When a dog's behavior is unacceptable, look to the OWNER. Owner's are responsible for properly training and controlling their animals. I was attacked by a chihuahua [yes, a chihuahua!] and have nearly been licked to death by every pit bull I've met to date. Blame the DEED, not the breed. Education is the key and the Village of Skokie needs to educate itself before making knee-jerk decisions.

I agree with Connie. It is the owner of the animal. When I was young, it was
dobermans and german shephards. Ordinances that refect owner responsibility, regardless of the breed, should be addressed.

I too agree with Connie. Sadly, as a life long pittie owner/trainer and former resident of a nearby town to Skokie, this problem will never be resolved. I live in a town now where pits have been banned for over 18 years and it's never stopped me from walking them proudly! I want people to realize, even after they criticize me, that these are beautiful creatures and you just have to treat them with responsibility.

We have a pittbull and she is the sweetest dog in the building and the neighborhood. She doesn't bother other dogs, and doesn't even bark back at them. She is solely there to be loyal to her family.

no! i have had many pits and pit mixes they are the best dogs ever! i love them to death!

My 6 year old is autistic. We spent a long time with local shelters trying to find a breed and a dog that would be patient with my son. You know what *perfect* dog we found? A pit bull mix. Yes folks 2 1/2 year old pit bull mix rescue has the patience to be a wonderful companion to my autistic son. Please don't take this friend away from him!

This breed was bred to fight. They were once war dogs. That is in their DNA, temperament. We can't ignore that. Yes, the right people can make these wonderful dogs. But how many dopes do you see with this dog? I see a lot! They ruined it for everyone! I say yes, the breed should be banned. This is a dangerous dog in the wrong hands!

People who are irresponsible, letting their animals wander, or worse abusing them and teaching them the wrong things (people who dogfight, etc) are ALREADY breaking laws. A ban will NOT dissuade them. The only people and animals who will be affected by a ban are the law abiding families who seek the proper care and training for their four legged family members.

As a certified vet tech with several years of experience working in a shelter, I cannot support any sort of breed ban. 'Pitbulls' are very rarely the cause of problems, being smart, loving, and loyal dogs, even if they have a history of being mistreated. They were once called the "nanny dog" because they were so highly regarded as family animals. Its the PEOPLE who need to be held accountable for letting them wander, not training (or bad training), abandoning them, abuses, irresponsible breeding, etc. Its the PEOPLE who cause the problem in these cases - NOT THE DOGS!

It may seem like pitbulls are always the ones being reported for bites, etc, but that is only because people ASSUME any aggressive dog is a pit. MANY other breeds also have issues that go unreported. It doesn't sell papers to talk about the collie biting people the same way it does when a assumed 'pitbull' does. But it still happens.

The slogan "Ban the Deed, NOT the Breed" is really the way to approach this. Its not the breed's fault people are irresponsible or outright cruel. The fault is in the people who force them to be this way.

http://www.ywgrossman.com/photoblog/?p=676

If you kill every pit, every doberman, every shepherd, every rottie, bad owners will still exist and they will just use a different dog/breed to use for aggression & to make up for their lack of masculinity

It's the DEED not the BREED...

Any dog can bite/attack... so don't be ignorant, be smart and look at stats. BSL does NOOOOOOOOOOOT work!

Period.

We are about to adopt a pit bull mix who is fantastic with our active 3 year old and autistic 6 year old from a fantastic shelter called "Chicago Pit Stop Rescue"
http://chicagopitstop.org

Please don't ban a breed that was the "nanny dog" for years. The rescue dog we are getting is Biggy and he is sweet and beautiful with my 2 sons. I couldn't have asked for a better family companion!

Pit bulls are the most loving and faithful dogs if not raised on purpose for fighting. Pitbulls from loving homes make the best pets. They are gentle, patient and faithful to death. This is what pitbulls are - http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c3#/video/us/2012/05/09/dnt-ma-dog-pulls-owner-off-train-tracks.wcvb
Skokie, please don't ban them! They deserve only to be loved!

