Deformed puppy, rescued from trash, learns to walk

[joeybee12]

Sometimes the only humane thing to do is to put a dog to sleep. Just three weeks ago, Erica Daniel steeled herself to take that difficult step with Harper, a small puppy in her care.

Daniel, 26, fosters dogs that need serious help, and Harper had come to her in the most desperate of circumstances. On Aug. 31, a woman in Sanford, Fla., first encountered the little dog when she spotted a squirming garbage bag.

“There was a man outside the Save-A-Lot selling pit-bull puppies for $50 a pop,” Daniel explained. “This woman approached him and noticed a noise coming from a garbage bag he was holding. She asked him, ‘What’s in the bag?’ and he said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ ”

The woman pressed the issue and the man opened — and gave her — the contents of the bag. Inside was a puppy so deformed that it couldn’t walk or hold up its head. Shelter workers and veterinarians grimaced when they saw the dog and came to the same conclusion: It really should be euthanized.



http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44617504/ns/today-good_news/

The top photo is Harper now...what a smile! Bottom photo is how she was found.

[valerief]

1. Ugh. Pit bulls shouldn't be bred. nt

[joeybee12]

2. Someone bred this one, so she deserves a chance...nt

[valerief]

4. Just because they bred a pit bull doesn't make it right. nt

[joeybee12]

6. WTF are you talking about?

Seriesly, what the phuck?

[uppityperson]

35. Kill the puppy because it is a pit bull? Oh kay. You are really a great addition toDu. nt

[valerief]

79. Mr. Uppity, I didn't say to kill the pit bull. nt

[Name removed]

85. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[uppityperson]

97. You said "it isn't right". And it is MsUppity thank you very much.

You said it "isn't right" and that pit bulls should not be allowed, along with other "they are bred to be aggressive and are dangerous".

[flvegan]

112. You've said it the past. n/t

[astonamous]

172. dangerous?

[Rex]

88. +1

Sad that a person would eradicate a species based on their own stupid worldview.

[roguevalley]

93. What right? ???

[AndrewP]

109. That comment made me throw up in my mouth

:eyes:

[Avalux]

5. What a cold and callous reply to a heartwarming story.

Harper deserves a chance at a happy life and as long as she is treated well and with love, she'll be fine. That's all a dog wants, regardless of the breed. It's what people do to dogs that make them mean.

[joeybee12]

7. Exactly...

Although since that idiot who dumped her was selling the other puppies, God only knows what kind of life they'll have.

[CountAllVotes]

24. agree

I'd say the same about the SOB that had the puppy in the bag! He shouldn't "be bred" either! :puke:

:kick:

[louslobbs]

58. Cold and Callous replies generally come from the mouths of cold, callous and uncaring people.

She is a beautiful puppy and in the right environment, she will be a loving family member to whoever adopts her. I'd rather come home to the wagging tail of this beautiful puppy, rather than the cold and uncaring scorn of an unstable human being.
Lou

[Jamastiene]

248. Well said.

:thumbsup:

[shireen]

74. nicely said

I get so upset reading those anti-pit posts.
Very misunderstood doggies.

[valerief]

80. Why do SO MANY people respond to ANYTHING not glowing about pit bulls?

It never ceases to amaze me!

Guns are the same way.

I wonder if you're all the same people. You know, the gun responders are the same people as the pit bull responders.

[RockaFowler]

84. There are no bad dogs - only bad owners

And this poor dog did not deserve to be thrown away like yesterday's garbage

[valerief]

90. Pit bulls are bred, in their genes, to attack bulls in the ring. They're bred for aggression.

That is bad in a human neighborhood.

[uppityperson]

94. However, those ones are bred for aggression to other dogs and to be gentle with people

So THOSE pit bulls are safer around people than random ones. Yes, they are BRED to be GENTLE with people, with their handlers and other people. That is good in a human neighborhood.

Educate yourself.

[kurtzapril4]

232. They're also bred to kill smaller animals.

Which would include smaller dogs, cats, etc. They're a nasty breed of dog.

[uppityperson]

254. Yeah, that dog in Little Rascals was sooooo nasty.

:eyes:

[roguevalley]

95. so are old english bulldogs. Eradicate them too?

[uppityperson]

100. Wolfhounds are bred to be aggressive to things bigger than dogs, so they should be killed too

That was sarcasm. Cattle dogs are bred to be aggressive toward wolves, coyotes, etc, so they should all be killed too. And god help anyone who gets a dog trained for protection, or a police dog because they ARE trained to be aggressive towards people. :sarcasm:

[roguevalley]

132. we had an Australian Coolie. There's a guard dog for you. He

was the best damned dog but God help you if you bothered any of us.

[Drahthaardogs]

197. Uh, no.

Wolfhounds were coursing hounds, bred to be catch dogs (by the Romans not the Irish). They are not, and never were kill dogs, that job was left to the mastiffs, corsos, or other types of guarding dogs. Cattle dogs are bred to herd cattle, a wolf would destroy them (few dogs can stand up to a wolf, even a pack of black and tan coonhounds was decimated by two wolves a few years ago), Great pyranese and a few other breeds actually guard the livestock. If you have ever seen one doing its job, you do not approach the herd.

Most protection dogs are not really man aggressive. It is a game, and most are simply trained to the sleeve or the suit and would not hit an unsleeved arm because they do not know how. Real dogs, the true serious ones, are very rare and are in very high demand by the military and a lesser degree the police. Many of them are handler-hard and are not for the feint of heart. They are serious dogs and are not for the general public.

Here is a video of a real protection dog (a Malinois), note at 1:32 when his handler screws up and the dog hits him. This is a real serious dog http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4moJqmTtBgg


I am glad the little puppy got a chance at life; however, pit bulls suffer from indescriminate and stupid breeding practices. The breed is a mess physically and mentaly. Anyone who denies that this breed is about 3/4 ruined is only kidding themselves. I own dogs with some aggression. I understand what I have, and I deal with it accordingly. The modern Pit Bull Dog in America is a disaster and I blame no one for calling for their banning. Unless and until AKC adopts true breeding guidelines based upon performance (like the FCI does)this crap will continue.

[RockaFowler]

138. Guess what dog is the most agressive . . .

http://www.wpbf.com/mostpopular/16819735/detail.html

1. Dachshund
2. Chihuahua
3. Jack Russell
4. Akita
5. Australian Cattle Dog
6. Pit Bull

So if Pit Bulls are so bad, I guess so are my Dachshunds because they are rates the most agressive. Again it's the owners who make these dogs bad. Not all dogs are bad. But there are many bad owners who abuse the pit bulls

[valerief]

139. Pit bulls maul people and kill them. Dacshunds don't. nt

[uppityperson]

140. Dacshunds do too. Here's links and a story for you....

http://articles.latimes.com/2002/dec/17/nation/na-maul17

A 6-week-old St. Mary's County, Md., boy was in critical condition Monday after being dragged from his playpen and mauled by the family's dachshund, police said.

The infant was sleeping in a downstairs bedroom Sunday morning when his mother, Andrea Meyers, heard cries coming from a baby monitor, according to a report from the criminal investigations unit of the Maryland State Police. When Meyers reached the bedroom, she found the dog attacking the boy, police said.

The dog had chewed a hole through the mesh of the playpen and pulled the baby from it before biting his legs and feet.

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Articles/OtherBreedBites/2009/August/beagle%20dachshund%20mix%200809.pdf
http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Articles/OtherBreedBites/2009/March/Dacshund%20attacks%200309.pdf


OK, this one only chewed off a woman's toe. http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Articles/OtherBreedBites/2008/July/min%20dach%20gnaws%20off%20owners%20toe%200708.pdf

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Articles/OtherBreedBites/2007/November/Dachshund1107.pdf

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Articles/OtherBreedBites/2007/Sept/weiner%20dog0907.pdf
A 2-year-old was bit in the face by a "small wiener dog" that was off
its leash. The child was taken to a hospital to be examined and it was determined the child
would need plastic surgery, 7:35 p.m

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Articles/OtherBreedBites/2005/May2005/MarionIndianDachLabApril05.pdf

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Articles/OtherBreedBites/2002/WashingtonPost1217200

[smokey nj]

144. Dachshunds should be banned!

:sarcasm:

[astonamous]

171. Vicious?

[Politicalboi]

193. And it's not just abuse

It's letting the dog get away with stuff instead of training them. Any untrained dog is a dangerous dog especially if it's an attack dog breed. When you can't control an 80 pound dog it's time to get some help.

