Health Dept. looking for white, tan pit bull

This was in the Mansfield News Journal. I wonder if the woman knows her breeds of dogs, or is she just assuming it's a Pit bull...or by discribing it, did the Health Department come to this conclusion? After all, if it bit, it must be a Pit bull. Other dogs don't seem to bite.

Health Dept. looking for white, tan pit bull

The Mansfield/Ontario/ Richland County Health Department is looking for a dog who bit a 26-year-old woman. The white and tan pit bull was last seen Nov. 15 near Circle K on Lexington Avenue.

Report any dog that fits this description to the health department at 419-774-4500. If it is observed running loose, it is best to call the dog pound at 419-774-5892. Do not attempt to restrain it.

Pit Bulls Banned in Ontario

The only ones that don't get it is the Ontario Liberal Party.

Pit Bulls Banned in Ontario
October 26, 2008

A spokesperson with an animal shelter in St. John's doesn't feel it is necessary to enact dog specific bans.

This after an Ontario court recently upheld its ban on pit bulls after the law was challenged for being unconstitutional.

St. John's SPCA Executive Director Debbie Powers says a ban on pit bulls, or any other breed, is placing the blame on the animal, and not the owner.

Ontario is the only province to ban the breeding, selling or importing of the Pit bull class of dog.

The city of Winnipeg has a similar law.

Rambo still out as court upholds pit bull ban

The biggest crime coming from the Liberal government in OnScario is not only murdering innocent dogs (of all breeds of dogs they label as Pit bulls), but the lack of socialation which is very important to raising friendly dogs.

Our new Ontario, Attorney General Chris Bentley is copy catting the exact words that all Liberal voice. Do they not have opinions of their own or do they all use the exact wording as what Michael Bryant says.

Ontario has turned into a dictatorship province and no longer for the people. Their primary function is to ban as much as possible rather than looking for working solutions.

We and the other parties gave them a workable solution, but they hold tight to their faulty reasoning and won't bundge from it. It's a matter of control and power, not fairness and certainly not what 70% of what Ontarians want.

Rambo still out as court upholds pit bull ban
By: Julia Le
October 25, 2008

Rambo won't be returning from Nova Scotia to his former Mississauga home any time soon.


Rambo the pit bull-cross had to leave the province or face euthanasia under the Ontario pit bull ban. An appeal court has upheld the ban.

In a ruling yesterday, an appeal court is upholding the provincial ban on pit bull breeds.

Rambo, a 10-month-old pit bull cross, captured the city's attention after being caught running at large last Christmas day. After a court battle to prevent him from being euthanized under the ban, owner Gabriela Nowakowska agreed to ship him to a province that doesn't have the ban.

The Ontario Court of Appeal said the ban on pit bulls, which was enacted in 2005, does not violate any constitutional rights. The judges said the total ban on pit bulls is not 'arbitrary' or 'grossly disproportionate'.

"Pit bulls have a tendency to be unpredictable and that even apparently docile pit bulls may attack without warning or provocation," they said in their decision.

Lawyer Clayton Ruby, who challenged the law in March 2007, said it was a "sad day" in Ontario.
In a statement he said these kind, loving, gentle dogs are being killed in the province for no reason.

"The provincial government should focus their efforts and resources on identifying truly dangerous dogs rather than apprehending and killing dogs that pose no threat at all," said Ruby, who is considering an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Ontario Attorney General Chris Bentley however, said he believes upholding the legislation is important in keeping Ontarians safe.

Puppy Mills in Canada and Don't be conned

The reason I've decided to write on this subject is so many people aren't aware of when they buy from a Pet Shop, in most cases, they are actually supporting the puppy mills and buying years of problem dogs that have been raised in the most unsanitary and dangerous conditions. It's not uncommon for the pup to be sickly and most likely an inner bred pup.

As you and your family each have your share of holding the puppies and a sales clerk approaches you, your heart has melted and perhaps found your favorite of the bunch.

As you ask the price of the pup and the clerk give you a high fetched price, such as $600.00 or $700.00, you ask the breed of the dog. The clerk tells you the breed and right away you are assuming you are buying a purebred pup for that price.

