AGGRESSIVE pitbull went after my little girl today....what would you do?

Question

Today the neighbors pit bull went after my little girl. He dug a hole under the fence and got out. Luckily I was able to get to my 9 year old and got her back into my backyard safely. The neighbor told me that her dog was getting more and more aggressive and she doesn't know what to do. She apologized and said she will make sure it wouldn't happen again. This evening I was outside watering my plants and that same pit bull dug a hole and got out of the yard and went straight for me. He was barking and growling flashing his front teeth. All of his hair was sticking up and his tail. My heart fell into my stomach for the second time today. I ran into my house. My husband drove over to the front of the neighbors house and knocked on their door but they were not home. The dog began to chase a lady we got his attention and tried to keep his attention until animal control got there ( I called). Well the neighbor got home and was extremely upset that animal control was called. Then her friend (another neighbor) decided that she could tell me that it was an accident and how dare I get her friend in trouble. UMMM...hello her dog is aggressive and chasing people. Luckily no one got bit today. What do you think? What would you have done?

Answer 1

The same thing as you, at least the dog can get proper trainning now. And dogs should never be left unsupervised so its her fault for the poor trainning and being irresponcible.

Answer 2

You did exactly right.  The person who would be eventually mauled by this aggressive dog would not care if it's escape was an "accident".  The owner already knew her dog was escaping from the yard and going after children, yet she left it unattended in her yard again?  She was totally irresponsible.  She should actually be thanking you from the lawsuit you just saved her.  

Answer 3

Same thing you did.  Don't feel guilty, you were protecting your child and yourself.  She will have to work it out with animal control.  I feel for her, however, her dog being that aggressive will only get worse without much training.

Her friend wouldn't be so angry about this if it was her that was chased by this dog.

Answer 4

If any breed dog goes after a member of my family it has signed it's own death warrant. If I don't kill it on my property I will hunt it down and finish it off by any means possible. And if the owner hides the dog I will make their life a legal nightmare.

I have spent considerable time and effort to assure that my dog is socialized. And when I put up the fence I made sure that he could not dig under it.

This owner should have taken immediate steps to assure that the dog could not pose a threat. She did not and now she must accept the consequences.  

Answer 5

What happens when this dog mauls your child or hurts another child. This is not acceptable and the owner does not have control of the situation.

This animal needs to be with animal control to be assessed.

If this animal came into my yard or to my children - then that dog may suffer injury or worse in my protecting my family. It is not my intention to hurt or harm the dog but in defense or prevention of my family it will most certianly happen.

I don't know why you are feeling bad about it - you handled it in a humane way. You called animal control and allowed them to handle it.

I know many people who would have shot and killed the dog on the spot if the above occurred and this dog came into their yard / dug and came under the fence / and came at thier child or themselve.

The noisy friend and the neighbor - ask them if it would be an accident when her dog puts your child or yourself in the hospital - will she pay your bills - will she pay the doctor - is it an accident then.

I am positive you did the right thing based on the information given above. The lady and her friend are not rooted in reality and to keep an agressive dog around like this will lead to some one getting hurt.

How many times have you seen a situation where a child gets mauled or bitten by a dog. This type of situation - I would think the majority are due to sorry owners who are not training their dogs to understand boundaries and restraint.

Answer 6

you should suggest to her that she get the dog neutered. that should make him less aggressive.

Answer 7

Sue the neighbor!  

Answer 8

good for u ! that wat u should of done. that dog almost hurted ur 9 year old girl . dont worry about it. just talk to ur neibor that u needed to do that because the dog could of hurted sombodey and that im truley sorry. im sure he or she will forgive if not wow who got on his / hers nerves lol.

   good luck and be safe

Answer 9

I did not read the other replys but if you neighbor knows this dog is human aggressive and it's getting worse they need to put the dog down.

Human aggression is a big NO with this breed.   There is no excuse for it.   They are not bred to be human aggessive.  Sounds like this dog never had proper socialization or training.  

You need to call AC and report everytime that dog gets out whatever.  At least there is an incident on record now.    Get some hot wire and put on your side of the fence if the dog comes through it will get the shock of it's life time and the owner can't do a thing since the dog is diggin over to your property.   Scan the yard for their dog before you go out.  As soon as they let their dog out go back inside.  

