Portland, Tennessee Blog

It wasn't Megan D was It.

Just saw a story on fow 17 about a Women that had both arms pulled off by the family Pitbull and she sad the dog was a sweet dog and for no reason it turned into a vicious one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL1trl1FMUw&feature=related

"Vicious Pit Bull"

Don't forget to get them there shots just in case. LOL

Ok. Let me say this again, I've had my pits for 6 years and i know people who have had theirs for alot longer and we havent been attacked.i know my dogs and i know that they are not gonna attack me.I raise my dogs right, so knowone will be telling ME "I told u so"!!!

Let me say this again. Most people say their pit bull is the sweetest dog in the world until it attacks someone. Remember this if your pitbulls ever attack you. Also do a little research and see what breed is responsible for the most attacks. Hummm I wonder what you'll find.
If I ever here of any of you being attack I'll just laugh and say I told you so.

I just wanted to say that I have several Pit Bulls in Portland and it frustrates me that people wanna say that Pits are mean when they have never even owned one much less know ne thing about them. A DOG is wut u make it to be so if u wanna hold someoone or sumthing responsible then take a look at a vicious pit bull's owners, not the dog. And why is it just pit bulls that people wanna complain about? have u not seen all the other cases of dog attacks by other breeds? so next time think about the term "vicious dogs" instead of just a certain breed!!!

Most people say their pit bull is the sweetest dog in the world until it attacks someone. Unlike a cocker spanial a pit bull can do some damage if it turns on you. I use to be in the military to. I fought for my own freedom so don't preach that crap to any of us. You joined the marines on your own and you think everyone owes you. Well let me say welcome to the real world.

ok first off pitbulls are not the only "mean" dog out there! and not all pits are bad its all in the way they are brought up (like any other dog in that case any animal) and you are wanting to bad them from city limits??? i live in the middle of portland with my 2 pits and my roommate has 1 pit and they are the most loving creature on earth they just get a bad rep from what people are doing to them! i have to much else to worry about! now i got to try and fight for my right to have my dog??? wtf? i am a lcpl in the united states marines i fight for your freedom to get up and do what you do everyday! now i got to fight for the right to have a dog? i am in clr-35 with the 3d mlg marines in okinawa japan so i cant go and really go and do something about it! punish the deed not the breed! you all should take a closer look into pits and see that there not all bad.... fyi did you know that cocker spanials are more agrasive than pits? or that the number 1 drug sniffing dog is a pit? heres something else i bet you did not know more people have been saved by pits than any other breed of dog? so do all bit bull lovers a favor and take time to look into the facts about pits before you jump to stupid ideas!!!!

To the question ..when is the Mayor going to wake up and realize.......I wonder when he's going to wake up.......period.

I'd sure like to see a mayor that was more vocal on issues and speak out on things, and be more visible, and energize the city........someone who could inspire people and give people a reason to be excited about our town.....

"Kittens? Come on now...I have a cat who yes is fixed and has all his shots.So you are telling me I can not let my cat out to get fresh air and play? He wears a collar and id tag.I am not paying Portland to have an animal that is stupid."

Ara....come on. Do you think your neighbors wants your cat playing and getting fresh air in their flower beds? Or their kids' sandboxes? Are you outside supervising your cat the entire time, making sure it doesn't have a good time on other people's property?

Back to the topic of hiring another animal control officer...needs to be done. Carl has ALWAYS responded to our home when we have complaints of our neighbors letting their animals roam the neighborhood "playing". He has placed live traps at our house in hopes of catching the creatures that enjoy "playing" in our trash. He was out in the mornings before I even put my kids on the bus (which is early) checking the traps - and he even checked them on weekends. I am sure Carl could work an 80-hour week and still not be able to handle all of the animal control issues. He's only one man, and does his job to the best of his ability.

I agree wholeheartedly with EG in their post about what needs to be done, with the exception of euthanizing animals as punishment to the owners who can't/won't take responsibility for their animals. It isn't the fault of the animal that they have an owner who is blaise' about taking care of them. There are plenty of pet lovers that will adopt and care for them properly.

If pets were required to have a tag inside city limits, it would greatly reduce the time it takes for the Animal Control Officer to locate the owner. Therefore, it would reduce the cost of food and manpower to take care of said animal. I'd gladly pay a tag fee to have my pets chipped or tagged - it would give me the peace of mind knowing that, if they accidentally got out of their run or off their lead, or bolt out the door and run, they would be easily identifiable.

Don't judge Carl...he does the best he can with what he is given. Oh...and he does investigate animal abuse. It just doesn't make it into the paper too often....

