Like Karen Lau, with her seven-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier (June 24, The Leader), our youngest son and his family also own a Staffordshire bull terrier.
Although Staffordshire bull terriers are banned in Toronto, the one our sons’ family owns is more likely to lick you to death than to bite you.
That said, Staffeys are cross-bred with larger, more aggressive, larger breeds of dogs and some are genetically inclined to attack without warning due to their past history of fight-to-death contests with other pit bulls.
The Mayor of Montreal is on the right track. Spay and neuter all existing pit bulls and allow them to go extinct.
Dog fighting is not an acceptable sport and neither are pit bulls, used in this nefarious sport.
Owners of dogs should be held liable for any dog attacks. Owners of dogs not on leashes – and muzzled – in cases of aggressive dogs should be fined or have their animals seized.
Leash-free areas being an exception providing the dogs are not dangerous.
Of course pit bull owners will always claim their dogs are not dangerous, even though the facts prove otherwise.
Fred Perry
Surrey
This one breed is over-blamed
So here we go again – another article in the paper about an “unprovoked attack” on a 65-year-old woman.
What happened to that poor woman was horrific and the fact that no one is placing charges on the owner because of lack of evidence is not only disgraceful it is untrue.
I think there is plenty of evidence: serious injury causing bodily harm, leaving the scene of the crime, having a fearful dog off leash in a public place.
The funny thing is, this dog wasn’t even a pit bull. It was an American bulldog. Unfortunately, pit bulls get blamed for everything involving a bully breed. I don’t think a pit bull can breathe without some ignoramus claiming “aggression.”
Here are the main pit bull traits: affectionate, smart, patient, they adore children, affable, determined, loyal, resilient, medium energy and healthy. This accident could have been any other dog, except we wouldn’t ever hear about it. Sad.
Sarah Williston
North Delta