The main problems with pit bulls, as I see it, is not the owner, nor the training or lack there of, but the potential for damage from the pit bull bite. If they were to bite no more often than other breeds, or even less often, the stakes are so high that the risk is unreasonable. So, I think they should no longer be bred: all existing pit bulls should be neutered, breeding them should be outlawed, and those having a history of aggressive behavior should be euthanized. John Tobin

There's no evidence that breed bans have been successful in reducing bites, and many places are reversing them. It's not a terrible idea for dogs over a certain weight to be required to take a training class or even to be muzzled in public. Different countries have applied such ordinances. But singling out pit bulls - to the extent they're even identifiable as a breed, which is questionable - is ridiculous. Irresponsible owners will just get another big breed.

Their bite is no different than any other medium/large dog. How about the jack russell who attacked a baby recently should we ban them? I was attacked by a border collie, should they be banned? Bet you didn't hear about the pitbull who recently saved her owner from a freight train and took the blow for her. All anyone wants to blame pitties for every bite and attack. A lab is more likely to attack than a pit. Where's the let ban labs??? OWNERS are the ones who need to pay for their irresponsibility not the dogs. All breeds have their issues. Make sure you know what you're getting into when you get a pet. I know that just because my pittie isn't animal aggressive now, that doesn't mean he won't change as he gets older. We watch him with other dogs and animals. We know what to look for and we don't let him roam the streets cause we know he will defend himself if attacked.

I do not want this breed banded I have gone through training classes and tonight we go back I think there is nothing wrong with having to go to training classes I think it's very important we start up with our classes again tonight we did basic training and now we are doing intermedet and we will move on to advanced training that has rally my pit loves doing training I say let's go to school and she go by where her leash is and sits and waits to have it put on her. Not everyone is a good owner for this breed they are very sweet, loyal, wanting to please their master but if the wrong person gets hold and miss treats this dog by fighting it because they think it's cool I think that person should be hung by their toes from a tree. These dogs are not meant to be human aggressive it's bad humans that make them aggressive and try and break them. A polite well behaved pit is what we need to help change peoples minds that this breed is not bad but it is the humans that get ahold of these dogs that really make them bad from not being a Responable owner. I know many and live by many people who have pit bulls and all are sweet dogs that get along well with other people and dogs. Please don't band this breed!! Band stupied people from getting ahold of this breed and miss treating it.

Hi Skokie Mike, I own two pit mixes--one a registered therapy dog that goes into our local middle school, care centers, works with adults with developmental disabilities and at a mental health clinic. If you are at all familiar with these sorts of surroundings you will know that it takes a solid temperament of dog to be calm around non-verbal folks, people who might smell differently, wear odd looking clothing, yell, hug the dog hard, and often walk with an uneven gait, use wheelchairs/walkers, etc.). My therapy dog is almost 6 yrs. old and is a favorite in all these locales.

Both my dogs attend dog daycare, participate in agility and nose work classes. In fact, the agility instructor had me put my male pit bull between a Vizsla and a shepherd mix the other night because my dog is calm and ignores the other dogs and those two were trying to tangle with each other.

I would simply ask that you realize that regardless of genetics, dogs are individuals just like humans. I don't know if you have siblings, but are you identical in looks, personality, job choices, food likes, emotions to your siblings? In my family of 5, I can sure tell you that even though we have the same parents none of my siblings are alike.

I have a pit bull and he is the sweetest dog ever.. Any dog can be mean its all how u raise them.. Same goes for kids of there not raised properly ur kid will grow up not knowing right from wrong..

Also, why would those of us who have put our heart and soul into training our dogs choose a different dog? In my wide-ranging experience, my dogs are model citizens. I have heard about violent dog fights among dogs that live together which include border collies/Aussies, Old English sheepdogs, Labs, huskys, golden retrievers, you name it. Yet my dogs have never fought with each other. Dogs are dogs, period. Each dog has the potential to do great harm. As the above posters pointed out, pretty much all breeds of dogs have done great harm under the wrong circumstances.

In a medical study in Colorado, Labs were responsible for 13.7% of facial bites to children.