Pit Bulls were bred for dog fighting, to the death. They were bred for viciousness and nastiness. And yes, based on how a dog is trained and raised, they can either have that predisposition come out all the time, or at some random point in time, or not at all. The point is though, that Pit Bulls have a much higher likihood of being vicious than any other breed. So we can sit and split hairs on the subject all day long. I hope for your neighbor's sake that the kids never get attacked by the Pit, and I stand by the simple fact that due to the fact that I care about my kids and I care about my pets, if ANY stray dog (especially a Pit Bull) comes onto my property, that is the end of that. People really should quit looking to scream about how unfairly their preferred breed of dog is being treated and start taking care that their dogs don't get out and have a chance to prove us right or wrong - The leash law needs to be enforced, and people need to start fencing (not chaining) their dogs - one thing I will say, is you are going to have a higher chance of having a nasty dog (Pit Bull or otherwise) if it is chained and un-cared for - and I see a lot of that also.

Pitbulls were originally bred to fight other ANIMALS (first to herd and bait bulls,then for dogfighting) They were not bred to attack humans.a pitbulls attacks people for a couple reasons.
1. illness (which can happen to ANY dog)
2. they were mistreated and TAUGHT to distrust and dislike people (which also can happen to ANY dog)
3. They are protecting their owner/territory.(which again, ANY dog would do)

Pitbulls can be animal aggressive and should be watched and supervised closely when around other dogs but they do make good family pets and are very loyal.
The people across the street from me have a pitbull and it's a very friendly dog. It got into fight last summer with the Chow down the street...guess who started it? THE CHOW, and the pitbull just took it. He has also wandered into my yard before while I was out with my dog and played with my dog. The people who own him have 2 small kids that adore that dog and he adores them. He's a great dog, much nicer than our other neighbors chocolate lab who growls, snarls and snaps and everybody and everything...he's killed 2 cats that wondered into their yard sent their beagle to the vet because he almost tore it's ear off in a fight and even bit their 3 year old on the leg....but he's ok cause he's a cute lab that NEVER would hurt anyone right? See, you don't hear about that on the news, but if he'd been a pitbull you can be sure everybody would have heard about it.

You rarely see cases of Golden Retrievers attacking people being reported in the news because, guess what. They weren't bred to fight. They were breed to retrieve. They rarely attack. People's feelings on Pitbulls, etc. has nothing to do with them being "sheep" - it has to do with common sense. And the way Pit Bulls are have nothing to do with how they are raised. It has to do with the fact that viciousness has been bred into them and they are genetically predisposed to be vicious. I have a dachshund. Dachsunds were bred to hunt badgers. Guess what, I have never trained my Dachshund to dig up moles and kill them, but she does, because that is what she was breed to do. I have a Blue Heeler and a Border Collie - both were bred to herd. They were never trained, but guess what, they like to herd things...... Are you telling me that Pit Bulls wouldn't be the same?

We lost our dog not too long ago. The best bet is to put up flyers with pictures at the grocery store (HG Hills, Food Lion), the vets office (Portland Animal Hospital), and at the animal control office. Our dog was missing for 4 days and we ended up finding her down the street. Some neightbors had tied her up at their house until someone claimed her. You may luck out by going to some neighbors houses with pictures and asking if they've seen them.

Update, our black labs were last seen Saturday, Feb 24th. afternoon in a field at the corner of Trivitt rd and A.B. Wade. They still had their collars, tags and white flea collars on.

Any help is much appreciated.

BM

So sorry for the typo on the missing black labs below: They do have collars, but NO name or phone on collars. The female 7 months has a red collar, the other male with a white chest, 5 yrs. with a black collar.

Last seen on Mitchell Rd of 109.

I apologize for taking up so much bandwidth for this matter, but again any help is much appreciated.

BM

thanks so much about your comments on the black labs missing. No sadly they do not have name/phone and collars. They are or let's say were tagged (rabies) and we had them fixed about a month ago.

We live about a 1 1/2 miles from the 'town and country' market headed toward Portland on a deadend called Mitchell Rd. There's like a square of wooded acres that encompasses 109, A.B. Wade rd. old gallatin rd and so. tunnel rd (i believe sp?). It's in the area where the new 109 crosses the old 109, where they moved the old laundry, etc.....

Again thanks so much for your comment and interest, it means a great deal to us.

Boo

Hi boo,
The only suggestions I have are to keep checking with Animal Control and put up flyers at the grocery stores,gas stations, Fred's...etc. Do they have ID tags on that someone could use to call you if they are found? I'm sorry you lost your dogs and I'll keep an eye out for them when we are driving around town. I live outside the city limits and see loose dogs all the time...I hope they are found soon.

Not sure if this is the correct thread or not, but I'm fairly new to the Portland area and my wife and I lost our two black labs this week.

Any direction or help in finding these black labs, one female 7 months red collar, the other male 5 yrs. with black collar would be much appreciated.

BM

Twenty years ago, the rappers/gangs adopted the Doberman as 'their' status symbol for the decade. Hence, an uproar was created, the media jumped on the bandwagon, and Doberman's were the 'vicious' flavor of the month.

