Shoot first, ask questions later.
If they stayed next to me I would make it plain to them, if they come into my garden and threaten me or my dog I will either call animal control to come and take them away or will defend myself accordingly from a dog that is nothing more than a volcano waiting to explode.
Wow! I am always amazed at the intolerance expressed in these posts. 'Shoot first' is the best suggestion a fellow dog owner could offer? I'm curious about what type of dog you own and what you believe are acceptable. How about German Shepards (listed #3 on dangerous dogs list)? What about Huskies, Rottweilers, Chows, and Dalmations? They are ALL listed in the top 10 dangerous dogs list. Perhaps you own a Cocker Spaniel (often suffer from a disease called 'rage syndrome') or a Poodle, Dachshund, or Chihuahua (known for temperment problems and biting). There is no denying that some Pit Bulls have been bred and trained for fighting and that these animals can be very dangerous if not handled and cared for properly. But not all Bull Dogs are bred and trained for fighting. The term Pit Bulls refers to a category of dogs which includes breeds such as Boston Terriers, Boxers, Bull Terriers and English Bulldogs. "Petey", the dog from The Little Rascals with a circle around his eye, was an American Pit Bull Terrier ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_the_Pup ). The first poster provided no details about any true issues such as quantity of dogs, disposition of the dogs, or care of the dogs, and makes a request that appears to be a summons of support to expel the owners from the neighborhood. The second poster warns of a 'volcano waiting to explode' without knowing anything about the dogs and advocates a 'shoot first, ask questions later' policy. Why not ask questions first? Why not find out what the situation really is and what the true concerns should be before suggesting people carry firearms out in the yard? I'm more concerned about having neighbors with this type of mentality than having the Pit Bulls in the neighborhood. Get out and make friends with your neighbors, politely express concerns if you have any, and work toward a solution if needed.
Never heard of a child being killed by a poodle, or ever heard of anyone having to beat a cocker spaniel with a baseball bat to try to stop it attacking someone, and in some cases having to beat them to death to get them to stop. Pit bulls have a history of being nice dogs then suddenly attacking for no obvious reason, I would never want one around children and I would be not be keen for my dog to play with one, they were bred to fight and kill so why are people surprised when they display those tendencies. However, I suggest you always err on the side of caution around dogs you don't know.
If my posting read as though my message was that Poodles and Cocker Spaniels are as dangerous as Pit Bulls, then I apologize because that was not my point. Mentioning the various breeds listed on the "10 most dangerous" list and the others was meant to have you consider the point that you belong to a group of people who enjoy the company of your domesticated canine companion, and your pooch has to fit in somewhere along the line. If you feel that Pit Bull owners are not welcome in the neighborhood because their pet is deemed too dangerous, then where is the acceptable line on the list? German Shephards are listed #3...are thier owners welcome here? Huskies were listed #5...should we ostracize them as well? Should we dare allow someone in our neighborhood with one of those dangerous Dalmations (#10 on the list...Doberman Pinchers didn't even make the top 10)? My concern is that someone posts a negative comment about a neighbor without providing any tangible details about the situation, and then the next post suggests "Shoot first, ask questions later". My point was that we should encourage each other to try to keep an open mind and talk to our neighbors if we have concerns rather than complaining here on this forum. Your concern for the safety of neighborhood children and your pet is certainly an admirable aspiration, but advocating the threat of using a firearm to deter a perceived safety concern is not. As a naitive Texan who has grown up around firearms for recreation and service, I find it hard to conceive that any responsible gun owner would ever suggest "Shoot first, ask questions later". Around 15 people in the U.S. die each year from attacks from Pit Bull breeds. Around 12,775 people in the U.S. die each year in gun realated deaths (29,000 if you decide to include suicides), and I've got an armed neighbor spouting off "shoot first, ask questions later". Tell me again about using caution around dogs I don't know........
Wonderful. Everything you said was correct and well put in each of your posts. Now breeding is different, if the complaining person in the first post was upset by some unscrupulous breeding behavior; improper health checks, other breed testing that is and should be needed to breed a quality dog, then you might have something, instead of it just being a pit bull. Of course you will get bad behavior with improper breeding and poorly raised dogs, thats true with any breed. I used to think poorly of pits till i did more research myself. I have awful news stories about all sorts of dogs hurting people, I have awful news stories of Pomeranians, but that doesn't mean they are all awful dogs Do you know that in world war I the Pit Bull was a war hero dog. It was loved in America until about 40-45 years ago. Do you know what dog was hated the most back then and seen as a threat to humans....Collies thats right Lassie was seen as a threat and nuisance until popularized by the TV show. Pits were called the Nanny Dog because they did so well with families and children. Its all about perception and what you choose to believe. Do you remember Michael Vick's pit bull fighting scandal? Well, then did you know that more than half of the dogs in that case that lived have already found new loving homes with families. Please do some in depth research on your own dog and all dogs for that matter then you can get a better understanding of the breed or any breed. Pit Bulls get bad reputations because of bad people and bad owners. I don't own one or have ever, but ones that i have that we're raised well and are some of the best dogs that i have ever know. On the other hand some of the worst most agressive dogs that i have met were Labs and Golden Retrievers. But it doesn't mean the whole of the breed is bad. I hope you all have a great day and that this post was of helpful information to you and helps you (as it did me) to look into more dog breeds and get more information about and more knowledge on all dogs. Dogs are great and all dog owners should come together as such. I hope you all have a great day and learn something new about your dogs.
Pit Bulls are less likely than many other dogs to bite people. Believe it or not the Chihuahua, Jack Russell, and Dachshund are 3 of the most common biters. Although, the thing about Pit Bulls is that if they do attack they will cause a lot more damage than a Chihuahua.
You have no reason to be concerned if your neighbors are raising them humanely and lovingly. Pit Bulls are actually very nice dogs if raised properly. But like any other breed if you notice that your neighbors are mistreating them or abusing them then you should be worried and call 311 to report them. Pit Bulls that are mistreated can be very dangerous.
Try calling the City's nonemergency number and complaining. If people are breeding animals and selling them, there is an ordinance that says they have to pay the city a certain amount per animal, register the animals, etc. etc.
You tell them. What kind of people are living here that want to shoot a dog just because they are a certain breed. I'd be more worried about a person with a gun in hand than a dog, who for all we know, may be okay. Unfortunately for the breed they carry a bad name.
I can't tell you what to do but I will pray for my neighbors who might be so intolerant that they can't talk to people about their concerns.