Tag Archives: Michael Vick

Grrrrrrrr… Pit Bulls. AGAIN.

by Kerry Dougherty

As soon as I saw the headline in Sunday’s New York Post I knew the breed of the culprit:

“Girl, 6, Needs 1,000 Stitches, ”Won’t be able to smile again’ After Vicious Dog Attack.”

Was this a case of a poodle gone wild? A dachshund? A beagle?

Of course not. Only one breed is responsible for most of the maulings and deaths-by-dog-bite year in and year out: pit bulls.

It was a safe bet that it was one of these muscular, thick-jawed curs — bred for fighting — that grabbed the little girl by the face while she was playing cards at a friend’s house.

Pit bulls represent just 6% of the American dog population, but account for 66% of all dog bite fatalities according to DogsBite.org a data-driven organization that collects information on dog bites.

I’ve written about this breed so many times that I know exactly what’s coming: my mailbox will fill with photos of toddlers cuddling with pit bulls, there will be threats of violence against me, and accusations of racism — as if saying some dog breeds have more of a propensity for fighting and biting than others is the same as being prejudiced against PEOPLE of a different race.

Look, there was a reason Michael Vick was training pit bulls for fighting out in Surry County in 2007, and not Labrador retrievers. Continue reading