Then the rappers, looking for a new image, hooked their braces into the Rottie. Again, the media frenzy was on, and the Rottie became America's newest breed to hate.

Now, the rappers and gangs have decided to use the pit bull as their official mascot. And wah lah - people need to stop being sheep so easily led around by the media. If you do your research you will learn that there are thousands of dog attacks every day in this nation. But the only ones you will see on the evening news? The pit bull. A golden lab attacking a child never makes the headlines.

Think people, think -

I love dogs, but it does disgust me when people in subdivisions just open their back door and let them go wherever. I have seen them digging/pooping in my neighbors mulch, as well as mine, and that drives me crazy. That's just how inconsiderate these people are. They show no regard to anyone's property. Chances are, if you were to go and confront them about your property being destroyed, they would take offense.

I also think that the animal control of this city does almost nothing about animal abuse. I had a similar situation as a poster below, heck it might have even been the same subdivision, in which a dog was in a pen with no shelter. During the hot summer, it stood there and panted. During a downpour, it stood there. When the owners got home, they didn't even look at the dog. They just went in the house. Animal control came out, and did nothing each and every time. In hindsight, I wish someone, maybe even myself, had called one of the local TV stations. This is a town, that prided itself in saving Miracle, the dog locked in the barrel, but here in this situation where an entire neigborhood was calling, was doing nothing. It made me wonder, the dog owner must be someone who knows someone. You know, a son, nephew,etc, of someone important. That's usually how things work in this town.

How ignorant can we get. If a pitbull comes on my property, guess what. I am shooting it on sight without any remorse. The Pit bull breed was created strictly for fighting, they were bred for vicousness, aggresion, and strength. Good for you that you trust you Pit Bulls so much, but I have children and pets that I care about more. I agree, we need more animal control in this town, and they need to actually do something about the stray animal problem. Since moving out here from California 8 months ago, I have seen more loose dogs and more irresponsible dog owners than I have ever seen in my life.

How ignorant can we get. If a pitbull comes on my property, guess what. I am shooting it on sight without any remorse. The Pit bull breed was created strictly for fighting, they were bred for vicousness, aggresion, and strength. Good for you that you trust you Pit Bulls so much, but I have children and pets that I care about more. I agree, we need more animal control in this town, and they need to actually do something about the stray animal problem. Since moving out here from California 8 months ago, I have seen more loose dogs and more irresponsible dog owners than I have ever seen in my life.

I want to say how senseless it is to ban any breed of dog based on their reputation. If people would open their eyes, maybe they would see that any dog can be vicious, even a little poodle. In the same sense, any dog can be sweet and playful, even pit bulls. If people stopped blaming the pit bull breed for attacks and instead turned the blame onto the owners irresponsible raising, handling, or training of their dog then maybe everyone would quit saying how we need to ban pit bulls. I have 3 pit bulls who are loyal and loving companions. They have never attacked, and I know unless I am in danger, they would not attack. I have had rottweilers, chow-chows, german shepherds, and cocker spaniels as well. I worked for a a veterinarian and have plenty of experience with animals. Maybe it is time to stop the prejudice mindset and ideas about pit bulls and realize they're just the product of their raising. Do some research. Investigate the breed. See for yourself. Pit bulls are NOT natural born killers. Please stop trying to take the best dog breed there is alive.

what is sad about this topic on the blog is that it has recived more comments than the other more important issues listed. i like animals too but it seems like we have an epidemic of people taking on more and more animals when they dont even take care of the ones they got already. my neighbors have a dog that is skin and bones and doesnt have a house to get in out of the rain.
we called animal control and they came over next door and shook their hand and declared the dog to be fine. this is why so many pets are put to sleep. neuter or spay your pets.

how crazy it is to equate a mangy mutt with human life. i like your ideas MG, but you left one out: if a rott or pitt unleashed enters your property, and you feel threatened meet mr. 12 gage. all dogs go to heaven.

If you don't think a pit bull is naturally mean you're kiding yourself. Just look at the news, a ten year old girl just died today because of pit bites. Pit bulls should NEVER be allowed to run free. I don't care if they are the cutest things ever, they've killed countless times in the past. I don't think a dog breed should be banned altogether but I don't think animal lovers should get upset when their pit gets killed. If i'm in a position where a dog of that size is trying to attack me, there's going to be one less dog in the world.

DebraP,
Well in that case we should spray and neuter all the humans that are not breeding as well. I mean why just stop with the dogs and cats? Kind of funny how everyone likes to play god with god's creations. No its not really funny DebraP. The reality is the goverment and the people that make up the goverment just do not think that this is a serious issue. But by looking at all these great post and debates, it begs the question to be answered.

Breed bans haven't proven to reduce dog attacks. They typically only result in good owners being punished and decent dogs dying.

