Pit Bulls Attack Kid?

"Riley, 48, entered the house where the boy was being attacked and, armed with a wooden plank, walked into the rear dining room. He found two pit bulls, each weighing more than 150 pounds, biting the boy... Langford said the boy apparently wandered in on the dogs, one of which may have been agitated after having recently given birth"

OK, first, let's always remember that the media does a horrible job of reporting the facts of any dog bite story. I never trust what they say. So, when I comment on such a story, they are only my opinions, always written as if what is being reported is the whole truth... and we know it isn't. We know stories are often changed, manipulated, and such by the reporter and the editor. I know this from personal experience, being interviewed and then reading back the published story, with words and concepts attributed to me that I never said. Further, obvious flaws in logic are not even worked out, such as with this story. So, let's assume the story is truthful and go from there...

The reporter says that the two "pit bulls" were each more than 150 lbs. I have never met a pit bull that was over 150 lbs. So, what kind of dog are we talking about here? Pit bulls get slammed in the media all the time, blamed for attacks, and leaving the impression with the public that they are at fault for all these horrific injuries we see in the media. An American Staffordshire Terrier, the purebred version of the pit bull, is between 35 to 80 lbs in size. The same is also typically true of the "pit bull", which is a mixed bred dog that is part bull breed and part something else.

Second, we see that the child was apparently unsupervised by the parents or his relatives. Why isn't that the headline of the story? I tell people all the time that kids under 10 years of age should not be left unsupervised with dogs, regardless of the breed or mix.

Third, it is NORMAL dog behavior for a female dog to guard her puppies. You will see this in almost every dog, from Chihuahua to Great Dane. If you are going to breed a dog, then this comes with the process. Knowing this, you keep kids and strangers away from the mother and her puppies. We know that if you get near a momma bear with cubs, she's going to attack. It happens with cattle. It happens with lions. It happens with chimpanzees. If a 3 year old child wandered into a barn with a female pig and her piglets, the momma pig would attack him. Would you blame the pig? So, the attack is NOT an indication of abnormal behavior, not an indication of the dogs being vicious.

Fourth, why were these dogs being bred? Who breeds a "150 lb" pit bull? You breed dogs to make money, usually. So, if it is a business, then treat it as a business.

This is a tragic accident. But, from what I see here, I blame the parents and relatives, not the dogs. Some day I hope the parents and relatives explain to this kid why they didn't care enough to protect him or their dogs from this tragedy.