Has anyone heard about the condition of the little girl? There has been no report of it and the news articles has some very different accounts than what others saw that day....
I am from that area...and know who the dog owner is and knew the dog...he grew up with a maltese and was the nicest pet in the world. Wouldn't hurt a fly. Was a playful dog who was always in the house and unfortunately ran out the back door by mistake. There are many dog owners in the area and we all know each other.....

He ran after shoe laces and loved to grab them.....I wonder if the girl attacked has serious bites ..we have tried to inquire with everyone staying "mum"...

I believe the police went trigger happy. ...If i get any updates I will post......

Not all pit bulls are vicious predators. I wanted to state this since I have actually petted the dog on my walks and played with him and I have owned several pitbulls whom would not attack unless they were provoked and in the there house
.....very sad he had to go that way......

While I agree that something needs to be done to address issues of dogs at large and biting dogs and out of control animal populations in general, there are many case studies that show that mandatory spay/neuter does not work.

For one, you must realize that people who are allowing their dogs to menace and harm others, are generally not responsible, law abiding citizens. If they cannot manage to keep their dogs on leash, it's not likely that they will be in compliance with mandatory spay/neuter laws. It's also likely that those who are intimidated or effected by the law would simply move on to another breed that isn't effected (and believe me, your local shelter is already seeing rising intake for other types of dogs, being regarded as alternatives to pit bullsm, so they're already around).

Most often, these studies have shown that the only statistical change seen after the implementation of mandatory spay/neuter is the increase of intake and euthanasia at local shelters. They do not routinely demonstrate drops in incidents of aggression. The same goes for breed bans.

Plus, enacting mandatory spay/neuter means two things - low cost options must be made available and enforcement has to be implemented. At a time when Jersey City is in an uproar about tax increases, do you really want to add to that burden by subsidizing spay/neuter surgeries for thousands of dogs in the city and adding more employees to Animal Control so they can enforce this law?

It's a complex issue.

Quote:

zeitgeist101 wrote:
...what definiately would have helped would have been to neuther or spay that dog's parents. every time I see a pit or some variation of a pit that dog has its balls. almost all the dogs in the animal shelter down by the liberty science center are pitbulls...

Vigilante wrote:
...It's time to get control of the Pitbull population. Time to force spaying and neutering on these idiotic owners...

croft wrote:
...i deleted quite a few people off of facebook recently who mentioned breeding their pit bulls and rotties as a form of "being able to pay for their food" and getting up to $600 a pup that will probably end up at a shelter in a year...

I agree -- there needs to be a law against breeding aggressive type dogs in NJ -- and all owners ( & landlords ) should be forced to carry liability insurance.

Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio seems to understand this very well - perhaps we will see change sometime soon!

Quote:

"The vast majority of very aggressive attacks on human beings are from pit bulls and rottweilers and sometimes the police have to resort to the use of firearms," Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said"

As others have said here, it's not the breed but the type of people who usually wind up owning them. There is huge network of people in JC who breed and sell pitbulls. I've been working in pet stores for years and only two breeds have ever actually bitten me, chihuahuas and dachshunds! Hundreds of pit bulls have come through the doors and the only danger was being licked to death. These same people come into my store looking for help when they have a sick puppy because it was taken away from its mother at three weeks of age (long before the usual 16 weeks). I do my best to educate them when I can but it usually falls on deaf ears.

I can assure you that pit bulls are entirely domesticated, no less than any other breed of dog. Check out these links before more myths are spread.

The Truth About Pit Bulls

History of the Pit Bull

Sargent Stubby

I grew up in the 60's and 70's and when we were kids the Doberman was the most feared dog around. Nowadays you hardly see any Dobies. It's time to get control of the Pitbull population. Time to force spaying and neutering on these idiotic owners. Pitbulls are a fad for many inner city owners while others, like Croft, love and nurture their well-behaved dogs.

Quote:

i deleted quite a few people off of facebook recently who mentioned breeding their pit bulls and rotties as a form of "being able to pay for their food" and getting up to $600 a pup that will probably end up at a shelter in a year.

i used to work at the shelter you mentioned. it's a sad, sad thing to see so many unwanted dogs due to people's stupidity and ignorance.

about 2 weeks ago i was doing a cat sitting job on woodward (just around the block from van horne) and a stray pit bull ran up to me in the street when i was crossing and a car swung around the block and almost hit it. it's owner was walking on the sidewalk and just started calling the dog which did nothing to get it's attention. he eventually had to go into the street and grab the dog. definitely not cool, and as a pit bull owner i cannot blame the breed of the dog but i can blame the owners for being more than negligent and not having their dog on a leash, or allowing their dog to be outside unattended, fence or not!

the dog that i was approached by was a woodward st. dog, but yet another owner who chooses to not leash their dog. leaving any dog in a yard unattended is stupid and irresponsible. i highly doubt anyone would put their 2 year old child out in the yard and walk away.

today i found a stray dog on my block. luckily she had tags and was friendly enough to let me take the phone number and address off the tag so i could return her. she was another dog who "escaped from the yard" and turned up a block away...and she was not a pit bull.

"The cops ran to the park where they found a frantic mother holding her daughter and the dog with its teeth dug into the girl's right leg, reports said.