Bad owners--the root of the problem--couldn't care less about their dog in the first place, so they'll just surrender that Pit or Rottie for euthanasia and go buy whatever is crowned the next "power" breed by thugs and criminals.

Remember Dobermans? Used to be that they were the breed everyone feared, but you never hear anything about them these days. Now it's Pits and Rotties. Ban them and it'll be something else. Every single dog, no matter its breed or temperament, will bite if the conditions warrant it, so instead of being afraid of one particular kind of dog, we need to band together and take action against bad ownership.

Everyone can do something positive by educating people you know on a couple of things--spaying and neutering is a good thing not bad and chaining a dog is the quickest route to an aggressive dog.

Dogs who are altered are less likely to roam, less likely to be aggressive toward people and far less likely to be aggressive toward other animals. It's also good for the dog. Spayed and neutered dogs are more healthy and less temperamental and it helps curb pet over-population, a current epidemic in this country.

As for chaining, dogs who are chained have less social interaction so they're more fearful of people and other animals. They essentially go "dog crazy" from all the boredom, lack of exercise and lack of companionship. Dogs are pack animals, so they need relationships to develop stable temperaments.

Most importantly, when you chain a dog, you give him no other alternative but to attack when something or someone comes into his yard. Dogs have two ways of dealing with someone or something that frightens or threatens them--fight or flight. A chained dog can't flee so in his mind, his only alternative is to fight. After being chained for a while, he's conditioned to react to everything with violence and woe be unto the dog or child who wanders into his backyard or winds up in his path when he breaks the chain and gets free.

If you refuse to let your dog live in the house and you can't afford a fence, do everyone a favor, especially the dog, and don't own one. Chaining a dog is a very poor form of containment and it's senseless. If you have a dog chained in the back yard, you obviously don't have a dog because you like spending time with dogs, most likely you have it for protection, so why in the world would you chain it in the backyard? What's it protecting? The dog house?

If you truly want a dog for protection, spend the little extra time it takes to house train them and make them a member of your family. Very few people are crazy enough to go into a home with a barking dog on the other side of the door.

One more point about backyard breeding. I know it's a free country, but please if you can, encourage people not to breed dogs unless they are truly in it to improve the breed, not just to sell puppies a couple of times a year.

Millions of good dogs lose their lives every year in this country in animal shelters simply because no one wants them. Reducing over-population through spay/neuter and a significant reduction in backyard breeding are some of the most humane things we could ever do.

By the way, I do dog rescue and deal with rescuers all over the southeast. You guys should be proud to know that your shelter and your ACO has a good reputation among rescuers as someone who is trying to do the right thing for all the animals he has to deal with. It's an overwhelming and many times heartbreaking job, especially in small shelters with very limited budgets.

SC is totally correct, the problem starts with the owners of the pets that do not abide by the leash laws allowing their pets to freely run and destroy others property. Cat's included! I just love coming out to find muddy cat paw prints all over my car in the morning, and every night being wakened by screaching fighting cats under my bedroom window... none of which are MINE!! God forbid I ever leave my car window down again, try getting Cat urine smell out of fabric seats! But ohhhhhhhhh they are just cute little cuddly kittens..... I am an animal lover, with 3 dogs all of which are house dogs who have a double fenced 1/2 acre run to use when they need to, my pets don't run free and I would appreciate it if others did the same.

Perhaps part of the problem with the lack of assistance from the dog catcher is the OWNERS who don't keep their pets on leashes and out of other people's yards and who let them just roam the streets and neighborhoods. That INCLUDES cats and well as dogs. If more people were responsible about their pet the dog catchers job might not be so overwhelming. And I'm not talking here about the pets who accidently get loose, I'm talking the ones who are allowed out to roam free.

My neighbor might not think there's a problem with letting his dog run loose but then again he's not out there to see his dog pooping in my yard, digging up my flowers, breaking my downspout, stealing my son's football and ripping it up, jumping all over my dog when I try to take her for a walk, stealing her toys when I'm outside trying to play with her...etc.

Shoot the dog if is on your property and you feel threaten, since the animal control officer is of only 1.
Problem solve.

Hypocritical?? Where in the world did that come from?? Someone needs to visit their dictionary.

I can't believe some of the comments on this topic. Comparing dogs to gang members, children, blacks, hispanics?? Come on!! These are dogs we are talking about. Animals that eat poop, lick their butts and have teeth, so yeah, they can bite ya!

I think the main purpose of this topic is the lack of assistance from the "dog catcher". NOT people who want to defend their pets.

