A pit bull dog below in Wexford the latest episode of a child been savaged . Are these dogs suitable for pets .
PS The only people with Pitbulls or similar in our town are involved in drug dealing and or general criminality.
Threadbanned Posters:
xhomelezz
No, they’re not all mistreated, not trained mutts with donkeys for owners, but the fact is there’s nothing to stop these folks having control of these animals. That’s the issue.
I’m not sure how it works in Ireland, (ironically) but I do know in the states you can have for example “exotic” pets. Think monkeys, birds of prey, BUT you must have a permit or licence.
If you don’t have the wherewithal or in cases documentary evidence of you having very specific knowledge of looking after these animals, forget it.
But anyone who wants can have a Pit bull. Or other large and/or “dangerous” dog. The only requirements, which are scarcely enforced clearly, are they’re walked on a strong lead, by someone over 16, with a muzzle.
Until either proper enforcement of Animal Welfare Laws, Bye-Laws, Policies and rules around owning & caring for these animals, they should not be allowed to be cared for by anyone other than those who can prove as and when necessary that they have the wherewithal and/or expert knowledge as required.
You will disagree with me as the owner of an aforementioned large and/or “dangerous” dog. I say “dangerous” because I don’t think your one necessarily is. However, I don’t believe you can reliably say that were the dog to become unusually agitated & unleash an attack you would be fit to control them.
In fact I already know you can’t because you already confirmed the animal is indeed fitter, faster & stronger than you.
Do you see where that’s a problem? An animal you’re expected to be in total control of is faster than you, stronger than you & in general fitter than you. All you can depend on is the animals mood and demeanour which can change in an instant.
Of course I’m not trying to accuse or imply even that your dog will one day unleash detestation upon someone, what I’m trying to do is illustrate why these animals should not be in the control of those who are unable to control them. Like it or not that includes you as by admission you’re incapable of physical control of the dog. That means you depend solely on your orders being obeyed.
I wouldn’t like my chances were the dog to become violent.
Is it just me or should German Shepard's not be listed with the others ,
GS's are extremely intelligent dogs & nothing like Pitbull's or Akitas which are/where bred for fighting,
Shepard's are just that , bred to be shepherds , companion dogs, the are service dogs, disability assistance dogs , search & rescue dogs,
I feel like because they are big they just get throw in with the other when they aren't alike at all,
As a long time GS owner , even had them when we where kids, I feel sick when i hear people group them with them other horrible breeds ,
GS's need space & your time but they are nothing like pitbulls,
Law changes to strictly enforce banned breeds in this country would go a long way
There are dog breeds that are much more dangerous than others, breeds like pitbull-terriers have no place as a pet.
I’ve a small 6 kg dog- not even a terrier, a cute little thing- a cross breed- everyone that sees him thinks he’s a “dote”- and in fact he is.
BUT, every week or so, without warning, he grabs one of his doggy toys and shakes it vigorously from side to side- even though I’ve seen this happen many times I’m still taken aback- harmless mutt- absolutely - would I place him in a room on his own with a baby toddler? NEVER.
Law changes wouldn't have much of an effect. It's the mentality of dog owners that simply will never change. Children and people who get attacked are seen as collateral damage by many. I just find the whole thing nasty. People walking dogs around so they can piss everywhere just seems insane in a civilised country, not to mention the countless savage attacks that have huge impact. I think one attack on a human is one too many and some very hard legislation is warranted but you could never get that through, no matter how many kids were savagely maimed.
Absolutely no reason not to ban pit bulls.
However, the absolute scumbags who own them - and there is not one pit bull owner who isn't scum - will just find some other breed of killing machine instead.
Until the law is changed to allow for meaningful prosecution, i.e. jail time measured in years, then nothing will change. And even then, I doubt it will.
I am. Although she is quite strong as I've discovered when playing in the garden, tug of war etc.
No dog should be allowed to wander loose like that dog was unsupervised. Regardless of breed. I see it in my area, there are a few small dogs that seem to be let out the front to relieve themselves and i would imagine in lieu of a walk (or so they dont foul the back gardens). The dogs themselves appear to be friendly enough, but they are all unpredictable and without someone supervising a child/person could provoke these dogs into attacking. They may not have the capability to kill like a bull breed, but its still not ok.
Heartbreaking for the family, this should never happened and the owner of the dog should be punished severely. I wouldnt go as far as favouring a ban of these types of dogs, but there should definitely be more in terms of who is allowed to keep dogs in general and in particular these types of breeds. You should not just be able to rock up to a breeder and take one home.
