Posted on July 31, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

Mother of Child Killed by Dog Sentenced to Probation by Judge

Valerie Grace Carlson, 30-years old, sentenced after the mauling death of her son.

Mother Sentenced archived
UPDATE 09/29/11: The mother of a 2-year old boy mauled to death by a dog while she was in a "drunken stupor" in her Tierrasanta home was sentenced to 5-years probation. Valerie Grace Carlson, 30, was also ordered by Judge Laura Halgren to complete a one-year jail term. Since her arrest back in April, combined with good behavior credits, she has already spent the equivalent of 313 days behind bars, leaving her with only a month more to of jail time to serve, reports 10 News.

Judge Halgren said that if she fails to complete probation, Carlson will be imprisoned for eight years for her "inexcusable conduct" on July 31, 2010. In June, Calson -- who has three other children -- pleaded guilty to four counts of child endangerment. One of those counts was in connection to the mauling death of her son, 2-year old Aaron Carlson. While the mother was drunk on a couch downstairs, Aaron was left alone to deal the dog that was "hyper" around children.

04/28/11: Mother Arrested archived
In an unusual development, authorities have arrested Valerie Carlson, 29, the mother of a toddler who was mauled to death by the family dog last July. At the time of the attack, the family had been living in Tierrasanta, a military housing area. The mother had been asleep on a couch downstairs, when the dog attacked Aaron Carlson in front of his three siblings upstairs. Carlson is facing five felony counts of cruelty to a child with possible injury or death and a prison sentence of 19 years.

San Diego police Detective Cindy Brady wrote in the declaration that the left side of the boy's face had been torn off and he had no skin in the middle of his face. The child's nose and cartilage were gone, the detective wrote.

The victim's three siblings were in the home at the time and their father was away on deployment, according to the detective.

According to the declaration, Valerie Carlson told detectives she had a friend visit her home the night before and drank four to five Jim Beam bourbon and Coke drinks, starting about 9:30 p.m.

Carlson said she normally put the dog, a German shepherd named Zeus, in a crate at night, but on that night didn't feel like it, according to the declaration. - CBS 8, May 5, 2011

08/01/10: Death Ruled an Accident archived
The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death of Aaron Carlson an accident. Police said the family dog, named Zeus, fatally attacked the young boy Saturday in a military housing complex while his three siblings were in the same room. According to police Lt. Rick O’Hanlon, no criminal charges are pending against the mother who was home during the event. An autopsy showed the boy died of bite injuries to his head and neck. The dog was put down.

It is important to point out that when fatal dog attacks occur on military base housing, the military greatly limits U.S. media access. In the most recent incident involving Aaron Carlson, reporter Doug Kolk states in an early video, "Because this occurred inside military housing, this is as far as we can get to the crime scene." The media has even less access when the incident actually occurs on base, such as the deaths of Julian Slack (2008) and Dandre Fisher (2007).

Despite this truth, pit bull defenders are already clamoring to call the mauling death of Aaron Carlson another "media conspiracy" against pit bulls by under reporting this fatal dog attack.

07/31/10: Child Killed by Family Dog
San Diego, CA - In a developing story, a 2-year old boy was mauled to death by a family dog in Tierrasanta, a military housing area within the City of San Diego. According to Police Department Sgt. Ray Battrick, the incident happened at 11:33 am at a home on Lofberg Street. The boy was attacked in front of his siblings in an upstairs bedroom, while the mother was sleeping on a couch downstairs. The father is an active serviceman and currently deployed overseas, Battrick said.

The family has owned the dog, a 1.5-year old German shepherd-mix, for about 6 months.

Posted on July 25, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bulls Kill Man, Injure Four Others in Memphis

William Parker seen with family members before the deadly pit bull mauling.

Lawsuit Victory for Family
UPDATE 11/21/18: Eight years after the brutal pit bull mauling death of 71-year William Parker, his family finally has some justice. On Thanksgiving Eve 2018, we learned that a court ruled on October 31 that Gardenia Parker's family was awarded $2.5 million dollars. The Parkers sued the apartment's management, Epstein Enterprises, and the owner, Longview Heights Partners, who knew or should have known these same pit bulls had attacked or threatened other people too.

