Should Oregon adopt a dangerous dog ordinance to restrict pit bulls?

There are good and bad of all breeds of dogs. Why choose just a few. When all are capable. Dogs need to be trained and well socialized. Their owners need to be responsible. Oregon has good dog law in that they hold the owner financially responsible for all damage and lost wages that their dog causes. Please don't throw all the good dogs out with a few bad. People make dogs, good or bad.

Julie

Lincoln City already has a ban on pit bulls. We used to shop there but do not go there anymore even though our dogs never left our car unleashed.
I think a city has the right to do whatever they choose, but I draw the line where the state is concerned. My husband and I spoke with the animal control officer here in Corvallis before we adopted our pitbull and a mix and were assured that there was not going to be a breed ban. Only people with dogs that have a history of aggression would be removed from the owner. Breed has nothing to do with it. If Oregon even thinks about something so ludicrous my husband and I will be in Salem and we will do everything legally possible to stop a breed ban.

Go pick on another breed! Pitbull this and pitbull that is getting very tiresome! Better yet, use the media to start educating people on being responsible dog owners. That would be way more productive than blaming a people problem on a breed of dog that is NOT responsible for the majority of dog bites and attacks.

Enforce current laws, socialize and train your dog, be a RESPONSIBLE dog owner...this is how to protect the public from dog problems caused by ANY breed. Pit bulls are just dogs. They do not need to have special laws just for them. Again, we have adequate laws on the books now to protect the public.

RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP and ENFORCE CURRENT LAWS

There is no silver bullet solution to any public concern. Any politician who claims that one exists is either ignorant, unscrupulous or both.

Imagine if a red-haired person attacked a child, would the community ban all red-haired people? If a truck driven by a drunk driver were involved in a fatal accident, would the community ban trucks? The answer is a simple and resounding “no” and it should be the same for our pet companions.

Restrictions placed on a specific breed fail to address the larger problems of abuse, aggression training, and irresponsible dog ownership. Again, breed alone is not an adequate indicator of a dog's propensity to bite. Rather, a dog's tendency to bite is a product of several factors, including but not limited to:

· Early socialization, or lack thereof, of the dog to people.

· Sound obedience training for recognition of where he or she "fits" with regard to dominance and people, or mistraining for fighting or increased aggression.

· Quality of care and supervision by the owner, current levels of socialization of the dog with his or her human family.

· Whether the dog has been spayed or neutered.

If the goal is to offer communities better protection from dogs who are dangerous, then thoughtful legislation that addresses responsible dog ownership is in order. Legislation aimed at punishing the owner of the dog rather than punishing the dog is far more effective in reducing the number of dog bites and attacks. Well enforced, non-breed-specific laws offer an effective and fair solution to the problem of dangerous dogs in all communities.

No dog is inherently dangerous. The same cannot be said for irresponsible breeders and owners. These humans are the real threat and Breed Specific Legislation does not change that!

Banning Pit Bulls would be like banning cars because people get killed in car accidents! Who's responsible, the car or the driver/manufacturer? Any car can be deadly in the wrong hands or if built with defective parts. Same thing with dogs... Any dog. Pit Bulls are no more responsible for the way they are bred, raised and trained, than cars are responsible for the way they are designed, built and driven.

Simply put, the best argument against breed bans is that they are costly and ineffective. Breed bans are often a knee-jerk reaction from politicians who want to say they are "doing something", after a highly publicized dog attack (of any breed). This is a useless exercise. What kind of message are we telling abusive and irresponsible individuals when legislation makes the dogs pay the price for their action?

Criminals habitually break laws, so having an "illegal breed" may indeed be attractive to undesirable individuals and entice them to breed and sell more "illegal dogs". If their dog is confiscated and killed, they don't care. They will just get another one because BSL punishes the dog, not the owner.

On the other hand, law abiding and responsible owners, whose dogs love people and have never done anything wrong, can see their homes invaded, often without a search warrant, and their beloved family member dragged away (in front of their children) to be killed. Not because the dog was unstable or mean, but simply because of its breed. Meanwhile, the owners of truly dangerous dogs (of any breed) escape punishment because their breed is not targeted by legislation and therefore believed "safe".

Breed bans are ineffective. Because they are ineffective, The Netherlands just dropped a Pit Bull Ban that had been in place for 20+ years. Law abiding people will obey the law, and those who aren't particularly interested in following laws won't. Most counties and municipalities already have leash laws in state, why not simply have money available to help ENFORCE the laws?

While there are aggressive animals, and we do need to handle situations concerning dogs with bite histories, it is not just to punish responsible dog owners along with those who are not responsible.