[bengalherder]

238. Pit Bulls vs Dashshunds.

I worked on some construction out in the country once and lived onsite. The local dogs would come around. One was a damn ugly pitbull whose smile was so large it appeared to nearly engulf his ears. We at first feared for our dog (wolf hybrid) but they seemed to get along OK. He loved us and we called him 'Morehead' because he had more head than anything else.

As we found out, this dog was supposedly the guard dog for a local farm. He was given no love and made to sleep outside. These farmers had dogs favored to sleep indoors, however, a fleet of the most vicious mini dachshunds I have ever encountered. We'd walk down the lane to the mailbox-which abutted the neighbor's property and they would swarm like piranas, all 7-8 of them around your ankles. Our Co-worker suffered a couple of bites from the little bastards, but even then , the owners wouldn't keep them restrained.

Morehead came to us as we left. He hid from his people who were looking for him, he tried to get in our cars.

I still reget to this day that we left him there.

[BooBrown]

166. wrong

Behavior is taught, not "bred" in genes. Try reading a book on genetics.

[astonamous]

170. Yeah, back in the dark ages... Hello and welcome to 2011.

The dog was bred first to bait bulls and bears. When baiting bulls was deemed inhumane, ratting (a sport where a number of rats were placed in a pit for a specified time with the dog) and dog fighting became more popular. The APBT was used in both sports, and its prevalence in being put in pits with rats led to "pit" being added to its name. With time, the dogs became more commonly domesticated due to their loyalty, loving and gentle nature with their owners. In America, farmers and ranchers used their APBTs for protection, as catch dogs for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt, and to drive livestock. The dog was used during World War I and World War II as a way of delivering messages on the battlefield.

Once a popular family dog in the United States (such as the kids' pet dog in the Our Gang comedies), the American Pit Bull Terrier's popularity began to decline following World War II in favor of other breeds.

The APBT is a breed that is loyal to friends and family, and is generally friendly towards strangers. Many have strong instincts to chase and seize cats and other fleeing creatures, including deer and livestock (prey drive). As with any dog breed, proper training and socialization at an early age is a must. According to the UKC, "aggressive behavior toward humans is uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable."

American Pit Bull Terriers generally have a lot of energy and benefit from exercise and stimulation to channel their energy properly and avoid becoming frustrated, bored, or destructive.

[rpannier]

185. They were the breed used in the Little Rascals and no one got attacked

In fact, the only casualty were the dogs because some dog hating nitwit on the crew was poisoning them

[AndrewP]

110. Ignorant beyond belief. Just ignorant beyond belief.

Just a hint. Not all Pit Bulls have Michael Vick for an owner.

[Avalux]

121. Wow. How do you get through life with that black and white thinking?

It might do you good to volunteer at an animal shelter and get to know some pit bulls. Your ignorance is screaming at me.

[backwoodsbob]

124. I raise Sheps and My Buddy Guy is a Bernard

but I would take that sweetie in a heartbeat

[nashville_brook]

129. "anything not glowing" -- sorry, but, "let's kill all the breed" doesn't quite = "not glowing"

i feel really sorry for anybody with so little compassion for a PUPPY, for god's sake.

[PeaceNikki]

143. Why would ANYONE respond to a feel-good story about a dog calling for it & its entire breed's DEATH?

That is fucked up.

[flvegan]

173. Consider the source. n/t

[cordelia]

218. Indeed.

[RSillsbee]

200. It's not the guns or the dogs that is the problem

It's your uber authoritarian world view.

And yes I am a gun responder and a pit bull responder

[spin]

225. Firearms and pit bills in the hands of responsible owners ...

present few problems. I personally have never owned a pit bull but my son in law and daughter have. Their pit bull was extremely gentle and well behaved but was still an excellent watch dog.

Where I currently live in North Florida, pit bull dogs are very common and all that I have encountered are extremely well trained. Yes, just about every person I know here owns firearms as hunting is very common in this area. Deer and wild hog are plentiful and when prepared properly are as tasty as store bought meat and a lot cheaper. When I lived in Tampa before I retired, I encountered a lot of aggressive and poorly trained pit bull dogs when I was walking my Norwegian Elkhound or my Black Labrador on a leash. Far too many people had bought pit bulls to defend their property and lacked the ability to handle one.

It's never a good idea for an irresponsible person who is unwilling to learn gun safety to own a firearm, nor is it a good idea for an irresponsible person who lacks the commonsense or the ability to train a pit bull to own this breed of dog. If you own a firearm you need to know firearm safety and if you lack training, you need to take a firearm safety course. If you can't train your own dog (and a pit bull is a challenging dog to train), you can often take the dog to a trainer or a training school.

Firearms are not for everybody nor are pit bulls. In the hands of the wrong owner, both can be dangerous.

However, just because some people can't handle the responsibility of owning such items is no reason to ban these items from those who are.

[Jamastiene]

247. Why do people who hate pit bulls always show up to shit all over threads about pit bulls?

Damn, use hide thread and go shit all over the gun threads. I guess you would have been ok with someone throwing a puppy away like garbage, just because it is a pit bull. What kind of person would be ok with that type of animal cruelty? Not one I ever want to hear from again. /ignore

[get the red out]

8. The person who put the puppy in the bag

shouldn't be bred. What a total waste of earth's resources. That guy is more of a worthless piece of shit than any animal on this planet right down to roaches and mosquitoes.

[stuntcat]

13. precisely

This is the kind of thing only Humans will do.

[hamsterjill]

16. Well put!

Great post!

[TBF]

55. I agree. nt

[hobbit709]

14. WTF?

[Cali_Democrat]

15. I used to be anti pit bull until I was educated

Pit bulls aren't the problem, the problem is that some of the people that breed them are assholes and those assholes tend to favor breeding pit bulls and they train them to be aggressive.

[valerief]

19. When pit bulls are in the area, you can't safely walk your dog or yourself without

fear of being mauled to death. I've seen pit bulls roam freely. I've stopped walking.

[LeftyMom]

23. Fearful and ignorant is no way to live. nt

[valerief]

29. Yes, that's why pit bulls should be banned. nt

[LeftyMom]

34. It's why poor guardians shouldn't have dogs.

Dogs running the street unsupervised would be potentially dangerous in any breed bigger than a bread box. Those dogs deserve better care. That you happen to have a special phobia of pit bulls should not dictate policy.

[uppityperson]

36. Ban irresponsible owners instead. Or are you happy letting those type owners have other dogs?

[enki23]

184. I'm happy with them having toy poodles.

They can be bad natured and aggressive too, but they aren't bred to have massive killing jaws. This is such a stupid argument. I'd also rather that people who carry concealed handguns not be allowed to go ahead and carry hand grenades too, no matter how responsible they claim to be on the application forms. I love dogs. I have two. I've helped care for some lovely pit bulls. I've seen cocker spaniels freaking snap. I know that if I'd ever seen the reverse, the odds of people being killed would have been a lot fucking higher.

[uppityperson]

198. Larger dogs can do more damage, true. So you would like to ban all large dogs.

" they aren't bred to have massive killing jaws". You mean other large dogs of whom this isn't true?
According to the UKC, "aggressive behavior toward humans is uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable."

[enki23]

213. no, just the ones that are bred for extreme violence

Because I also know that a good deal of a dog's behavior is hereditary. Border collies are born wanting to herd things, labs are born wanting to fetch things, and pit bulls are born wanting to kill things.

[kurtzapril4]

233. Yay! Finally!

Enki, you are correct. In pit bull fighting, the most aggressive are bred to the most aggressive. This behaviour is hereditary, and your use of other breeds to prove this point is correct.

[smokey nj]

242. All terriers are born wanting to kill things as are some hounds.

[louslobbs]

64. I believe the reference was to you and your posts, but then you already knew that. I know some

people who lack compassion who should be "banned" or made "extinct."

Lou

[roguevalley]

98. No they shouldn't. Bad owners should. Roaming pit bulls or any

other kind of dog is BAD PEOPLE behavior, not dog.

[JanMichael]

157. As a trite saying it may be true. But unleashed bad assed attack dogs...

...should NOT be roaming around populated areas. That's a legitimate "fear" or better yet caution not a fiction or based on "ignorance".

Period.

Roaming pits are dangerous to people and pets.

http://cravendesires.blogspot.com/

[LeftyMom]

160. Unsupervised dogs are potentially dangerous (and potentially in danger.)

No matter what their breed. Being more afraid of some medium-sized dogs than others based purely on their appearance is ignorant, and it's people who know fuck-all about dogs who do it. I can't tell you the number of people who've yelled at me not to bring "that pit bull" anywhere near them, while I'm walking one of my family's boxers. They only look a bit like pit bulls if you squint, left your glasses at home, and wouldn't know a dangerous dog from a stuffed animal, but that's the sort of person who winds up shrieking at somebody walking a dog fifty feet away.

