This is a good example of several things…how barbaric people can be, how behind and often negligent the legal system remains, the stupidity of people and yet again, how it’s not the animals. This is shameful. There is no excuse why the laws toward the people promoting this type of act are not stronger and more enforced…bring in the military if necessary for the big time rings. If we do not get a grip on this, it will only increase to more frequent, violent acts both with animals and humans…as if we don’t have enough already. Why in the world the legal system doesn’t start at the base of the problem and wipe it out is beyond me. Sadly, it always includes animals, even before children. The number of children suffering would be decreased if only they’d prosecute from the get go and at the core of the abuse, even when the abusers are adolescents and setting animals on fire.
It is hard for me not to get very angry when I see what these people are doing to animals, breed by breed, and how it most often slips through the legal system as a mediocre problem. Serial killers, abusers, etc. start with animals when they are young and progress to children and adults. This has been proven time and time again. The laws need to be stronger and enforced, period. Perhaps then there wouldn’t be a need for aggressive dog laws.
If a dog is attacking humans and out of control, unable to be rehabilitated, it needs to be euthanized. I am also a firm believer that the legal system needs to address the issue of those encouraging these dogs to be protective and attack people and other animals. Note: There is a definite line in what’s actually aggressive vs. a dog being a dog. A dog protecting it property and otherwise a loving dog is NOT an aggressive dog…it’s just taking care of it’s pack out of love – there is a difference. A dog who is afraid of people and bites is not necessarily an aggressive dog. A dog who does not like another animal and fine with humans is not an aggressive dog. A dog fight over dominance or an object (bone, toy, etc) does not mean a dog is aggressive. The breed of a dog certainly does not make it aggressive. There are many, many things to consider when declaring aggression. My point lies in the people, such as the man below, who purposely make the dogs aggressive, carry no responsibility when he/she knows the dog will go after people, and those who encourage fighting and attacks.
From the website “Dream Dogs” – http://www.dreamdogs.co.uk
My weapon is a dog
This week the BBC broadcast another documentary on dogs in the UK, but this time it wasn’t the Kennel Club and its attitude towards stud dogs that was under the microscope in the Pedigree Dogs Exposed programme. BBC3 were looking at the problem of dangerous dogs in the UK, or rather the problem of irresponsible owners who were treating their pets as weapons because of some desire to be seen as being tough.
The programme, “My Weapon is a Dog”, was hosted by Rickie Haywood-Williams from Kiss FM. He interviewed many owners of aggressive dog breeds such as pit bulls and tried to find out just why they wanted to use their dogs as weapons. One of things that Rickie uncovered was the synergy between dangerous dogs and US rap stars, as the US doesn’t have any ‘Dangerous Dogs Act’ such as the one seen in the UK, so pit bulls and other dogs are more freely available. US rapper DMX (pictured) is a known fan of the dogs and features them in many of his videos and album covers. Indeed DMX’s videos are at times bordering on dog fighting videos.
A self proclaimed dog lover, DMX has been arrested for animal cruelty and was sentenced in 2002 when 13 pit bulls were found neglected in his home.
Rickie spoke to one young dog owner who had trained his pit bull to be aggressive to strangers and to guard his home after he was once burgled. The man explained how you sometimes had to be ‘cruel’ to the dog to illicit the response you desired.
Rickie also spoke to Rukhsana Kahn, who was mauled by a pit bull as a child. Her dog attack prompted the Dangerous Dogs Act in 1991. Rukhsana Kahn is now 23 years old.
The general tone of the documentary showed that the dogs themselves weren’t the problem. The problem lay in the dog owners who used the dogs as glorified weapons to improve their own status; owners who would abuse their dogs in order to make them more vicious, in order to make them better weapons.
Very informative, I enjoyed reading your blog and will come back to visit again. For the record, I do not agree with training your dog to be vicious, protection is one thing,but if you use cruelty to get your dog to be mean and dangerous, you should not own one.
i hate dog fighters pitbulls are nice and the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!