Unknown to you, papers come with purebreds and as the pup grows, suddenly that tiny lap dog that was suppose to stay within a certain size grows way beyond that. You also notice that as the pups looks changes, often it looks more like another breed rather than what the clerk has told you.

By this time though, you and your family have totally fallen in love with the pup and don't want to take it back.

You notice the pup isn't doing well with training, so you take it to Puppy Obedience classes, but it can't seem to keep up with the others. You assume you have spoilt the pup so much, that now it's your fault the pup is not trainable or the school is being to hard on them and take them out angry with the trainers. In your mind, they just don't understand how high strung your precious baby is. It isn't used to be to being trained in that manner, because your dog is SPECIAL and it probably is as it's neurotic from the way it was bred.

As much love as your family has shown it all the love a puppy would needs, you find the pup either get aggressive with you and starts to snarl or nip or even aggressive especially to children or infants as well as other dogs and trying to house break the pup is a never end of 'accidents'.

Though you are getting frustrated, you did put a huge investment into the pup and you assume your dog is very high strung because it's a purebred and so now you are making all kinds of excuses why your pup, now a dog isn't growing up well mannered as all your friends dogs are. They are everything from mutts to purebreds too, but not having any of the problems you are. They tell you they are used to being the BOSS in the family and have to hide the dog away when people come over.

When you ask if they socialize their dog, they say they can't because it wants to fight every dog they have contact with, so to avoid the embarrassment, they take their dogs out when no other dogs are around. 

In many cases, the neighbours have complained about the constant barking of your dog that is holding you prisoner in your own home because you can't leave your place with it without a scene and if you do, the complaints come in and you find your place a disaster with dog feces, pee and destroyed furniture. Oh, but it loves you so much that it can't bare to be without you, you convince yourself.

Not once do you think your dog has mental problems that think most inner bred dogs do. You're basically a first time owner and you blame all the dogs problems on yourself, after all, with a purebred, the blue blood it comes from must make it need extra care that other dogs don't require.

Do they consider the Dog Shows where purebreds have been trained to strut their stuff and have to stand, walk and prance around the ring under strict scrutiny of judges? Why don't these dogs have the same problems?

As they grow older, they find their beloved has more health problems and they pay out more money on getting the well more than they had paid for them several times over.

Please, before you and your family decide to get a dog, especially first time owners, do your homework prior to making that decision. There are Pet Stores that have cats and dogs that aren't sold in the stores and only displayed there. These animals are usually shelter animals and to be able to adopt them, you go through the Humane Society or Animal Aid Rescue and go through the adoption program to see if you and the animal are right for each other.

They won't cost you $600 or $700 to buy, but they will already have their shots and the fee's for having them fixed are included if too young or already to go.

If you MUST have a purebred, check out your local breeders and ask for their credentials and ask around about them. The reputable ones don't want their names tarnished and they will take care to have you thoroughly checked prior to you even seeing their animals. You will receive papers of their lineage with pedigree papers to go with them.

DON'T BE CONNED! 

Puppy Mills in Canada


Dogs at a puppy mill, crowded into cages.

With hundreds of thousands of dogs born into puppy mills each year, Canada has become a haven for the puppy mill industry—and for unimaginable cruelty against our best friends.

It’s all about profit.

A puppy mill is a breeding operation in which puppies are mass-produced in substandard conditions. The goal is to produce as many puppies as possible with minimal cost to—and maximum financial gain for—the operator. The puppy mill industry has grown exponentially in Canada, and it is now a multimillion dollar business in this country.

Puppy mills cannot meet the needs of a dog. These dogs live in insufficient housing that are overcrowded with poor sanitation, and are under-fed and denied proper veterinary care. The majority of the breeding females spend their entire lives in small, filthy cages without exercise, love or human contact. They are bred continually until their tired, worn bodies finally give out and they can no longer produce enough puppies (usually at four to six years of age.) At this point, they are no longer deemed profitable and are simply killed, as are unsold male dogs

While many are located in Quebec, puppy mills operate in many other provinces, from coast to coast in Canada. Notably, at least 90 percent of puppies sold in pet stores in Canada come from puppy mills. Puppy mill pups are advertised in local newspapers and sold through the Internet, at flea markets, or directly from the mill. Generally, visitors are not allowed inside the facility to see the conditions in which the dogs are kept.