It's a phobia. Call it what it is, feel sorry for the people who have it, and move on.

[JanMichael]

dupe! nt

[Name removed]

265. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[uppityperson]

165. As are ALL unleashed bad assed dogs, or any roaming unsupervised.

[JanMichael]

267. A big assed DUH! to ya. No shit sherlock. How simple are you?

I didn't have to say ALL did I? No you just had to shoot your post off for some self absorbed reason. You are nothing but a post count nutter (a pit bull franken-mutt defender tag) in my opinion.

[flvegan]

274. Not nearly

as simple as you are tonight.

[ceile]

25. What are you on about?

That makes no sense...

[hobbit709]

40. Poster is a pit bull hater

[Rex]

87. Pathetic ain't it?

I swear some people should not breed.

[cordelia]

276. Hates Jesus, too. Apparently hates lots of stuff.

[hobbit709]

41. I've seen agressive chihuahuas on up roaming freely.

the problem there is the loose dog not what kind it is.

[valerief]

81. Don't be silly. Pit bulls kill. Chihuahuas don't. nt

[roguevalley]

99. you've never been bitten by a chihuahua. My aunt raised them.

small dog bites are horrendous too. Jeez. Just let it go.

[uppityperson]

102. Chihuahuas bite down to the bone, bone gets infected, kills the person or at least maims them

[hobbit709]

107. So do lots of other large breeds.

i can remember when the dangerous breed du jour was rottweilers, german shepherds and others. Just because you seem to have an irrational fear doesn't mean everyone else should.

[TorchTheWitch]

201. pit bulls aren't large breed dogs

They're medium sized. Anyone who actually saw one would know that.

It is not so much the irrational fear that is bothersome, it's the willful ignorance and lack of common sense that they might as well be arguing that the moon is made of blue cheese.

[Gormy Cuss]

44. It's no great shakes when other dogs are roaming freely either

so maybe we should just euthanize all dogs to be safe.

[valerief]

82. No, just pit bulls. They're the most dangerous. Other dogs are are safer. nt

[uppityperson]

92. SAR (search and resuce) pits must just be looking for people to attack right?

http://www.forpitssake.org/sar.html

And OMG! LOOK AT TEH ON HERE!!! Going to EAT that old person!!!111
http://www.forpitssake.org/therapy.html

[roguevalley]

101. chows can be biters. ban them. hybrid wolves, ban them. ban

my dachshunds. They bite like bastards. Ban all dogs! There. Do you feel safer? Dog is god spelled backwards and they are just that. the closest thing to God I will get in this life. Dogs rule! People who don't do due diligence with them, not so much.

[spin]

229. Often I am disappointed with other Democrats who love to ban items ...

Ban salt, ban fast food, ban cigarettes, ban pit bulls, ban guns, ban everything and all activities that might be even slightly dangerous.

The sad part is that banning items never works. Prohibition was supposed to be a great idea but was a total failure. We lost the War on Drugs years ago but we refuse to admit it.

[Gormy Cuss]

111. I'm going yo assume that you or a family member has been traumatized by a pit bull like dog ...

otherwise your insistence that pits are inherently the most dangerous dogs is just weird and ill-informed. First off, do you understand that many of the "pit bulls" you see aren't even pit bulls -- rather, they're dogs that all have the same type of face and short coat and muscular build.

What's dangerous about these pit bull type dogs is that they're the dog of choice for knuckleheads who want a tough looking dog but don't want to properly socialize them and in some cases actually want to train them to be aggressive. That's trained, not born that way. German Shepherds can be trained to be aggressive too, but when they're not they're lovely family dogs.

[Doremus]

123. My, what a trollish reply. nt

[flvegan]

179. Just stop. You don't know shit about dogs.

Your thinking that pit bulls are "the most dangerous" speaks to that. Amongst dogs that can be trained to be dangerous, pit bulls are minor league.

[Muskypundit]

188. Out of dogs that when trained to be dangerous

Pit Bulls do rank up there. They are one of the few dogs that can lock their jaw when they bite down, one of the reasons those dogs kill the most people in the U.S than any other dog. Thats an indisputable fact; however to call for a ban on that breed of dog is really..... uninformed and kind of embarrassing. Its all in how you raise the dog. Pit bulls have a potential for doing the most damage of any dog, and therefore should be only owned by responsible owners; not dumbasses that want to raise the dog to be mean, or the few evil who torture the poor things.

But what a great story!!! I am really interested in how they saved that dog, I can only imagine with extensive surgery.

[uppityperson]

199. They. Do. NOT. Lock. Their. Jaws. URBAN LEGEND

It is so embarrassing that after all this time, all these posts, someone still posts this legend.

[Name removed]

241. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TorchTheWitch]

202. No, they cannot lock their jaws

Yet another pit bull myth just as stupid as the one about Dobermans being crazy because their brains are too big for the size of their skulls. A pit bull's jaw works exactly the same way as any other dog's jaw.

[meow2u3]

236. Pit Bulls don't have locking jaws. They are tenacious, just like any terrier

Pit Bulls are terriers, who by definition were originally bred to hunt vermin, and therefore tenacious. The myth of the Pit Bull's locking jaw comes from the breed's tenacity in doing the job the dog was bred for: to hunt relentlessly and hold on 'til the end.

The natural "live wire" temperament of any terrier, not only a Pit Bull, is what criminals exploit: they turn the breed's natural loyalty to humans into a weapon in their illegal occupations such as drug dealing and dog fighting. These two-legged beasts breed the most aggressive dogs and then use abusive "training" tactics, e.g., tying them with chains a grown man would have trouble lifting, to turn pets into four-legged weapons against society; these are the brutes who give pitties a bad name. They have taken a loyal, trusting animal and created a monster for their own twisted ends.

Personally, I'm not much of a Pit Bull fan, not because of the breed's reputation for aggression, but because they're too high-strung for my laid-back lifestyle. I can't keep up with the demands for exercise and play they need. Besides, I have cats and my kitties don't like large dogs too much. I think that if anyone wants to breed Pit Bulls, they should select the gentlest among them and produce puppies with most of the unnecessary aggression bred out of them and train the pups with positive reinforcment techniques.

I used to volunteer at the Pennsylvania SPCA before I moved out of Philly. I've seen the effects that dogfighting, gangs, and the drug trade have on pitties. Vets are being forced to euthanize dogs who are too aggressive to be rehabilitated. The dogs who are salvageable spend weeks, if not months, undergoing intensive and extensive veterinary care, socialization, and retraining to ready them for adoption, which costs the shelters a vast sum of money. Not only do the dogs themselves need to be rehabilitated, but also their reputation does, too, and that takes large sums of money to undo the bad rap the underworld did to those dogs and to educate the public that pit bulls in the right hands are lovable, soppy, big babies who only want to please their humans. The last time I was helping at the shelter, 1/3 of the dogs up for adoption were pit bulls or mixes.

[flvegan]

227. Oh dear.

They cannot lock their jaws, okay. They can't. As for the "potential for doing the most damage of any dog" I fear I'm talking to another silly American trapped within their own geographical borders suffering from a reality their media has given them.

[LeftyMom]

251. Since you appear to have good intentions, allow me to clear up some misinformation.

1. Pit bulls do not have locking jaws. No dog does. There's nothing abnormal about their jaws in any way.

2. Pit bulls do not have an unusual potential to cause damage. They're medium-sized dogs. There are any number of dog breeds that are bigger and stronger. They're just much less common.

3. There's no credible evidence that pit bulls kill more people than other dogs, however such evidence would still suggest nothing unless it could be proved that they were disproportionately dangerous in proportion to their numbers. Otherwise high numbers could just suggest that they are very common, which is observably true. To prove that they were disproportionately dangerous, you'd have to compile accurate statistics of bite incidents that meet your criteria (death, serious injury, ER visits, whatever) and then match them accurately to the breed of the dog involved.

Since many dog bite incidents involve dogs whose breeds are not known to the victim or reporting party, and since untrained people are generally terrible at identifying dogs by breed (as I stated elsewhere on the thread, many people think my family's boxers are pit bulls) doing so is nigh impossible. THEN you would have to get accurate information on total dog population broken down by breed, and you'd have to compare the per capita incidents for each breed. So if you found ten million pit bulls and fifteen reported incidents, but two incidents for 100,000 akitas, the statistics would show that akitas were more likely to cause incidents than pit bulls. None of the current surveys have made any attempt to adjust for the ubiquity of the breed, so in those surveys pits would appear to be more dangerous than akitas in my example, due to laughably bad study design.

