Marty
07-31-2005, 02:13 PM
Fernandina Beach, FL -- It is now illegal to own a pit bull in Denver, Colorado. A state law went into effect in December, 2004, and owners of pit bulls were given notice in order to give them an opportunity to make a decision regarding ownership of their dog - either get rid of the dog or move out of Denver.
Police and animal control officers have begun enforcing this law, rounding up pit bulls and turning them over to animal control centers to be euthanized. According to city estimates, there are some 4,500 pit bulls in the Denver area. Other states are trying to pass similar laws, or at a minimum, require that the breed wear a muzzle at all times.
Initially, dog owners sued the city, saying that the law was unconstitutional. However, the law was upheld by a higher court and the seizing of the dogs began. Pit bull owners in the Denver area are crying foul and think that they are being unfairly persecuted. They say that pit bulls are a victim of a media frenzy and that the breed is loyal, friendly, playful and intelligent.
The Denver law comes on the heels of a mauling death of a 40-year-old woman who was attacked by three pit bulls while she was feeding her horses. Deputies were summoned to the scene and the dogs were shot. Many deputies said that the victim's mauled body was one of the most gruesome things they had ever seen. The owners of the dogs were charged and convicted to serve six years in connection with the woman's death.
Dog bites are very common and, according to the Centers for Disease Control, dogs bite some 4-5 million Americans every year. Children are the most frequent victims of dog bites. It is one of the more common reasons that children are seen in hospital emergency rooms. An estimated $100 million is spent annually in medical expenses treating dog bites and some studies have suggested that nearly half of all children under the age of 12 have been bitten by a dog.
There are approximately 25 fatalities a year from dog bites. During an 18-month span, 12 of the 18 confirmed dog-related fatalities in the United States, or 67 percent, were caused by the pit bull, a breed that accounts for only 1 percent of the U.S. dog population. According to Katherine Houpt, director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Cornell University, "Different breeds have genetic predispositions to certain kinds of behavior, and the pit bull is an innately aggressive breed ."
The pit bull was bred specifically to be used in the 1800s in a sport called "bull baiting," in which rowdy spectators watched dogs tear apart an enraged bull and wager on the outcome.
Once bull baiting was banned, organizers simply switched to pitting the dogs against each other with a fight to the death. Pit bulls have thus been bred to be genetically wired to kill dogs and other animals.
"The injuries these dogs inflict are more serious than other breeds because they go for the deep musculature and don't release; they hold and shake,'' says Sheryl Blair of the Tufts Veterinary School.
The papers are filled with stories of terrible injuries at the hands of pit bulls. Just two weeks ago in England, a 1-year-old child was killed.
Other stories making headlines include a 12-year-old San Francisco boy who was killed by the neighbor's dogs; a 67-year-old retired surgeon who was killed by two pit bulls on a street in Dayton, Ohio; another victim who was listed as unrecognizable after an attack, and a Milwaukee man who tried to break up a fight between his own two pit bulls and had his forearm injured so badly that doctors had to amputate it.
I've always have had a bias against pit bulls since I was a surgical resident and saw a man attacked by his own dog. It basically tore up his arm, biting him so forcefully that it fractured the bone. Now there is likely a pit bull owner out there who is saying, "But mine is the nicest, sweetest dog and wouldn't hurt a fly." Well, I'm sure just about every owner says that ... right up until the moment that their dog is mauling some small child.
This column is written to discuss issues regarding sports, medicine and safety. It is not intended to serve as a replacement for treatment by your regular doctor. It is only designed to offer guidelines on the prevention, recognition and care of injuries and illness. Specific concerns should be discussed with your physician. Mail your questions to Gregory Smith, M.D., Sports Medicine, 1250 S. 18th Street, Suite 204, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034. For appointments, call 261-8787 or visit www.gsmithmd.com.
Police and animal control officers have begun enforcing this law, rounding up pit bulls and turning them over to animal control centers to be euthanized. According to city estimates, there are some 4,500 pit bulls in the Denver area. Other states are trying to pass similar laws, or at a minimum, require that the breed wear a muzzle at all times.
Initially, dog owners sued the city, saying that the law was unconstitutional. However, the law was upheld by a higher court and the seizing of the dogs began. Pit bull owners in the Denver area are crying foul and think that they are being unfairly persecuted. They say that pit bulls are a victim of a media frenzy and that the breed is loyal, friendly, playful and intelligent.
The Denver law comes on the heels of a mauling death of a 40-year-old woman who was attacked by three pit bulls while she was feeding her horses. Deputies were summoned to the scene and the dogs were shot. Many deputies said that the victim's mauled body was one of the most gruesome things they had ever seen. The owners of the dogs were charged and convicted to serve six years in connection with the woman's death.
Dog bites are very common and, according to the Centers for Disease Control, dogs bite some 4-5 million Americans every year. Children are the most frequent victims of dog bites. It is one of the more common reasons that children are seen in hospital emergency rooms. An estimated $100 million is spent annually in medical expenses treating dog bites and some studies have suggested that nearly half of all children under the age of 12 have been bitten by a dog.
There are approximately 25 fatalities a year from dog bites. During an 18-month span, 12 of the 18 confirmed dog-related fatalities in the United States, or 67 percent, were caused by the pit bull, a breed that accounts for only 1 percent of the U.S. dog population. According to Katherine Houpt, director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Cornell University, "Different breeds have genetic predispositions to certain kinds of behavior, and the pit bull is an innately aggressive breed ."
The pit bull was bred specifically to be used in the 1800s in a sport called "bull baiting," in which rowdy spectators watched dogs tear apart an enraged bull and wager on the outcome.
Once bull baiting was banned, organizers simply switched to pitting the dogs against each other with a fight to the death. Pit bulls have thus been bred to be genetically wired to kill dogs and other animals.
"The injuries these dogs inflict are more serious than other breeds because they go for the deep musculature and don't release; they hold and shake,'' says Sheryl Blair of the Tufts Veterinary School.
The papers are filled with stories of terrible injuries at the hands of pit bulls. Just two weeks ago in England, a 1-year-old child was killed.
Other stories making headlines include a 12-year-old San Francisco boy who was killed by the neighbor's dogs; a 67-year-old retired surgeon who was killed by two pit bulls on a street in Dayton, Ohio; another victim who was listed as unrecognizable after an attack, and a Milwaukee man who tried to break up a fight between his own two pit bulls and had his forearm injured so badly that doctors had to amputate it.
I've always have had a bias against pit bulls since I was a surgical resident and saw a man attacked by his own dog. It basically tore up his arm, biting him so forcefully that it fractured the bone. Now there is likely a pit bull owner out there who is saying, "But mine is the nicest, sweetest dog and wouldn't hurt a fly." Well, I'm sure just about every owner says that ... right up until the moment that their dog is mauling some small child.
This column is written to discuss issues regarding sports, medicine and safety. It is not intended to serve as a replacement for treatment by your regular doctor. It is only designed to offer guidelines on the prevention, recognition and care of injuries and illness. Specific concerns should be discussed with your physician. Mail your questions to Gregory Smith, M.D., Sports Medicine, 1250 S. 18th Street, Suite 204, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034. For appointments, call 261-8787 or visit www.gsmithmd.com.