The dog let go momentarily after one of the cops kicked it several times, but it turned back and again sank its teeth into the girl's leg, reports said."

HOLY CRAP! Poor kid. Too bad the owner's of the dog weren't shot too!

Animals, Crime ?
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Jersey City cops had to shoot pit bull to thwart attack on child, officials say

By Charles Hack/The Jersey Journal
March 21, 2010, 8:10PM


Jersey City police say cops had to shoot pit bull to stop vicious attack on 9-year-old girl in Lafayette Park this morning.

Jersey City police shot and killed a pit bull terrier this morning in Lafayette Park to stop the dog's relentless attack on a 9-year-old girl.

Two cops were stationed outside Monumental Baptist Church on Lafayette Street near Van Horne Street when at around 11:20 a.m., a terrified 13-year-old boy ran up to them pleading, "Help. The dog is biting my sister. Please help," reports said.

The cops ran to the park where they found a frantic mother holding her daughter and the dog with its teeth dug into the girl's right leg, reports said.

The dog let go momentarily after one of the cops kicked it several times, but it turned back and again sank its teeth into the girl's leg, reports said.

The officer then fired a single shot into the area of the dog's throat. The dog spun around, but then resumed its attack, reports said.

After the second officer fired another bullet into the dog's throat and chest area, the animal wandered off a short distance, reports said.

The girl was rushed to the Jersey City Medical Center where she was treated for a large bite just above the right ankle, reports said.

No ambulance was available, so police drove the girl to the hospital in a police car.

The dog was still breathing when Animal Control director Joe Frank took it from the park to the Lyndhurst Animal Hospital where it later died.

The pit bull's owner, a Manning Street resident, arrived at the scene after a neighbor told her dog was shot, police said.

The owner told police she had no idea the dog had escaped from her backyard, reports said.

Officers told the owner that she could receive several summonses after the investigation is complete.

"The vast majority of very aggressive attacks on human beings are from pit bulls and rottweilers and sometimes the police have to resort to the use of firearms," Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said. "If people have any sort of breed of dog as a pet they have to make sure it is fully controlled at all times. The owner is responsible for the conduct of the animal."

DeFazio said his department will review the shooting per state guidelines any time a cop discharges his weapon.

In February, Hoboken police shot and killed a pit bull after it mauled three victims -- including its owner -- at a luxury building.

Two dogs were destroyed after they escaped from a yard and scalped a 70-year-old Jersey City woman during a mauling in Bayonne in December.

Anyone reaching out to the pitbull owner ? He must feel sad.

As a pitbull owner, I do believe that the cops did what was necessary to save the child. However, I DO believe that this again, was the owner's fault. All pet owners are responsible for their dogs, just like parents are responsible for their children. I make sure my pitbull is on her leash all times, and that I have the leash securely wrapped around my wrist and in my hand.

A poodle could also escape and bite a child, however this breed of dog doesn't have the strength to cause the harm that a pitbull does.

To answer the question of one of the posters, I love my dog more than anything. I trust her completely around myslelf, my husband, neices who are toddlers, anyone who enters my home, and people who approach her in a friendly manner to pet her on the street. However, I would never let my dog roam free, or give her the opportunity to escape from a leash. I don't think ANY dog should have that opportunity. And if something like that does happen, it is the owner's fault.

I wonder if a stun gun would work on a dog? I am sure it would would. I am not suggesting the cops stun the dog, they needed to kill it but what about the mother of the little girl who was attacked? Wonder if that would have helped?

what definiately would have helped would have been to neuther or spay that dog's parents. every time I see a pit or some variation of a pit that dog has its balls. almost all the dogs in the animal shelter down by the liberty science center are pitbulls. how about if the owners dont fix their dogs we fix the owners? shouldn't let these ghetto rats have dogs or cats...they cant control their own reproductive behavior let alone their animals.

Are pit bulls really safe to have as pets? I assume they are legal and a dog license can be issued for them, but just the mere name "pit bull" suggests they can never be fully domesticated and should not be pets.

I'm sure now I'm going to get attacked and "bitten" by pit bull owners all over this board - please don't take it personally. It is pure ignorance. Educate me please. It's just that the name "pit bull" puts me off and is frightening enough.

I am glad the cops killed this freaking dog.

Wow, it seems like every week there are pit bulls attacking people around here! First an elderly lady -- now a little child -- it's only a question of time until someone dies!

I can hear the mantra; "beagles bite too" -- "blame the owners, not the breed" -- yeah, yeah, yeah.... sure!

Jersey City police shoot and kill pit bull after dog attacks child, witness says
By The Jersey Journal
March 21, 2010, 12:21PM

Jersey City police shot and killed a pit bull this morning at Lafayette Park after the dog attacked a little girl, according to freelance photographer Joe Shine.

The police shot the dog twice, Shine said.

The girl, who was with her mother and siblings at the park opposite School 22 on Van Horne Street, appeared to be okay, Shine said.

Police did not immediately return phone calls to comment.

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Aggressive, unleashed dogs have been an ongoing problem in our neighborhood. More correctly, the owners who raise dogs to be aggressive and let them roam free have been an ongoing problem. I really hope this sends a message to them.