[Muskypundit]

257. Thank you for proving me wrong respectfully

And for taking the time to educate me. I apologize for my initial ignorance on the subject

[Hawkowl]

186. Sort of like humans?

Perhaps Valerie's are simply the most uncaring and unempathetic. I wish they'd stop breeding them. The world would be a better place.

[Name removed]

268. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Demoiselle]

53. I'm sorry that ANY dogs are allowed to roam free in your neigbhorhood.

I have friends who are very dedicated pit bull rescuers, and through them I've come to appreciate what wonderful people-loving dogs Bullies can be.
I've also seen enough loony, badly behaved dogs of other breeds to be very thankful that here in Philly we have serious leash laws.
It's people who create bad dogs, not the dogs themselves, and I hope you can get some help getting those "roamers" off the streets.

[Demoiselle]

54. www.badrap.com

Please check out this web site. It will give you plenty of accurate information about Pit Bulls.
The Bad Rap folks are the ones who rescued Michael Vick's surviving dogs. (Almost all of them were completely salvageable and are now living as pets in homes with kids, other animals, etc.They put down the unsalvageabe dogs, gently and kindly. )

[TorchTheWitch]

203. I absolutely hate it that people let their dogs roam free

Especially those people who have zero control of their dog and don't even make an attempt to control it when it races up to your leashed dog expecting YOU to break up a dog fight. Fucking ASSHOLES.

[Rex]

57. That is ridiculous fearmongering at its best.

The ignorance of some about domesticated animals is stunning. You are more likely to be hit by a car, so stop walking out of fear of cars... :eyes:

[shireen]

75. i'm sorry to hear that

There are irresponsible owners out there. Does your neighborhood have leash laws? If they do, please try calling animal control so the owners could be fined. I hope your situation improves.

[tpsbmam]

145. The others are right.....you seriously need to educate yourself because your ignorance is

showing. I have little 12-pound mixed breed (mostly poodle) who clearly was treated poorly in his life before coming to his forever home with me. He has fear aggression with strangers, though after living with me it's dispelled quickly. A friend had the most wonderful male pit bull who used to come over and play with my female Westie! Man, they had a blast racing around together. He was always gentle as a lamb with her.

Well, we tried him out with my new male adoptee. We were careful -- they were separated by a fence and couldn't get to each other. Well, my little guy did his best to start a fight -- he was all full of snarls & growls, leaping at the fence and at Mikey.. Mikey the pit bull was having none of it -- he was all full of wags & sweetness. That wonderful dog didn't have an aggressive bone in his body. He, also, was adopted -- he showed up half starved at my friend's house when he was still a young dog. She nursed him back to health and he was an absolutely magnificent, loving dog for all of his life. Before getting my male, I babysat Mikey many times as my friend traveled a lot for work -- Mikey would come stay with us, curl up in bed with us, and have a wonderful time. I trusted him implicitly with both me and my little Westie, and with good reason -- he was a fabulous, gentle, intelligent dog.

[astonamous]

176. Unsafe?

[DirkGently]

182. Heehee. Those guys are GREAT.

[TorchTheWitch]

205. Oh, that is so precious!

I just want to dive in and snuggle in the pooch pile with them!

So adorable.

[astonamous]

234. Pit Bull Herder (chihuahua) chased them all day. LOL!

Now it's nap time and even then, the little one is on top of things.

[TorchTheWitch]

284. sometimes it's the little bitty ones that are the big boss

;)

[xmas74]

282. I'm not a big fan of any kind of big dog

but if any type of dog roams freely I don't feel safe walking my dog. The pits on my block are contained d/t city ordinances (and they seem to have good owners). We've never had a problem with them. The bichon down the street, otoh, has repeatedly lunged at my dog, making my dog cry. (yep, my dog's a bit of a wimp.) And the dog who attacked my kid was a Jack Russell.

Though I'd personally never have a pit (except maybe the one in the OP-I have a soft spot for "imperfect" animals) I'd never blame the attacks on the breed in general. It's almost always the fault of the owner and improper training and care.

[LaurenG]

18. You are prejudiced against a puppy?

How sad.

[dionysus]

22. thats foolish

[Honeycombe8]

27. Pit bulls & some other breeds can be very dangerous. But if they're raised properly,

they won't be, is what I've read. Rachel Ray owns a Pit Bull that I've seen tapes of. A delightful, careful, affectionate, good natured house dog. Caesar Millan's favorite dog, Danny, is a Pit. You couldn't find a more stable, well adjusted, calm dog than Danny. Most of the Michael Vick dogs have been rehabilitated, even though they were used in dog fighting.

I wouldn't breed them. But once a Pit exists, it deserves a chance at a happy life. It can't be raised by just anyone, though. Pits and Rotties and German Shepherds require special socialization and training, if only because IF they aren't raised right, they have the capability of being extremely harmful.

[valerief]

31. They're bred for aggression. It's in their blood. They should be made extinct.

There are plenty of other much less dangerous dogs.

Big cats can be loving, but they can unexpectedly turn. That's how I view pit bulls. Too dangerous for the risk.

[Honeycombe8]

39. You DO realize you're talking about Petey, the Little Rascals' dog? And the

RCA phonograph mascot?

Pits have been around for many, many years. They used to be called "the nanny dog," because they were used to babysit kids. They are very devoted and loving to their family members.

It's only recently that people started breeding them to fight.

They are not all bred to fight, though. Some pits are used as bait for dog fighting. And others are used to get prenant because of their coloring and such. The "devil eyes," the red color, etc.

I am scared of them. But I don't think they are all inherently bad or evil. Those are human characteristics.

[valerief]

78. They've been bred to fight bulls in the ring. That's why they're called pit bulls.

I think it's been done for centuries.

[ladywnch]

47. really? then I guess all those folks in the UK (where the dog is known as 'the nanny dog'

don't know what they're doing leaving their children with pitties, or the organizations that employ pitties as THERAPY DOGS.

As has been pointed out in this thread already, little yappie dogs are every bit, if not more so, aggressive/violent than ANY large breed dog. And the only reason why this is true is because many people with small dogs don't provide any training, discipline, boundaries, or rules in place with little dogs and they just become ill behaved aggressive monsters.

As with kids, it ALL comes down to how they are raised.

Pitties are no more 'bred for violence' than humans are bred for stupidity......yet both do happen.

[TBF]

56. WTF? Of course I could say the same about some people. nt

[louslobbs]

59. Some people also believe that there are certain people who should be made "extinct." especially

those who might lack a heart and who live a resigned and cynical life.
Lou

[roguevalley]

103. people are filled with aggression, its in our blood. who volunteers

to go extinct first? Anyone?

Lordy ...

[astonamous]

174. Aggressive?

[TorchTheWitch]

206. SQUEEEEE!!!

I hope you have that one blown up, framed and hanging on the wall. What an awesome photo! It should be a greeting card.

[LeftyMom]

32. Any dog is potentially dangerous if not raised right.

The only thing that makes pits stand out in this respect is their popularity.

[Honeycombe8]

37. Not quite. They way they are physically built makes them particularly dangerous.

Pits have an extremely wide mouth, and there's something about the way their jaws are made, coupled with the larger-than-usual musculature at the jaws (the bulges you see on the side of a Pit's face), make a Pit more dangerous than some other larger dogs. Also, they are persistent and extremely smart. All of that makes them lethal IF they are so inclined.

Rotties and German Shepherds can be very dangerous, as well, because of their size and strength and fighting ability and agility. Unlike, say, a St. Bernard. Though large, a St. Bernard is not agile and doesn't have a strong fighting ability. (Still, I wouldn't want a "Cujo" to come after me!) Any large dog could be lethal, though.

Yorkies are more apt to bite someone, but let's face it, they aren't particularly lethal.

[LeftyMom]

42. That's actually not correct.

There's nothing special about their jaws, and they have the same general head shape as any number of somewhat related dogs (ie most molossers.) The tendency to be a bit single-minded is a terrier thing, so any number of dogs show it, and it's hardly universal among pits, especially since many have so many molosser genes from being cross-bred with mastiffs and such for size. Molossers tend to be on the lazy side, and not generally the head of the canine class, that definitely offsets the terrier tendency to braininess in most cases.