Quebec is Canada’s puppy mill centre.

Although they exist all over Canada, a large portion of Canada’s puppy mills can be found in the province of Quebec due to its particularly poor legislation and enforcement surrounding commercial dog breeding operations. The result has been the creation of up to 2200 puppy mills in this province. Half the dogs bred in Quebec are sold outside the province to pet stores and wholesalers across Canada and (until recently) the US. Furthermore, the Quebec government provides very little funding to animal cruelty investigations compared to other provinces.

Breeding Disease and Heartache

Puppy mill breeders allow over-breeding and inbreeding to occur. Most puppies have, or will develop, genetic defects and/or other health problems sometime in their lives as a result of poor breeding practices and unsanitary conditions at the puppy mill. They often have behavioural and temperament problems as well, resulting from a complete lack of socialization with humans or other dogs.

In May 2008, the US government placed a ban on imports from foreign puppy mills for commercial sale. This will likely have a great impact on the puppy mill industry in Canada, since the US has been a major market for this industry up until now.

What We’re Doing

HSI Canada and our US affiliate, the Humane Society of the United States, are fighting puppy mills on several fronts. From conducting investigations, to rescuing dogs from cruel puppy mills, to lobbying for stronger provincial and , we’ve met with some success—but there is a long way to go and we won't stop until Canada’s puppy mills are shut down for good. Join us in the fight—with your help, we will succeed!

Write to your Member of Parliament to ask for better enforcement of laws and increased penalties to stop puppy mills.

What You Can Do

• Write to your Member of Parliament to ask for better enforcement of laws and increased penalties to stop puppy mills.
• Sign our pledge declaring your support for a national ban on puppy mills and stronger laws for animal protection.
• Live in Québec? Write to your provincial representative and Premier Jean Charest to demand better enforcement and funding of the provincial animal welfare law. Then, download and circulate our petition[PDF] addressed to the National Assembly. en français [PDF]
• Donate to help end puppy mill cruelty.

Expert Opinion

• Adopting from an Animal Shelter
• How to Find a Good Dog Breeder
• Buying a Puppy
• Top Five Reasons to Adopt a Pet
• The Scoop on Adoption: Everything You Need to Know
• Waiting to Adopt Until After the Holidays

Resources

• Usine à chiots [PDF]
• Choosing the Right Dog 
• How to Find a Good Dog Breeder [PDF]
• Planet Dog
• What to Consider Before Adopting a Pet
• Pets for Life: Helping People and Their Pets

Video: Cruelty in Canada

CALLING ALL DOG OWNERS - PLEASE CROSS POST

CALLING ALL DOG OWNERS - PLEASE CROSS POST

Whereabouts Unknown

Somewhere on the Trans Canada highway between eastern Manitoba and the Ontario border a trek for the homeless has taken a slightly different path.Kerry Pakarinen has walked over 2700 kilometres since July in his cross-Canada trek to raise funds and awareness for the plight of the homeless in Canada.Accompanying him for the entire trip has been his faithful friend, his dog Preacher. Various news articles have described him as a "Mastiff" or "Bullmastiff".

The DLCC is working alongside concerned dog owners and banding together to help Kerry and Preacher in any way they can, including clothes, food, blankets, etc, as the pair enter into the winter season crossing Ontario. Estimates suggest that they will be in that province for at least two months, on their way to Prince Edward Island.

Also of concern to dog owners countrywide are the often draconian anti-dog laws -- some of the worst in the country -- that Kerry and Preacher will encounter during his trek across Ontario.

Both the vague provincial law enacted in 2005 and the bylaws of many cities and towns throughout the province may present a serious risk to both him and his dog. Dog owners would like to be there for him in case he runs into trouble.

We are currently in the process of contacting Kerry, but our best guess is that they will reach the border of Manitoba and Ontario (traveling eastbound) around November 12.

