Man mauled to death at Ving Rhames' home (Actor)

[RamboLiberal]

Source: CNN

A 40-year-old man was mauled to death by as many as four dogs at the home of Ving Rhames on Friday, authorities said.

The victim, who hasn't been identified, had worked at the actor's home for about two years and was responsible for caring for the dogs, said Los Angeles Police officer Sandra Gonzalez.

Four mastiffs were seized by animal services, she said.

Police got a call at 7:15 a.m. from someone reporting a dead body at the home. Gonzalez didn't know who made the call.

The victim was found on the front lawn, she said.


Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/03/people.vingrhames.dog.ap/index.html

---

Damn. I've always liked Ving Rhame as an actor. But why the hell do people have to have these uber dogs?

On edit a bit more on the story:

A caretaker was fatally mauled by at least two dogs at the Brentwood home of actor Ving Rhames, who was out of the country filming a movie, police said today.

The man was not immediately identified, but Los Angeles Police Sgt. Lee Sands said he was in his early 40s and had worked for Rhames for two years. Police said they believed that the dogs belonged to the actor.

The victim's body was found lying in the front yard of Rhames' home on the 12900 block of San Vicente Boulevard, covered in bite wounds.

Animal control officers took four dogs into custody, including two bull mastiffs believed to be responsible for the attacks, police said.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-rhamesaug04,0,5440672.story?coll=la-home-center

[Ian David]

1. Could it have been Michael Vick who was mauled to death? n/t

[Ian David]

2. Oddly enough, he was in "Go Tell It On The Mountain"...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087342/

Which is based on a book by James Baldwin...

Which I just happened to have posted about earlier today:

Reading James Baldwin’s “Anti-Gay” Gay Politics
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=214&topic_id=140331&mesg_id=140331

[Az]

3. Sounds more like guard dogs (release the hounds)

Not sure what to make of this story so far. Guard dogs are within the bounds of social acceptance still.

[Captain Hilts]

15. No, not really. Certain breeds are banned in some areas. nt

[Virginia Dare]

25. These dogs were probably trained to attack..

something set them off. Dogs don't just go crazy for no reason. There's much more to this story.

[nebula]

77. Owning these powerful, unpredictable breed of dogs

...is like playing Russian Roulette.

[ericgtr]

4. That's too bad

Hate to hear about this sort of thing. You hear about pitbull attacks like this but I've never heard of Mastiff's doing it let alone know much about them. Sounds like a pack mentality none the less, sad.

[MannyGoldstein]

5. What's So Wrong With Golden Retrievers?

Or any of the zillion dogs that aren't sometimes-cuddly lethal weapons?

[Mythsaje]

12. Nearly all dogs can be decent, friendly companions...

It's not the dogs. It's just not. It's the lack of basic understanding of the nature of dogs and an inability to grasp how THEIR culture works and how we fit into it.

[bitchkitty]

38. Thank you. n/t

[LisaL]

46. Oh right. Different breed of dogs were bred for different purposes,

and some were specifically bred to be aggressive. But they all can be loving friendly companions. Right.

[Mythsaje]

57. Dogs are pack animals...

If you're pack leader, you're pack leader. If you're not... :shrug:

[pinerow]

67. Give it a rest...

One has to protect one's home...this fellow was the caretaker...one has to wonder what weht wrong in that dynamic...

[Zynx]

31. Mastiffs are generally very nice, like Goldens or Labs

Big dogs are rarely mean. They just can do a lot of damage if they get set off somehow. Mastiffs are supposed to be human defenders, so this doesn't make much sense unless the individual or someone else was abusive to them.

[Hieronymus]

59. There are two breeds, Mastiffs and Bull Mastiffs. These were the latter.

[Cha]

70. I guess Ving wasn't the

Golden Retriever type..more the Bull Mastif.

He's probably devastated now, though..maybe he'll rethink that whole thing.

[Trillo]

6. That's a terrible way to go.

The grabbing and piercing of flesh by multiple teeth, then the shaking of the dogs head while the jaws are still clamped, followed by tearing of human flesh. This repeats, over and over.

How do I know? Happened to me as a teen, fortunately there was only one dog and I was lucky to have survived.

It cannot be a fast, quick, or humane death.

[Virginia Dare]

26. Agreed, The Omen still gives me the creeps..n/t

[The Stranger]

41. And that is apparently NOT what happened here, but thanks for the graphics.

The news organizations are reporting the man died of a heart attack. The media likely jumped on it the way they did because "being mauled to death," though a falsification, sounds better than dying of heart attack.