[Chorophyll]

151. Thanks LeftyMom.

I've got a lab mix dog who's probably part pit (most unaggressive dog EVAR, btw) and we've got a couple of pits in the neighborhood who have been nothing but playful, friendly and smart for as long as I've known them. I was never a dog-person but I'm becoming one. Nice to find someone who knows what they're talking about. :hi:

[ladywnch]

50. famous fallacies for a thousand Alex.

this along with the 'locking jaw' myth.

while the bite of the Yorkie may not be lethal, it can STILL be vary damaging. My mother was bitten TWICE by a sheltie....bit down to the bone on both thumbs........thus causing a bone infection. And in case you're not aware, these types of bone infections (caused by animal bites) more often than not results in bone loss. So while not lethal, certainly devastating.

[Honeycombe8]

122. I didn't mention the locking jaw myth. I spoke about the way the jaw, and its

particular musculature is, is built. Their jaws open wider than some other dogs' jaws, and they have particular strength on the sides of the jaws, that many other dogs don't have. You can see the muscles on the sides sticking out; they are noticeable.

You can look at a pit full face on, and see that their mouths go practically from ear to ear. They are called the "smiling dog" because when they pant, they look like they're smiling. Because their mouths are wider than other dogs.

It's because of the strength in their jaws that they're able to hold on, when they bite into something (or someone). That's where the "locking jaw" myth comes from. It looks like their jaws have locked. But they haven't. Their jaws are just so incredibly strong, that they don't need to let go, and they are more impervious to pain, so that even if you hurt them, they may not let go.

Another poster mentioned the terrier tenacity. A characteristic of terriers can be tenacity and spunkiness, as well as bravery. The Pit is a cross between working dogs & some terrier(s), so I would think they have some of the true terrier characteristics.

[uppityperson]

131. Here are some links about that supposed "incredibly strong" pitbull thing...

http://www.realpitbull.com/myths.html
“Pit Bulls have more bite pressure per square inch (PSI) than any
other breed.” This is absolutely false.

Tests that have been done comparing the bite pressure of several
breeds showed pressure PSI (per square inch) to be considerably lower
than some wild estimates that have been made. Testing has shown that
the domestic dog averages about 320 lbs of pressure per square inch.
Recently Dr. Brady Barr of National Geographic conducted a comparative
test between a Pit Bull, a Rottweiler, and a German Shepherd. The Pit
Bull had the LOWEST PSI OF THE THREE.

The highest pressure recorded from the Pit Bull was 235 lbs PSI. The
highest from the GSD was 238, and the highest from the Rott was 328.
Dr. Barr states that as far as he knows, the PSI tested in the Rott is the
highest on record for any domestic canine.

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/PitbullInformation/Urbanlegends.htm
Humans: 120 pounds of bite pressure

Domestic dogs: 320 LBS of pressure on avg. A German Shepard, American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) and Rottweiler were tested using a bite sleeve equipped with a specialized computer instrument. The APBT had the least amount of pressure of the 3 dogs tested.

Wild dogs: 310 lbs

Lions: 600 lbs

White sharks: 600 lbs

Hyenas: 1000 lbs

Snapping turtles: 1000 lbs

Crocodiles: 2500 lbs


Now, about that "impervious to pain" assertion, I'd like to see ANY link from a reputable source backing that claim up.


http://dogs.about.com/od/dogbreeds/a/pit_bull_faq.htm
Do American Pit Bull Terriers have incredible bite pressure, greater than any other breed of dog?

No! No! No! There is no accurate test to measure the PSI (pressure per square inch) of a Pit Bull or any other breed of dog. It has been shown that other breeds of dogs actually may (as there still is no conclusive test) have a harder bite. So, then why is it sometimes difficult to get a Pit Bull off of another creature? Well, the short answer - that is what they were bred for. The breed was bred to hold on, at all costs. Imagine if a bull-baiting dog suddenly let go of the bull’s nose (which immobilizes the bull) that would leave the bull free to kill the dog and kill the dog the bull would.

American Pit Bull Terriers do have muscular neck and shoulder muscles but so do American Bulldogs, Boxers, Jack Russell Terriers, Dogo’s and a variety of other breeds of dogs. It is not the neck muscles that determine the strength of a dogs bite - 75% of that bite is coming from the rear legs, and by immobilizing the rear portion of the dog’s body, a person can take away 75% of that bite from the dog! Certainly a bite from a Pit Bull is more devastating than, say a teacup poodle, but no more devastating than a well placed bite from a Beagle that hits a key nerve in the face of a child, rendering that child’s face paralyzed.

The take home point is this - ANY dog can inflict serious damage to a human being, especially a child and it is the responsibility of ALL dog owners to socialize and prepare their dogs for the “real” world.

[Honeycombe8]

258. Once again, you have tried to put words in my mouth. I never said they have more psi than

other dogs.

I said they have incredible strength in their jaws, and coupled with their imperviousness to pain, they can hold on when other dogs would release. That's where the locking jaw myth comes from.

Sheesh. They are fighting dogs. You don't have to have a brain to know that they FIGHT pretty darn well...and that it is common knowledge that they will bite into something and not let go, when another dog might let go.

But since you mentioned it, 235 psi for a dog that is about 1/4th the size of a Rottie...well, that's pretty darn strong.

Think about it. What makes them good pit fighters? That they have a weak bite? That they let go if the other dog bites them back? Hmmm....I think not. Use your brain.

I love all dogs, including pits. Just sayin'....they have incredibly strong jaws. And you can actually SEE the bulging jaw muscles on the sides of their faces. It's not a big secret.

You ever seen one close up? A lot of people are confused about what a pit bull is. I've seen some close up and personal. There is no mistaking a pure pit bull. They have a unique look. In particular, bulging jaw muscles. This doesn't make them bad at all. Just scary looking. That, and their devil-looking eyes (they have unique eyes..similar to a Doberman's, but not quite).

[uppityperson]

279. "once again" I try to put words in your mouth? Huh. I never said you said they had more psi

I did give links to counter that "I said they have incredible strength in their jaws" (there, see how I copy pasted, no putting words in your mouth). They don't have "incredible strength".

"coupled with their imperviousness to pain". I'd like to see a link to that assertion.

"You ever seen one close up? A lot of people are confused about what a pit bull is". Yes. Several. As a vet assistant, helping in a pet store, friends have some.

"Just scary looking. That, and their devil-looking eyes". Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I am sorry that you see "devil looking eyes" in the scary looking dog in the OP.

Sheesh, they are also search and rescue dogs, family dogs, working dogs, etc etc etc.

[flvegan]

177. Dear God, please exorcise the stupid.

I run a pit rescue...my Great Dane "smiles" far wider.

Fail. I'll leave it with personal experience and leave facts out of it lest you look silly.

[Honeycombe8]

259. Dear God. They are, in FACT, called the "smiling dog." You can, in FACT, see

the bulging jaw muscles.

I'm not talking about pit mixes. Or those general type dogs that people THINK are pits.

I've seen a few up close and personal. And I've spent many hours researching them, when I was trying to identify the breed of a dog I rescued.

I know you love this breed and want to think certain things. Just because you rescue a breed of dog, doesn't mean you really know the ins and outs of the breed.

Facts. They are called "the smiling dog" because their mouths open from ear to ear, so that they look like they are smiling. They used to be called "the nanny dog." They have larger muscles on the sides of their jaws than many other breeds. They have a high tolerance for pain.

You don't have to have a brain to know that these are some of the characteristics that make them good fighting dogs.

[flvegan]

271. LOFL!! You've spent "many hours researching them"

Get back to me when stupid isn't taking over YOUR brain.

Don't ever insult me by saying I don't know the ins and outs of this breed. You'll never ever have my experience, ever.

[uppityperson]

280. "They have a high tolerance for pain." You keep repeating this without any proof.

Link to reputable source please.

the nickname "nanny dog" or "smiling dog" "makes them a good fighting dog"?

[IndyPragmatist]

51. You are absolutely right

People train them to be aggressive because they are such strong and loyal dogs. It's very easy to make them aggressive, but its also easy to make them very loving. It's 100% on the owner.

Pits used to be the most common family dog. Its just the bad people that bred them to fight that ruined the reputation.

[RebelOne]

83. I have owned 2 pit bulls and 2 Rottweilers and they

were the best pets you could imagine. I do believe it is the owner's fault and not the dog's. All of them were well behaved and lovable.

[AngryOldDem]

71. Why not?

The disorder, from my understanding of what I read, can affect any dog. Not exclusive to pit bulls. So why single them out?

[Bryn]

72. Sorry, but I am one of those who love Pit Bull dogs

To me, they're a beautiful breed and should be preserved.

[roguevalley]

91. Pit bulls are gorgeous dogs. Just because some owners are

shit heads should not be blamed on the breed which is glorious.