"The dogs were not breeds usually associated with attacks. Durairaj found that mixed breeds were responsible for 23 percent of bites followed by Labrador retrievers at 13.7 percent. Rottweilers launched attacks in 4.9 percent of cases, German shepherds 4.4 percent of the time and Golden retrievers 3 percent. The study was done in the Denver area where pit bulls are banned."

ttp://www.ucdenver.edu/about/newsroom/newsreleases/Pages/DogBiteConcern.aspx

And last, but not least, another medical study for you:

Quote from the Ontario Medical Veterinary Association Committee Hearing Testimony:

"A study by the Canadian hospitals injury reporting and prevention program examined the dog breeds involved in attacks that were serious enough that the victim sought medical attention at one of eight reporting hospitals. The study revealed that 50 different types of purebreds and 33 types of crossbreeds had been involved in the attacks, the most common breeds being German shepherds, cocker spaniels, Rottweilers and golden retrievers."

Ban? No. But mandatory training and neutering? ABSOLUTELY. There are too many jerks backyard-breeding pitbulls and selling them to anyone who asks. There's a reason shelters are overflowing with pittie mixes. Training is extra important for pitties too - not because they are inherently aggressive or hard to train, but because their reputation is soiled by people who abuse and mistreat them. If you adopt a pitbull, you should be responsible and put in the training effort needed to make your dog an ambassador of the breed!

Ev1 trying to reason with an unreasonable person is practicing an exercise in futility.

I say we take away Skokie Mike's booze because people misuse it and kill hundreds every year all over the world by drunk driving, something that's TOTALLY avoidable.....Lets marinate in that for a minute.....

Skokie Mike, ANY dog in the wrong hands is a dangerous animal!!! I am sick of people singling out this breed as if it's from another planet! Yes, I have one, and I wouldn't trade her; she's great with cats and loyal, sweet, etc. all the things we love about our dogs, no matter the breed, and things opponents gladly overlook. English BULLdogs, BULL Mastiffs, all the other BULLY breeds are known as wonderful family pets. English bulldogs were also bred for fighting/baiting bulls, but I've never met an aggressive one; it's been bred out of them. Take an aggressive male of any breed and mate it to an aggressive female and you get puppies with aggressive traits, of ANY breed, or animal for that matter.
Do you know that Chihuahas are responsible for more bites -but they don't make the news. Did you read about Lilly, the Pit Bull in the Boston area who pulled her unconscious owner off the railroad tracks as a freight train approached? She lost her front leg in the process.
I say the DOPES and THUGS who brutalize these animals should be banned. Make it socially unacceptable to fight dogs and brutalize animals and stop glamorizing the thug and criminal element and that will take care of it. Maybe they should be prohibited from owning one, like they're prevented from owning firearms.
I don't currently live in IL, but if they ban these dogs, I won't be able to go home, and my girly won't be able to visit her 'grandma', and 'her' cat.

You ban this breed and the same jackasses who ruined their (individual) pit bulls are going to get other breeds and ruin those individual dogs. Banning the breed will do nothing.

Fostermama, I couldn't have said it better. It's the uneducated and downright "I don't care" owners who will never abide the law and just move on to another tough looking dog. Somehow those owners need to be made accountable BEFORE incidents happen. There are an awful lot breeds that can be used for the exact purpose that some pit bulls are.

There are successful programs in some cities to educate young dog owners (like the ones Skokie Mike refers to). They teach them how to train humanely, why dog fighting is not cool, etc. The people teaching the course are often prior tough guys who participated in fighting dogs and came to their senses. What better advocates to teach right from wrong to the misguided youth. I've watched some videos on how getting through to our younger generation can make all the difference in the world. Young men and women who join gangs usually have a very hard life and acquiring a tough dog fits in their desired image.

