Take it from a Pittsburgh lawyer who has has litigated hundreds of dog bite cases: pit bull attacks are too common and especially vicious.
Ready to learn the truth about pit bulls?
First, we’ll discuss the number and severity of injuries that pit bulls — in particular — have caused. Then, we’ll get to the really intriguing question: what is it about the pit bull breed, exactly, that makes it so dangerous?
Shocking Number and Severity of Pit Bull Attacks
It’s no secret that pit bull (or “pitbull”) attacks are too common. Our Pittsburgh attorneys have written about recent study showing the high number of attacks by pit bulls in Pennsylvania. “Pit bulls were responsible for the highest percentage of reported bites across all the studies (22.5%), followed by mixed breeds (21.2%), and German shepherds (17.8%),” according to a recent study by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).
But what about the severity of attacks by this breed? Dogs with only a portion of pit bull DNA have been associated with with particularly vicious attacks. For example, one family relied on a pit bull mix named Aries to be a woman’s “mental therapy dog.” Only, Aries suddenly and without warning attacked the woman’s nephew, an 11-year-old child, causing serious injuries to his face.
Aries then bit the aunt for whom it was providing “therapy.”
Vicious Attacks by Pit Bulls in Pennsylvania
Aries was a nationwide story, but PA has no shortage of local examples of brutal attacks by pit bulls:
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- June 27, 2023. A dog attacked two children (11 years old) in Hopewell Township, which is in Beaver County where our Pittsburgh dog bite attorneys also practice.
- June 28, 2023. An elderly woman was recovering after pit bull attack, which attacked the woman and a trooper, who was forced to shoot the dog when it also bit warden.
- July 18, 2022: Seven dogs maul a seventy-one year old man to death, when he was walking to a store.
So What is it About Pit Bulls?
Many have weighed in — both for and against — this particular breed of terrier. Let’s look at those in favor, first. The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) loves every breed of dog, including pit bulls.
We all love dogs. However, even the ASPCA recognizes a genetic reason for pit bulls to be especially dangerous. In it’s official “position statement” on pit bulls, the ASPCA wrote:
Today’s pit bull is a descendant of the original English bull-baiting dog—a dog that was bred to bite and hold bulls, bears and other large animals around the face and head. When baiting large animals was outlawed in the 1800s, people turned instead to fighting their dogs against each other. These larger, slower bull-baiting dogs were crossed with smaller, quicker terriers to produce a more agile and athletic dog for fighting other dogs.
Some pit bulls were selected and bred for their fighting ability. That means that they may be more likely than other breeds to fight with dogs.
This was from the ASPCA.
(Yet nobody asked what this species — bred to bite and hold the face of a bull or bear — could do to a defenseless child or elderly person?)
Nevertheless, the ASPCA concluded that the modern pit bull has been sufficiently “crossbred” with other canine species to have adequately diluted the (evil) traits originally bred into these dogs. With that, plus proper training of pit bulls (to only attack bulls and bears but not humans) the breed is not especially dangerous to humans. Got that, humans? In other words, don’t dress up like a bull or bear for Halloween … or your face will be bitten? ha ha.
Seriously?
This is the ASPCA’s “position,” at least.
Others Strongly Disagree
Others say it’s a bunch of nonsense that this breed of terrier poses no particular risk to humans.
In one persuasive study — the coauthored by Evan L. MacLean (University of Arizona), Noah Snyder-Mackler (University of Washington), Bridgett M. vonHoldt (Princeton University), and James A. Serpell (University of Pennsylvania) — the researchers looked at behavioral data “from more than 14,000 dogs from 101 breeds,” their Royal Society paper reported.
Conclusion about Pitbulls?
As the study concluded, line-bred dogs — such as pit bulls — exhibit line-bred traits, exactly as dogfighters have understood since the earliest documentation that breeding “game” dogs existed as an occupation. While training can mitigate a proclivity to fight, a pit bull terrier is dangerous without any training. From birth, it knows to rush at another dog and close its jaws on the body part.
Buy the same token, the modern greyhound (also crossbred from its original, “purebred” genetic roots) needs no training to sprint. Retrievers need no training to retrieve. Same for pointers to point, or border collies to herd. For each such breed, “Highly heritable and functionally relevant breed differences in dog behavior.” As such, a dog’s training merely builds upon innate behavioral tendencies evolved parallel to physical adaptations to do specialized work.
The study concluded that the original DNA bred into pit bulls — to make them bite and hold the faces of bulls and bears — still exists today for the modern pitbull, making the species especially dangerous.
Governmental Position On the Pitbull Terrier Breed
Being a country of dog lovers, our politicians cater to the public, taking a neutral stance on pit bulls. Few national politicians weigh in on pit bulls, specifically, but in 2013, President Obama indicated:
“We don’t support breed-specific legislation—research shows that bans on certain types of dogs are largely ineffective and often a waste of public resources. And the simple fact is that dogs of any breed can become dangerous when they’re intentionally or unintentionally raised to be aggressive.”
On this point, we can agree. Any dog can be especially vicious and dangerous. However, it is the opinion of this author that every pit bull potentially contains the DNA of bull or bear face biting monster. As such, every owner of a pit bull should take special precautions before putting a pit bull in close proximity to anyone vulnerable to life threatening from an animal attack. Those at particular risk of death by pit bull include a child, group of children or any elderly person.
Free Consultation About the Pit Bull Breed or Injury From Any Species
Each Pittsburgh lawyer in our dog bite group will talk to you for free about the value of your case. We’ll also explain what options you have to make the dog owner or her insurance carrier pay.
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