More Problems with Pit Bulls — And Their Owners
Remembering the encounter we had last December in Fort Greene Park with a pit bull, a reader sent in this harrowing tale: “A guy was walking down my block the other night with his pit bull–and the dog (while on the leash) attacked a cat that lives across the street and tore it to pieces…
Remembering the encounter we had last December in Fort Greene Park with a pit bull, a reader sent in this harrowing tale: “A guy was walking down my block the other night with his pit bull–and the dog (while on the leash) attacked a cat that lives across the street and tore it to pieces in front of several witnesses,” she writes. “The police were called–arrived and did…nothing. They said unless it was a person nothing could be done.” That’s what we were told at the time as well. Seems crazy. What would someone be charged with for shooting a cat with a gun? Same thing, ain’t it?
bxgrl – i understand what the cops said. i’m saying they’re wrong – either purposefully so, because they’re lazy or don’t want to start paperwork for a case that might not win, or because they’re being instructed incorrectly, by their superiors or by the DA.
i disagree- I think the cops specifically stated that they could only act if a person were attacked. But I’m wondering if a case couldn’t be made for destruction of property and animal cruelty on the part of the dog owner. And well as animal abuse on his part, since he made no attempt to train or control his dog. That indicates lack of care.
This point has already been made — and I know comment sections on blogs aren’t often used for rational discourse anyway — but neither pit bulls, nor any other kind of dog, has a “locking jaw.” (Unless, that is, they have tetanus.) That’s an urban legend, crocodile-in-the-sewer type story that has somehow been accepted as reality.
What’s more, pit bulls are also not uniquely aggressive; in fact, just the opposite. According to the American Temperament Test Society — which, as far as I know, is the only non-affiliated group that tests canine aggression — american pit bull terriers (the technical name for the breed), are less aggressive than the vast majority of dog breeds, including bichon frises, beagles, chihuahuas, miniature dachshunds, springer spaniels, goldon retrievers, toy poodles, weimaraners, vizslas, and, yes, portuguese water dogs. (Here’s the site: http://www.atts.org/stats1.html)
We do tend to hear about pit bull attacks more often because they fit a narrative — vicious breed attacking defenseless creatures — that is more compelling than a story about a golden retriever killing a cat…which i’ve seen happen before, and which is usually described as a tragedy as opposed to an indictment of an entire breed.
There was an interesting story about pit bulls — and, as it happens, racial profiling — than ran a couple of years ago in the new yorker. For anyone interested, here it is:
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/02/06/060206fa_fact
there absolutely are criminal penalties for animal abuse. i’m no expert, but a basic google search brings up new york state agriculture and markets law, seems to be section 353 or 353a for misdemeanor and felony abuse. section 371 empowers officers to give summons or make arrests.
there’s no reason why a case couldn’t be made for using a dog to inflict abuse on the cat. like you say, it’s just like any other weapon. ask yourselves this – if the dog was attacking a kid, would the cops have said they couldn’t do anything unless it was a person was attacking a kid? the problem here is lazy cops, not the laws themselves. the case, of course, is harder to make with another animal as a weapon, but it’s far from impossible.
i’d call the DA’s office if i were you. i think there is a specific trial bureau that deals with animal cruelty cases, but i don’t know which one. and the community liaison for your precinct.
I don’t blame the animal. But this dog was on a leash at the time. What was the owner doing? Sitting a drinking a latte?
And frankly, instinct or not, if your dog attacks a cat out on the street for no reason, its because you haven’t properly trained him. Now that’s real stupidity. Why should other pet owners or animals have to pay for a dog owner’s lack? If a dog had attacked one of my cats like that, believe me I’d be in the middle of it with a hatchet. I had to separate 2 fighting dogs once- the owner of the other dog jsut stood there like a moron while these 2 animals tried to rip each other’s throats out.
don’t even get me started on the japanese and their vicious attack gerbils.
Not to put a damper on the hopes of those who wish to begin gunning down putbulls, but I’m pretty sure discharging a firearm in the city is illegal even if killing animals technically isn’t.
I always thought my cat was a total pussy (pun intended) for running indoors at the sound of a dog barking. Now I know what her instincts are telling her.
Also, to support houseowax very good point, I was dogsitting these two SWEET dogs in france, one was a black lab and one a little poodle-y thing. My next door neighbor came over one day and, in passing, told me that the two dogs I was sitting had torn her cat to pieces last summer, for no apparent reason. She seemed not to blame them at all, just chalked it up to animal instincts. She even added “It was weird, they had been friendly with one before. I think maybe my cat had a cut on it and was bleeding; apparently this can set off dogs’ aggression.”
WOW I HAVE WAY TOO MUCH TIME AT WORK TODAY. ok I’m out.
in general i think a pit bull is a great dog. unfortunately with this breed it’s all about the owner, and some owners buy them for all the wrong reasons. one thing to look for is if the dog is fixed or not, if it has its balls then i would avoid it.