purposes they have jaws which they both choose not to open at command and which are specially designed through musculature and width to maintain a grip. Might as well be some sort of “locking mechanism” when you combine that sort of tenacity with such strength! In all the videos I’ve watched of people trying to get a pit bull to let go of a victim (human or animal), I’ve never heard anyone say, “Hey wait, they don’t have locking jaws, after all! That’s just a myth!” No, what you see is people desperately doing anything they can to get the dog to let go. My mind always goes back to that horrific 911 call in which a mother pleads with her boyfriend’s pit Kilo to let go of her baby for 10 minutes. It’s awful to listen to as she ineffectually tries everything the dispatcher suggests. Notice that the dispatcher does not say, “This will be easy, he probably doesn’t even have your baby in a tight grip, because pits don’t have locking jaws.” No, he said, “Yelling at it isn’t going to help, you need to get a knife and cut his throat.” Anything that you need to kill in order to make it release might as well have “locking jaws.” And if even their owners can’t get these dogs to release at command, then these are dogs which clearly don’t belong in society.
If a breed is bred to bring down bulls…hence the name pit BULL…it certainly will not let go. Imagine the strength and tenacity that takes. Now, put a human being, a child or an infant in that death grip. We are in the midst of a pit plague. On top of this horrific virus, the shelters are cheering about the “adoption” of tons dogs a.k.a. pitties. (How I hate that term!) Yes, let’s bring a loaded gun into the house and let the children play with it. Ugh.
God bless the police and other first responders that have to deal with the after effects when one of these meat grinders does what it was designed and bred to do.
Defund pit pushers.
https://nypost.com/2020/08/04/georgia-teen-fighting-for-life-after-vicious-pitbull-attack/
If I recall correctly, it is about 40 people admitted to the hospital per day, just in the USA, from dog bite traumatic injury. Above is just one of forty hospital admissions from dog attack for the past 24 hours in America. If every half hour, the worst of 500 dog bites per 30 minutes in the USA made national news, maybe in our lifetime some effective legislative action would occur?