Dear Editor,
(In response to: ‘Village Council: ‘Pit bulls: We need to address this immediately,?? The Citizen, page 1, Aug. 1.)
I would first like to say I am a responsible American staffordshire terrier owner, aka ‘pit bull.?
I also want to point out some of my viewpoints. I believe we have a problem with loose dogs in general, regardless of what breed they are. I live on the dirt roads in Brandon Township and have been rudely greeted by homeowners that just open the door and let their dogs out. When your dogs charge my dog, I know how my dog will react but I don’t know, however, how their dog will react! I think enforcing the current Michigan leash law would be step one. What’s the use of having a law if you don’t enforce it?
Secondly, not knowing the people who the article was written about, I will make a general statement.
I get really upset when people ‘adopt? this specific breed into their families without doing proper research! First of all, you must research the breed as a whole. These dogs need someone who will be persistent with their discipline. They are of the terrier family, which if you know about dogs, they can be stubborn!
So if you’re a pushover…pick a different breed! And another point I would like to make is, do your research on where you are getting these dogs!! That will tell you a lot about their temperaments. For instance, a breeder in Detroit is probably not your best bet! If you do choose this specific breed, adopt one from a reputable dog breeder whom also shows their dogs, because then you know they are bred for temperament also. Nobody is going to breed a killing machine if they plan on taking them into the show ring. There are specific bloodlines you should stay away from, they are bred to do what everybody reads about in the paper. I do believe if you are going to be a ‘bully breed? owner you need to be ready to prove your dog is safe, and never in any circumstances give other people a reason to think otherwise, such as let your dog out of your yard without a leash on. That goes for any breed.
I am sick of hearing ignorant people make stupid comments and clump these beautiful dogs into a whole. If we do that in our human species, I believe its racial profiling?
Let’s get a grip, people, it’s not the dog in most cases it’s the humans raising these dogs! And I will be first to agree there are some people who own this breed that shouldn’t.
Colleen Miller
Brandon Township