"We felt the apartment complex, with knowledge of those animals being on the premises, had full responsibility essentially to prevent the people in the neighborhood, the tenants and the residents of that apartment complex from being injured by a dangerous condition on the premises," Parker's attorney, Daryl Gray, told WREG afterward. "As a landlord you have a duty to keep people in the community safe, keep your tenants safe from a dangerous condition on your property," Gray said.

07/25/10: Tree of Hope Corridor
On Saturday, family and friends held a vigil for 71-year old William Parker who died Tuesday after being viciously attacked by two pit bulls. Neighbors lit candles, hung teddy bears and Tree of Hope signs on a tree near the scene of the fatal mauling. Gardenia said the half-block walk to the vigil was the most difficult of her life. She was the one that found her dying father. She said, "When I got there, the dogs had already tore both of his legs to pieces. No skin, just bones there."

Bessie Parker, William's grieving wife, prayed with her daughter during the vigil. "I can't see my husband," she said, "but I can feel him all around me." Neighborhood Watch President Georgia King got volunteers to clean up the area near the mauling to turn it into a Tree of Hope corridor. A family spokesperson said William Parker's visitation is next Friday at N.J. Ford Funeral Home from 4 p.m. to 7 pm. The funeral will be next Saturday at 11 am at Lake Grove Baptist Church.

07/23/10: Director Defends Police
Memphis Police Director Larry Godwin went on record today to talk about the department's dog policy. According to Godwin, officers followed protocol during the Sunday incident, thus alleviating the department from any liability that occurred Tuesday: The death of one person and the injury of four others. When officers arrived Sunday, the dogs had been contained. This combined with "non bite" injury did not warrant notifying the Memphis Animal Shelter or taking any further action.

Godwin says his officers got a call about the pit bulls roaming Manassas St. Sunday, "When the officers made the scene over there. The dogs were contained. They were legally on a chain."

The officers gave the owner a citation for not having proper paperwork for the pit bulls and arrested him on a sex offender violation.

His dogs stayed behind.

Godwin says the owner told officers his family would take care of the animals.

"Our policy is pretty much we don't confiscate dogs. If there are dogs running loose, animal shelter is notified. We look of course to the safety of the citizens," said Godwin. (WREG, News Channel 3)

Who Is Sherry Wooten?

A separate article, also published Friday, reveals more information about the woman charged. Wooten is the girlfriend of the dogs' owner's brother, Andre Humphrey, and is close to giving birth. According to police, Andre was supposed to take possession of the dogs after his brother was taken into custody. Andre claims that his brother did not own the dogs, but that his brother's "ex-girlfriend" did. He said it is she who should be charged, not Wooten or his brother.

It is important to pay attention to the finger pointing that is occurring. It is not unusual after a serious or fatal dog attack for owners to claim that they did not own the offending animals. Typical excuses include: the dogs were strays; the dogs were being "kept" by a relative or the dogs belonged to a boyfriend. This is another reason why "Punish the Deed" is misleading and impractical. If ownership of the dog cannot properly be established, there is no person to punish.

07/22/10: Woman Charged in Maulings
Sherry Wooten, 23-years old, has been charged in connection to the Memphis pit bull maulings that took the life of William Parker and sent four others to the hospital, seriously injuring two. According to police, Wooten, a friend of the dogs' owner, released the dogs from the apartment knowing they were vicious in nature. Wooten was charged Thursday with Reckless Homicide and four counts of Felony Reckless Endangerment. Wooten is scheduled to be in court Friday.

After the Sunday incident, a relative of the dog owner was supposed to take possession of the dogs. Apparently this did not occur. Now Wooten holds the blame for all five victims in Tuesday's attacks. The dogs' owner, Bernard Humphrey, who knew better than anyone else that his dogs were "vicious in nature," may hold no blame. Ironically, the safest place for Humphrey to be on Tuesday, July 20th was behind bars. Now a friend of his will take the rap for his multiple maulers.

07/22/10: Victim Says Woman "Watched"
On Wednesday, victim Kevin Stringfellow shed new light on the Memphis pit bull maulings. The attack on Stringfellow was a separate incident than the one involving Parker. He said the dogs attacked him about 30 minutes earlier and that a woman from the dog owner's apartment ignored his cries for help. He did not learn of Parker until he was at the hospital. Though left with 52 holes in his arm, Stringfellow considers himself lucky. He used an empty beer bottle to fend off the dogs.