Answer 10

Exactly what you did.  Good job, the neighbor needed a wake up call and now she got it.  Since the dog got out of the yard twice, she needs to do something more then what she is doing now, which is obviously nothing.

Answer 11

I would have called the police and animal control, after I had gotten the child in safely.

There is a world of difference between having an animal that is a suitable pet, and this creature which is a real bodliy threat to everyone in the neighborhood.

The owner should be incredibly grateful that no one has yet been injured or killed - as it is, she could be sued by anyone who has been threatened by the dog, and anyone who had been injured by the dog would likely have a lawyer who knew that wages could be garnished for years to come, to support someone whose ability to earn a living or appear whole had been compromised.

  The dog needs to be humanely euthanized, and she should be smart and not replace it - and then thank God every day nothing worse happened.

Answer 12

same exact thing as you.  

except i have a gun, and if that dog ever set foot in my yard and came after my child i would shoot it.  

I am not anti-pitbull, i have met some very amazing and sweet ones that i would welcome into my home.  I am an animal lover and have 2 dogs and 3 cats of my own.  But i kid you not, if i ever saw MY dogs attacking a person i would not hesitate to kill it on the spot.  

She is not a responsible pet owner and she needs to own up to that fact and fix the problem ASAP, or things could get a lot worse then having AC come to her house.

Answer 13

That would be a dead dog if it was my family. NO dog has the right to scare others. It's obvious the owners can't control the dog. I work for a vet and that is a dangerous dog in my opinion. Shame on the owners. How would she feel if it had bitten one of the people?

Answer 14

i would have shot the dog then called animal control , but thats just me. you did the right thing there's no place for vicious animals in a community and just so you know i have dogs and dont hate them, but that 1 i would have shot

Answer 15

Calling animal control was the right thing to do. Unfortunately, it seems there are more and more irresponsible owners. Sometimes the only way to get through is a wake up call. If your neighbor wants to keep her dog, she will make an effort to control it.

Answer 16

You did the right thing! Now, don't be intimidated by anyone and make sure animal control follows up on the entire situation. The dog sounds like it is out of control and the owner is not able to keep it contained. It needs to be picked up and then put down.

This is some info I have compiled during the past year:

Pit Bull is a term commonly used to describe several types of dogs with similar physical characteristics. Its use in media is often vague and rarely descriptive of specific breeds. There are several physically similar breeds that are often termed "pit bull" in English speaking countries, including the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Perro de Presa Canario, Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino, Alano Espanol, Japanese Tosa, Dogue de Bordeaux, and Perro de Pelea. These breeds are usually not included by name in any Breed Specific Legislation (see below), but are sometimes included because of a broad definition and confusion as to what a pit bull actually is.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published a study concerning deaths from canine attacks in 2000. [34] According to the study, between 1979 and 1998, one-third of all fatal dog attacks were caused by Pit Bull type dogs. The highest number of attacks (118) were by Pit Bull type dogs,



The ordinance defined a pit bull as

Any dog that is an American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or any dog displaying a majority of physical traits of any one or more of the above breeds, or any dog exhibiting those distinguishing characteristics which substantially conform to the standards established by the American Kennel Club or United Kennel Club for any of the above breeds.

News media stories of pit bull attacks involving disfiguring injury to humans and other animals, the latter very often also fatally, ranging in size from attacks on smaller non pitbull dogs to horses can be found globally. The pit bulls involved were not always loose and off the owner's property, but sometimes were inside the home of the owner, who, or a family member or visitor, was the victim of the aggression. Fatal pit bull attacks to children and adults have been reported by the English-language news media in the United States and United Kingdom.

A study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association in September, 2000 reports that in the 20 years studied (1979 to 1998) "Pit-bull type dogs" and Rottweilers were involved in one half of approximately 300 dog bite related fatalities in the US[3]. Another study of American and Canadian dog bite related fatalities from September 1982 to November 2006 produced similar results, reporting that Pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes were responsible for 65% fatal dog attacks. [4] This study also noted: "Of the breeds most often involved in incidents of sufficient severity to be listed, pit bull terriers are noteworthy for attacking adults almost as frequently as children."