This group will keep people updated on the whereabouts of the adventurers, so that they can be greeted with assistance and kindness throughout their journey.As soon as we contact Kerry, this site will be updated.

PLEASE help us locate this man and his dog.

We have set up a blog and a Facebook group for anyone to send in their information should they be able to locate this team.

We need ALL dog owners to be on the look out. If you can find it in your heart to do up a care package for this couple, please do !

If you find him, please report back by submitting a comment here as soon as possible.

Facebook members can join the group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44885187787

You may also invite friends who are not on Facebook to read the Homeless Preacher blog instead at http://homelesspreacher.blogspot.com/

http://thestar.blogs.com/broadsides/2008/11/the-pits.html

The Preacher's Story
http://www.thestar.com/living/article/535098

For visiting pooch, law is the pits
ANTONIA ZERBISIAS (THE TORONTO STAR)

Kerry Pakarinen's dog Preacher resembles a pit bull, but no one seems sure exactly what breed he is. The duo are on a cross-country awareness walk for the homeless that will take them to Ontario, which bans pit bulls. (Nov. 12, 2008)

Classy canines: Vick dogs featured on wine labels

What a wonderful way to show how fighting dogs aren't bad even after all the cruelty Michael Vick's dogs endured. Read this absolutely positive article on MSN.com.

Classy canines: Vick dogs featured on wine labels
Georgia, Handsome Dan, Curly and other pit bulls get a shot at fame

Georgia, Handsome Dan, Curly and other pit bulls rescued from Michael Vick's dogfighting operation are getting a shot at fame as stars of a line of boutique red wines.

The Vicktory Dogs Wine Collection features colorful portraits of 22 dogs confiscated from Vick's Bad Newz Kennels that now live at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in southern Utah.

"As a signature collection, it's through the roof," said Matt Hahn, co-owner of Carivintas Winery, a Southern California company that combines wine selling and philanthropy.

Each bottle includes a portrait of one of the dogs on the label. On the back, instead of a description of the wine, there's a brief story about each four-legged friend.

The pit bulls have been living at Best Friends since January while handlers try to reverse the mental damage done at Vick's 15-acre estate in southeastern Virginia. Vick, a former NFL quarterback, is serving a two-year prison sentence in connection with the dogfighting operation.

Artist Cyrus Mejia, one of the founders of Best Friends, began painting the dogs after they arrived at the sanctuary. Gone in the portraits are any signs of snarling beasts fit for a fight ring. Instead, there are cocked heads, soulful eyes and floppy ears.

"I think he's been able to capture the real personalities of each of the dogs," said John Polis, a Best Friends spokesman.

Hahn and his small winery based in Buellton, Calif., jumped at the chance to use the portraits in creating the Vicktory Dogs collection. He said the goal was to show the dogs in a positive light.

National exposure

Television viewers have come to know many of the dogs through the National Geographic Channel show "DogTown: Saving the Michael Vick Dogs," which chronicles their life after being rescued.

"Everybody has their favorite and people are buying for different reasons," Hahn said. "Some people will drink the wine, some will never open the bottle."

The entire set, including 22 bottles and two others commemorating Best Friends' 25th anniversary, costs $672. The set can also be split and each half sells for $380. Individual bottles go for $40.

Ten percent of each sale goes to Best Friends. The money will be used to oppose dog fighting around the country and to fight laws that target specific dog breeds, Polis said.

Hahn is also hoping the wines, which went on sale last month, are a starting point for people to talk about dogs and protecting animals.

"We really use these things as a way to push the discussion further," Hahn said.

Click for more on the Michael Vick case
Slide show: Vick's dogs get a second chance

For visiting pooch, law is the pits

Where is Kerry and Preacher? That's the question many Ontarians are asking each other wanting to get hold of Kerry Pakarinen before he crosses into Ontario with his best friend Preacher.

His cause of walking across Canada for the Homeless with Preacher could end in Ontario because of the Pit bull ban that Pakarinen isn't aware of. Preacher is a Bullmastiff, but will ACC see him as that? Not likely and it could become the end of the road for Preacher.