Police Protocol Failure?

As events leading up to the fatal attack become somewhat clearer, questions of police protocol arise. On Sunday, the same two dogs chased Leroy French atop a car. His cries for help alerted neighbors who called police. When police arrived, they did not remove the dogs, but arrested the dogs' owner, Bernard Humphrey, who was in violation of the sex offender act. French was sent to the hospital with "non bite" injury; he slipped and banged his head when scrambling atop the car.1

In the same video, Humphrey's mother, Patrice, said that her son used to live with her. She said she called police at least three times in fear of his dogs. She eventually forced him and his dogs out of her home. Humphrey began renting an apartment in Parker's community shortly thereafter. Despite the incident with French, at least four vicious dog calls to the police and being a convicted felon, police left Humphrey's dogs at his home when they took him into custody Sunday night.

The question is, when an offender like Humphrey is taken into custody, whose dogs had a clear and ongoing track record with authorities, what should happen to these dogs? Who becomes responsible for the animals while the owner is in custody? Is it protocol to contact animal control to impound the dogs or to at least follow up in these cases? Or does the offender simply appoint a family member or friend (in this case his alleged girlfriend) to care for the dogs while in custody?

Though not widely known to the public, studies show that owners of vicious dogs are often deviants and criminals. Police are especially attuned to this. They understand more than anyone else what might lie behind the door when serving a warrant: a vicious dog. It seems hard to believe that a protocol would not exist, but in Tennessee, just about anything is possible when it comes to laws failing to govern dangerous dogs. This failure directly led to the death of Parker.

07/20/10 Victims' Family Blame Police
New information has been released about the Memphis pit bull maulings that killed one and injured four others. The victims' families are not just blaming the owner of the dogs, they are blaming the Memphis police. Eyewitness News reports that the dead victim's wife, Bessie Parker, and her neighbors called the police on Sunday about the very dogs that killed her husband and seriously injured several others after the pit bulls forced a resident to take refuge atop a car.

It was a Memphis Police officer that owned the two pit bulls that killed Betty Lou Stidham, a school teacher, in 1990 (see footnotes).

Before brutally attacking William Parker, the pit bulls attacked neighbor Kevin Stringfellow when he tried to come to the 71-year old man's rescue. "He got bit like 30 to 40 times," said his brother Darryl. "He got bit in the head, legs, arms, everywhere. Had to use a bottle to beat them off. He's probably going to need surgery. If I would have been out there, I would have shot the dogs, point blank," Darryl said. (A separate report said that Kevin also had a finger bitten off in the attack.)

Parker's daughter, Gardenia, was also injured in the attack. She suffered a broken elbow and puncture wounds to her legs and arms. It is unclear, as of late Tuesday night, if the Memphis Police Department ever contacted the Memphis Animal Shelter about the earlier complaints. Mayor A C Wharton's office denied Eyewitness News cameras access to the dogs and forbid the new shelter director, Matt Pepper, from explaining to reporters what happens next in the process.

07/20/10: Pit Bulls Kill One, Injure More
Memphis, TN - In a developing story, two pit bulls killed an elderly man, seriously injured his daughter and attacked emergency responders who were trying to help the victims. William Parker, 71, was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. His daughter suffered severe bite injuries and is currently hospitalized. Lt. Ray Pelletier and paramedic Ken Hartfield were taken to the hospital for bite injuries to the lower legs and abdomen; both have been released.

The City of Memphis2

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis's newspaper, is sympathetic to pit bulls.3 The "cause of death was uncertain," according to the Appeal. Back in January, Councilman Shea Flinn proposed a pit bull sterilization law due to the overwhelming number of pit bulls in the city's shelter. By March, the proposal had become a sterilization law for "all dogs," which dumbs down the original and hides the central issue that plagues nearly all U.S. city shelters: a pit bull overpopulation crisis.