A June assault left an East Baltimore woman hospitalized with bites and gashes on her head, neck, arms and legs. In April, a 10-year-old Towson boy spent more than two weeks in the hospital recovering from his injuries, and two Baltimore sheriff's deputies shot and killed a pit bull as it was attacking a 7-year-old girl.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a report that showed pit bulls were responsible for more dog bite-related attacks than any other breed during a 20-year period

Indiana News

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Other stories from the INDIANA NEWS

May 25, 2007: Indy Police: Girl Injured By Pit Bull

May 16, 2007: Pit Bull Tears Into Child, Attacks Others

May 14, 2007: Man Cited In Connection With Pit Bull Attack

May 7, 2007: Pit Bull Disfigures 3-Year-Old Girl's Face

November 14, 2006: Indy Dangerous Animal Ordinance Passes

September 26, 2006: Girl Leaves Hospital 4 Months After Pit Bull Attack

June 15, 2006: Pit Bull Pair Pounces On Pedestrian J

june 8, 2006: Authorities: Teen Ordered Pit Bull To Attack Officer

Answer 17

sue the neighbor

Answer 18

Exactly what you did.  A dog like that needs to be dealt with, and the safety of your family is the most important thing! Good for You!!!

Answer 19

You did the right thing good for you , that dog could have killed someone and worse a child , I would have done the same thing , you my dear get a star .

Have a Great Night.

Answer 20

Holy cow... scary!  I'd be all over animal control too, sounds like an extremely dangerous animal, and yes (hate me if you want) I think that dog should be put down immediately.. although that's neither of our choices to make.  And I'm not sure what the laws are where you are if the dog didn't actually bite anyone, (yet).

You might want to invest in some pepper spray in the meantime.  And I know we don't need to tell you to keep your daughter indoors, that one's obvious :)

But yes I think you did the exact right thing in calling animal control.  

Answer 21

You did the right thing, everyone has the right to feel safe in their own home.  The neighbour is the one at fault they should be able to contain their dog and ensure the safety of other people.

Answer 22

Unfortunately, you are stuck between a rock and a hard place.  I love dogs, and I hate to generalize, but Pit Bull usually says it all.  Poor breeding, people who do not know anything about dog psychology and temperment or how to really train a dog get pit bulls and don't understand why they are not as cute and cuddly as a golden retriever.

Document everything and keep your camera handy.  Keep animal control phone number on the speed dial or your cell phone and home phone.  KEEP YOUR DAUGHTER AWAY FROM THE DOG.  Buy pepper spray and teach your daughter how to use it.

Answer 23

You did the right thing.  You attempted to resolve things face to face, and when the neighbor wasn't available, you called the proper authorities.  If you didn't do anything and the dog ended up attacking someone, you would absolutely wish you had -- and so would your neighbor.

Answer 24

YOU SHOULD OF DONE WHAT YOU DID!

Answer 25

AS much as I love animals you did the absolute right thing! The dog is way aggressive and not controlled by the owners it wasn't an accident the dog came after people..It was on purpose from the way you tell the story.it wasn't like the dog reacted to someone hitting it or something it came after you all..protect your child..so sad, and so sorry but the dogs needs to not be able to hurt someone. I am glad you are all okay and the older women made it safely away.

Answer 26

You did the right thing. It was more than understanding of you that it happened once and you gave her another chance. But multiple times is out of the question. Whether it is a pitbull or any other powerful dog it is the owners responsibility to make sure that it is contained at all times.  

Answer 27

Pitt Bulls get a bad rep, but this one seems to need more training and attention from its owner. I would have called animal control as well. FYI never run from a dog that is going to attack you...that just makes the situation much worse. Also, animals can sense fear, I work with them everyday, and that is one thing you never want to show around an animal. For a lot of aggressive dogs, never look them in the eye, they feel threatened by this. I don't know how close your yard is to your neighbor's, but some dogs do not understand their boundaries. This dog may have thought that you were a threat to its territory and was just trying to protect his owner. Good luck!  

Answer 28

you were right to do so. the owner is a fricken idiot and should be thanking you. imagine if the pit bit someone and the person decided to sue the owner. then who is going to be crying?  

Answer 29

If it keeps happening, i would talk to your neighbor. If that doesn't work, call animal control again...

Answer 30

i would report the dog, anonymously of course.

Pitbulls are meant to be banned anyway, so the dog is illegal?

well they are in Australia anyway.

Answer 31

you have to tell the police about it but sadly the dog might get put down if the owners dont get it like trained but tell the police before you or one of you family members get hurt its obviously in safe unless your negihbbor build a better fence or they should actually keep him tied up

anyway good luckkk