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| James “Kimo” Rosen is a retired professional photographer living in Kapa'a with his best friend Obama Da Dog, Rosen also blogs as a hobby |
This blog also appeared as a guest column in the March 21,2015 edition of The Garden Island news;
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/guest/pit-bulls-pet-or-monster-you-be-the-judge/article_ccc7e376-cf92-11e4-8407-1b001d87bec6.html
Pit bulls, Pet or Monster, you be the judge
Pit bulls are as common as spam musubi on Kaua'i.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spam-musubi/
I realize everyone loves their dogs as family, whether they are Pit bulls or rescue mutts.The question remains, are Pit bulls loving pets or monsters? You be the judge.
Keeping Pit bulls restricted to hunting and away from the general population is fine, or even to help eradicate the problematic feral cat population on Kauai. It's time to ban Pit bulls as pets in Hawai'i. I know this won't happen. Many will call it a cultural thing, similar to the fireworks argument.
You will hear the argument that it's the owner and not the dog. This is true to an extent, however a dog breed that was originally bred as a fighting dog would not be my choice as a pet, especially around keiki.(children) I realize not all Pit bulls are bad, just like all murderers aren't bad.
Not every Pit bull is bad. Just last week a Pit bull saved a deaf boy's life in Indianapolis. This is not the norm, rather the exception.
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillypets/20140722_PET360_Pit_Bull_Saves_Deaf_Boy_From_House_Fire.html
I am one of the lucky and blessed ones. When my dog was attacked by a Pit bull last September she survived with my quick thinking of lifting her by her collar with an exhausting swinging and saving venture of keeping her away from the Pit bull. This went on for what seemed like an eternity until by the grace of God a good Samaritan came along to wrestle the pit bull to the ground.
http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/pit-bull-goes-after-obama/article_771d6838-1cf6-11e3-a87d-0019bb2963f4.html?_dc=916997558437.2878
After the Pit bull attacked my dog, the owner said, "she's always been the sweetest dog and only wanted to play. She's such a nice Pit bull, she's trained." A witness to the attack had told me that same dog had attacked numerous others.
You can train lions and tigers too, however would you want one as a pet? Probably not. No matter how well trained a Pit bull can turn on you at any time. They kill people and other dogs.
My neighbor was swimming in the waters of Anahola beach a few years back, when her friend's Pit bull ran into the water and nearly tore her arm off. She wound up getting 38 stitches in her upper arm and is now petrified of any Pit bull and even of swimming in the ocean. She was diagnosed with PTSD from that attack. To top things off my friend never pressed charges since the dog belonged to a friend of hers. The worst part of this, that dog is still out there along with the Pit bull that attacked my dog.
Last month on Kauai three Pit bulls were euthanized, and their owner cited by police, just hours after the dogs mauled a chihuahua mix to death in front of a Kekaha mother and daughter. If the little girl had not dropped the little dog, it could had been her that died.
Just last week a good friend's terrier mix rescue dog was attacked by a Pit bull at Wailua dog park and was rushed to the vet with over a $400.00 medical bill. I believe there is a disease of pandemic proportion on Kauai, and that disease is called, "Pit bull attacks," with most never even being reported.
Stories like this are all too common on Kaua'i. Everyone knows a Pit bull owner and since everyone knows everyone on the island, nobody wants to be the rat, narcing on their friends or relatives. This is just one of the many unwritten laws of island life.
If Pit bulls are such wonderful family dogs, why have they been banned in 12 countries? That's right, 12!
Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Canada (Winnipeg, Quebec) the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Puerto Rico and Sweden.
It is illegal in Miami-Dade County to own or keep American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, or any other dog that substantially conforms to any of these breeds' characteristics.
There is also a $500 fine for acquiring or keeping a Pit bull in Miami Dade County.
These dogs are born with aggression and the ability to kill. You never see a poodle attack and mutilate a human or other animal. People go la-la over these animals and value them more than the safety of another persons life.
The County will eventually take heed when a fellow human is mauled to death on county property and the lawsuits start rolling in. Until then things will never change.
However, I will be the first to say, I told you so next time there is a death or injury associated with a Pit bull.
Pit bull, pet or monster? Please let us know!
We welcome your rebuttal or support!
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/guest/pit-bulls-pet-or-monster-you-be-the-judge/article_ccc7e376-cf92-11e4-8407-1b001d87bec6.html
James “Kimo” Rosen is a retired professional photographer living in Kapa'a with his best friend Obama Da Dog, Rosen also blogs as a hobby
P.S.