So we're now starting to stereotype animals in this society. I guess a pit bull is a type of gang member...huh? I'm not saying that a pit bull would never bite a human. I believe that any dog can bite any person. It could be for a number of reasons, but it's usually when provoked. I know some people who have a chihuahua and he's as mean as a snake. He's bit many times. They still say he's "harmless" and "he won't bite". That's ridiculous to believe that a dog that has bitten once will not bite again. I understand your concern, Debra, and it's understandable that you'd want to protect your animals as well. I don't believe banned one breed of dog will take care of it. You can't just criticize against one type of dog, because that is not the only type of dog known for being violent. Chows, Huskies, German Shepherds, the list goes on....they can all turn at any time if they are provoked. There are many animals in my neighborhood that are not on leashes and my dog is; however, when she sees one of those dogs, she tries to get loose. She sees those other dogs as a threat to her territory. She is very protective of our home and us, and she will defend us if need be. That's why we have a dog...to be a pet to us and protect us. But let's not stereotype dogs like we do people...I think it's a little bit hypocritical.

Put simply, it is the pet owner's responsibility to take care of their animal. Which includes the pet(s) health, wellbeing, safety, etc. Responsible owners have their pets spayed or neutered, unless used for breeding purposes. Granted they should be responsible enough to only breed their own animals and not the neighborhood's pets!

Kittens? Come on now...I have a cat who yes is fixed and has all his shots.So you are telling me I can not let my cat out to get fresh air and play? He wears a collar and id tag.I am not paying Portland to have an animal that is stupid.

jj, you should be ashamed of yourself!!

I agree with MG on many of his suggestions. I would also add that if the animal in not for breeding purposes it be mandatory that the animals to be spayed or neutered.

The animals should not be "put down" immediately. There should be some kind of waiting period to see if they could be adopted out. It is a known fact that many animals are put down because no one wants them. This will never change and I had rather see an animal be put down than raoming the streets straving or being abused by their owners.

update: Councilman Mike Callis did respond to my email last night. He said that the city had added an on-call person for nights and weekends to help Carl and that he was going to try and get the funds into the next budget to hire another full time animal control officer.

WAIT AND SEE.......

MG,
Just read your 9 reasons of insanity. How about we tag you and if no one claims you we just go ahead and euthanize you? Sounds good right? No I didnt think so. These poor animals are not at fault, nor should they be killed because of insensitive neanderthaws such as yourself. Stop with the killing and lets be "godfearing" people and help save and finds these poor creatures a safe home.

Isn't funny that you must have a license to drive and get married,you must have a degree in this or that for certain jobs,tell me how can just anyone have a dog..or even more importantly, a child?! Its a sad reality. The reason dogs attack are not strictly because they were "bred" to or "its in their genes", they are likely mistreated and raised around violence..pets are alot like children, they sense feelings and share our emotions..if a dog is raised in a home where there is abuse to it,or other family members,its likely this animal will not have good discipline and will be defensive or outright angry. I think the leash law should be strictly enforced...reguardless of if you have a yorkie or a pit, take care of your animal,its your job, its your responsibility,NOT animal control. They should not have to come fetch your dog at all hours of the day because someone is too lazy or just doesn't care enough to take care of their pet...

Several suggestions....
1) All pets living in Portland should be required to have digital IDs with up-to-date information on file, so that any animal picked up can be scanned and the owners immediately identified.
2) That means the city should purchase a scanner to read the IDs. That is about $500 or so dollars for some models.
3) The protocol is as follows: find an animal, scan, contact the owner, FINE THEM, because....
4) IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL for a pet to be running freely throughout the city. I don't care if it is a kitten, or a small puppy, or a large beast...
5) ALL PETS should be digitaly tagged at their vet when shots are given once a year. Shots should be required, even if you have a problem with it. Sorry. Make it the law.
6) Pet owners then take the proof of the tagging to the city hall to receive a license for the pet with a registration and ID# for files. They pay a fee ($20/pet) to the city, and the fee offsets the cost of another officer. Additional fees for free-roaming pets will be enough to add money to the coffers to pay for the officer.
7) Pets roaming free without any ID will be euthanized, as well as any pet whose owner refuses to pay the fine.
8) Persons refusing to pay fines or get their animals tagged will not be permitted to own animals for a period of time (1-2 years).
9) Persons owning more than a certain number of pets (just an example... 5 dogs) will be considered a kennel and assessed a higher fee.

etc etc etc..... let the debate begin

UPDATE:
The animal control officer, Carl, came to my house this morning. He had been driving around the neighborhood looking for the dog that tried to attack my dog yesterday. He had a picture on a digital camera and wanted to know if that was the dog. It was. He knew who the dog belonged to and said that person had been to court already about another dog. He was going to try and catch the dog and go give the guy a citation where he will have to appear in court. AGAIN.

Carl was very nice. I never said I had a problem with him. I think he does a decent job. My complaint is that the city needs at least 2 officers. You never know when Carl might be sick, etc. This town of 10,000+ is just too big for 1 officer to cover. I think the city can find the money for this if they really want to.

I also asked him about pit bulls being aggressive. He said they very rarely attack people unless provoked but they will attack another dog for no reason. He said they were orginally bred to do that and it's natural to them.

