Breeder: Pit bull owners, not dogs, at fault

Rome, GA -- Kane Phillips has bred pit bulls for more than two decades, but the Floyd County resident said a Georgia lawmaker's bill threatens his canines.

Aiming to avert pit-bull attacks on humans, Rep. Earnest Williams, D-Stone Mountain, has introduced a bill that would ban ownership of new dogs of the breed and require current owners to neuter their dogs.

This pretty much constitutes genocide for the breed, said Phillips. The dogs aren't born vicious. It's the way people raise them. There's a science to raising these animals.

The bill would ban the import, sale and ownership of new pit bulls, which are defined as any pure or mixed canine from the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier breeds.

If the bill passes, Georgia residents who have owned a pit bull for more than six months would have to keep it fully leashed, muzzled and kept in a secure area to prevent it from coming in contact with people.

Phillips said pit bulls have long been raised for dog fighting, and that is part of the reason they are seen as a particularly vicious breed. Rather than ban the canines, he said, legislators should pass a bill to educate people on properly raising them.

These are sensitive dogs, but you have too many people just going and buying one because its like one they've seen on TV, he said. We need more education.

Rome resident Jenny Phillips disagrees. Though the 37-year-old has two Labrador retrievers, she said she understands the thinking behind the bill.

When you hear about some kind of deadly attack by a dog, its usually a pit bull, she said. I know bad owners have something to do with it, but those dogs just seem more likely to be mean.

According to a Centers for Disease Control study, pit bull-type dogs were involved in more dog-bite fatalities than any other breed between 1979 and 1998. However, Rottweilers have been responsible for more fatal attacks in recent years.

Floyd County already has ordinances that govern the ownership of pit bulls.

Any Staffordshire Bull Terrier, mix or pure bred, is considered a vicious animal and must be kept enclosed by a fence at least 5 feet tall. The gate has to be secured with a child-proof lock, and the animal must be restrained by a leash or chain.

Animal Control Director Scotty Hancock said any pit bulls recovered by his department cant be made available for adoption. Theyre deemed vicious, so we cant adopt them out because of the liability issue, he said.

As for the state bill, Hancock said, it goes too far. If the bill promoted measures similar to the county ordinance, he said, it could have a better chance of passing. I dont think it'll ever fly as it is now, he said. Its not the breed as much as its the way theyre treated.

 

does not sound to good. i hope it does not pass.