[Trillo]

43. At this point, I'd like to see a picture of the victim's wounds.

The Google News search this morning offers conflicting stories regarding the cause of death. One of the latest, indeed states death was due to heart attack.

"Authorities have taken away four large dogs - three mastiffs and one bulldog - but cops believe the man is likely to have suffered a cardiac arrest as he was running away from the canines, because none of the wounds from the attack appear to have been life threatening."
http://www.9wsyr.com/entertainment/story.aspx?content_id=fe37d8b4-a199-43f8-b5c0-ccc6c139b80e

So, the victim allegedly had dog attack "wounds". The victim died of heart attack.

Perhaps the heart attack is nature's way of dealing with and attenuating the trauma of a violent attack. Perhaps the heart attack was caused by running from the dogs. Perhaps the wounds were caused after the heart attack. Nobody seems to know for sure, authoritatively: note the usage of the term, "believe" and "likely" in the excerpted paragraph.

However, there are still reports of a dog attack of some kind, perhaps by multiple dogs, and a death due to cardiac arrest.

It's quite curious how the cause of death of two news helicopter pilots who crashed into each other can be attributed to a person fleeing from the cops in a vehicle on the ground, and murder charges are subsequently filed against the person fleeing in the ground vehicle, yet, dogs allegedly "wounding" a person, then this person running, then suffering a subsequent heart attack, is not due to the dogs' attack.

Me thinks it possible, even likely, that Hollywood's PR machine has ramped up in defense of a wealthy celebrity and his dogs.

It's possible nobody will ever know the precise sequence of events.

[roseBudd]

49. Being persued by a predator releases catacholamines which raises the heart rate so the prey

is able to muster the resources to flee. That neurohormonal response however is deleterious to the heart. It is believed that stress can actually precipitate catecholamine cardiomyopathy in dolphins.

[silverweb]

50. I'm seeing a red flag here.

"...cops believe the man is likely to have suffered a cardiac arrest as he was running away from the canines...."

If this man had been employed there for the past two years and his duties included caring for the dogs, he would not have been running away from them. The dogs knew him. He cared for them. He knew how to handle them. He was not running from them.

I'm seeing the possibility of a somewhat different scenario. He had a heart attack and fell to the ground. The dogs gathered around and perhaps thought he was playing, or sensing his difficulty, were trying to drag him to help or get him to his feet, resulting in the bite wounds.

I just don't see him running from dogs that he knew and cared for... unless he was a closet abuser and they'd had enough, which would be another scenario entirely.

[LisaL]

51. You can't possibly know that the guy was not running from these

dogs. They might have turned on him for whatever reason, and he was trying to get away.

[silverweb]

52. And you can't possible know that he was.

All I'm saying is that I have doubts and there are several scenarios possible. I'm a cat person, not a dog person, though I have lived with and known a number of dogs.

Mostly, I'm remembering what an old friend, a dog breeder/trainer, told me: "Never ever run from a dog because it will instinctively give chase to take you down. If you feel threatened, stand your ground and assume command loudly, and most dogs will back down." I've tried the latter instruction with strange dogs and it has always worked.

Thus, I have my doubts that a canine caretaker would be running from his charges.

[Mythsaje]

58. Yep.

I've backed down a LOT of dogs that way.

[JNelson6563]

62. Yep, it's a matter of who ACTS alpha

I'm a very small framed girl and I've managed to stand my ground against dogs much bigger than I. Bouviers for instance are great big dogs. I had one come at me and I stomped my foot and addressed him in an angry tone. He layed right down and didn't give me any more shit after that. Somehow I managed to completely hide the fact I was this close [] to shitting myself. ;-)



Julie

[bitchkitty]

68. LOL - there's a Bouvier at my dog's playcare

and I can picture that. The thing is the size of a small cow!

[LisaL]

65. So, did your friend tell you what are you supposed to do if

the dogs are actually biting you. At least from what is reported, it appears to me the man was able to run away, close the door behind him, and then collapsed.
And I don't think they know yet the cause of death. I think autopsy hasn't even been done yet.