I'm the victim of a dog attack myself. It took six months to recover. I'm very lucky; I did recover. I do not, however, hold the breed responsible (not a pit bull or any breed of dog that is often "deemed dangerous", by the way) the breed, or even the individual dog - it was the owner of the dog who was responsible for my bite because he was irresponsible in his rearing and management of the dog.

I own Rottweilers. I train them, I show them, and I occasionally breed them. I use them for public demonstrations, and several are Therapy Dog International Certified. My adult dogs are Temperament Tested through ATTS. I also teach dog classes in which responsible dog ownership is brought up in every class. I teach these classes because if I can help people become better dog owners, then I am doing a important service to people AND their dogs.

Dog attacks are no laughing matter. Not only is there physical damage, but usually a lot of collateral damage mentally. Having been the victim of a bad bite, I certainly do sympathize with other vicitms, and I get especially angry when children are involved, because almost all dog bites are preventable - if only humans would be responsible and educate themselves in regards to dog behavior and proper management (of dogs and children!).

Education is essential. This is a PEOPLE problem, not a dog problem.

Banning pit bulls is completely unfair! Pit bulls are members of peoples families! they are amazing dogs! punish the bad owners not the breed and the responsible owners. I love my pit bull and will do everything possible to fight a breed bad. people should do their research on the breed not just watch the news and make their judgements that all pits are vicious because they are not

What an idiot that politician is!!!! What's next????

Let's take away sports cars, they could be dangerous. Let's take away guns, they can be dangerous. And fire crackers. AND OH BY THE WAY I AM GOING TO NEED THAT STAPLER BACK.

It sure is clear who is out to grand stand and sensationalize tragedies in order to further a career, versus someone that actually has the capacity to demonstrate that they have some degree of reasonable intelligence.

im sick of our dogs being the medias target thought being racist was a thing of th past now people are being racist against pit bulls banning is not the answer there needs to be responsable owners target them not the breed

I am tired of these innocent animals being discriminated against. ITS IS NOT THEIR FAULT! It is the trashy, ignorant and careless owners that chose to have these dogs and are not responsible. These dogs require alot of attention and discipline, if you cant give them what they need then don't have one! Now these poor animals are paying the price. I couldnt imagine Oregon following through with this. There is no way. If Oregon does then they might as well ban all dogs. I have grown up with pitbulls and the only dog I that ever bitten me was not a pitbull.

The current tide against Pitbulls is the result of bias sensationalized irresponsible journalism. Recently in the State of Michigan a man was mauled to death by three dogs. The headline read: "Local man found dead in trailer". The smaller bi-line read: "mauled to death by three dogs". Instantly I knew the dogs were not PitBulls. Had it been Pitbulls the story would have appeared on the front page and the headline would have read: "Pitbulls Kill Local Man". Then the article would have focused on Pitbulls and how they account for a large percent of maulings. There would be no mention of the fact that they are the most popular breed in the history of the United States. That they out number every other breed by far and as such, of course they are going to account for more. Never do they mention that they are proven time and again to be one of the best tempered dog.

Click Here for Pitbull Temperament Info

I feel that the way in which people regard my pit bull is akin to the racial prejudice against black people. Like a black person is walking down the street, and the Police are like, “What are you doing?" and the black person is like "I'm walking down the street."

The fact is that because of poverty and racism in The US there is a greater percentage of black men in prison. They are just human beings like everyone else. Being black does not mean you are inherently a criminal.

Pitt Bulls have been used for dog fighting because they are small and yet powerful. Because they are small it is easy for the humans to control them while fighting. That they are muscular makes them able to do more damage. However, they are just dogs. Rottweilers and German Sheppards can be more fierce.

Just because my dog is a pit Bull does not inherently make her a criminal. The same as a black man is not inherently a criminal. PERIOD

Realize when you are thinking racist and prejudice thoughts it is out of your own ignorance. Be careful before you so quickly send anyone to a death sentence. It's despicable!

If you people ever have to deal with a Pit Bull attack on you or your family member, you might just change your mind! So many attacks on children and deaths! And still, you defend your dogs! I suppose you would chose the dog over a childs life. You all are ignorant and make me ill with your fanaticism with a vicious dog breed. People are being attacked and killed everyday, read the headlines and get your head out of the sand. Wake up! You would not admit it even when it is staring you in the face. Pit Bulls are unpredictable and dangerous breeds! Thats why the UK and England have banned them...I suppose all the millions of people there and the statistics are all wrong and you and your dogs are the ones who are right. Lets hope you never have to live with the death of an innocent person as a victim of your dog! Like the people who owned the (loveable) Pit Bull who just mauled and attacked my friends Grandson last week! 17 mo. old precious little boy, just another victim of your ludicrous defense of the wrong side of logic! You place an animal above a child and that makes me sick!!!!! Face the facts.....Pit Bulls need to be banned!