Rabbi Chaim Levi Cohen (of Montreal) Rabbi Berel Namdar of Sweden singing a Jewish song called a niggun during a Barbecue on kauai at Lydgate Park....
00:00:16
Added on 7/28/14
Kosher Barbecue at Lydgate park with my Rabbi friends!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nzjz8ShRsg&feature=youtu.be
Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook....
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24 comments:
via Facebook,
"Hmmm. Not all murderers are bad? You mean there are good murderers? As in they really did a real good job of murdering? Also not to nitpick, actually it is nitpicking, but Puerto Rico is still part of the United States. Pit Bulls are part of the culture? Hmmm, so was slavery in the US and child labor and unequal pay for women... Oh that is still happening? Doesn't make it right"
I detected a note of sarcasm when you spoke of good murderers, or perhaps you meant the person they killed had it coming. HOWEVER, DO NOT use pit bulls to control stray cat populations. I don't advocate euthanizing them, & if they were to euthanized, there are kinder, less brutal ways. You don't really mean that, do you? Just more sarcasm, huh?
That was one line out of a lot of info... Funny how it has been the focal point?
Which line do you mean? I mentioned
Not all murderer's are bad...The same line Ron commented on...
Harmony, you were right, it was sarcastic..
via Facebook,
"Just to add before I comment.... Many homeowner insurance policy exclude several breeds within there umbrella. Pit Bull are the #1 excluded breed.
This brings me to my short story of a local Kauai realtor that supports a common owner demeanor. Owner of a light switch coupled with his knee jurk disrespect of community. He voiced his righteous opinion to TGI about 14 months ago.
His disregard for community with walking his Pit Bull on the path. As he supports his dog on leash, walking on the path. If anything enters my dogs leached territory he has been train to I allow it to viciously protect his ground.
Thanks for the heads up Mr. Strictlan.... May the next 4 year old child or another dog on leash, wondering within your circle to greet your manly extension innocently be sparred the trauma or death. As you love to puff your chest and tell everyone your dog is well trained."
Rick, I wish the Humane society would post my blog! Don't you and your wife have some connection there? I just don't want to post without their approval?
If Pit bulls are such wonderful family dogs, why have they been banned in 12 countries? That's right, 12!
Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Canada (Winnipeg, Quebec) the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Puerto Rico and Sweden.
I think that a lot of pit bulls do get an instant bad reputation just because of their breed. My sister was almost mauled to death by a St. Bernard.
Would I have a pit bull? No. Because even though I think they can be a great dog, I wouldn't be a great owner. You really have to be on your A game to be a good owner to any strong dog breed.
Well their is a lot of banned city laws in the US..... some homeowner associations enforce banning with their CCRs. I always say, "IT'S EXPECTABLE UNTIL IT'S NOT EXCEPTABLE" The question is when will that light switch flip on. It's like a common cold. You just don't know when it will effect you personally. Do the best you can to avoid.
via email...
"Love it!"
"Our dog Kaos has been attacked twice by the same pit bull, he out weighed the pit bull by about 20 lbs. but that did not stop the dog. Lucky for me, some one came both times to get the dog off."
Michael,
that same dog is the one that attacked Obama..
Good job Kimo! Thanks for that. I will find the owners of that pit bull who attacked our dog in the dog park
Every breed has good and bad.... Pit Bulls just happen to be the highest or the closest to center target for a good reason. When was the last time you heard of needing to use a bar on a German Shepard or St, Bernard.... People need to quit making excuses and state what the breed really is, honestly.... unpredictable in nature..... biting, chomping and lock down power of a T-Rex. Fighters and unprovoked aggressive tendency. Don't try to make that one good pit bull the foster poster of a breeds misunderstanding. To much evidence proves the negative.
I'm in between. My brother in law has had pit bulls all his life. Every one has been a big baby and he even raised five children around them. I remember seeing his kids riding the dogs like a horse. I feel the owners play a major part in the dogs temperament.
Linda, it's true any dog can cause harm, but statistically the Pit bull takes the award. They were originally bred to fight.
Pits Bulls were bred and trained for "bull baiting" long ago...these two were living up to their name....
http://hoaxes.org/weblog/comments/3952/
I found this site helpful to my further understanding...
http://www.dogsbite.org/dangerous-dogs-pit-bull-faq.php?gclid=CjwKEAjwrbSoBRDok47Sv6Ci80wSJABFUszTIUZR3swbJprWzQjpKLqYS_xVqzL1njRYyOTfkz2_YhoC8x3w_wcB
MY CONCLUSION: Pit Bull Ownership should be allowed---but it should be regulated with steeper restrictions, laws, fines and penalties than guns are.