[OnyxCollie]

96. That's the same kind of fucked-up attitude

that leads people to attack minorities and religious groups.

"They're EVIL and they need to be stopped!"

[flvegan]

113. *snort*

DU didn't even need me to school your ass this time, LOL!

[roody]

134. NO dogs should be bred. 5 - 7

million adoptable animals are killed in this country yearly because no one will give them a home.

[roody]

135. NO dogs should be bred. 5 - 7

million adoptable animals are killed in this country yearly because no one will give them a home.

[JanMichael]

158. Agreed. nt.

[harmonicon]

231. +1 nt

[separationcs]

149. Agreed.

I hope she does not grow up and eat someone.

[uppityperson]

162. "You've become so smug, you like the smell of your own farts."? You seriously believe this

loved dog would "grow up and eat someone"? And the quote in my subject line is what you posted in your profile, wondering wtf?

[separationcs]

183. It's how I feel. Attack if you must.

Won't change a thing. I have my reasons.

[LeftofU]

155. Yeah, you too.

Dogs are dogs and owners can be fools.

[Lucian]

161. Maybe you shouldn't breed.

[BooBrown]

164. your ignorance is showing

Pit bulls, particularly American Pit Bull Terriers, were America's preferred family dog for decades. They are incredibly smart, loyal, gentle and deserving of our protection and help.

I live with five APB terriers. Four compete in agility trials. The fifth (the old man) is getting certified in scent work -- perhaps one day to help in search and rescue. Two are certified as therapy dogs and work with abused children.

If you don't know what you are talking about, I suggest you shut up. My dogs do far more to make this a better world than you could ever dream of.

[Dutchmaster]

167. Pit Bulls are among the best dog breeds in the world

you're just sadly misinformed. or dumb. or both.

[donheld]

169. Where the fuck did you come from?

You sicken me.

[astonamous]

187. Pit Bulls For Dummies

Pit Bulls have an image problem. If you’ve never been around Pit Bulls, you may think they are bloodthirsty man-eaters on the prowl for their next meal. If you’ve lived with one you know they are, indeed, on the prowl for their next meal – but they plan to get it by conning you out of your meal by doing something irresistibly cute! A breed of satin and steel, Pit Bulls are a mixture of softness and strength, an uncanny canine combination of fun, foolishness, and serious business.

If you think Pit Bulls should be purged from the face of the earth, Pit Bulls For Dummies will enlighten you. Perhaps you're curious about this breed and want to know what Pit Bulls are really like; if so, this book is for you. Who else needs this handy reference?

*Smart people who realize that all breeds have good and bad points
*New (and not so new) owners who need help with training
*Owners looking for just the right veterinarian
*Potential owners looking to adopt from a breed-rescue group
*Pit Bull owners who need help identifying Pit Bull health problems

Too many dog care books are filled with unrealistic scare tactics that would cause anyone to just give up, while others are filled with hand-me-down dog lore that has no basis in reality. You won't find any of that in Pit Bulls For Dummies. Here's a sampling of the handy information you'll find in this essential guide:

*Understanding the Pit Bull's origins and characteristics
*Caring for a puppy or older Pit Bull
*Keeping your dog healthy with diet and exercise
*Dealing with bad behavior: Biting, barking, jumping, and more
*Training your Pit Bull in the basics such as sit, stay, heel, and come
*Understanding Pit Bull body language
*Helping your dog become a social animal

Owning a Pit Bull isn’t easy, but that’s not because of the dogs. A special commitment to the breed and a special dog owner are needed. Pit Bulls are pretty special dogs, and they have to prove it every day.

[A Physicist]

189. Are you advocating Pit Bull genocide by attrition?

And after a lovable puppy story. Whatever.

[WVRICK13]

196. I Agree

Because too many owners use them and train them for the wrong things. I do know a pit bull raised with love is a wonderful dog. I friend rescued one in rush hour traffic Near DC and had her 11 years and she was a baby. She brought home a kitten and nurtured it as if it were her own. She was a shining example of an intelligent and loving dog.

[Name removed]

214. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[adhd_what_huh]

222. Worst dogs ever!!!!!!!!

http://www.dogsbite.org/dangerous-dogs.htm

[Name removed]

245. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

249. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

250. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[smokey nj]

253. This one's a real piece of work.

[WilliamPitt]

228. Well, you got the reaction you were looking for.

Hope it made your day. Or something.

[SammyWinstonJack]

235. Well that's certainly helpful.

:eyes:

[astonamous]

262. Pit Bull Viciously Attacks Baby! (video)

http://youtu.be/vL1trl1FMUw

[msanthrope]

285. As misanthropic as I am, even I can't shit all over a puppy thread.

Jeebus.

[kctim]

3. Awesome! Good job Erica.

[Auntie Bush]

10. Plus 1 for Erica.

What a wonder person!

[stuntcat]

9. "from a garbage bag"

humanity horrifies me more and more, over and over.

The pictures of her with the article are beautiful, I'm glad the right person came along to save her.

[BeHereNow]

21. No accidents- that woman was lead to that pup-

Gives me hope for humanity- that some people still have the
intuition, receptivity, what ever to follow a path that makes a
difference- one life at a time.
All life is sacred.
BHN

[roguevalley]

104. I agree, beherenow. totally.

[tavalon]

256. She is a good human.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

11. I fucking HATE backyard breeders --

with a passion. :mad:

I was so disgusted when Arnie refused to sign a law banning the practice here in CA -- so much misery is caused by the irresponsibility of those people trying to make a buck off their animals. :puke:

[astonamous]

178. Backyard breeders (I like to call them backwards) breed misery. n/t

[TorchTheWitch]

207. right up there with puppy mills

This shit needs to stop. Leave the breeding up to the experts who know what they're doing and are doing it right.

[BeHereNow]

12. That first picture- That dog is SMILING- make no mistake.

What a happy pup!
Now and then, good prevails over "evil."
BHN

[truebrit71]

49. I know, right? That's the first thing I noticed...the smile...

..anyone that says dogs can't smile are missing the boat...

[roguevalley]

105. studies have concluded that dogs are smiling when they do that.

[louslobbs]

61. Yep, she is because she is being shown love and treated with kindness. I think she is beautiful.

Lou

[tammywammy]

130. Did you see this one? This is one happy dog!

[Chorophyll]

148. ...

:loveya:

[TorchTheWitch]

208. SQUEEEEE!!!

Oh, I just want to smooch that whole pooch face!

[Fire Walk With Me]

266. I just wanted to see the beautiful one again because that smile is contageous :)

[ceile]

17. what a story!

Sweet face.

[Liberal_in_LA]

20. lovely story

[LeftyMom]

26. What an adorable puppy.

When you adopt from rescues your adoption fee helps to offset the costs of caring for dogs with stories every bit as heartbreaking as this one. When you buy from breeders, you support the kind of people who put this puppy in a bag because he needed vet care. Make the right choice.

[joeybee12]

30. Yes! Plus +1,000,000!

[TorchTheWitch]

209. Bullshit

There's a universe of difference between an evil backyard breeder and the experts that normally LOSE money on breeding because they do it responsibly and mostly for health and temperament qualities. The ONLY place to buy a dog is from such a responsible breeder and it should be the law.

[LeftyMom]

252. 3-4 million adoptable dogs are killed in US shelters each year for lack of a home.

There is no such thing as a responsible breeder, because breeding more dogs when there are millions dying for lack of a home is inherently irresponsible.

[TorchTheWitch]

287. Responsible breeding is imperative

How do you think disorders and diseases are breed out? Without responsible breeding the loss of knowledge and experience would be forever lost and all there would BE is badly bred dogs and even MORE dogs pouring into shelters because of owners not wanting to or not able to afford to deal with all manner of health issues due to bad breeding and/or bad puppy care.

What is irresponsible is bad breeding, bad owners, puppy mills, pet shops that sell dogs/puppies, and NONE of that is going to stop. Wanting to get rid of the ONE responsible breeding system in light of this is ludicrous especially considering that responsible breeding has eliminated what used to be common diseases and disorders.

[LeftyMom]

288. Breeders CREATE health problems because they aim for what's trendy rather than for health.

Many breeds are getting experiencing health problems they did not in the past, because breeders are aiming for ever more extreme appearance rather than for health, and they're achieving that through inbreeding. Breeding organizations encourage this through unwise breed standards which value conformity of appearance over health. Some breeds have it worse than others, but a purebred dog will almost never be as healthy as a mutt, because of the potential for dangerous recessives to express themselves in inbred dogs.