As a pitbull owner (on my second rescue) I think banning them is not the answer. I do think however strict rules should be in place if you want to own the breed. It would discourage people who are not serious about wanting the breed to look elsewhere. Frankly put, I've had it with people who get them based on looks and have NO intentions on fulfilling the needs of the breed. The dogs end up in shelters and almost always the dog involved is not spayed or neutered. Mandatory training? Yes! License to own? Yes! Banning the breed all out? No! I also think that breeders should be limited to how many times they can breed dogs in one year, not just one particular dog, but how many times they allow dogs to have puppies. If you are going to have them, then you should be licensed to breed and sell them to homes that meet certain guidelines that hold the pet owner responsible for taking care of the dog. Not a licensed breeder? Then it should be mandatory you spay or neuter your animal. I think once people realize why its important to properly train and spay or neuter the problem will be solved. Allowing just anyone to own the breed is dangerous. I'm not saying elitists should only have the breed, but responsible people able to prove they have the means to take care of the dog for everyone's safety.

Hmmm...I used to think it was the owner until my dog was attacked by a local pitbull. This pitbull is well known throughout my community as one of the sweetest dogs around and has never hurt another dog or person ever. Walking through the neighborhood one day with my 3 month old puppy we happened to come upon this pitbull and her owner. I asked the owner before we approached if it was ok for our dog to walk up. He responded that it was perfectly ok and that his dog was nice and has never attacked anyone or any dog. So the dogs walked up to eachother and within seconds the pitbull went straight for my dogs face and ended up biting her tongue and my dog was left with an inch and a half rip down her tongue and ended up getting nine stiches. So was that the owners fault?So how does a dog that has never attacked another dog or person just decide one day to attack? Oh and the owner is a great guy extremely nice I know him well now. I used to think it was all the owners but after this incident I'm not sure what to think. Anyone have any input?

Skokie Mike.... You're a moron. Hands down a freaking idiotic fool. Believe me... I'd be more of a threat to you than my pitbull ever would be. You have a skewed perception of reality.

How about we ban vehicles because people get injured and die in car accidents and ban all weapons because they can get into "dopes" hands. How about we ban the internet because it can be a gateway for child pornography. As well as alcohol, cigarettes, etc. What a rediculous suggestion. It is scary when incompetent people make decisions on stereotypes/ prejudices. Just like when our country used to sterilize mentally challenged people to prevent them from reproducing. Or we did not allow freedoms to other sexes or races. Nothing good comes from small thinking hateful minds. Skokie

Mike I hope (but suspect) this stereotypical thinking doesn't apply to other area of your life. If it didn't I'd believe u would realize u can't put a label on anything. Every creature has an individual nature. When in history has it ever been a logical answer or solution to punish a group for what maybe a few may b responsible for.

Hateful narrow minded people have no buisness being in a position of authority to make insane decisions

I am not an extreme pit lover. I own labs and understand that any dog has the potential to do damage and protect their owner. Esp a fearful one. Socializing and training is an important role in raising a dog. Also knowing your dog and what takes it out of its comfort zone. I am not calling u a Nazi but being in a upper management position I realize you have to take a bigger look at the picture and assess other solutions. Banning pitbulls will not eliminate dog attacks. Nor is it good for public relations. U need to be creative...ask for others opinions and research to educate yourself. U had people recommending mandatory obediance training. There is a start in the right direction. Not saying it is the right solution but it is not a radical decision. U said the problem is that "dopes" own them. What I know about irresponsible people is that they don't like to follow rules. How many drug dealers quit selling because it's illegal? What u will do is take the pitbulls from their responsible owners, but I don't think they will completely leave your town. Their are many dogs that have a natural guard instinct. Some not as common like the Tibetan mastiff. Which I deem far more dangerous than a pit. All I'm saying is I wrongly recommend u continue to educate yourself and come up with a rational decision. If u can't do it on your own ask for opinions or pray for the right answer

It is important to stand up for someone or something that is incapable to stand up for itself.

It is a shame that good stories like this one don't make the headlines:

http://now.msn.com/now/0509-dog-saves-owner.aspx#scptm2

Why don't you look up the American temperament test society breed statistics or other reliable evidence based research. It may open your eyes to breed specific bans. Their are 15 breeds of dogs proven to be the most dangerous and pitbull failed to make their list. Just trying to help

Dr Brady Hard did reaserch for national geographic and proved that pitbulls have less jaw strength than German shepards and rottweilers. Pits jaw force was found to be way less than the average dogs 320 lbs of bite force. And after I Lehr Brisbin phd disected opitbull skulls he found their is no evidence of existance of a jaw locking mechanism. Thus evidence has been used in court. And the court affirmed this testimony to be true.

