Don't no one remember this, was sometime last year...

But in light of all the dog attacks happening, I think we should all be very cautious regardless of the breed and wether they are banned or not.

Its ok Anne, emotive subject will always raise emotions!

I dont think I saw anything that said this guy had made the dog aggressive?
Dawn.

Yes I do recall that, however you could say the seizure triggered the dogs attack, and it had no history of any behaviour problems previously. We are led to believe at present that this attack was unprovoked and the dog did have a history of nasty behaviour.
Dawn.

Not to the person that bought it though! they had no idea about the DDA or what the legal implications would be I must admit I thought it a bit strange but a family member helps out walking the dogs and she also said its a pit x

I still think this is a worrying time for all dog owners regardless of breed. A couple of people mentioned to me today (knowing me as mad dog woman of course!) that I must be concerned as the latest spate of attacks would make people more anti dog than usual... (they said it nicely, in a concerned way for me i hasten to add).
Yes, it's more worrying for owners of bull breeds, but these are sad and sorry times for all dog owners as the UK is becoming more anti dog as each day passes.

I said I agreed with all the dogs being ceased and destroyed, meaning all the dogs that were taken from the flat where this man is breeding pitbulls. The dogs taken were all pitbulls and were being bred for dog fighting. I know it's not the dogs faults they were being bred as fighting dogs, but at the end of the day they were of vicious nature and most importantly ILLEGAL.

That is the ONLY reason I said I was glad the dogs were ceased...

This article gives an idea of the sort of owner this guy was http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_headline=police-quiz-owner-of-killer-pit-bull%26method=full%26objectid=18383565%26siteid=50 061-name_page.html

Personally i think he should be done for manslaughter.

Gosh - I have read the last few threads and keep changing my mind!!!

I agree with a lot of what Borderdawn says but am just worried for all bull breeds - should they ALL be banned? The how about guarding breeds - my beloved GSD, Doberman's, Rotties etc. Where would or could it end?

Ramble is entirely right - this is a worrying time for ALL dog owners.

I think there should be an amnesty for anyone who owns pitbull/pitbull type dogs and have them temperament tested and neutered etc to comply with the current law.
Those that fail a temperament test should be PTS.
I'm not sure what the test should comprise of but the American test looks pretty comprehensive.
Becky

Without sounding like Miss Marple here there are still things that very much puzzle me about this case to which I know we will never find answers.

The main ones are:

1. Why was no action taken against the owner after two separate complaints of it being dangerous and attacking, surely it should have been PTS after these incidents?

2. Ellies parents were quoted in the paper today as "knowing that the dog was aggressive" and it was a "house rule" the dog was not allowed inside - who let it in therefore and why?

3. Why was Ellie alone with the dog in the first place, especially at 3.40am and being only five years old

4. Neighbours are quoted as saying the dogs owner used to take it on a playing field with no muzzle and intimidate people with the dog, why didn't police seize this dog as befitting the pit-bull type unmuzzled in a public place?

Of course none of this will bring back the tragic loss of such a gorgeous little girl, but these questions keep milling around my head.

I too am concerned at the Governments reactions to this, Sid and I have chatted about it too, being Rottie owners and how it could potentially effect us if the rules did change to the DDA.

I guess my worst case scenario would be they ban Rotties and make us PTS Ozzy, but I don't think it would come to that. I would also hate having to muzzle him in public just because he was of a certain breed deemed to be 'dangerous' but of course I would do that if it were the law.

Of course though, it has to be said - if the Government do bring such measure in and Rotties, Pitt-bulls (and various other bull-breeds, GSDs, Dobies etc have to be muzzled what do you think will happen?

Well in my opinion these chavs/thugs who like macho dogs will start buying different breeds instead to fulfill there sad little lives and replace the above breeds with other large dogs such as Akitas and then if that happens a few years hence they will ban them too and so on!!!

I don't always think it is the owners fault that a dog attacks and certainly not all dogs who do attack are owned by these "I want to look hard" types, but so many of them are not trained well, unsocialized and you can see they are accidents waiting to happen.

Muzzling certain breeds or even banning them won't stop attacks believe me!

I would love to come up with some clever answer to all this but cannot alas, but I am so dreading what is coming next