That aside, ANY dog bred right now takes up space in a home where a shelter dog might otherwise find love. To breed one dog is to kill another. It's that simple. Responsible people spay and neuter, both for the enormous health benefits and to cut down on pet overpopulation, and responsible people adopt rescued animals. Responsible breeder is an oxymoron.

[yellerpup]

28. Aw, now I crave puppy cuddles and puppy kisses.

Sweet story. I'm glad her life was saved.

[louslobbs]

67. Me too, I used to have two Min Pins who had deformities that made them all the more beautiful and

they used to sleep with me every night, both under my left arm. They used to give me kisses every night and every morning and I miss them terribly.......each was 4 pounds full grown and needed great medical care, but every penny was worth it to have them for the three and a half short years we did. Their names were, Hana and Ipod, both sisters from a litter where they were going to be put down because of their deformities, but we happily adopted them and never looked back. I want to believe they're together by that rainbow bridge waiting for me to come to them someday. Silly I know, but it just makes me feel good.....and now I'm crying.
Lou

[roguevalley]

106. min pins rule. you are a good person.

[yellerpup]

116. They'll be there when you get there.

And you will receive a joyous welcome. I love animals. We adopted an elderly kitty when his 96 year old rescuer passed. She rescued him from neighbors who had declawed him with a pair of pliers and he walked a lot like Popeye. Scrum-diddly-yum... I wanted to be his forever mom, but it turned out I was only the hospice mom. Sweet boy. Mini Pins are so adorable. My neighbor down south had one, Delilah, I fell in love the minute I saw her. Animals understand love and commitment better than humans do, I think. They would not want you to cry when you remember them. :hug: :hug:

One each for Hana and Ipod.

[bullwinkle428]

33. K&R. Backyard breeders are one of the lowest forms of sub-human filth!

:mad: :mad:

[Hell Hath No Fury]

38. +1

:mad:

[Wait Wut]

45. ++++++1

I say we send Shorty to this guy and have him give the scum an education.

What a sweet little puppy!

[TorchTheWitch]

210. [phone]

Just as bad as puppy mills and like the cretin that put that poor pup in a fucking garbage bag can be even worse. It should be against the law.

[Throckmorton]

43. My cat Basket was rescued from the trash as a kitten

by my niece. I remember the phone call from my wife very well, "Amanda found a kitten", before she could say another word my reply was "Bring it home". I already knew what was coming by the very fact she called me at work.

That was 4 years ago, and shes asleep on the chair next to me, as usual, Basket, not my wife or niece.

All three of my cats are rescues/shelter cats. Including the crazy Manx name "Binger", because she Bing's off the walls ala Ricochet Rabbit.

[CountAllVotes]

63. I have a cat like that too

And wow is she ever the most dedicated cat I've ever had in my life. She won't leave my side and when I was in the hospital (on and off for almost 2 mos.), I was told that she slept on my bed waiting for me to return home.

She had a broken tail and was starved and sick when I got her from the local shelter. They would have put her down soon no doubt because she was sick. However, along came I and I'm a sucker for a sweetie pie. Today, her very very overly long tail no longer appears broken but she was a mighty ugly sight when I first got her.

I remember posting pictures of her that I took when I first got her in the Pets group. There were no "oh how cute" comments. :(

She is a darling to have and is now about 5 years old -- thrown away never to be wanted by anyone (but me :D ).

:dem:

[alsame]

46. Wonderful story. Thanks. nt

[Harmony Blue]

48. Go Harper go!

An amazing story, and amazing dog too! What spirit!

[Rex]

52. Everything deserves a chance at life!

From the lowly maggot to the trillions of cells that make up a human being; to deny life is to validate that life is worthless and meaningless imo.

Every puppy deserves to right be happy.

That top picture made me cry.

:cry:

[roody]

137. I'm sorry I killed some maggots that had hatched in my

redworm farm. I didn't really kill them. I threw them on the grass so they could be eaten by a bird.

[Rex]

246. Yeah sorry for the exaggeration.

I killed a cockroach the other day, sucker had it comin!

[Contrary1]

60. She's gorgeous!

:loveya: Just look at those eyes.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

65. Ooooooo....

she's killin' me with those doggie eyes!! :loveya:

[Chorophyll]

153. OMG!

What a sweet face.

[Fire Walk With Me]

154. Hello beautiful!

[TorchTheWitch]

211. That's a triple SQUEEEE!!!

Oh holy cow, just look at that face!

[Innoma]

62. Oooh! Oooh! I got one!

We always have a gaggle of stray cats that accumulate around home. They're scruffy looking things, and not particularly friendly or cuddly, being semi-wild and all. All the same, I just don't have the heart to tie 'em up in a sack and toss 'em in the river, or even to take them the the SPCA. So there they stay - an ever-growing population of rough little beasties that I feed every religiously morning and every night, even though they have a tendency to hang by their claws off the window screens and ruin all my wife's potted plants.

Recently, one of that cats had kittens. One morning, in my usual rush for work, I was loading up the car with a few large, heavy boxes, and on one trip, I stepped out the door and right onto one of the little kittens. Laid him out flat. Dead as a doornail. Needless to say, I was absolutely devastated. I wrapped the little guy up in a towel and set him in our barn so I could attend to a proper burial when I got home, and trudged off to work with my head hanging low all day.

When I came home that evening, I looked in the barn, hoping against hope that maybe, by some miracle, he wasn't actually dead, but no ... there he was. And I just didn't have the heart to bury him right then. Couldn't do it.

So, four days go by, and one evening when I come home late, my wife tells me one of the other little kittens is in some kind of distress somewhere because she's been hearing it all day, but can't find it. I grab a flashlight, walk all around the house on a feline search and rescue mission, and find it, but when I take a closer look, its the very kitten I stepped on, somehow come back to life. The kitten, by that time, was all skin and bones, and was kind of flopping around as if it had broken back legs or spinal damage. I really didn't know what to do, so rushed him over to my mom, who's very handy at saving wayward beasts of all stripes. She managed to feed him, and I begged her to take him to the vet the very next day, no matter what it costs (and God knows I don't have any spare money for this sort of thing these days).

Anyway, the kitten makes a full recovery after a couple weeks, and is romping around my parent's house as if nothing ever happened, which for me, was a great thing to see.

Unfortunately, my dad has respiratory trouble, and with a cat in the house, he was having a hard time of it, so the kitten had to go. I couldn't really take him back because I feared our mercenary cats would drive him away, straight into the mouths of the neighbor dogs or the local coyotes. But no matter how hard we tried, we could not find a home for the kitten, and while I was at work one day, my parents returned the kitten to our home. When they called me later that night to let me know they had found a good home for him at the last minute, I informed her them it was nowhere to be found, and for a week my wife and I searched for it every morning and night.

I was entirely bummed out by the whole mess, and for a few days my mom was actually physically sick over it. But then one night I found him wandering around the field, a bit terrified and once again nothing but skin and bones. So I bring him home, lay out some cat food and milk, and he eats almost his entire weight in food, then curls up at my foot and starts purring away. Needless to say, I'm thrilled, my wife is relieved, my mom is ecstatic, and now, after having almost bitten the bullet twice, the kitten finally has a safe, loving home. And his name is now Lucky.

[stuntcat]

66. Lucky!

omg that was hard to read :cry: I'm so glad he has a real home now!!

trap-neuter-release should be free. I mean as bad as it is to have cats out in the wild, it is much worse for them to make litters every year. We live in a very close suburb and I spent hundreds of dollars to get a litter of little tabbies TNR'ed. Now I have neighbors forever mad at me about what I did. But what were THEY going to do about the kittens? Nothing. It's someone else fault that they were born, but it's MY fault none of them will have kittens.
Anyway blah blah blah, sry..

It is great how Lucky pulled through!

[dana_b]

69. your neighbors should be THANKING you...

not mad at you. People confound me sometimes.

As for Lucky, sigh.... I am just glad that there are people like his owners in this world.

[shireen]

76. awwww ... great story.

glad to hear the happy ending. :)

[roguevalley]

108. aww. I love kitties. GOOD FOR YOU!

[joeybee12]

120. Yikes...glad the ending was happy...for youa nd the kitty...nt

[ScreamingMeemie]

68. Look at the beautiful smile! Long life to you Harper!

From another Harper...

[dana_b]

70. gorgeous girl!

I am so glad that there are people like Erica Daniel in this world. Long and happy life to Harper!

[DirkGently]

73. Great story -- beautiful little dog. Disturbing anyone could so lack humanity as to hate a puppy.

[shireen]

77. that pup has a BIG GRIN!

