Monday, February 24, 2014

Not a service breed

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/leeds-dog-attack-emma-bennett-2913587
"Mum-of-four Emma Bennett, 27, was found unconscious at her home in Leeds with horrendous injuries to her head and face...
"Witnesses spoke of “crazy” scenes as up to 30 police officers, including an armed team, descended on the street in Leeds.
"Another shocked neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I saw Emma in the back of the ambulance as ­paramedics were pounding on her heart. She was just floppy.”
"...it wanted to go for her whenever she was having a fit [epilepsy]."

 A fourth (or is it fifth?) person to be mauled during an epileptic seizure. She is younger than I am, with two more children than I have. This is why pit bull bans make sense. This is why pitbulls are grossly inappropriate for use as service dogs. They are too unstable to handle even a life of gentle love and care at home with the people who cherish and feed them. The last thing a community needs is to have such volatile animals roaming the community at large, forcing their way into venues as "service" dogs to interact with strangers and all sorts of stimuli they are not accustomed to. 
 If they are unsafe at home, under good care, where they feel safe, know a routine, have no fears, have no worries, no unmet needs... where on earth can they be a safe companion? 

This is why safety advocates protested bringing pitbulls into a school full of small children for more propaganda fluff, ostensibly under the guise of 'literacy'. And what makes these canine critters such excellent tools that aid literacy? What amazing quality is it that somehow is deeply transformative of a child's reading skills?
They "listen".
That's all.

Any other smaller, safer breed could "listen". Fanatics trumpet "any dog can bite" as if it were a legitimate and powerful counterpoint to gruesome and grievous pitbull attacks....*  well, then, "any dog can listen". Something that does not pose great risk of dismembering children without provocation. Any animal incapable of tearing children apart could be a substitute. Why not a "literacy hamster"? They can "listen". Even a pet rock made of dung would be more appropriate.

 (in itself a fallacy; yes, any dog can bite, but the end result is NOT the same. hell, even plants can 'bite'--venus flytrap--ergo, the ability to bite does NOT define equality or similarity with a specific animal or breed)
Many pitbull fanatics brag about how they skirt bans and ordinances by obfuscating their dog's breed or arbitrarily registered it as a service dog, in hopes of using the legal system to impose their will, and their dogs on the public.  Some are deluded enough to genuinely beleive these animals are great service dogs, on par with any other service animal.
A bloody and escalating history of violence would beg to differ.  Even discounting all attacks on humans and non-canine animals, the fact remains that these dogs have an undeniable neurosis for 'going game' on other dogs.  It's what they were bred for, excel at, and succumb to most frequently.  

REAL guide dogs, of time-tested temperament to excel in this line of work are frequently attacked by pitbulls.  Many do not survive.  These are animals that spent hundreds of hours being trained and earning experience in what they do.  Their testing was complex and lengthy--a hard-won prize, and they have no parallel.
By contrast, pitbull 'service dogs' are of the Cracker Jack variety; a person sends a paltry amount of money to register their dog as a service dog--with no training, no testing, no verification--slap a vest on their animal, mislead and falsely advertise the breed.  The result is in epileptics being caught unawares and grossly mauled--a few even unto death--because of the pitbull service dog farce.

A TRUE service/guide dog must be able to accompany their charge anywhere and everywhere--which means they will be out and about in the community, exposed to all sorts of environs, people, and animals.  It makes no sense to task a breed that cannot stand to be around other dogs/with a psychotic compulsion to kill other dogs with such circumstances that set them up to fail--and inflict a lot of collateral damage.

Dog breeds are tailor made for their tasks, their tasks are an element of conduct, and ergo, their behaviors are a product of their breeding.
Pitbulls were bred to spontaneously and unrelentingly tear other animals apart, and the rising death toll issues that they perceive humans to be in that category.  Their aggression is neurotic and generalized (NOT animal/dog specific).  If someone TRULY loved the breed/their pitbull, they would realistically manage their expectations for the dog and operate with a 'big picture' perspective allowing for the breed-specific tendencies of their animal. 

Pitbulls are a horrific mismatch with the task of being a service dog, as poor a pairing as expecting a teacup chihuahua to herd sheep, a pug to retrieve water fowl, a dachshund to race, a greyhound to pull arctic sled teams, or a Pomeranian to take down wild boars.  These are simple facts of reason, common sense, and biology. 

6 comments:

  1. Great post. Straightforward and to the point, "these animals are unsuitable for this task".

    Thank you for your insights.

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  2. Awesome, common sense post! Thank you!

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  3. The only relatively safe place to keep a bulldog was on a chain set on a dogman's yard. With the outlawing of dogfighting in every civilized first world country there is now no place where a bulldog can be safely kept.

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  4. Well said. This is an outrage and the Americans with Disabilities needs to SCREAM for attention on this one.

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  5. I think many people also hold a belief that if they get their pit bull or other dangerous breed declared a 'servus' dog it will prevent the dog from being euthanized when it attacks someone. This is NOT true. Service dog status makes NO difference. It will however make YOU as a pit bull 'servus' dog owner open to plenty of opportunities to get your dog euthanized and get yourself sued.

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  6. I LOATHE these liars.
    There is a solution to lying liars that dress their pittie up in a vest and push them on everyone, and into apartments they are not allowed to live in.

    How? Even Service Dogs need to follow the rules.
    Landlords HATE the "pit as service dog" as much as you do, especially if they own apartments with breed or size restrictions. They know its a liability nightmare, and they do not want it. But the ADA has their hands tied, and a web full of fake credentiallig companies makes it hard for them to even tell who is fake (not that they can do shit, but still).

    Help the management out by getting a copy of the pet rules, and what the punishments are, in writing, or recorded. Then go and document every time Mr Fake Service Mauler breaks them, and you know they will. Breaking the pet rules, which is a standard part of all lease requirements, will allow the landlord to kick the dog out, and evict the tenant of they don't get rid of Fido quick enough. Does not matter if it is a Service Dog or not!

    Get all infractions on video or in pics. Nutters hate to lose and may fight, even though they know they are liars. They know all too well that bullying people has always worked, so build a strong case, and then let them be booted out legally. Here, if they break a rule, like having Mr Mauler unleashed, they get 24 hours to get rid of doggie- any doggie. If they do not, they get another 24 to GTFO before the Sheriff evicts their asses.
    Your milage may vary, but if you play by the rules, you have a good chance at success.

    As Animal Uncontrol once said- "In a fight? Sometimes you win some and you lose some. If you DO lose, do not hand the winner their “win “easily. Make them pay for every bloody inch! Make it hurt SO badly they will not try it again!
    ….. I surrendered that particular hill, but I made them pay dearly for that win. Pay they will!"

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