Our small terrier is never allowed off the lead, and if anyone approaches while we are walking I will put myself in between my dog and the person and tell them he does not like strangers. If there are children in my house they are never unsupervised with the dog and there is always at least one person between the dog and any child under 4 at all times. Now he has snapped in the past (rescue dog and snapping at a toddler was the reason given for rehoming), but I think even if that wasnt the case I would still be as cautious even if he did not have that history. You can never be too careful, all it takes is a child accidentally poking any dog in the eye or similar for it to react with a snap or a bite.
How many people keep a collie as an expression of their own aggression?
Who is stronger, you or the Doberman?
As a small dog owner, I would agree with you on this.
With a relatively large urban garden, plenty of space for my dog to exercise, as well as the two daily walks. However, I cannot understand how any large breed is allowed in urban areas, nearly all owners will not have gardens or time to exercise them properly, leading to behavioural problems.
As for the pitbulls, we know why most of them are kept.
The problem is that a significant majority of people are completely oblivious of the capabilites of a dog.
All dogs are dangerous around children, anyone that says otherwise shouldn't have a dog
Had an issue previously with a X breed pitbull being let loose to wander a public area and green where kids would play. Rang the Gardai who said it wasn't their job to deal with it and I should call the Dog Warden.
Rang the Dog Warden (Kildare) and they are only available between 10am - 1pm. Rang the Gardai back who again refused to act, citing that the remit was with the dog warden. I explained that this was a matter of public safety and they should at least approach the owner and instruct them to gain control of their dog. The Garda in question conceded slightly and promised to make contact with the dog warden and also send a car. Next day I contacted the dog warden who explained the difficulties in taking a dog and having to prove the breed is that of one on the dangerous dog list possibly in a court setting etc.
He also stated that he has 5 (I think) kennels in total and sure if I could possibly hold the dog in my garden he could collect it over the coming days once space is free, if the owner claimed it from the kennels he could fine the owner if its not chipped etc.
The control of dogs act isn't administered like alot of laws and it takes incidents like this to happen before those who are in a position to act do so.
Contact you local TDs. With enough pressure this can be pushed through.
https://www.shashankchakerwarti.ie/post/how-to-write-to-your-local-td
Find them here. https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/
Lol. what a load of shite.
We have a Doberman that'd put the Duracell bunny to shame; no stress on walks, she's trained on a lead so no energy wasted trying to control her, she ignores people, also ignores the little yappy **** that always go for her while the owners laugh thinking it's funny. We come across large dog owners all the time and it's all wagging tails and excitement.
The only part of the walks I don't enjoy is the length of them, due to her being much fitter than I am, but I'm getting there.
Not all large dog owners are window lickers that don't train their dogs, unlike most little dog owners it seems.
I’d be in favour of a ban on pitbulls. People cant keep wolves or large cats as pets, and pitbulls are similar. Just an inherently dangerous breed.
if you want a pet dog, there are hundreds of other breeds available that are more appropriate.
I am a dog owner (small rescue terrier mix) and lover of dogs in general. But I admit, I always wonder why people keep german shepards, husky, large akitas and pitbulls. I wont lie that I'm not nervous if I pass one with my little muttie. I see the owners of these large dogs and they always looked stressed, put huge energy trying to control them on a lead, tend to have to walk them away from people and dogs, which in turns causes these dogs to be unsocial. The owners never look like they are enjoying their doggie walk, the way the rest of dog owners do.
Forget reporting potential dangerous dogs to the gardai. They'll tell you to call the warden, who tells you he can only call to the house with the support of the gardai.
But report your neighbor to the gardai for not having tax on their car, and you'll see a squad arriving in under 10mins, blue lights flashing and all !
The poor poor kid, had his whole life in front of him, all those hopes. I haven't seen the pictures, don't want to either, bad enough listening to his brother on rte describe the damage.
I,ll never understand why some people dont keep dogs as pets ,not all people have children , walking a dog in the morning/evening is good for exercise and its obviously not always cold , as for the bag of shite jesus wept .
Traditional big Mastiff style dogs, German Shepards, Dobermann Pinchers, Rothweilers etc... were usually owned by dog people. People that understood dogs, trained them, socialised them, exercised them, had them well balanced.
These big over muscled Bullies, Presa Canarios, Dogo Argintinos etc.. are being bought and owned by people that can't raise their own children. Young boys and manchildren with fragile egos that are that weak they need a dangerous dog at their side.