Kerry and Preacher should be arriving in OnScario approximately today or within a day or so. With no phone there is no way to warn him and nobody is aware of his where abouts to warn him of Ontario Pit bull ban law.

Hopefully, concerned citizens will get to him first before the ACC.

This positive and concerned article is in The Toronto Star today.

For visiting pooch, law is the pits

COLIN CORNEAU/THE CANADIAN PRESS
Kerry Pakarinen's dog Preacher resembles a pit bull, but no one seems sure exactly what breed he is. The duo are on a cross-country awareness walk for the homeless that will take them to Ontario, which bans pit bulls. 

Nov 12, 2008 04:30 AM
Antonia Zerbisias

Somewhere in eastern Manitoba, Kerry Pakarinen and his best friend are headed for Toronto.

On the Trans-Canada from Vancouver for four months, they're equipped with nothing more than a shopping cart and sleeping bags, raising awareness for the plight of Canada's homeless.

They've been welcomed everywhere and even received favourable coverage in print and on TV.

Unfortunately, the moment they cross into Ontario, one of them could face a death sentence.
That's because Preacher, whom Pakarinen identified to the Calgary Herald as a Bullmastiff, looks to many dog experts, like a pit bull cross.

Which means he isn't welcome here.

In Ontario, ever since 2005, when then-Attorney General Michael Bryant cruelly banned the breed – ignoring the expertise of animal organizations, humane societies and veterinarians – any dog born in the past three years that even vaguely resembles a pit bull is guilty until proven innocent.

For them, it's the needle, or the gas chamber.

No exceptions. Not for people who move to Ontario. Not for military personnel transferred here. Not even for Preacher who is just passing through.

In fact, if bestselling author Cesar Millan, star of the hit show The Dog Whisperer, were to bring his popular Daddy here, the goofy-grinned dog would be dead meat.

So, if even a celebrity dog is doomed, what chance does a homeless mutt like Preacher have?

But Pakarinen might be unaware of this idiotic legislation. It hasn't been mentioned in any of the reports on him and, indeed, reporters who interviewed him in other provinces were equally clueless when I asked.

Trouble is, nobody can reach him because he's on the road, and has no phone.

There's no way to warn him of the danger ahead.

Steve Barker, a dog trainer who last year quit Toronto for B.C. where his champions Brooklynn and Star are safe from the law, says all kinds of family pets – including Labradors and Jack Russell crosses – have "have been targeted by authorities since the ban.''

Which is why he fears for Preacher.

He, and other experts who saw his news photos, believe he "could be anything – boxer/pit bull mix, mastiff mix, pit bull/Shar Pei, Rhodesian Ridgeback mix.

"If (we) can look at this dog and be unsure, then so can anyone else in Ontario, particularly those animal control officers who may have a bias against this type of dog.''

Let's not kid ourselves. There's racism – against humans – involved here.

"Pits'' – and I use the word advisedly since, technically, there is no such breed – are the most common inner-city dog in North America. They don't always get the best of care. Sometimes they're used as four-legged guns, and even tortured to become aggressive.

As a result, even the sweetest pooches get an unfair rap.

Remember U.S. football star Michael Vick and his fighting dogs? After he went to prison last year, most of his pits were adopted, and some even went on to become therapy dogs in hospitals.
Still, every time a pit is involved in an incident, the media are all over it. But, just last week, a boxer almost tore the face off a Vernon, B.C., boy and it barely caused a ripple.

Public hysteria based on fear and ignorance always leads to unnecessary tragedy – whether we're talking witch burnings or breed bans. About 100 years ago, the New York Times fuelled stupid rumours that white Pomeranians – now known as American Eskimos – were the cause of rabies. All were shot or clubbed to death on sight, or seized and drowned in steel cages.

Look how far we've come since then.

Not very.

As for Pakarinen and Preacher, I hope they're not at the end of the road.

Proven Human Health Benefits for Our Animals...and yes, that includes the Pit bull breeds too

People often as us Bullie owners how we could love our dogs so much. To them, because of the media hype, all they see are vicious killers. This is what we see as responsible owners of our family members, our fur-kids.

