Re-Thinking Pit Bulls: Do Owners Breed Trouble?
THE ISSUE: Whether the city should ban pit bulls, after one mauled 5-year-old Jeremiah Rivera in Brooklyn.
The near-fatal mauling of a young Brooklyn boy is another graphic reminder that pit bulls need to be regulated, for the public’s safety as well as their own (“Is it time to ban pit bulls?” Feb. 21).
Pit bulls are the breed of choice for thugs, who beat and starve them to make them aggressive and prone to lashing out.
Requiring that they be spayed or neutered would help prevent more of these dogs from being born into a world where suffering awaits many of them, and it would help prevent attacks. Un-neutered dogs are nearly three times more likely to bite than sterilized dogs.
We should all support breed-specific protections and requirements that pit bulls be vaccinated, kept indoors and never chained. Pit bulls aren’t to blame for the current crisis, but it’s our duty to try to resolve it. Teresa Chagrin Norfolk, Va.
Every time a pit bull mauls someone, all too often a child or infant, dog lovers excuse the pooch and place the blame on bad owners.
There is no evidence that the pit bull that attacked and disfigured little Jeremiah Rivera had an irresponsible owner. Pit bulls, like rottweilers, have been bred for their aggressive traits and have been known to attack without provocation.
I hope Jeremiah will be the last to fall victim to these vicious canines. Dennis Middlebrooks Brooklyn
It’s not the breed of the dog that makes it vicious, but how the dog was raised. I have been blessed by two dogs my family rescued over the years.
The first was a rottweiler that spent 10 years in a used-car lot along Queens Boulevard. My family was truly amazed how this dog adapted to a family setting.
Because of this positive experience, we also rescued a 90-pound pit bull — and I’d never wanted a pit bull, based on media coverage.
My advice is to keep an open mind about adopting a dog, no matter the breed. You can be a hero saving the life of a dog in overcrowded shelters. Bill Kregler Queens
Has anyone ever heard of a child being mauled by a cocker spaniel, a golden retriever or a schnauzer? I never have. Dick Mills Bardonia