I am a firefighter/paramedic with a large municipality fire dept. in Illinois, and while I was not on this particular call, thank God, some of my coworkers responded to a call of a baby that was killed by a Dachsund. A freakin' weiner dog. How about that. And I also own a pit mix and he is a big wimp. Would never hurt my 5 and 2 year old kids.

Yes there's research and stats that can say anything, IMO.

Look at this, I just did a search *today* on Google News for "Pit Bull Killing" Look how many recent ones popped up. Please don't be oblivious to this side of the story.

https://www.google.com/search?q=pit+bull+killing&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#q=pit+bull+killing&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=icg&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvnsu&source=lnms&tbm=nws&ei=6ECrT8uHIoyi8QTKroka&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=5&ved=0CBoQ_AUoBA&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=5fba472cb9c0cced&biw=1280&bih=600

You're the one sir who is "oblivious". Search any breed of dog killing on google and something is gonna pop up. Doberman, German Shepard, Mastiff, retriever, Rottweiler, all of these dogs can be bigger in size and cause damage with a bite to the point of death. Please tell me why Pitt bulls are different. All your doing is throwing in "facts" that are complete myths and fabrications, you even admit a pitty nurtured your dog when it was a puppy. Did that pit ever do anything wrong to you or your dog? I would guess not or we would have heard all about it already. Any dog big or small has potential to kill, they are animals, it is our responsibility to train them, care for them and put them in situations to succeed. Thugs and dopes have Pitt bulls you say? They also have guns too, should we ban those as well, wait... we do have a law against concealed weapons in Illinois and one against convicted criminals owning guns. How's that working out for us? How about you ask your wonderful information source (Google) and get back to me. I can respect a mans opinion if he uses facts gained from personal experience, but your argument uses no real facts, just hearsay, myths and a google search. Troll

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pit-bulls-are-great-dogs-Skokie/185665194890088

like the page pit bull lovers

I'm a dog lover and I own two pit bull type dogs that I rescued. I think all dogs, regardless of breed should be required to be spade/neutered. Something like 4-6 million dogs in the US are euthanized each year. Pit bull types are the most likely to be euthanized because they are often breed by idiots and there are just wayyy to many of them and few people are willing to adopt them out of fear. The cost to tax payers to kill these dogs is through the roof. Unless there is a legitimate medical reason a dog cannot be spayed/neutered a very expensive license should be required to own an unaltered dog and if you are caught with an unaltered dog the fines should be severe.

I agree with Lola's Dad.

Why not go with a non-breed specific vicious dog law instead? Every owner regardless of breed should be held accountable for their dogs actions.

Hey everyone -

Just a head's up, but there will be an update regarding this story tomorrow (Saturday) on Skokie Patch. Be sure to check it out!

Best,

George

Yes, they can be very sweet dogs. A friend of mine has one....but I just don't trust the animal......

I follow news stories about dog attacks reported in the newspapers. Why is it that almost all the time a pit bull is responsible? There could be pit bulls around that are
controlled adequately, but from a statistical point of view, I consider the pit bulls a dangerous breed, for whatever reason of their genetics or training. Certain dogs have been bred for specific tasks, like pointers for hunting. I'm afraid the pit bulls have a inbred trait for aggressiveness that could come out at any time. There are two new pit bulls living next to me. I didn't confront them or antagonize them, but they go crazy when I am out in my yard. I keep a can of spray handy in case their
owner forgets to close the gate to his yard.

I think to ban any animal because of there breed is wrong. I have 2 pitbull and a mut and when the pitbulls are playing and my mut thinks it is getting out of hand he jumps in the middle and separates them we also volunteer and rescue shelter with these breeds and they are all very loving. So to ban a dog for its breed is like saying they should ban or put down any human with gang tattos or colors because they could be a threat to society.