[Trillo]

71. Here are two links for you from experts:

http://leerburg.com/dogattack.htm
(this is a large site with lots of info)

http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=337
(this is a two part article, the rest of site doesn't appear to deal with dogs)

[silverweb]

78. Thank you.

I'm through with this thread, having tired of being attacked for raising questions, and I greatly appreciate the backup info. :)

[Trillo]

53. Running from a single dog is often not a good idea.

As a general rule, when dealing with an 'alpha' dog,
I understand it's best to keep your eyes on the dog. Running kicks in a dog's prey instinct, especially if they're a breed that's known for its 'prey drive.' Another attack scenario is that they are more likely to make their move when you take your eyes off of them when you turn your back and are trying to move away.

I've read that some people carry a short, hefty stick, like a short broomstick, for dog defense. If it needs to be used, the objective is to jam it down the dogs throat as they're lunging, then snapping the stick backwards against the dog's momentum: this might break the dogs neck if executed properly. But it's best to avoid them if possible.

Dealing with a pack of mad dogs, especially big ones, is probably hopeless if you're alone and not armed.

The reason I survived the attack as a teen was due to another person coming to my aid, and they pulled the dog off me.

There's another investigative report out:

Police: Rhames' Dogs May Not Have Caused Death
by Natalie Finn

"The 40-year-old man, whose name has not yet been released, was covered in dog bites, according to police, but it could have been a heart attack or other medical condition that actually killed him.

"There's no doubt he was attacked by the dogs," said Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Ray Lombardo. "Whether or not the coroner can determine that the mauling actually caused the death, or the mauling contributed to him having a heart attack, that's a decision the coroner will have to determine."
http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=493335b9-9a42-4233-b304-1b283943ae93

[HeeBGBz]

61. Not necessarily

I work in a kennel. About two weeks ago I went into the inside run with a 100 lb german shepard ex-police dog. I was a little too trusting and when I bent down to fill his water bowl he jumped me. Me (old tired female) and he (big biting teeth machine) in a 3x4 run. I had two cognizant thoughts at the time 1.) Ooh, he's biting me! and 2.) Run away!!!

Luckily, I got out with only bruises and teeth marks and no shredded flesh.

We currently have a mastiff we're keeping. He seems pleasant enough, but that is one big sob with some mighty jaws. After being bitten 4 times in the last two weeks, I don't trust any of them.

[lumberjack_jeff]

73. Don't anthropomorphize.

Dogs are not people. They don't decide that "they've had enough" from "a closet abuser". They're pack animals and if you're not the lead dog, you're either a pack member (and competitor for resources) or potential prey.

I love dogs, but they're not people.

A guy dead on the lawn covered in dog bites is conclusive. Heart attack vs mauling as a cause of death is a distinction without a difference. It's no more meaningful a distinction than if he'd been covered by tire tracks instead of dog bites.

Dogs can be violent, and several breeds of dog (including bull mastiffs) are genetically selected for their capacity for it.

[Mythsaje]

7. It's not OWNING these uber dogs

it's lack of knowledge about the pack structure and mentality of dogs that leads to crap like this. You can only control them if they accept, without question, that you're the boss. Maybe Ving is the acknowledged pack leader, but unless the man who was killed was perceived to be of higher rank, it was a tragedy asking to happen.

Mastiffs are large, but they are NOT, by nature, aggressive. This is the other question about this. What had been done to these dogs?

[Duppers]

9. my thoughts exactly!

what has been done to those dogs? Dogs, usually, reflection their owner's treatment of them >.<

And that can apply to Pit Bulls as well, although I do not advocate breeding Pits.

But now, I can guess that all the dog haters in this online community will come out of the cracks.

To hate dogs is to not know dogs! :banghead:

(And yes, I love cats too, you narrow-minded, ignorant, uninformed dog-haters!)

[Mythsaje]

10. A former co-worker

had a couple of pit bulls. He wouldn't even let his friends near the male, since he didn't want it to trust them in case they'd try to rip him off. I told him this was STUPID. Dogs can be socialized and yet still be protective of their territory, and answerable to the pack leader. The dog starting biting people and he realized that I had been right all along.

Of course I was. I know dogs.

[Raine]

30. Some friends of mine had a Pit Bull

it was the biggest Pit Bull I have ever seen and also the sweetest. If anything the dog would lick you to death and nothing more. One time she was so happy to see me she leaped on me and knocked me down then she got on top of me and licked licked licked my face. It was kind of intimdating being down on the ground with a big powerful dog like that on top of me. I wasn't scared though cause she was so lovable and I KNEW she literally wouldn't hurt a fly. It's the owner NOT the dog that is responsible for mean aggressive behavior.