It's not our dogs that fight, but us to try to rid the stigma that has badly tarnished their reputations with misconceptions. To fight against Breed Bans that our dogs have done nothing to deserve it.

I chose this article, not because it was talking about dogs in general, but to show those that can not see or feel as we do, why we love and fight so hard for the Bullie breeds and other breeds of dogs that are being banned because of the breed they happen to be and not by their loving personality.

Denver, CO November 11 2008 
We Love Our Dogs! 

Health Benefits from Pets

Proven Human Health Benefits for Our Animals

DENVER, Colorado, November 6, 2008. Did you know there are proven health benefits to owning a dog or pet? “Studies show there are significant physical, mental and emotional benefits for both pets and pet parents,” said Bill Pearce, chief marketing officer for Del Monte Foods. “It is as easy a taking your dog for a walk. Researchers say you’ll walk farther with your pet than you would if you were walking alone, an activity that benefits you both.”

The human-animal bond encourages people to get active, reduce stress, and live healthier together. There are proven health benefits to owning a pet. Reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, strengthening the immune system, and increasing physical activity are all positive benefits of dog and pet ownership. There are hundreds of stories of how pets have changed people’s lives. Owning a dog or pet can make a person fell loved and appreciated. Pets are good role models of how to live each moment to the fullest. Plus, pets are wonderful listeners.

Here are some interesting studies proving the health benefits of owning a dog or pet.

• Heart patients with pets are nearly five times more likely to survive a heart attack than those without pets. (Source: Ontario Veterinary Medical Association).
  
• Pets can help us humans combat loneliness, depression, and other emotional problems, even something as common as stress. (Source: Generations, vol. XXV, no. 2, Summer 2001: New York Times, July 24, 2001).
  
• Cholesterol and triglyceride levels are lower in pet owners than non-owners. (Source: Delta Society/Anderson, 1990).
  

If those are not compelling and convincing reasons to own and love a pet here are some more:

• Owning a dog or pet can make a person feel loved and appreciated. 
  
• Pets are good role models of how to live each moment to the fullest. 
  
• Last but not least, pets are wonderful listeners.
  

Remember you local shelter has lots of loving animals hoping for an owner just like you!

Debbie Holte is a frequent contributor of articles on our dog's health and happiness forhttp://www.buddybeds.com whose company's mission is to improve the quality of life for our beloved animals.

To learn more about Buddy Beds, orthopedic dog beds or read about the industry and customer accolades Buddy Beds has received, visit the website at http://www.buddybeds.com or email info@buddybeds.com.

Contact Information:

DEBBIE HOLTE 
303-744-0424, 
875 South Colorado Blvd., Suite 701,
Denver, CO 80246
info@buddybeds.com
http://www.buddybeds.com

Pit bull ban 'sad day' for dog owners

Letters to the editor In the Owen Sound Sun Times

Pit bull ban 'sad day' for dog owners

In the words of the esteemed lawyer Clayton Ruby, Oct. 24 was a "sad day" indeed for all dog owners and non-dog owners alike in Ontario.

The Ontario Court of Appeal overturned a move to repeal Ontario's Bill 132, which bans pit bulls in the province. Under the ban, "restricted" pit bulls are those who were born (and living in Ontario) before Nov. 27, 2005. These dogs can be kept by their owners but must be sterilized and muzzled and leashed at all times when in public.

All other dogs of this type must be euthanized, sent out of province or sent to animal testing facilities. It also states that officers (police, municipal bylaw enforcement and animal control) can enter the premises of an owner, without a warrant, and remove the dog if the laws are not being met. Fines include up to $10,000, jail time and/or extermination of the animal.

Due to lack of education, media hype and bias, pit bulls have become the most misunderstood breed in history. I believe a great deal of clarification on both pit bulls and this legislation is necessary in light of the fact that the majority of the general public could not identify a pit bull.

In fact, when this ban was proposed by the attorney general (Michael Bryant) in 2004, he could not identify this breed amongst 26 other breeds. The vast majority, more than 75 per cent, of experts including veterinarians, behaviorists and animal support workers were opposed to this ban.

