Jul 30, 2010
Minneapolis mailman mauled by 2 pitbulls
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A couple days ago a mailman in north Minneapolis, despite being 6’3″ and 300 lbs, would’ve been killed by two pit bulls if neighbors hadn’t come to the rescue.
This video tells the story and includes pictures of the area and a brief statement from the dogs’ owner…or, I should say, former owner, since the cops shot them. Shot the dogs, I mean…not the owner.
The (unembeddable) video from the Star Tribune has more of the mailman telling his story and images of his injuries. In that story, he understatedly calls the dog that latched onto his hand an SOB. The invective has never been truer. Literally.
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Yikes. Your last comment reminds me of a friend who spewed coffee all over the dashboard when his eight-year-old son announced, “Dad! Sadie [the family dog] is a bitch!” Turned out the son was reading the dictionary on the ride to school.
If you look at this video, you will see the solution, proposed by research inspired by the Movie “Up”. This will save leaflet deliverers and postmen, who need a bitey dog to back away from the door long enough to get the mail through. Presumably loading up the “step away” growl on a mobile phone would do the trick…
http://news.discovery.com/videos/animals-dog-growls-have-deeper-meaning.html
I know people are gonna get all over my case if I say those dogs should be illegal. But perhaps some sort of legal restriction on where they can live? Like, if you live within X feet of another house (in my case I would prefer it to be miles) you can’t own this dangerous dog breed.
And I know other people are gonna jump all over me and say that they have to be “taught” how to be mean. I just don’t buy it.
There, jump away.
I’ve had two pit bulls, I still have one. (The other one got lymphoma.) They’ve never bitten anyone, though the current one occasionally growls at strangers because she’s scared.
The majority of pits are like that, except the ones whose owners are idiots; why wouldn’t you buy it?
I can’t say for Molly, but I don’t buy it because my veterinarian-father-in-law also believes the dogs should not be illegal. He says he’s never seen one that wasn’t crazy and makes a special point to put up newspaper clippings when the one’s who have never done anything aggressive maul a child. I take his professional opinion seriously.
There is absolutely a reason why pit bulls are the leading breed in dog attacks. It is undeniable when you look at the statistics.
Here are just a few:
http://www.petsdo.com/blog/top-ten-10-most-dangerous-dog-breeds
http://www.dogsbite.org/bite-statistics.htm
Bryan: I think you mean, “should not be legal,” or “should be illegal.”
In any case, thanks for sharing your father-in-law’s view. That, I buy completely.
Pit bulls are bred to be relentless killers. They are lethal weapons. You know, you could have lots of other dogs lose it and attack someone, but they don’t have the power and tenacity to be as lethal as a pit bull. Owners (of any dogs that attack, really) should be liable for serious penalties, including jail time, when their dogs do this.
Opps. You’re correct. I had it correct (legal) the first time, but misread it on my proofread, and addded the ‘il.’ Maybe i’m better off not proofreading my stuff. Is there a name for doing something like that?
He’s never seen one that wasn’t crazy? Is his practice in a rough area or something?
You are six times more likely to be killed by a falling coconut than to be mauled to death by a pit bull.
“I feel bad for the mailman, but my dogs are dead”. Are you serious? I’m with Molly et al…I think they should not be legal. And for the ones who have never bitten anyone, I don’t want to be the one that they go berserk on and do it for the first time. I had a friend get bitten by one while jogging. He ran right out into the street after her. They shouldn’t be legal…
PS…I think the owner should be held responsible and pay for the guy’s medical bills, and the therapy he will most likely need for his getting over that trauma :(
I’ve been involved in the dog showing world and really do like all dogs and have tried to believe the best of them, thinking that “bad owners make bad dogs”, but it’s not that simple. Dogs are selectively bred for certain tendencies. Breeders of say, Golden Retrievers or Labradors have been carefully selecting dogs with strong instincts in swimming, picking up game (or an object), and bringing items to their owners. Therefore, over the years these instincts have become VERY strong in Goldens and Labs, etc. Same thing for the large snow dogs like Malamutes, Bernese Mountain Dog, etc… they have been bred to love cold weather and pull sleds. Ask them to jump into the water and get a stick, they look at you like you’re crazy. That instinct, while a typical “dog” characteristic, has been all but eliminated in those breeds. (Of course there are exceptions)
Unfortunately, Pit Bulls (a term used for several different breeds of similar origin) have been selectively bred for their fighting instincts, which does put them in a much more dangerous category. Sure, there are going to be sweet, gentle, friendly pit bulls, but I’m becoming more convinced that they are the exception, not the norm- simply because breeders have been breeding for the characteristics of aggression and tenacity. Just like a Golden can almost always be found with a toy in his mouth, a pit bull will have a higher instinct to attack than most other breeds. Also, the movements and noises that young children make can resemble those of helpless animals or prey, thus triggering that strong attack instinct in a pit bull. That right there motivates me to keep my son (and me, for that matter!) away from them, even if the specific dog in question is currently passive and has no history of aggression.
My father was a mailman and in 1981 he was killed by three pit bulls while delivering mail. He lived for four days and when they went back to get the dogs, the owners of the dogs were gone. I still think about all of the time that I have missed out with my dad since he was killed when I was sixteen.These are predators like lions or rattlesnakes and they should be treated as such. Only professionals should be able to be handlers of wild animals and pit bulls are wild animals.