[MuseRider]

19. I was going to say

I have never known a mean Mastiff. They are usually just big slobbery dogs that only scare me a little because they are bigger than I am :).

It is almost always the fault of the owner if not always. I have had tons of dogs, some were beaten before I got them and were mean as snakes but after a little time they come to know you and learn to socialize. It can't be that they are naturally that way, it just can't.

[Mythsaje]

20. I've been involved in rescue for years...

My wife and I have a reputation for rehabilitating problem dogs. Dogs need strong pack structure, and need to know where they stand in the mix. Bringing new pack members into the mix is a process, which too many people simply don't understand.

[shanti]

35. cesar milan, is that you?

:D :hi: jk, that's what he advocates too.

[Mythsaje]

36. My wife and I watched his show for the first time

the other day, nodding at one another throughout most of it. He trains people, where we don't. We simply try to mend the damage idiots have done to dogs and pass them along to people who already understand, or can be taught, how to work with dogs.

[Virginia Dare]

27. Good question...dogs don't turn on their caretakers like that for no good reason..n/t

[Duppers]

8. this is strange behavior for Mastiffs

"Do not EVER use any kind of physical punishment - such a behavior is totally unnecessary with a Mastiff! (and with any other dog, for that matter!). There is absolutely no problem raising a dog on a farm with lots of animals. He will most likely be a great companion for both you and the creatures living there!"

http://www.mastiffweb.com/temper.htm


I've seen these dogs many times at my local vets office and have known them to be very gently and loving.

Remember the movie Turner & Hooch (1989) with Tom Hanks? Hooch was a French Mastiff.

[Mythsaje]

11. They were bred to be protective of people...

Not attack dogs. This is very weird.

[IADEMO2004]

14. Our farm cats put their kittens in our mastifs doghouse

He would melt if anyone raised thir voice to him.

[anitar1]

24. We had 2 English Mastiffs for many years. They

were the sweetest dogs ever. they eventually died of age related causes. And they do drool !!

[Virginia Dare]

29. I've fostered some Lab/Mastiff mixes, what sweethearts..

not for people who are allergic to doggy slobber though..:rofl:

[Virginia Dare]

28. Agree, every Mastiff I've ever known has been like a big teddy bear..n/t

[LisaL]

45. There are different kinds of mastiffs.

Some mastiff breeds are supposed to be aggressive.

[kestrel91316]

42. All but one of the various mastiffs I have ever worked on have been

FABULOUS dogs. Extremely gentle and well-behaved.

There WAS that one whose owner always had to muzzle him at the vet and then sit on him (very large man) so I could examine him. Don't know why the dog was bad, but at least the owner was prepared to deal with it, and he was always apologetic.

[Maine-ah]

48. I have to muzzle my choco lab at the vet.

some dogs just don't like the vet. She's a sweetheart of a dog too. On her "last leg" as well unfortunately, with a degenerative nerve disorder. She's 13.

[kestrel91316]

56. My doggy niece (husky-shepherd x) is bad at the vet, too. My

sister always has to muzzle her to go there! But she loves to go to the boarding place for vacations.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

13. Mastiff Attack

I haven't ever heard of mastiffs attacking in this manner, although I do remember being seriously intimidated as a child by a wandering dog pack led by my neighbor's two bull mastiffs.

Nowadays people tend to purchase dogs based on aesthetic concerns (just like most shallow folks try to choose mates!) without having any regard to the decades or centuries during which a particular breed has been shaped for a specific task. "Why is my setter so hyper?" asks a two-room apartment renter. "Why does my cairn terrier burrow in the closet and eat up my shoes?" Because that's what they were bred to do. Pit bulls? Sadly, bred for fighting. I've met some really sweet-natured pit bulls, but the fact remains that they all possess massive, bone-crushing jaws and tenacious personalities, so I never turn my back on them.

Purebred dog lovers are the most foolish: it is cruel and inhumane to basically promote incest in a subordinate species for our own fashion-victim needs. When I hear a German Shepherd owner complaining about hip dysplasia, or a Black Lab owner complaining about his dog's seizures, I really want to smack them.

Why doesn't anybody see the hidden costs of our decadence?

For the record: I'm a mutt lover.

[Mythsaje]

18. We own several purebreds...

All different makes and models.

They do tend to have issues. But we know going into it what they might be, which is a bit of a plus.