The term pit bull is often given to three different breeds of dogs: the American pit bull terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier and American Staffordshire terrier.

Bill 132, however, applies to these three breeds as well as any dog that has traits which are "substantially similar" to these breeds. This could therefore apply to boxers, mastiffs, ridge-backs, bull dogs, cane corsos, Rottweilers and numerous other breeds and mixed-breeds that have some similar traits. A stocky mixed breed dog, a Labrador retriever and bulldog combination for example, would fit into this category. A Lab with a short statue and definition of muscle tone would also fit the stereotype.

Furthermore, the burden of proof has now been reversed, leaving it in the hands of the owner, not the court, to prove that their dog is not a pit bull.

The media are largely to blame for the misconceptions surrounding these wonderful dogs. Tales of attacks on humans, by 150-pound pit bulls with locking jaws, circulate throughout the papers on a regular basis. The reality is that the average American Pit Bull Terrier is 65 lbs and there is no physiological structure in any dog's jaw that would allow it to lock.

The fighting history of pit bulls is largely what supports the hype around these dogs. There is, however, a huge difference between animal and human aggression. They were bred to fight other dogs and therefore should and can be socialized and trained with other animals. Aggression towards humans was actually bred out of fighting dogs. Any dog that could not be pulled out of a fight by a human or bathed by the opponents owner (to ensure no poison was placed on the dog's fur) was a bad fighting dog.accurate dog bite statistics. Generally, the larger the population of a dog breed, the more bites there will be by that breed.

Dog bite reports, however, do not even list pit bulls in the top five breeds that bite, yet according to the National Canine Research Council "a fatal dog attack by a non-pit bull is much The reality is that there are no accurate dog bite statistics. Generally, the larger the population of a dog breed, the more bites there will be by that breed.

Dog bite reports, however, do not even list pit bulls in the top five breeds that bite, yet according to the National Canine Research Council "a fatal dog attack by a non-pit bull is much less newsworthy than a non-fatal attack by a pit bull."

It has been estimated that less than one per cent of dog attacks are by pit bulls, and over 90 per cent of these are by unaltered males, however, over 90 per cent of media coverage on dog attacks are about pit bulls. Ignorance is fed by media horror stories in spite of the fact that in dog temperament tests, these three breeds scored an average of 83 per cent, six per cent higher than the overall average of all breeds of 77 per cent.

Breed specific legislation does not result in fewer dog attacks. It is discriminatory, punishes good dogs and their owners, and does nothing to deal with the problem of dogs that have proven to be dangerous. The same people continue to raise, abuse, neglect and own dogs.

The city of Winnipeg noticed a sharp increase in attacks after they put a ban in place, as did the Netherlands who recently reversed their 15-year ban because it was ineffective. The city of Peterborough reported an increase in dog attacks recently.

All dog owners need to be responsible for all dogs. There needs to be stricter punishment for bad dog owners, and more restrictions on ownership, such as mandatory sterilization for non-breeders and training. This bill is very costly and the money would be more effective if it was spent on education, dog bite prevention and dangerous dog controls which do not deal with breed specifics. We should be safe from dog attacks by any breed.

For more information on BSL and pit bulls go to the Owen Sound Animal Shelter website and check out the Hush, Silence the Rumours Campaign ( www.bmts.com/~osas/osas.html).

Other information can be found at the sites below:

www.advocatesfortheunderdog.com/main.html

www.bannedaid.com/www. nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/research.asp

www.goodpooch.com/Media-Briefs/blackpaper/blackpaper.htm

www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1188327

www.atts.org/stats4.html

www.defend-a-bull.com/ontariopitbullban.html

www.torontohumanesociety.com/

Who's the Hero dog that saved the life of a woman and toddler from an attacker

This is a heart warming story of a stray dog that saves the life of a woman and toddler from an attacker in NBC2 News Online.

I wonder why they never named what kind of dog this gaurdian angel was? No matter, I have the two articles of the same story. Please read on to find out who this hero dog is.