I emailed the mayor yesterday with my concerns over all this and his reply was "An officer will be there shortly". That's all he said. I guess he thought that would pacify me but all it did was piss me off more. I also sent a copy of the letter to all the councilmen and NONE of them have replied. Goes to show how much the mayor and councilmen care about the residents of Portland.

If you want to email the mayor or councilmen with your concerns go to the Portland web site, click on government, click on City of Portland and there you will find all their email addresses.
GOOD LUCK ON GETTING A RESPONSE!!

Hmmmm.....just thought of something else to email the mayor about...........

Debra,
I would really like to know where this dog was located at and what she looked like. I actually may know who the owner is of this dog & have been trying to help him find it because she got loose from her leash & chain the night before last (see, even if there is a leash law, dogs can still get off of the leash).

Let me hear back from you and I'll try to rid you or this particular dog.

Thanks!

-AG

Well said Daniel,

No I don't want to see taxes raised, particularly given that I will most likely be writing a nearly $30,000 check in april to pay my taxes.....that is enough taxes....but I do very strongly agree with you that this city needs to get beyond this Sunday beer sales AND liquor by the drink thing....pass both and lets get this city growing in the right direction. The additional revenue generated by just passing these 2 issues would be incredible.....

BUT, until some people realize we do not live in the 50's any longer, nothing will change.

For now let's improve where we can and get the Law Enforcement, (which is an endangered species in Portland), to actually enforce laws that are on the books...including traffic laws...I think that will be a big step in a new direction.

This town has gone to the dogs..sorry that was bad...Carl at the Animal Control is a good employee for the city. He is kind and actually cares about the animals. Until now, he was working on-call hours without being compensated for them. He can't be everywhere and he can't keep you from being attacked. All he can do is receive your complaints and try to answer them in a timely manner. I've had to call on him a few times and he has been there quickly. Portland needs another animal control officer but where will the money come from? No one wants to see taxes raised and at the same time there is an endless list of needs for the city. On the ballot, you say you don't want the extra revenue coming in from sunday beer sales but you want extra policemen, animal control officers...etc...you can't have your cake and eat it to.

I don't believe banning pitbulls is any answer. Pitbulls were bred to fight OTHER ANIMALS not to fight humans. They can become animal agressive but not usually aggressive towards humans. ANY dog can snap at anytime and attack not just a pitbull. Most stories people read in the paper about pitbull attacks are not actually pitbulls, they are dogs that LOOK similar to pitbulls and are misidentified. See this link to see if YOU can actually pick out which is the pitbull.

http://www.nokillnow.com/PitbullFindIT.html

I have worked in animal rescue and know quite a few animal rescue people and have been around animals my whole life and YES I have been bitten by a pitbull....But I was also bitten WORSE by a golden retriever. I've seen a pitbull attack someone, and I've seen a black lab attack someone, and I've also seen a yorkshire terrier attack someone. ALL dogs need to be leashed to prevent ANY dog from attacking someone, or just scaring someone....not everybody likes animals.

I love my dog to death and she would never hurt a fly (and NO she's not a pitbull), she's a big 80 lb baby that would rather roll over onto her back for someone to scratch her stomach than bite someone. But I also know that she is part German Sheperd and can be protective if need be and she is also a dog and dogs can be unpredictible so she is always leashed and supervised because it's MY responibility to make sure she and everyone is safe. Don't blame the breed, blame the owner who lets them run loose or the owner who treated badly or the owner who taught them to fight and be mean and aggressive.

I do have to say though that There are ALOT of dogs running loose everywhere I look. The people across the street from me have a chocolate lab that they leave running loose all the time, even when they are gone. This dog comes into our yard ALL the time and pee's on my bushes, digs up my flowers, steals my dog's toys, steals my son's football when he's playing with it and pops it, Runs around going to the bathroom in everyone else's yard but yet nothing get's done about it. I know I'm not the only neighbor who complained to AC. Something needs to be done.

Regarding the Animal Control Officer, as this is a public servant position, the job description should be easily accessible. It may be worth a look to see what he is actual responsible for and is allowed to do. It tends to differ from town to town. But it's worth a look! Also, with animals (and children too unfortunately!) when there is trouble/incident, it usually stems from poor supervision. Then the responsibility is misdirected to the ACO or Police to address. It would be helpful if the owners were held responsible and cited for the issues at hand. Maybe the ACO isn't allowed much authority or doesn't have the proper resources to handle the many problems that seem to be occuring. Or maybe he does and isn't fulfilling his responsibilites of his job description. Either way, it's worth looking into!

You know the saying....You can take the girl out of the country....but you can't take the country out of the girl...The same holds true to Pit Bulls. These animals were first bred in England to be fighters, to be agressive. It's in their blood, they can't help it.