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Tennessee Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

1"Non bite" injury often means that the incident goes undocumented against the dog, even in instances of death. Had French been bitten, police protocol certainly would have included contacting animal control (See: rabies prevention).
2The City of Memphis has been painfully aware of the pit bull problem for at least 20 years. The 1990 fatal attack of Betty Lou Stidham is still posted in the People Magazine archive. The negligence of the city in Stidham's death ultimately cost them in civil court (See: full history). The gruesome 2007 attack of James Chapple Jr., which ended in his death, even dawned coverage from Reader's Digest.
3In the 2007 Appeal's photographic essay, "Menace Unleashed," 33 photographs are shown, but only 5 (15%) depict pit bull victims and these are seen at the very end of the segment. The related video is even more biased. Reporter Cindy Wolff even encourages the public to adopt abused pit bulls -- dogs with a potentially highly unstable temperament. Wolff also pushes "nanny dog" and "Petey" stories promoted by pro-pit bull groups. The Appeal's video has no mention of pit bull victims.

Posted on July 22, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: Concord Child Killed by Step-Grandfather's Pit Bulls

Dog mauling victim, 2-year old Jacob Bisbee, seen in a family photograph.

One Year in County Jail
UPDATE 07/07/14: Nearly four years after the brutal pit bull mauling death of 2-year old Jacob Bisbee, the owner of the dogs, 56-year old Steven Hayashi of Concord, was sentenced to one year in county jail and three years formal probation. Hayashi was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in April and could have been sentenced to 10-years in state prison. On July 22, 2010 Jacob was killed by three of Hayashi's five pit bulls. The dogs had a history of violence.

The trial of Hayashi was held in August 2013 -- Hayashi waved his right to a jury. The Contra Costa Times described his trial as having a "sporadic schedule." In April 2014, Judge John Kennedy of Contra Costa County Superior Court found Hayashi guilty of involuntary manslaughter and two other felonies in connection to Jacob's death. Hayashi remained free until his sentencing in July. On Monday, Judge Kennedy allowed Hayashi to remain free pending an appeal.

08/05/10: Dogs Had Killed Three Pets
In a surreal update concerning Steven Hayashi, whose pit bulls killed his 2-year old step-grandson last month, it was revealed in court this morning that Hayashi's dogs had killed more than one family pet. Prosecutor Mary Knox said that the pit bulls killed two other family pets in the same time period -- a parrot and an Akita, "who had poked its head into a room containing the dogs." The mauling suffered by the Akita was so severe that its head was torn off, Knox said.

Knox told the court that on the morning of the attack, Hayashi left to play tennis with his 13-year old son and did not wake his wife nor ask his 19-year old son to care for the young brothers. He also admitted to police that he failed to secure the two locks on the garage door before leaving. Previously charged with two felonies, Hayashi now faces enhanced charges. The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office added a death enhancement to the child abuse charge.

07/24/10: Hayashi's Jailhouse Interview
In a jailhouse interview Friday, Hayashi said doesn't believe he is "totally responsible" for the boy's death, but acknowledged that he had ignored warning signs -- including when one of his dogs killed his Chihuahua. Prior to the attack that struck down his step-grandson, Hayashi believed that pit bull owners, and not the dogs themselves, were the problem. He also explains how he ended up with five pit bulls: The first pit bull, adopted from a shelter, was unsterilized and pregnant.

Changed his view

Before the tragedy, Hayashi said he had always believed that pit bull owners -- and not the dogs themselves -- were the problem.

"Well, I used to think that way," he said. "That's what got me into this mess, just thinking that they're just regular dogs. I can understand a dog biting or nipping, but to maul somebody until he's dead? To tear out somebody's face?"1

Not a 'social outcast'

"I personally don't think I should be behind bars because I made a bad decision about keeping the dogs," Hayashi said. "I'm not like (a) social outcast. I just made a bad decision about keeping the dogs."

The dog that killed his Chihuahua, he said, was Kiwi, a male who was about 6 months old at the time.

"It was my responsibility to do the appropriate action when it happened," Hayashi said. But he said he had decided to keep all five dogs "because I didn't have the heart to euthanize them."

Hayashi said he believes Kiwi was primarily responsible for Jacob's mauling. He said he wasn't sure if the two other dogs in the garage, Sadie, a 3-year-old female, and Jake, a 1 1/2-year-old male, took part.

The family's two other pit bulls, Max and C.J., both year-old males, were in the yard at the time. (Henry K. Lee, San Francisco Chronicle)

Sadie should have never been adopted unsterilized. California state law prohibits the adoption of unsterilized pets over the age of 8 weeks old. This law was designed to prevent multiple unwanted litters, which leads to the neglect and euthanasia of countless animals.