That's a really tough one... The same argument can be made for many other dog breeds. I worked in vet clinics & kennels for many years, and the only time I was injured by a dog was an incident with a chihuahua. It was the meanest dog I've ever seen! However, I don't think that doggie could have caused fatal injuries to anyone (except perhaps a baby).
But, it's true that some dogs that are intentionally bred to have that "mean" temperament are a problem. They can be very unpredictable ...but, then again, so can nearly any other dog breed. Now I can't seem to make up my mind about how I feel about this -except that I support the leash law much more with those breeds of dogs.
Check this out;
A five-year review of dog-bite injuries from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, published in 2009 in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, found that almost 51 percent of the attacks were from pit bulls, almost 9 percent were from Rottweilers and 6 percent were from mixes of those two breeds.
read more;
http://www.livescience.com/27145-are-pit-bulls-dangerous...
To be honest, I wish people would just quit breeding pure-bred dogs completely. There's a lot of data showing that pure-bred dogs are experiencing more & more medical problems, because the longer people continue to breed along the same genetic lines, the more those genes deteriorate every generation. Dogs are suffering from more and more problems, some which are extremely painful to the dogs, simply because people want their "perfect" pure-breeds.
Mutts are better and healthier! (And cuter!)
Joe Frisinger from Princeville called me to thank me for writing this article on Pit bulls. He told me," Yet, let it be noted that the Marine Corp was the first branch of the military to ban pit bull type dogs." Read his article from June 18,2013. Yet, let it be noted that the Marine Corp was the first branch of the military to ban pit bull type dogs
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-tuesday-june/article_72dcb344-d7de-11e2-892c-001a4bcf887a.html
Joe Frissinger's Letter to the editor in The garden Islandd news June 18,2013.
Pit bull type dogs
Last week the island experienced another pit bull attack. Two pit bulls viciously attacked and killed a small dog and, after the pit bulls killed the dog, the owners of the dogs quickly left — leaving the woman owner of the small dog laying on the ground in tears by her small dead dog. Readers of The Garden Island will remember that just a few months ago a pit bull type dog attacked a child in a stroller. In that case, the mother and two men where able to successfully beat the pit bull away.
Some people — usually guys — feel that a pit bull is Mocho (tough). As a young Naval officer serving in the Naval Assault Group, I had the privilege of working with a number of Marine Recon units. I believe that there is nothing tougher (except the Navy Seals) than the Marines. Yet, let it be noted that the Marine Corp was the first branch of the military to ban pit bull type dogs (and Rottweilers and wolf-hybrid) from all Marine bases and all off base housing that are paid for by the military. This action was quickly followed by the Army with a similar total ban and then by the Air Force and Navy on a base by base basis. Pit bulls are also banned in 12 countries including, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands. They are also banned in a number of U.S. cities.
There are approximately two million pit bull type dogs in the United States. This sounds like a big number, yet it is less than 3 percent of the 78 million dogs in the United States. In the United States this 3 percent is responsible for 42 percent of all emergency room visits related to dog bites or attacks and is responsible for 80 percent of all deaths due to dog attacks. Sadly, the individual most at risk of being killed by a pit bull is the first-born baby of a couple who have had a pit bull as a pet for at least one year.
The Marines know the difference between being tough and being stupid. The Marine position is: “These specific breeds present an unreasonable risk to the health and safety of our residents and are therefore prohibited.”
Joe Frisinger
Princeville
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-tuesday-june/article_72dcb344-d7de-11e2-892c-001a4bcf887a.html
03-25-15
A letter to the editor in support of article!
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-march/article_f2744ce2-d1ed-11e4-b6e2-b785cf690ded.html
Pit bulls just not safe for island
Mahalo to James “Kimo” Rosen for bringing clarity to our pit bull problem. I am also the owner of a small dog, which has been charged at by pit bulls at least a dozen times.
Every member my family has been scratched by pit bulls trying to rip our dog out of our arms and kill him. And when the owners finally appear, they always say that their dog was just playing.
What scares me about these dogs — and the reason I bothered to write this letter, after all the issues were covered so well — is this. These dogs are so powerful, the owners cannot control them, even with a leash. All the many times we were attacked by pit bulls, the owners had to yank them off of us with all their strength. We have a neighbor with a pit bull who is pulled around the block by her dog and you can just tell by watching them that if they encounter anything on that walk that he wants to attack — toddlers, small dogs or a cat — he will either rip the leash out of her hand or drag her to his destination. Is this the kind of “scary” environment we want on our island or do we want to be “safe”?
Abigail Jones
Kapahi
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