Dog saves woman, toddler from attacker
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla 

A woman says a stray dog appeared out of nowhere and rescued her from a man holding her at knifepoint with her 2-year-old son nearby.

"God only knows what would have happened if he didn't show up," said Angela.

Angela and her son were at the playground at Higgs Park on Higgs Drive in Port Charlotte when a man approached her, put a knife to her side and told her not to scream.

Then, her guardian angel came running out of nowhere to fight off the attacker – at full force – and on all four feet.

"As soon as he growled he just let go of me and took off," she said.

Her savior was a 65 pound stray dog.

Angela grabbed little Jordan and ran for safety with her new hero on her heels.

"Before I could shut my son's car door, he jumped right in and I wasn't going to sit there and try to get him out. I just had to leave before that guy came back," said Angela.

But the courageous canine wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"After the cops left, we were waiting for Animal Control and he stood by my door and did not leave my door. He sat there and did not leave," said Angela.

Animal Control came and took the dog to the shelter, leaving Angela and her son safe and sound from her attacker.

"I don't know what his intentions were- I don't know why he did it, but I'm glad that- we call him Angel- I'm glad that Angel showed up because I don't know what would have happened," Angela said.

Angela said she will adopt the dog if its owner doesn't come forward to claim it.

Now read the same article as read in Zoo Too News. It shows what the main stream media are trying to hide. 

Stray Pit bull Saves Woman, Child from Attacker
Pet Pulse Staff Reports
November 5, 2008

A dog came out of nowhere and stopped a knife-wielding robber from accosting a mother and her young son on Monday afternoon. (Pet Pulse Illustration by Tim Mattson)

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- The wandering 65-pound Pit Bull mix might have seemed menacing to some passerby, but one woman will always remember him as her "guardian angel."

The dog, which authorities think is lost and not a stray, successfully thwarted a robbery attack on a mother and her 2-year-old son, who were held at knifepoint Monday afternoon.

The Florida woman, who has been identified by authorities simply as "Angela," was leaving a playground with her toddler son in Port Charlotte when a man approached her in the parking lot with a knife and told her not to make any noise or sudden movements.

Angela didn't have to do either to protect herself and her child -- a dog mysteriously ran to the scene and charged the man, who quickly fled.

"I don't think the dog physically attacked the man, but he went at him and was showing signs of aggression, just baring his teeth and growling and barking. It was clear he was trying to defend this woman," Animal Control Lt. Brian Jones told Pet Pulse.

"I don't know what this man's intentions were, but it is very possible this dog saved her life."

The exceptional part of the story, Jones said, is that the dog had never met or even seen the people it quickly jumped to defend.

"You hear about family dogs protecting their owners, but this dog had nothing to do with this woman or her kid," Jones said. "He was like her guardian angel."

After the alleged thief ran away, Angela quickly placed her son, Jordan, in the car and tried to drive off. Before she could, though, the dog jumped into her backseat, waiting with her for the police and animal control officers to arrive at the scene.

The dog was transported to a local shelter and if his owners don't step forward within five days, Jones said, Angela and her family plan to adopt the savior she named "Angel.

Animal control officers and shelter workers believe Angel is lost, and not a stray, because of his good health, sturdy weight and mild temperament.

"It's funny, that someone's irresponsibility could have saved someone's life," Jones said of Angel's possible owners.

For Angela, it doesn't matter where the dog came from, just that he was there when she needed him most.

"I don't know what his [the thief's] intentions were -- I don't know why he did it, but I'm glad that -- we call him Angel -- I'm glad that Angel showed up because I don't know what would have happened," Angela told NBC2 News.

For a small town with a population of 46,452, animal control officers were kept busy Monday afternoon. Jones says they department also responded to a report about a boa constrictor in a church parking lot.

The snake found its way into a car engine and was able to be removed without being harmed. It took three people to move the massive, seemingly random placed snake.

"It's funny, because we aren't a big place," he said of the Gulf Coast town. "And we can go for four or five months without the media contacting us about a story. It's been a busy week."

Officers from the responding county sheriff's office canvased the area and were unable to locate the suspect described as being in his 20s, tall and dark haired.