[Polly Hennessey]

16. Dogs

I have two Golden Retrievers and they are wonderful members of the family as are our three cats. One of the cats sleeps with the dogs and follows them everywhere. I agree with whoever said that the dogs must know who is the human leader. My dogs will obey with a couple of simple hand motions. One of the first things I did when they were 8 weeks old was let them know who was in charge. I have been told that if you do not do this before they reach the age of 3 you have lost control and are out of luck.

I am surprised about Mastiffs mauling someone to death. They are slobbering, gentle giants. I wish people would try to learn something about how dogs perceive the world and their place in it. Sigh!

[Inkyfuzzbottom]

17. There are different types of mastiffs...

Like there are different types of bulldogs. You hear about pit bulls mauling and killing people but you don't hear of English bulldogs killing anyone.

There are several different types of mastiffs. I think the Cane Corso Mastiff is the one with the reputation of being aggressive and like a pit bull. Most of the other mastiffs are big lazy slugs that think they are lap dogs.

Diane Whipple of California was killed by what some called a Cane Corso Mastiff, others called it a Presa Canario, in the hallway of her apartment building. You may remember her death and the dog owners trial was highly publicized. Whatever it was specifically it was supposedly some type of mastiff type dog.

[RamboLiberal]

21. Self-Delete

[Duppers]

33. wow! you're right.

I didn't just a bit of research and found this site:

http://www.animaladvocates.com/dangerous-dogs/

Things you don't want to hear/read, but again, it's comes down to BAD owners.

[bitchkitty]

39. Those Presas were bred to kill by sadistic psychos...not their fault.

Although I wouldn't own one - too big, too powerful and mistrustful of strangers.

Everyone's afraid of pit bulls, but my dog goes to a kennel and plays with several pits all day. The owner is an awesome woman who is a "dog whisperer" - she did wonders with my seriously out-of-control beagle, and her pits have won awards for obedience and agility.

It's the owner, never the dog. Some dogs take a special kind of owner, is all.

[RamboLiberal]

22. TMZ: Victim of Dog Bite May Have Had Heart Attack

Police tell TMZ that the victim of the dog attack at Ving Rhames' home could have had a heart attack, since none of the wounds -- on his face and neck only -- appear to have been life threatening. They speculate that he was possibly running for his life after a confrontation with the dogs. TMZ has learned the 40-year-old caretaker lived at the house and had been an employee of the actor for two years. Tragically, police say the man fed and cared for the animals on a daily basis.

A total of four dogs were taken away by Animal Control; three Bull Mastiffs each weighing 160-190 lbs. and one English Bulldog weighing 100-150 lbs. The property contains two connected houses, both owned by Rhames. According to police, the dogs -- including nine puppies -- all live in one house.

In a press conference today, a police spokesman said the victim appears to have jumped the fence to try to get away from the dogs, and died sometime early this morning. We're told there are additional dogs on property, but they do not roam free. The dogs that attacked had access to the front of the house.

Cops say the dogs are very friendly, and as we reported, police are not aware of any previous problems. They do not anticipate charging Rhames with a crime, as this appears to have been a "pure accident." The animals have been quarantined and will be held over the weekend at an undisclosed shelter. Blood samples will be taken to determine if they have rabies or other dangerous diseases.

http://www.tmz.com/2007/08/03/victim-of-dog-bite-may-have-had-heart-attack/

[AlienGirl]

40. ARe they sure the bites were inflicted before the heart attack?

This could be a case of dogs freaking out because he collapsed, and possibly even hurting him by accident while trying to move him or wake him.

Tucker

[LisaL]

66. They don't even know if this guy even had a heart attack.

[DRoseDARs]

23. So the guy had been around the dogs for 2 years? I wonder what he did to set them off...

My guess is they were fighting and the poor man got in the way trying to stop them.

[dropkickpa]

32. I'm wondering if the wounds they saw

Were the result of increasingly frantic attempts to rouse the man by the dogs? He was the daily caretaker for 2 years, I find it hard to believe that mastiffs would attack him without *extreme* provocation.

[LisaL]

54. Their opinion according to the reports is that he run away from the

dogs, closed the door behind himself, and then collapsed and died (from the heart attack?). So, no, it does not look like the dogs were frantically attempting to rouse the man.

[CJCRANE]

60. Possible if the dogs had pawed him...

I've seen dogs do that when they're trying to wake someone up or get their attention, so the wounds would have been scratches.

