Dangerous Dogs

"Pet Killed, Woman Bitten by Stray Pit Bull Mixes," Nov. 7. Isn't it time the Los Angeles City Council proposed a "dangerous dog" ordinance? Through no fault of the pit bull or in some cases their owners, pit bulls have characteristics that are unique from all other domestic dog breeds. One of those characteristics is that when they attack a person or animal, they attack to kill. To add, these attacks are generally unprovoked. Is it no surprise then, that pit bulls and pit bull crossbreeds account for the most deaths, maimings and bodily harm compared with all other dog breeds?

Larry Hill is the dean of a small network of dog trainers who are out to save the bully breeds - pit bulls, mastiffs and Rottweilers - of South Los Angeles. His specialty is tough dogs in tough neighborhoods. In his professional work and monthly free classes, he takes lunging, yelping masses of dog flesh and molds them into gentle companions. Hill's mantra is there is nothing wrong with the dogs. It's the owners who have the problem, as I discovered one Saturday morning at St. Andrews Recreation Center in Gramercy Park.

Regarding Scott Hadly's article "Dog Bites on the Rise" (May 14): As a concerned citizen, parent and dog owner, I caution the use of dog trainers as a definitive source for information concerning the rising instance of vicious animal attacks. To say that dog trainers have an agenda and a clouded vision of reality is an understatement. In the equation of the problem of dog bites, of course the owner is the biggest variable. For example, owners who don't train their animals. Owners who disregard leash laws and inflict their bad manners on others.

By Los Angeles County ordinance, a dog can be labeled "potentially dangerous" if it threatens or attacks a person without provocation, or if it leaves its owner's property and injures or kills someone else's pet. A dog can be labeled "vicious" if it severely injures or kills a person. For years, the county's Department of Animal Care and Control took complaints about dangerous dogs that its officers deemed legitimate to Los Angeles County Superior Court for a judge to decide. But late last month, the county Board of Supervisors voted to amend the ordinance to allow the department to settle such complaints through administrative hearings.

By Los Angeles County ordinance, a dog can be labeled "potentially dangerous" if it threatens or attacks a person without provocation, or if it leaves its owner's property and injures or kills someone else's pet. A dog can be labeled "vicious" if it severely injures or kills a person. For years, the county's Department of Animal Care and Control took complaints about dangerous dogs that its officers deemed legitimate to Los Angeles County Superior Court for a judge to decide. But late last month, the county Board of Supervisors voted to amend the ordinance to allow the department to settle such complaints through administrative hearings.

Nearly two months after two 100-pound Rottweilers mauled a 6-year-old boy, the City Council this week unanimously approved a vicious-dog ordinance that officials believe is the strictest in Orange County. The new law allows animal control officers to destroy a dog that is declared vicious if the animal is involved in an unprovoked attack that severely injures or kills a person.

Larry Hill is the dean of a small network of dog trainers who are out to save the bully breeds - pit bulls, mastiffs and Rottweilers - of South Los Angeles. His specialty is tough dogs in tough neighborhoods. In his professional work and monthly free classes, he takes lunging, yelping masses of dog flesh and molds them into gentle companions. Hill's mantra is there is nothing wrong with the dogs. It's the owners who have the problem, as I discovered one Saturday morning at St. Andrews Recreation Center in Gramercy Park.

The Irish government has ordered that all potentially dangerous dogs be muzzled and leashed. And officials of Hamburg, Germany, have decided to treat dogs bred for fighting as if they were guns. Ortwin Runde, head of Hamburg's Social Ministry, said Tuesday that owners of fighting dogs must have a permit, as is the case with firearms. People with criminal convictions will be denied permits.

I feel compelled to offer an opinion on the subject of pit bull dogs. As an owner for over 10 years of both a Staffordshire and American pit bull and father of infant children, I am convinced that the owners, not the dogs, are to blame for the horrible maulings and extremely prejudiced reputation that these dogs have acquired. I am especially disappointed that the Times has taken the attitude that an entire breed of animal is "dangerous." These dogs are, by nature, aggressive and strong.

At a time of public worry about attacks by pit bullterriers, the Board of Supervisors directed the county Health Care Agency on Tuesday to see whether existing laws are sufficient to protect people from aggressive dogs. "As the result of some well-publicized dog attacks, there has been an increase in concern regarding the threat of potentially dangerous dogs," Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder said. She said some people contend that the county's law regulating aggressive dogs is inadequate.

