I volunteer at an animal shelter and have worked with a variety of dogs. It really just depends on the individual animal. Our sweetest dog right now is a pit bull mix. I completely trust her - she is so snuggly and loving. It's those little ones that snap at you! I've had far more dogs under 10 lbs bite at me than any big dog.

Wow, how did you guys find out about this story? :(

Obviously the "owner" is being irresponsible here, not the animal. If they knew the dog was aggresive they need to keep it better confined and if the owner doesn't care about the well-being of the dog or the public, then they shouldnt be responsible for animals in the first place.

I am continually AMAZED how pit mongers can compare the damage that THE fighting dog, the pit bull, can inflict to the small dog bites. Except in the case where the victim iis an infant or a toddler, there is no comparison. I got a papercut yesterday but I KNOW it is not the same as a machette attack.

While pit bulls may not attack when in the presence of strong leader-figures, such as the vet's or groomers, empirical evidence is that they can still be the best at tugging and doing horrendous damage and seem to favor the elderly or young neighbors, both humans and other dogs.

What is the pit mongers' goal? To fill every community with pit bulls? Even then, because so many pits are acquired for reasons other than companionship and therefore are not spayed/neutered, you can never adopt your way out of killing pits.

When pit mongers say "pits are wonderful pets when raised correctly", naive people BUY pit puppies and more pit breeding and more pit overpopulation happens.

Pits suffer disproportionately from severe abuse and negelect. Pits are victims too. Ban their breeding. Stop making more vicitms!

What is an "Alleged Pit Bull"? Either it is or it isn't. Perhaps the headline should have read, "Pit Bull Allegedly Attacks Boy..."?

An Alleged Pit Bull is a breed made up when the people writing an article do not know what the "F" the dog was and so it was an "Alleged Pit Bull". Mainly because if there was a dog attack-it was MOST DEFINITELY a Pit Bull, even though the attack happened 2 weeks ago, the dog has been in custody since then and the "experts" at the animal shelter can't even confirm the dog's breed. And its people like "debbie bell" who promote and encourage irresponsible journalism, so the morons keep writing it, and morons keep promoting it. Its a whole vicious cycle.

How can people keep pretending Pit Bulls are the same as any other dog? It's always the same exact story, as if taken out of a script. "My Pit Bull would never hurt a fly...it'd lick you to death...blah blah blah."

Wrong!

Pit Bulls need to be exterminated. And until they are, the owners need to be charged with first degree assault for such attacks.

While i have met some VERY nice pit bulls, I believe they need to be raised and handled by well informed, responsible owners in a well controlled but comfortable environment. (i.e. sturdy fenced yard, vs choke collar chained to a tree).

I'll compare this to what I know about machine guns. You wouldn't hand a machine gun to an inexperienced person and expect things to turn out well. Machine gun handlers need special training. To own one requires a special license/permit, and they are often fingerprinted and bonded before they can possess one.

Perhaps Pit Bull owners should be required to go through special training, have their home/yard inspected for safety, and breeders should have a special license showing that they are aware of the increased responsibility involved in owning a dog with such intensely controversial capabillities?

A final word about training. I know how to train a dog and have never owned a Pitt Bull. But every dog I've ever owned, I've taken through an obedience class. This encourages bonding between dog and owner, gets me in contact with an experienced trainer in case I get unusual behavioral issues later on, and helps the dog socialize with others in a controlled environment.
Not all people are dog people. Not all dog people will make good Pitt Bull owners.

I've only been bit by Cocker Spaniels, who would have thought two Cockers would bite me on two occasions. We wouldn't think they are violent animals but not everyone is a good dog owner or parent. Pits/Rots/Mastiffs/any dog over 100lbs with a mouth size greater then a tennis ball is capable of inflicting a lot of damage. I'm not afraid of people I meet on the street but I don't go up and try to touch them. I don't run around waving sticks in their face. I would expect to be attacked if I did. My dogs are fairly well behaved because I work with them and I'm attentive. If you tie a dog/person up and give them no attention or when you its negative then of course there will be problems. Some dogs/people need more attention and stronger hand to thrive in our society. Blaming the dog for being a dog is like blaming a 2 year old human for not acting right. I wouldn't be against having training courses in how to raise children either.

How do I unsubscribe? Too grossed out.

Shared by the Annapolis Patch: http://severnapark.patch.com/articles/marylanders-rally-against-pit-bull-court-opinion

I can guarantee my dog would not hurt you. It shouldn't really matter what his genetics are. I raised him to love people. A total stranger can take his toy, treat, food, etc...I guarantee it, without incident. Breed is irrelevant and a dog cannot be guilty from birth simply for existing. The idea that we should exterminate an entire breed of dog is born of fear and ignorance. The same factors involved in racism. Please note that 38 different breeds of dog are misidentified daily as 'pit bull', most notably by the media. I commend the use of 'alleged' but animal controls inability to identify the breed is a simple example of the fact that it just doesn't matter. I know someone who was recently bitten by a Jack Russell and required 8 stitches. Did you read about that in the news? Man mauled by Jack Russell Terrier didn't make it as headline worthy...hmmm, wonder why? He certainly cause damage, stitches, extreme loss of blood, fever and potential infection. From ONE bite.

I would flag the comments by Xiahko as "inappropriate", but decided it might be better for all to see a great example of someone in need of anger management and how easy it is to call people idiots and morons when hiding behind a screen name. It will never happen, but it should be common practice to treat someone with the same respect you would show face to face. Just because someone doesn't share your opinion doesn't make them less intelligent than yourself. It's a bit ridiculous to blame the reporter for simply providing facts. I'm not sure why this story took on a new life anyhow, since it's over a month old. Perhaps it was because of the report of a 9 year old child bitten by a pit bull on Tuesday in Severna Park. Or maybe that didn't really happen.