07/23/10: Authorities Charge Dogs' Owner
Concord police have arrested the child's step-grandfather, Steven Hayashi, 52, on suspicion of child endangerment and owning a mischievous animal that causes great bodily injury or death -- both felonies. The charges come after his three pit bulls killed Jacob Bisbee this morning. Hayashi wasn't home during the incident, but told police that he owned the three pit bulls involved in the attack as well as two others. All five dogs were euthanized today by animal services.

Police Lt. Jim Lardieri said the dogs attacked the toddler when he walked into the garage. The victim's grandmother and 19-year old uncle were in the house at the time, as was the boy's brother and teenage cousin. The victim's father also lives at the home. Officials spent the day at the home gathering evidence. At one point, they removed a caged ferret and two unloaded shotguns. Ferrets are illegal to own, but no charges in connection with the shotguns are expected.

Rapid fire response Concord and Contra Costa County officials -- Good job!

07/22/10: Pet Pit Bulls Kill 2-Year Old Boy
Concord, CA - In a developing story, another California child is dead after being attacked by his family's pet pit bulls. Police say the child walked into the garage where three of the family's five pet pit bulls were kept. The dogs attacked the child inflicting severe injuries. He was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly thereafter. The three dogs involved in the attack, and two other pit bulls that lived in the yard, were taken into custody by Contra Costa County Animal Services.

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: California Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

1Steven's comments directly refer to what the pit bull was selectively bred to do: attack without reservation for the purposes of dogfighting.

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

Pit Bulls, by Gary Wilkes: A 21st Century Depiction of the American Pit Bull Terrier

Photo courtesy of the Wilkes family.

Behaviorist Gary Wilkes | Download PDF
Mechanicsburg, PA - Back in January, Gary Wilkes wrote to DogsBite.org asking for permission to use one of the most powerful images posted to the website in a forthcoming article about pit bulls. The photograph shows Wendy Blevins and her daughter in an emergency room just after a pit bull ripped off a third of her daughter's scalp. DogsBite.org reviewed Wilkes' website and bio information, then coordinated with Wendy to send him a high-resolution version of the image.

On May 1, we received an email from Wilkes saying that Off Lead & Animal Behavior, a quarterly magazine for behaviorists and pet care professionals, had published his article. Upon viewing the cover, we knew it was not going to be an ordinary article about pit bulls.1 The contents were so finely woven together with the genetic and behavioral traits of pit bulls and pieces of the Wilkes family history -- his grandfather was a dog fighter -- that we were left breathless by completion.

The article clearly explains why the pit bull problem is unconditionally linked to dogfighting.

It has been over 20 years since a U.S. journalist has presented the pit bull issue in such a compelling and candid way as Wilkes has here. The last was EM Swift who created the 1987 Sports Illustrated cover article, "The Pit Bull: Friend and Killer." The 2010 Wilkes piece depicts the first accurate U.S. version of pit bulls in the 21st century. Much of its power lies in his explanation of the genetic underpinnings of the breed, which cannot be disputed or "trained out" of the breed.

Wilkes, an acclaimed behaviorist, trainer and author with over 30 years experience with dogs, begins the piece by describing the unprovoked pit bull attack on little Charlotte Blevins. This attack sent shock waves through the heartland of America and 3-months later, moved the City of Omaha to adopt a breed-specific law. The Wilkes article is 6-pages and covers many areas, including breed-specific legislation. We've quoted page one below and a small portion from each section.

Pit Bulls by Gary Wilkes

They were the model of bonded, loving, friendly, affectionate family dogs. On the seventh day, they fought like demons.