Scooby got his due Thursday, as the governor signed into law a requirement that antifreeze have a bitter taste to deter dogs from lapping it up. Scooby, a golden retriever from Bernalillo, N.M., had to be destroyed in 2003 after drinking the poisonous liquid. His death prompted an Albuquerque ordinance a year ago, and now the statewide requirement. "Scooby's Law is now official," Gov. Bill Richardson said at a ceremony in his office.

It's a tragic story, one that shouldn't be repeated. But dog attacks continue despite hard talk by authorities and the inevitable wave of media coverage. This time, the victim was a helpless 2-year-old boy in a La Habra neighborhood who was savagely mauled by a pit bull. Though the boy is now in stable condition, his scalp was torn from his head; his forehead, cheek, chest, legs and eyelid were punctured. Doctors say the boy's greatest danger now is infection.

Re 'Killer Dogs' Owners Ignored Danger Warnings, Jury Told,' Feb. 20: What's surprising to me is not that Marjorie Knoller and Robert Noel had almost 30 prior warnings and incidents with regard to their dogs; the surprising thing is that after the first two or three warnings they were allowed to continue staying in that apartment building. The apartment owner and manager should be put on trial too. When is Sacramento going to get it? Certain breeds of dangerous dogs need to be outlawed in California.

Re "Apology Wanted in Dog's Death," July 7: The headline should have read, "Public More Endangered by Deputy Than Dog," or "Deputy Panicked by Old Dog That Slept a Lot." Confronted by "a growling and barking Samson, the reserve deputy turned around and ran." A panicked man with a gun is much more dangerous than a dog in his own backyard doing his "job." Instead of standing his ground or carefully retreating or even using his pepper spray, the deputy responded by fleeing, then resorting to deadly force.

Re "Pit Bulls Maul Mother, 2 Others," May 10: A person should never try to separate a dog fight, not even the owner. A dog with the taste of blood can attack a person or anything else in sight. When people hear the name "pit bull," they fear it, but there is nothing to fear from a well-bred pit bull because it will never attack if the dog was brought up properly since it was a puppy. A pit bull is a nice and kind breed if brought up right. JOSE RAZO Santa Ana What thought process compels someone to purchase a dog that has a reputation for assaulting not just people, but other dogs, cats and anything else that they can get their jaws on?

"Pet Killed, Woman Bitten by Stray Pit Bull Mixes," Nov. 7. Isn't it time the Los Angeles City Council proposed a "dangerous dog" ordinance? Through no fault of the pit bull or in some cases their owners, pit bulls have characteristics that are unique from all other domestic dog breeds. One of those characteristics is that when they attack a person or animal, they attack to kill. To add, these attacks are generally unprovoked. Is it no surprise then, that pit bulls and pit bull crossbreeds account for the most deaths, maimings and bodily harm compared with all other dog breeds?

I was appalled to see the photo in the (April 4) Ventura County section showing a young woman who "playfully swings her pet pit bull, Gypsy" in the parking lot of the Oxnard airport, as the caption stated. Pit bulls are dangerous dogs, I thought, and to have an animal "known for powerful jaws and aggressive behavior," as the caption said, run loose at a public airport parking lot sent shivers up my spine. Not to worry, the lady at the Ventura County Animal Regulation Department told me. As long as the pit bull, Doberman, German shepherd or whatever breed is "under the verbal control of the owner," it is perfectly OK to have the animal unleashed on public property.

Regarding Scott Hadly's article "Dog Bites on the Rise" (May 14): As a concerned citizen, parent and dog owner, I caution the use of dog trainers as a definitive source for information concerning the rising instance of vicious animal attacks. To say that dog trainers have an agenda and a clouded vision of reality is an understatement. In the equation of the problem of dog bites, of course the owner is the biggest variable. For example, owners who don't train their animals. Owners who disregard leash laws and inflict their bad manners on others.

Children, closely watched or not, stray onto other people's properties sooner or later. Often, what draws them are everyday objects--pools, machinery or stacks of building materials--that present both an irresistible lure and hidden danger to young children. If something on your property is both inviting and dangerous, you have a special legal responsibility to try to prevent injuries to children who may wander onto the property.