Me too. Unfortunately small dogs probably bite more but because of their size mostly they don't kill (and so not newsworthy) but do cause scarring. It is time for legislation to make owners more responsible and not to punish a particular breed.

I wonder how many Pit types will now be handed over to rescue by owners who only after seeing the recent news realise Pits are banned. I've lost count of the number people who have contacted us over the years looking for a pitbull to adopt, and seem genuinely shocked when told they are illegal

I also wonder will this recent news mean some rescues will be reluctant to rehome the pit types they have?
I suppose a lot will depend on this recent case, what the outcome will be for the owner of this Pitbull type.

All very sad

I was listening to a dog expert on the news at dinner time, and he said he dont know how the police can tell if the dog is a true Pit bull, because in this country we do not have a standard that they can follow, just case studies

And that has always been the problem. If you looked at photos of all dogs that werew destroyed under the DDA many are completely different.
Becky

In reality - how many people have actually seen a pitbull? I have, and they are not small dogs, very imposing and certainly not a breed I would want to tangle with. There is a difference between a Staff and a pit, although lots of Staff or Staff cross owners will mistakenly call their dogs pitbulls.

I think the fact that they announced it was a "pit bull type" has confused a lot of people, who now think that SBT's etc are Pit Bull Terriers, not cross-breeds

We knew it was a "pit bull type" anyway. The dog could have been any type of pit bull/terrier cross...

Terribly sad for the family of the little girl. I would never leave any dog alone with a child even for a few seconds, no matter how well socialised the dog and how well educated the child accidents happen.

I think it is time irresponsible owners of any out of control and aggressive dog are held to account for their lack of training, socialisation and their general ignorance. It does not matter what the breed is I have had close calls with a number of breeds of dogs viciously attacking my dogs when my toddler what with us and had to drag her to safety before tackling the dog in question. I've even had jeans ripped stepping in to break up fights started by other dogs because mine were on the losing side! choice words with their stupid owners had no effect what so ever.

Originally Posted by mustards mum
I'm wondering if I've a twisted outlook on life, despite being terribly sorry for the little girl (words can can't express how I feel for her family) I also feel for the loss of the dog!

Am I the only one to feel that?

hmmn!
as for the little girl I agree wholeheartedly, who wouldn't! as for the dog, no way, I don't care what excuses are flying around, "this particular dog" killed that "little angel", how can anyone have any feelings for this dog. As much as i love all my dogs, if any one of them attacked me or my family, they would be pts. No if, buts or qualms. Good riddance to the dog!

I too feel sorry for the dog. It's not the dog’s fault he turned out the way he did, it was the owner’s fault. No dog should be allowed to become so aggressive that it has to be shot!!! I agree the dog had to be destroyed but the owner should be held accountable for this.

Putting the breed or what they suppose it is to one side and I believe each dog is different and shouldn't be judged by breed. I'm afraid in this case I agree that the dog should be put down. At the end of the day it killed a child. Would anyone on here with kids want a dog like that around their neighbourhood.
My second point and again I do agree a lot of the time that it's the owners fault not the dog but this dog had a history of attacking other people. We do not know whether it was down to the owner, whether this dog had been with the owner from a pup or come as a rescue or a previous owner, or whether the dog had something medically wrong with it. The owner let the dog down by not investigating this the first time it bit someone.
I think given the lack of information given it is not fair to judge one side or the other and the reality is sometimes dogs do turn out nasty and it's not neccesarily down to the owner or what they have done. Just nature. Sometimes there is no explanation why a dog attacks and it can come years down the line with the dog showing no signs at all. Sometimes we just never know. Why did a GSD who was loved, obedient and loved my friend for years, suddenly one day attack him as he chatted over the neighbours fence, something he had always done for years whilst the dog was in the garden. For some reason this dog attacked resulting in severe facial wounds needing surgery. By the time he got out, the dog had been destroyed. He was upset by this but the owner said he couldn't be trusted especially as they're were grandchildren regularly visiting the house, medical or not.
Putting blame and whose responsible to one side, self preservation will always take first place and it was right on this occasion to destroy the dog. We all love our dogs and see them as part of our family but those with children in the house surely would agree they're safety is paramount, above any dog.