"In December of 2008, Tina Agerson was sentenced to nine months in prison. Her jail time was the result of a simple misunderstanding -- two Omaha, Nebraska mothers thought they could pull their infants down the street in a red wagon. Duke, Tina's American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) didn't think so. He decided to do something about it. More specifically, Duke grabbed 15-month-old Charlotte Blevins by the head and jerked her out of the wagon. He then proceeded to rip off about 1/3 of her scalp.
It is commonly claimed that Pit Bulls only attack people if they aren't properly trained. They are often portrayed as sweet, loving dogs that can be trusted with children. This isn't just the opinion of Pit Bull owners. The United Kennel Club breed standard says so. "APBTs make excellent family companions and have always been noted for their love of children."
Additionally, according to lovers of the breed, Pit Bulls have a very slow fuse and you really have to go out of your way to provoke one. It is also suggested that they are no more violent than other breeds such as Rottweilers -- a breed that also has a reputation for doing great damage to people. Therefore, Pit Bulls should not be regulated based on their breed type. You'll have to excuse me for spitting up my milk, but all of those arguments are hogwash.
If you automatically think I am strongly opposed to Pit Bulls, you'd be wrong. I have trained many of them. They loved me. I loved them. My comments merely reflect that I'm adamantly opposed to hogwash2 and infants having their scalps ripped off.
To understand my opinion of the breed, it helps to know that I have a special attachment to them -- it's in my blood. My grandfather was a railroad station-master in Mississippi in the 1920's. On the side, he bred and fought Pit Bulls all across the south. His job allowed him to travel extensively from Georgia to Louisiana and most points in between, fighting his dogs for side-money.
Family albums include fighting dogs in almost every picture. Six days a week, they played with kids, went on vacations and were an integral part of family life. They also put up with the typical abuse that children heap on dogs and were praised for their ability to be poked, prodded and fallen upon without any reaction. They were the model of bonded, loving, friendly, affectionate family dogs. On the seventh day, they fought like demons.3
The prominence of dog fighting in that time and place isn't hard to understand. Many poor southern men, like my grandfather, made extra money gambling on virtually anything -- horse races, cards, cock fights and dog fighting. It had been a part of their culture since English, Irish and Scotts immigrants migrated south in the 18th century. Genteel Southern society disapproved of these sports and anyone connected with them. My Grandfather wasn't genteel. My grandmother was. Her high-class sensibilities caused her to initially oppose his dog fighting. As might be expected, the lovable, affectionate nature of the dogs led my grandmother to a reluctant acceptance and even a great love of their second source of income. That came to a halt in the late 1920's.
One night, an old drunk tried to cut across the Wilkes' backyard in Petal, Mississippi. The drunk tripped over a chain -- a simple mistake -- and lost a leg to Caesar, my grandfather's favorite pit dog. The old man was a lovable drunk who never harmed anyone. Losing a leg in 1928 Mississippi was no small thing. The community was outraged. A week later, the dogs were gone, for good.
No ordinance banned them from the community -- public outrage and my Grandmother's common sense were the active agents of change. What if one of her children tripped over the same chain, some dark night? Apparently, 90 years later, America is no better able to solve this problem than small-town Mississippi. We seem to have the same public outrage at incidents like Charlotte Blevins' attack, but may be lacking my grandmother's common sense."