Also the fact that the wounds were to the face and neck might indicate that he was already on the ground (i.e. collapsed).

[Duppers]

34. don't knows

I once stopped a potential dog fight and was not harmed. It was risky and probably very stupid.

I was walking a back trail with my big female yellow lab when I spotted a lone dog running up the trail and when it spotted my dog, it went into attack stance/mode, growling with fur standing up on its back. Kellie growl and slowly went forward to met this aggressive dog. I pick up the nearest stick and stepped in between them and yelled at both of them and swung at the other dog who then back off a bit. Good thing its owner came up the trail and got it under control. I think it was surprised by seeing us. Who knows. But the other dog did not seem interested in me in the least, only my dog.

[billbuckhead]

37. A neighbor was killed by Mastiffs when I was a teenager

They were his dogs.

[Duppers]

47. I'm at a lost for words

I'm so sorry.

I always wonder what was going on with dogs (how had they been treated, etc.) in these situations.

[LisaL]

44. Rhames had given an interview discussing his dogs a while back.

http://usmagazine.com/second_ving_rhames_post
"He also talked about his 170-pound Fila Brasileiro named Kong.

"The dog was actually bred to guard slaves," Rhames said. "It was the only dog they found that had the temperament to guard a slave. It could be around you every day, but if you tried to run away, it would deal with you like it never saw you before.""


***************************************************************
From the description, it sounds like this breed can turn on you "like it never saw you before."
This is the breed description of a Brazilian mastiff.
http://dogbreeds.bulldoginformation.com/fila-brasileiro.html
Although the dogs suspected as responsible for the attack are described as bull mastiffs, so it's not clear to me if Rhames still had any Brazilian mastiffs at the time of the attack.

[Raine]

55. I can't imagine why anyone

would want to have dogs that would come after you like they never saw you before. It seems like that kind of defeats the purpose of having a dog which would be for the love, loyalty and faithfulness they provide. :shrug:

[flvegan]

63. The dogs in question were his Ambullneo mastiff dogs, not the Fila

according to the OP article.

Ambullneo (Am-American Bull-Bulldog Neo-Neopolitan mastiff) are EXCELLENT family dogs, and highly unaggressive towards people they know and like.

[LisaL]

64. I've pointed out that the dogs possibly responsible for the

attack were reportedly bull mastiffs.

[Cha]

69. Jesus Christo!

I like Ving Rhames as an actor too..he was the one in Pulp Fiction who was going to "get medieval" on Zed.

Sorry the caretaker was mauled to death..how scarey was that for the poor guy.

[katamaran]

72. Bullmastiffs are generally really gentle, goofy dogs

Bullmastiffs are generally really gentle, goofy dogs. I've known several over the years and know a lady who runs a Bullmastiff rescue. They aren't as laid-back as an English Mastiff, but aren't as aggressive as pits or AmStaffs. I think they have more of a Boxer type personality. The lady with the rescue had a few last year that I got down on the floor and played with. All of them were gentle and had soft mouths and never showed one hint of aggression.

These dogs were probably raised to be more guard dogs than family dogs unfortunately. He probably wanted them as property protectors more than anything else. And when you raise a dog to be that way, your chances of having a normally gentle breed become aggressive are greatly increased. With ANY dog breed, the pack mentality can take over. Chances are, one of the dogs attacked, and the others just followed suit. A pack of Pomeranians killed a toddler a few years ago. It's all in how they're bred and raised.

[LisaL]

75. Different breed of dogs are bred for different purposes.

Some breeds are supposed to be aggressive. So, I certainly don't think it's all how these dogs are "bred and raised." Some breeds are supposed to have gentle disposition and some aren't. Although bull mastiffs aren't bred for aggression.
Still, they are big massive dogs.

[LisaL]

76. Different breed of dogs are bred for different purposes.

Some breeds are supposed to be aggressive. So, I certainly don't think it's all how these dogs are "bred and raised." Some breeds are supposed to have gentle disposition and some aren't. Although bull mastiffs aren't bred for aggression.
Still, they are big massive dogs.

[nebula]

74. I don't care how gentle they might seem to be

These dogs are powerfully built and are still animals after all. Meaning, like any animal they are liable to lose their temper at any minute and get 'medieval on your ass' at any time, as Ving would say. The difference being that these breed of dogs like pit bulls are capable of easily killing you.

I guess some people just enjoy playing Russian Roulette with their lives and the lives of those around them.