I’m an assistant dog trainer, canine behavior counselor and
all-breed canine rescuer. I would like to make a couple of points
regarding your pit bull article:
Editor,
I’m an assistant dog trainer, canine behavior counselor and all-breed canine rescuer. I would like to make a couple of points regarding your pit bull article:
1) No portion of SB 861 addresses insurance issues in any manner (as your article states). You also talk about the bill protecting the general public from “pits.” The bill does not mention any breed of dog whatsoever and also prevents any breed in its entirety from being labeled potentially dangerous or vicious. The purpose of the bill is so that jurisdictions can enact their own breed-specific mandatory spay/neuter as well as breeder licensing requirements. SB 861 passing into law will not deem any breed dangerous or vicious. That will still be determined by deed, not breed.
2) Statistically, 94 percent of all fatalities by dogs are from intact dogs, and 70 percent of all dog bites are from intact dogs.
3) I am not surprised but a little disappointed that your article took up 13 paragraphs for what amounted to an owner’s hand being bitten breaking up a dog fight. (I asked at dog training class today who had heard of the Siberian that killed a baby this week. Nobody had. Had you? I guess that kid’s life was only worth four sentences in the local news because of the perpetrating breed. If it had been a pit bull-type dog, it would have been in dozens of newspapers and on dozens of newscasts.
4) Bite stats for “pit bulls” are often skewed because bite stats are not kept on a per capita basis; and also because each and every breed has stats kept on it individually except in the case of “pit bull,” where there are several purebred breeds and mixes thereof that get lumped together under the category “pit bull.” You will not find the term “pit bull” in any breed registry as it is not a breed but a slang term encompassing many breeds. American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bullterriers and Bullterriers (the Spuds McKenzie kind) are all listed in the Terrier category. (I was confused at first what dog your article was referring to when you said, “terrier,” but then I realized you mustn’t know that “pit bulls” are terriers.
5) National average for fatal dog maulings: 15 to 20. Number of people killed in San Francisco crosswalks and sidewalks while obeying traffic laws just last year: 30.
Patty Letawsky, via e-mail