The dog owner should hopefully face jail and pay for this poor lad's future medical expenses..
Correct should be charged with attempted murder. Everyone of those dogs should be rounded up and destroyed the facts speak for themselves they are a dangerous breed and should be illegal.
On a separate point I'll never understand why people keep Dogs as pets. Why would you keep a potentially lethal danger to a child in your home? Why would you want to spend your evenings walking a dog around in the cold carrying a bag of shite in your hands?
The idea that a pit or other dangerous breed is harmless with the "right" owner, simply doesnt stand up to scrutiny either.
The US has a long list of these attacks, and in a large number of cases the owners were "good owners" - and sure wasnt the pet just the friendliest thing, he/she would never hurt anyone or bark etc. Taken for plenty of walks, not abused in any way. Some of these breeds are just not safe.
I mean for gods sake look at what pits were bred for! They are genetically designed to these types of aggressive behaviours. The good pits who go their life without maiming anything are the exception not the rule
Absolute joke we’re even discussing whether or not there’s merits to pit bulls and similar breeds. There is not.
The fact is they were bred to fight, they’re not domestic pets they’re vicious dogs designed to kill other dogs.
Lions and tigers if raised properly around humans can be as harmless as a kitten, but with the potential for devastation. But we don’t accept those as domestic pets, under the guise of “well they’re just big cats really, it’s about how they are raised!”
i like dogs, all my neighbours have them and I find them hilarious to watch and great to interact with. I would not like a neighbour of mine to get a pitbull & I personally wouldn’t be phased if they were all killed in the morning.
If an animal is dangerous— and these are dangerous, get rid of it. I can’t actually conceive a reason not to. I guess some people would be upset their dogs were killed. But I’d rather that than seeing what’s happened just a few doors down from me happen again.
Yeah, that's part of what the case before he High Court that I mentioned earlier is about (https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/parents-of-boy-attacked-by-dog-challenge-authorities-over-refusal-to-investigate-1322570.html)
The plaintiffs are claiming that the Gardaí should have investigated the attack on their child under that Act, but they refused to. Bit mad that you'd have to go to the High Court to get the Gardaí to investigate your child being bitten on the face by a dog and requiring emergency surgery, but here we are.
Anyone who thinks that certain breeds of dogs are somehow immune to violence, particularly unpredictable violence, are utterly clueless and should absolutely not be entrusted with any sort of dangerous breed.
The worst combination is a bad owner with a dangerous dog breed but that still leaves the fact that certain breeds have a propensity for violence and should never, ever (1) be near children full stop and (2) be allowed in public unless neutered, muzzled and on a lead. To not accept this is to not appreciate the risk and therefor the owner, regardless of their good standing in society, is not capable of having a dangerous breed.
I had to push the issue in an apartment block we lived in before as one owner used to let his Pitbull out for a wee in the common garden area with no leash or muzzle, even though kids played out there. The owner was a stubborn, selfish fool who made the usual argument that "my dog wouldn't attack anyone" but that is just ignorance. Once I pushed it with the management company and cobbled a few of the residents together we were able to get the owner to cop on.
Writing to my local TDs. Enough is enough. Full ban is needed.
There are two solutions here.
Many people use dogs to intimidate, we've all seen them on the street. The Gardai know who they are. They use a dog rather than a knife precisely because they have plausible deniability and the perfect excuse when they do set it on someone.
If you own a dog which is capable of inflicting such injuries, intended or not, are you're so incompetent that you let if happen, well then lets consider that criminally negligent, and apply the above penalties.
Owners should face a manslaighter charge for something like this - simple as.
Let them defend themselves in front of a jury.
Would make people think twice about buying a dog in the first instance.
There could be a question whether an attack by a dog could lead to a prosecution of the owner / person responsible for the dog being prosecuted under section 13 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.
13.—(1) A person shall be guilty of an offence who intentionally or recklessly engages in conduct which creates a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another.
If a dog had displayed a propensity for or had a history of attacking and was allowed, unrestrained and unmuzzled in a public area, particularly if this was in breach of resticted breed regulaions, it would seem to be reckless, from a layman's view anyway.
(2) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable—
(a) on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £1,500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both, or
(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years or to both.
The penalties for conviction under section 13 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, if applicable, might prove a greater deterrent.
On summary conviction, that would now be a class C fine (€2,500) or up to twelve months imprisonment, or both.
On conviction on indictment, that would be a class A fine (€5,000) or up to seven years imprisonment or both.
If applied, that might focus the mind of negligent / reckless ownes.
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