Sections Overview

A History of Violence
"The reality is that from the beginning of the breed, several hundred years ago, it was steeped in terrible violence -- much to the pleasure of its creators. The ancient Roman blood-sports of bull baiting, bear baiting and dog fighting were still popular in 19th Century England. Growing cultural revulsion over the violence and brutality associated with animal fighting..."
Born to Fight
"To develop a fighting dog required selective breeding for specific physical and behavioral traits. The dogs had to be physically strong, insensitive to pain, able to instantly attack without threats or preparation and to be indiscriminate about the target. Since the handlers were normally in the pit with the dogs, Pit Bulls had to allow a human to grab them from..."
It's All About How You Train Them
"The knee-jerk response to serious Pit Bull attacks invariably focuses, not on their roots, but on their training. Either the dog was improperly trained, trained to be aggressive or not trained at all. This is meant to persuade the listener that the devil is in each dog's private history and not their blood. This leads to the assertion that you can't blame their genes..."
Breed Type and Behavior: What Are the Odds?
"If we ignore the expert opinions of kennel clubs and breeders to the contrary, we can still test the theory that Pit Bulls have to be trained to be aggressive. All we have to do is look at other behaviorally selected breeds. Consider the English Pointer. An adult Pointer is supposed to run, lickety-split, back and forth across a field until it smells the scent of a bird..."
Who Trains These Dogs?
"The next problem with the "training" defense is that 99% of pet owners can't teach their dogs to "come" reliably or virtually any other behavior. Conversely, the same number can't teach their dogs inhibitions of any kind. The common Pit Bull owner can't stop his dog from jumping on guests or chewing shoes, let alone "don't rip the scalp off the baby."
Blame the Victim
"Another common defense of the breed is that somehow the victims provoked a perfectly friendly animal to attack. The claim sounds plausible. Any dog is capable of biting if the circumstances are right. Many dogs are capable of aggression if threatened or attacked. A cursory search on the internet shows the following provocations for recent Pit Bull attacks…"
What to Do About It
"If you think I've laid out a biased case against Pit Bulls, you're right. Besides being the descendant of a pit fighter, I spent eight years working in shelters and animal control agencies. For three years of that time I routinely caught, impounded and attempted to control Pit Bulls as a field officer. I once investigated an attack on a three-year-old by a family's pit bull."
A Touch of Balance
"To be fair, many other dogs seriously attack people. An Akita can kill you on a good day. The same is true for German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Cane Corsos, Presa Canarios and a few other breeds. If the goal of a community is to protect people from dog attacks, merely outlawing Pit Bulls isn't going to fix the problem. When the English attempted to outlaw animal..."
When it Works
"As a result of Charlotte Blevins attack, a number of cities have created breed-specific legislation. Many follow the lead of Council Bluffs, Iowa, the neighboring city to Omaha. In 2005, Council Bluffs, enacted a ban on Pit Bulls. In the year prior to the ban, 2004, there were 29 attacks by Pit Bulls. In 2005, the number dropped to 12, in 2006, six attacks..."
What Will Be, Will Be
"No other breed in America is currently bred for fighting, in such great numbers as the American Pit Bull Terrier. No other breed has instinctive behaviors that are so consistently catastrophic when they occur, regardless of how rarely they happen. The reality is that every English pointer has the ability to point a bird. Every Cattle Dog has the ability to bite the heel..."

DogsBite.org extends enormous gratitude to Gary Wilkes for creating this hallmark piece. It is rare to see the multi-layered issue of the pit bull problem compressed into a single narrative and penned by an award-winning writer. Upon reading the Wilkes piece, one will find that the pit bull problem is only complex due to listening to pro-pit bull groups instead of listening to one's own common sense: Pit bulls are dangerous and the public deserves protection from them.

Gary Wilkes is an internationally acclaimed behaviorist, trainer, author, columnist and lecturer. He has more than 30 years experience with dogs, including eight years of shelter work. Gary Wilkes is responsible for the innovation and development of clicker training as a practical methodology for dogs and with his former colleague, Karen Pryor, introduced this method to the world in 1992. Read full bio.

Click to download a PDF file of the complete article by Gary Wilkes.

1Pro-pit bull groups, such as Bad Rap and Animal Farm Foundation memorialize and "glorify" the pit bull's history of dogfighting by depicting old photographs of a bygone era, websites and online forums do as well. The Wilkes family photos, however, remind us of the implicit danger the breed poses and how one event forced a 1900s family to alter course. This is untrue of John Colby, a prized breeder of fighting dogs during the same era, who continued breeding his dogs after one killed his nephew.
2Hogwash refers to the many arguments and claims pro-pit bull groups make to distort and sugar coat the breed's true genetic underpinnings. Primarily they claim that genetics -- selective breeding to attack without reservation -- is irrelevant in the pit bull argument and that only environmental issues, such as, "It's all in how you raise 'em!" matter.
3It must be noted that of the 10 fatal pit bull maulings so far in 2010, 90% (9) were committed by pet pit bulls upon family members (only 2 instances involved the victimized family member not living within the dog's household). We are near certain that reviewing data from 2005 onward, will show similar results. What may have been true in the early 1900s, pit bulls rarely killing family members, particularly small children, is not true today. This trend has been in place since the "leakage period," (1975-1979) when pit bulls leaked from the tight-knit dogfighting community and began being bred indiscriminately by gangs, drug operatives and pit bull fanciers.

DogsBite blog ::

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: Military Family Dog Kills 2-Year Old Boy in Tierrasanta

Mother of Child Killed by Dog Sentenced to Probation by Judge

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bulls Kill Man, Injure Four Others in Memphis

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: Concord Child Killed by Step-Grandfather's Pit Bulls

Pit Bulls, by Gary Wilkes: A 21st Century Depiction of the American Pit Bull Terrier