I think we need more than a movie. I think massive positive publicity would
be necessary. And I think we need to look out how (or even if) these
people who train these dogs to be vicious are punished. Any person who
teaches an animal to be violent and kill should be charged with animal
neglect/cruelty, public endangerment, and other crimes. In my community
there has been a rash of dog nappings, where the dogs are stolen to
participate in fights. The dognappers were even cruel and heartless enough
in one instance to return a lady's dog back to her. Dead. These people who
take dogs for such a purpose need counseling. If one can force dogs to kill
each other for sport, or train an animal to be vicious enough to kill at
anytime, I don't think that person holds a lot of respect for animals in
general and people, perhaps including even women and children.
Is it easier to train pitbull terriers to be violent animals? Dobermans,
German shepherds and other large dogs I thought could be just as vicious
and are always visible in that respect in the media as well.
As always just my opinion and hope it makes sense considering how early it
is :)
kim
----------
> From: Miguel Angel Ordorica <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: STUDIES IN WOMEN AND ENVIRONMENT <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: "pit bulls"
> Date: Monday, March 08, 1999 9:29 PM
>
> Given the way most people seem to make their decisions, we need a movie
in
> which a pit bull saves a baby from a fire, or something similar. One of
> my dogs is a Basenji/Lab/Whippet cross, which looks remotely like a pit
> bull in the way a moose looks like a deer. I used to wonder why some
> people would freak out when they saw her when we went out walking, until
I
> realized that it is because they think she is a pit bull. Just like any
> big dog, for a while, was thought to be a german sheperd. In my town
> (Pullman, WA), no dog that goes to the pound can be adopted out if it is
> thought to have any pit bull in it (which, as Nan pointed out, isn't even
> a breed)
>
> ______________________
> Miguel Ordorica
> Washington State Univ.
> Dept. of Sociology
> Wilson 206
> (509) 335-4595 (msg.)
> (509) 332-4442 (hme)
> ______________________
>
> On Mon, 8 Mar 1999, Jessica Leann Urban wrote:
>
> > I very much agree with your analysis of this situation...What can we do
in
> > terms of a response to this, eg. letter writing campaign or something
> > else?
> >
> > Jessica Urban
> > Northern Arizona University
> >
> > On Mon, 8 Mar 1999, Nan Swane wrote:
> >
> > > Unfortunately Rio is not the only place trying to eradicate "pit
> > > bulls." Many cities in the US have done so on the books and many
> > > states continually try to. It is a horrible situation because they
> > > are blaming the dog when the problem is the people or the fighting
> > > industry (which is still the people). As a veterinarian, "pit bulls"
> > > are among my favorite dogs to treat, because they respond so well in
a
> > > clinic situation. They are very responsive to kindness. I myself
> > > have an American Staffordshire Bull Terrier which was rescued from a
> > > fighting situation. She has been rehabilitated (which I previously
> > > thought impossible) and co-habits nicely with my 3 other dogs (as the
> > > alpha). There is no such breed as a pit bull which is why it is so
> > > distressing that places attempt to eradicate the "breed." Many
> > > different breeds have the physical characteristics, so many dogs are
> > > destroyed. Miguel was probably right about why females are to be
> > > killed and males neutered, becuase it is easy to see that a male is
> > > missing his testicles on the outside...but that is why many (but not
> > > enough) clinics now tattoo a spayed dog, so you do not need to rely
> > > upon a scar. The tattoo is a simple circle with a slash through it.
> > > A spay scar looks just like a c-section scar or a bladder stone
> > > removal scar or any other surgical scar, so any vet who guarantees a
> > > female has been spayed by finding a scar is full of it.
> > > This whole situation is distressing to me because of the animal
issues
> > > involved: people have animals and "use" them for fighting and then
do
> > > not take responsiblity for what they have caused. Untrained dogs of
> > > any breed can cause serious injury and this issue is ignored, because
> > > that would require people to be punished instead of the animal.
> > > Killing female dogs because they refuse to correct the situation
which
> > > supports dog fighting...sickening. It devalues all life.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ==
> > > Nan Swane, DVM
> > > Pet Haven Veterinary Clinic and Humane Society
> > > Nampa, Idaho 83651
> > > 208-466-2948
> > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > Please spay/neuter all pets before even one litter!
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________
> > > DO YOU YAHOO!?
> > > Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
> > >
> > >
> >