:loveya:

[Fire Walk With Me]

86. What a beautiful, happy smile. Oddly, some of the pit bulls I've met (SOME) are sooo loving

and happy.

[xchrom]

89. Beautiful. Just beautiful. Nt

[flvegan]

114. Wonderful story about (some) wonderful people about a wonderful pup

from a wonderful breed.

[LaurenG]

115. You took too long and LM had to fix the stupid without you.

:P

[flvegan]

117. I've tried many times to fix stupid.

She's welcome to take some whacks at it. She does a good job when she does.

[LaurenG]

118. You know she was fabulous and some others dove in to help

it was nice to watch.

[flvegan]

119. Yup.

Many smart and great folks here.

[backwoodsbob]

125. if anyone knows how I can get ahold of these people

Harper would have a perfect home..lazy...waiting on his servants to feed him..sleeping on the bed while his human workers cared for him...I would adopt Harper.

Seriously..I've dealt with this with some of our rescue pups....I'd love to talk to these people.He would get a good home and maybe I could get some publicity for our local PAWS

[femrap]

126. That is the happiest dog

I have ever seen. I don't even see the deformities.

Harper is better company than most people.

[Bobbie Jo]

127. K&R

:loveya: Thank you for sharing that.

[spooky3]

128. Yay, Erica! And ***holes like the guy who tried to kill the dog should be prosecuted.

To the full extent of the law.

[zalinda]

133. This pic just made me smile right back at him. n/t

[lonestarnot]

136. Ah poor little thing. How sweet.

:hi:

[Maat]

141. Yahoo, Puppy!

May you have the greatest of lives.

[tropicanarose]

142. what a beautiful, beautiful little puppy! I am so happy that he was rescued. The horrible excuse ..

for a human being that threw him in the trash should have thrown him/herself in there instead.....they are truly garbage!!!!!!! God bless this little dog

[Chorophyll]

146. I love this story! Thank you for posting.

What a gorgeous little dog. Good luck, Harper!

[provis99]

147. it's nice that they saved her, but

man, that is one hideously ugly dog.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

152. What??!?

She's adorable, jeez, look at that face!

[uppityperson]

163. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[flvegan]

175. Go back under your bridge. n/t

[Joe Shlabotnik]

150. Hopefully not named after Stephen Harper! n/t

[WorseBeforeBetter]

156. Think positively...maybe that darling pup was named after Harper Lee. (n/t)

[UpInArms]

159. that puppy has a beautiful smile

I'm so grateful for those who love the least among us.

[alp227]

168. did anyone think the top photo was of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog?

(a puppet character on Conan O'Brien's comedy shows.)

[flvegan]

180. Tonight, I love DU.

Reaffirmation in this place? I haz it.

[Name removed]

204. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Liberty Belle]

181. Every vet, breeder and shelter should read this, please forward.

The pit bull haters here (and I'm not a fan of the breed myself) are missing the point--so many dogs of all breeds are killed every year because of this sort of problem when in fact a little TLC may be all that's needed to help these sweet puppies survive.

Good for the woman who cared enough to save this innocent animal. I hope more such pups of all breeds can now be saved.

[bengalherder]

239. Yes!

My mother was a physical therapist who worked with children. She thought that early intervention was about the best thing one could do for small children, the earlier the better.

It raises some questions.

How many pups with this could be saved thru intervention such as massage and PT?

If this is genetic thing, should one be breeding this bloodline to begin with, if it is recessive, it will just keep being passed down...oh that's right animals lives are cheap.

[defendandprotect]

190. kr

[JVS]

191. Awwww, so cute!

[dipsydoodle]

192. Still going strong I see

Another kick.

[Politicalboi]

194. The story doesn't say

If that POS got into any trouble for putting the puppy in a garbage bag. What other dogs has he killed? And has he had any children? Are they still alive?
There's a donate link if anybody wants to donate to Dolly's Foundation.

[Behind the Aegis]

195. How sweet!

I am glad a kind soul found this lost little one and has helped her!

As for the disgusting BS posts in this thread....:puke: Lots of animals kill humans, should we eradicate them all!?! And attacks? Well, lots of those too. Should we kill all those "perps" pre-emptively based on irrational and uneducated BS?

[BoWanZi]

212. I am not a huge fan of Pits, but I don't care, this is a wonderful heartwarming story

Way to go, puppy!

I'm glad that they gave the puppy a chance to live!

[salinen]

215. That pup looks happy

I may be anthropomorphizing.

[bengalherder]

240. Nope it took freaking scientific studies to prove that

animals DO smile.

[quinnox]

216. Dogs suck

Can't stand most dogs, and no apologies.

[salinen]

226. Oh thank you

you're the most wonderful person in the Universe.

[idiotgardener]

263. You don't have to like them, but why do they "suck"?

Is it how they help blind people? Find lost people in the snow? Risk their own lives looking for humans after natural disasters and terrorist attacks? Keep the elderly company? Help small children learn to read? Visit lonely people in hospitals? Serve as family members to millions of people around the globe?

I guess I answered my own question. Yeah, dogs suck!

[midnight]

217. It's nice there are some wonderful people doing the hard work...

[lupinella]

219. Puppy Love

Thank you for sharing this. Cannot believe people can be so cruel about something that is naturally so kind. As an animal rescuer, I want to hug the people involved in saving her.

[tavalon]

220. OMG, reading the whole story just made me well up.

Daniel and everyone who helped and continues to help Harper are guaranteed admission to heaven and since I think heaven is on earth, they are there! I'm sure it's because I just got off a 12 hour shift but I can't see a place to send contributions for Harper's ongoing care. If anyone sees one, could they hyperlink it for me? I'm heading off to bed now, but I'm heading off with a joy.

My personal experience with pit bulls is that they are very malleable and it's the owner that makes them mean or sweet and I've never met a mean one.

Harper, you just keep on keeping on, you precious pup.

[Name removed]

221. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[quinnox]

223. yup, everyone knows that

these apologists are trying to ignore reality. How come I read so many news stories of these dogs killing people, in fact, there was one incident just recently in the news too. I guess it must be my imagination or something....<sarcasm>

[LaurenG]

244. Please if we take all the stories of dog bites most of them will not be Pits

When I was 9 I was severely mauled by a cocker spaniel, yep a sweet :sarcasm: little asshole of a dog that took parts of my leg away with it but then came back and bit me again. If the owner of the dog had not come home just then rushed me to the ER, I wouldn't be here today.

My niece is now disabled after being torn up by a Jack Russell. Neither of us were ever even threatened by a pit.

At least get your fear tactics straight before you go on record calling out the rest of us as apologists.

[baldguy]

264. Horses kill more people each year than dogs.

Asshole.

http://www.anapsid.org/pdv-boid.html

[flvegan]

275. News stories?

Fox dictates what you believe? That's pretty telling.

[Odin2005]

224. AWWWWW!!!

[Shagbark Hickory]

230. So many expletives to use, so little time. n/t

[Douglas Carpenter]

237. wonderful story that reinforces my spiritual view that humans were put on this earth to serve dogs

and in the final judgment when we all have to give an account for our lives - we we all be asked one question and one question only - not what religion you were or what politics you held - just one question, "What have you done for dogs?"

[DLine]

243. Dogs are what PEOPLE make them!

I love my pitbull! Most loveable and loyal dog I have ever had. Dogs are only what people make them.

[JanMichael]

270. Like all lions and tigers are playful family members? Sure for a while.

ok?

[flvegan]

273. *shakes head*

[uppityperson]

278. What? You don't think lions and tigers are dogs?

Is that poster usually like this?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

283. Lions and tigers are my favorite kind of domestic dog.

Tiger puppies are especially adorable.





:eyes:

[Name removed]

255. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

269. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[flvegan]

272. Pitbull hatred from you...

Consider me surprised and disappointed. Not that it matters.

[uppityperson]

277. Was your account hacked or pwd? What is your problem here?

[Blasphemer]

260. Wonderful story

I am so glad that Harper wasn't given up on. While this is a story about a puppy, there are similar stories about people being written off but love and determination allowed them to flourish. I hope Harper continues to thrive.

[Habibi]

261. I can't stop clicking on this thread to see that first picture.

OMG. *squee squee squeeeeee*

[joeybee12]

281. I know...I was going to kick it just for that! nt

[Beacool]

286. Ohhhhh, she's such a cutie!!!

She looks so happy to eb able to run around. Every being deserves a second chance.

:)

As for the callous man that placed her in a garbage bag, there ought to be a special place in hell for those who abuse animals, children, the elderly and the disabled. It takes someone truly evil to abuse those who cannot defend themselves.

x(