I'm willing to bet that all of you that are defending the pit have never been attacked by one, right? Well I have. About 10 years ago me and my 2 year old daughter was in the yard. I was doing some yard work and she was sitting about 10 feet away from me playing in the dirt. I looked over to check on her and out of the corner of my eye I caught some movement. I looked up and here came a Pit charging in the way of my daughter. I ran over to her and just as I reached down to pick her up the Pit latched onto my arm. This dog was a family pet of the people down the road and had never shown any agression before and I had never had any contact with the dog. To this day my daughter is scared to death of dogs. These dogs are dangerous. They can turn on anyone at any time. It's in their blood and no one can convience me otherwise.

My suggestion is to make owners register any known agressive breed and pay a yearly fee to keep them and IF their dog does attack they can be sued to the max. This might sound harsh but this would, maybe, make people think twice about owning a dog like this.

I have had a similar problem with my "neighbor". There is a field behind my house and the person who lives there has two dogs that he lets run loose when they are working around their property. One of his dogs will run into our nieghborhood and challenge my dog (who is fenced in) and has scared to stew out of me and my toddler while we were outside playing.
I have called animal control and he knows the guy and will "leave him a message on his cell phone". Our animal control guy has been out here before about other various animals. He is very nice and understanding and has never been a problem for me.
However, this particular person is appearently above the leash law. After our terrifying encounter, I called the police dept. to see what my rights were, both the PPD and the AC guy said that I should shoot any dog the in threatening my baby. I thought, DUH! I feel like I shouldnt have to pack heat in my own back yard!! When I told the guy at the PPD who my neighbor was, he told me that I should be very careful in how I handle this neighbor. He never said specificly what he was capable of or what type of crazy I'm dealing with. I still want to know why he is above the law, leash or otherwise?

About the pitbulls... Any animal is capable of anything. If the have been mistreated, they are more likely to attack someone. I think our "pitbull ban" energy should be directed into education on proper animal care, treatment and training. I am a firm believer that there are not bad animals just bad owners. Most people believe that hitting a dog when it does something wrong is training it. This has never been my experience. There are many other positive ways to train an animal. Also, I would like to add that I know many more small dogs that are mean as snot. They may be little, but they portray a very vicious attitude when treatened. I feel that most of the small dogs I know that are like this are this way out of jealousy.

We live just outside the city limits of Portland, so I can't comment on the situation in the City. But when we had problems with a stray dog in our area, who soon gave birth to 3-5 pups, we called the County Animal Control. Get this -- we were told that if we could capture this problem animal, they would come and pick it up.

Excuse me? I thought their job was to control and capture problem animals and protect me, the citizen. Unfortunately, the problem animal was eventually hit by a car, which kept her from continuing to be a problem. I don't know what happened to the pups.

Enforce the leash law? Sounds like a wonderful idea to me.

I believe a ban on dogs is just a bad start. What really needs to be done is simple. For starters we need to higher an animal control officer that actually does his/her job. I dont want to hear there is to much for just one person to do. The only reason why there is so much is because the person at hand is not living up to his/her duties that they promised to uphold when hired by the city of Portland. Now the sole blame can not be put on just that one individual, the city of Portland is the main problem and solution. Take this issue seriously and know that there are many dangers without proper animal control. As a tax payer I would not mind some of that money to go to more animal control officers and proper training. I also believe that the police officers of this fine town should act as they are sworn to act. That simply it so serve all. Wether it be me,you or our canine friend.

John, you make an excellent point - NEVER assume that ANY strange dog is living up to its reputation as "man's best friend", but the answer is not to selectively ban breeds at will. I've work in a vet clinic for several years and in that time saw and dealt with hundreds if not thousands of dogs of different breeds, and the vast majority of my dealings with pits were pleasant. That's not to say that there were not any malicious ones, but there were no more of those than of other breeds.

I don't think a police officer saying that they should be banned is a valid argument for banning them. A police officer is just another person with their own opinions that do not imply any sort of certainty. I'd be willing to bet that for every one officer who said they should be banned, I could produce another saying they shouldn't. Don't be swayed by someone's position in a issue that is irrelevant to it.

A valid reason an officer could have for wanting them banned would be to reduce dog fights, where they are abused and raised to be mean. I'm convinced that it is from that history that pits have been given such a bad reputation, but again, any dog raised in such a manner is going to be vicious. But is that a worthy cause to ban all pits? Or is it proof that a police force is either understaffed, ill-trained, or just apathetic to these cases?

From my experience at the veterinary clinic, if I had to choose a breed to be banned I'd choose chihuahuas. Those little guys had the worst temperament of any animal that came in the door. Not all, or even most. Just more than the other breeds. But am I advocating making it illegal for them to exist? Am I demanding that those who have owned chihuahuas for years hand over their pets (which after a time are really more family members to some) to animal control for a no-questions-asked euthanasia? Of course not. Why make broad generalization about a trait based on irrelevant characteristics (i.e. linking aggression to breed). That is nothing more than a stereotype.

