The dog debate: are pit bulls more dangerous?

In our last post we discussed a serious dog attack involving a pit bull that turned on its owner. Both the owner and the rescuer suffered severe personal injuries as a result of this attack. Unfortunately this is a common story in New Jersey and throughout the country. Many people are mauled by pit bulls and other breeds every day. Regardless of whether a dog attack is from a pit bull or another breed, dog attack victims should remember to contact personal injury attorneys after a mauling in order to preserve their right to the compensation they deserve.

Some cities have even banned certain breeds that are perceived to be more dangerous. Pit bull owners often say that pit bulls are not more dangerous than other dogs. These owners often blame irresponsible dog owners who over-breed or fail to socialize their animals. Dog attack victims say that there is something special about pit bulls that makes them more dangerous than other dogs.

“They are born with a dangerous toolset,” said a pit bull attack survivor who runs a dog bite website. “They have a very unique bite style: lock, and hold, and shake. That is what causes extreme damage to victims.”

Other dog experts disagree and say that pit bull attacks are not more severe than other dog bites.

“If we were to look at the records right now we would find out that the average pit bull bite is no better or no worse than the average German Shepherd bite or Rottweiler bite,” said an animal control officer. “In other words they bite and they let go like most other dogs.”

Source: TMJ4, “Expert: Pit Bull attacks are quite rare,” Lindsey Morone, Nov. 22, 2011