Pitbull ban in Hawaii

[AlohaSteven]

In this 4th attack (thanks for sharing the link, Damon) it is praiseworthy the owner voluntarily had the dog put down, but conspicuous she has been around the breed her whole life, did not raise the dog to behave this way, and yet it did --in fact-- bite at a baby anyway. This supports the neutral observation regarding retrievers being bred to retrieve, ratters to rat, attack dogs to attack, and so on.

The video clip from KHON is perhaps not a fair basis on which to judge the situation (there may be much more to it all than that which was shown) yet from that limited evidence it looks like the dog was chained (or static-line cabled) in a very small concrete area and the chain was too light or cable too frayed to hold the dog. Not deliberately raising a large dog to be vicious is one thing; failing to provide adequate room and exercise for a large dog and failing to insure it is adequately secured is another. The particular pathway to a maimed or dead child does not excuse the result, either way.

Big, intelligent, active dogs need stimulation, activity, adequate amounts of affectionate human interaction, and enough room for exercising where they can can burn off excess energy -otherwise they quite predictably become problems. Again, the problem at root is not inherently the dogs themselves but rather the context of how the dogs are raised and kept. While not ideal (imho it is not a good idea in the first place to have a big dog without enough room for them to run around freely on the property) a big dog should at least be on an overhead cable with a trolley, rather than short-chained to a post all day long, every day. That would be enough to make any creature go crazy.

”Installing A Trolley System” at Unchain Your Dog.org
http://www.unchainyourdog.org/Trolley.htm
Scroll down at this site for photos, diagrams, and an apt cartoon at screen bottom.

How To Build A Dog Run
http://www.ehow.com/how_2073854_build-dog-run.html

Pro & Con Comments on Dog Runs
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?...911AAgIMRF

Perhaps if there is an arguably constructive role for legislators who want to enact new layers of dog-control laws (rather than more usefully trimming and fine-tuning those laws which already exist to produce better effect), then it might be in enacting requirement of an automatic billing for police and Humane Society services whenever they are called out in response to a warranted dog nuisance report, and an additional fine assessed atop the cost of services if neglect of the animal in question is determined. If mounting fees and fines make it too expensive for owners who cannot do whatever is needed to maintain their dogs in a quality manner, such that the dogs do not become a public nuisance, then perhaps the financial disincentive will accomplish with the obtuse that which the ire and low opinion of the local neighborhood does not.

Together with the privilege of enjoying dog ownership come responsibilities; a functional community holds its members accountable for fulfilling their responsibilities.

BTW, for folks in suburbia, this is an interesting potential way of "drawing fire" from peeing dogs being walked by their owners away from the prize flowers or whatever and toward a designated target area:
Pee Post - Pheromone Treated; other interesting dog gadgets
http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/...e-outs.php

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A pleasant slideshow: http://www.thejoymovie.com

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