If you really care to look at the facts, saying such is true is in no way different from racial stereotypes. If we are going to say that all pits are aggressive, then why not all Hispanics are lazy? All blacks steal? Come on, people...I've discussed this issue with several vets (who, incidentally, hold a Doctorate in a field that is largely studying animals, and can be considered valid sources on the subject) who all have told me that there is no linkage between breed and behavior. There is no reason to believe that a decently raised pit will behave differently from any other breed raised in the same conditions.

I agree with enforcing the leash law....I'm not real sure about the banning Pit Bulls Thing. Although you are always going to get those that will come out and somehow make the dog the victim rather than those that are at danger of being the victim....kinda backwards I know, but it seems to me that simple enforcement of already existant laws would be appropriate here, before any further action would be needed.

I mean if we can't enforce the laws we already have...what makes you think additional laws would be enforced. Portland has a huge problem with law enforcement....I mean when you can drive down Fowler Ford Road at 70MPH (speed limit is 30MPH), or Highway 52 in front of Krystal's at 60MPH (speed limit is 40MPH) all while Portland Police cars are sitting and watching you speed with no enforcement at all, what makes you think they will enforce a leash law, that would require them to do their job right? How dare we?

What needs to happen is there needs to be a new chief in town that will make sure all laws are enforced.....and that all are held accountable...ALL!!!! We need someone like the Guy in Walking Tall.....that'll settle things down!!!

Hmmmm.....I have been around dogs all my life. I know how to act around them etc. etc. My experience with pit bulls have been "nasty". I agree some are, as David puts it, sweet but most I have seen are not. When you encounter a pit how are you to know if they are "sweet". You don't and you shouldn't take any chances. I had an police officer in this town tell me they should be banned. I say BAN the BULLS!!

I don't believe banning a certain breed is the answer, controlling the issue is! The City needs to start enforcing the laws set out for this town and if there isn't available staff to do so they need to have a back up plan.

Pet owners need to be held accountable for their pets and not be allowed to let them run free without consequences. Regardless of breed, if an animal goes without proper food, water, shelter and proper care they will become agressive.

Ok, that link for the pom didn't go through, html is apparently disabled in the blog. Here's the link:

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/10/09/pomeranian.kills.ap

True, it makes sense to have another officer available. I completely agree.

But don't start in on the whole "BAN pit bulls" garbage again. We already fought that battle a year or so ago, and luckily, those in control of the decision had enough sense to see that such an idea is ignorance in it's purest form. Not stupidity, just ignorance. Pit bulls can and usually are (from my experience) some of the sweetest and best dogs a family (yes, even with children) could ask for.

If you want to ban breeds because of the few bad apples, keep in mind that there are documented cases where Pomeranians have mauled and killed infants (see here.)

Any dog can become vicious and violent. It is not dependant on the breed. I believe the last time this issue was raised is because a normally docile pit bull (described by the family of the attacked children if memory serves me right as not a violent animal) "suddenly" turned on a child who ended up hospitalized from the attack. The media blew the story out of proportion and gave the idea that the attack was unprovoked, though early accounts pointed out that the child was provoking and taunting the animal. You can only kick a dog so many times.....

If you're worried about your child getting attack by a pit bull (or chow, or whatever) teach them how to act around them and SUPERVISE them while they are interacting. If your child cannot learn how to treat animals and/or you are unable to supervise him/her, for the sake of the dog and the child please just find it a good home.

And as far as strays, banning the breed won't put an end to that. Supervise your children and pets while you are walking them and letting them play.

People abusing dogs = mean dogs. Simple equation. Unfortunately, there is nothing that animal control can do. We had a neighbor a while back who was blatantly mistreating and neglecting his so-called "pets". We called animal control. We were basically told that as long as the dog had some sort of shelter, food, and water available there was nothing they could do. Perhaps some stronger legislation? Hmmm...but that could result in a "Big Brother" sort of situation where any sort of annoyed neighbor could have the pets next door seized on fictional allegations. It looks like were stuck in a catch-22 situation on that one.

Bottom line: banning a breed of dog is a ludicrous idea when you have all the facts and\or have experience with a wide range of dogs. Ask any vet, or I'm willing to bet, animal control officer even, and they'll tell you.

People have raised this issue many times before. We always see dogs running loose in our neighborhood. I am sure that the animal control officer has plenty going on, but someone's safety is more important. What if this was a small child instead of a rat terrier as indicated in the original post? I have also had an instance where I had to call the police station because I couldn't get anyone at the animal control office. What do we need to do?

I have had problems as well. There is a pit bull that runs loose most days in our neighborhood. We have children in this neighborhood, and no matter what kind of dog, the leash laws strictly need to be enforced. When I have reported a problem, no one calls or comes by. You are 100% correct about the ban on pit bulls! What is it going to take? Does a child, or other person for that matter, have to be attacked before something can be done? Give me a break!!!