Aggressive Dog
 

A small (10 lb.) dog was attacked in our neighborhood the other night by an a large pit bull off leash. The small dog was very badly injured and only saved by his owner being willing to wrestle with the pit bull. The covenant restrictions of the Villages clearly do not allow dogs over 40 lbs. I am not necessarily in favor of that since there are many very nice, friendly labs, goldens etc. However, I do think that action should be taken when a larger dog shows itself to be dangerously aggressive. The Villages says that they cannot enforce the covenant. All they can do is send the owner of the pit bull a letter that when the dog passes away not to get another one like it. I am now very nervous when I walk my small dog at night. Perhaps the developer should consider amending the covenants to prohibit specific breeds known to be aggressive. For example, many campgrounds prohibit pit bulls and rotweillers.

Prohibitions are unenforceable.

No matter what, owners are responsible for dog actions.

CCW carrier would deal with that dog...if not..baseball bat

Most houses have landscaped rocks, in a pinch. Some dog breeds have been bread to fight other dogs, you can’t hold the dog responsible. It’s the owner who say, “But my dog is soooo friendly”... who should be put in jail.

This is why god created attorneys.

get some pepper spray - if there's trouble, then spray the dog - and then the dog's owner

If they know the owner of the aggressive dog they need to contact the appropriate animal control office and report the attack. Most cities/counties have ordinances for this kind of problem. If the small dog required veterinary care they should consult with an attorney about a possible suit for damages. They need to pursue this as it could be a visiting grandchild or an adult that is attacked next.

You can look up Florida leash laws on Google. Here is one link:

Understanding Florida Leash Laws - Attorneys Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples Florida

You never included any info about the owner of the dog? Is he or she a neighbor, is the owner known, did anyone talk to the owner, was owner present and aware of the situation? There are leash laws which are not covenants but enforceable laws.

It appears you live in Piedmont, if a human was injured trying to defend their pet, then call the Marion County Sheriff. If there was just an aggressive dog attack against another dog, then call Marion County Animal Control. Get the dog's owner's name and information and present them with the vet bill. If they refuse to pay and the amount is more than $300 take them to small claims court. I would report them to the CDD and have it on record. That's what I would do, forget the covenants.

Animal control and pet laws | Marion County, FL

Have been there except it was a German Shepherd. Asked the owner to keep the dog off my property where my dog was attacked. Owner said no to that request. Called a lawyer friend who said to go to the police station and file a complaint for criminal destruction of personal property. The officer who issued the summons was bitten by the dog. End of story.

I have a pit bull, she’s a fantastic dog. Personally, I would not let her off leash in an uncontrolled environment. Btw, I’ve been bitten more often from little dogs like chihuahuas then larger breeds. In fact I’d venture to say that little dogs do bite more then larger dogs, you just don’t hear about it as often because they don’t do the damage that larger breeds can. To ban a certain breed is ludicrous, kind of like banning someone of a different color or ethnicity beacause they supposedly are more (insert whatever reason you want here) then others. Just like people, dogs are products of their environment and owners/parents. Flame away ������

I 100% agree wity you. The biters in most cases are small dogs. I am totally against prohibiting a dog because of their breed. The enetire Villages does not prohibit dogs over 40 lbs.

Perhaps you’re right but getting bitten by a small dog is not going to have the same consequences as being bitten by a pit bull etc

This is exactly what happens sometimes. The owner needs to pay the Vet bill and get that Pit Bull out of TV!

Yes... but pit bulls if they chose to, can kill. Comparing a big, powerful dog to a small one is like comparing Mohamed Ali to a young child. They can both be friendly.

Actually, the angle is the homeowners insurance company. Insurers usually drop coverage with 1 dog bite.

This could end up in civil court....people letting their dogs run/walk off-leash are going against an ordinance as they're not "in control" of their animal. Generally judges won't be sympathetic with the offending dog's owner in a case like this. We've observed dogs being walked often, off leash in our neighborhood as well as at the postal station.

There are tons of cases reported where calm and relaxed pit bulls just like yours suddenly flip out and attack people and dogs, even infants in their own homes. That has nothing to do with their environment, it is in there genes and these dogs can cause crippling injuries and even death. I stay away from anything that even slightly resembles a pit bull as no one knows when they are going to attack someone.

How many cases makes just one "ton?"

Unhinged people can kill, if they choose to. And yet we allow people here. Crazy how that works isn't it?

25+ Dog Bite Statistics 2020-2021 | Top Dog Bites by Breed
Their research indicates that the top 6 breeds that are reported along with bite injuries are:

“Unknown”
Pit Bull
Mixed Breed
German Shepherd
Terrier
Rottweiler

66% of Fatal Dog Bite Deaths Caused by Pit Bulls

In the report you cite the following was written:

Which dog breeds are the most dangerous?

A common question when it comes to dog bites is:

Which breeds are the most dangerous?

The AVMA or American Veterinary Medical Association conducted an in-depth literature review to analyze existing studies on dog bites and serious injuries. Their findings indicate that there is no single breed that stands out as the most dangerous.

According to their review, studies indicate breed is not a dependable marker or predictor of dangerous behavior in dogs. Better and more reliable indicators include owner behavior, training, sex, neuter status, dog’s location (urban vs. rural), and even varying ownership trends over the passing of time or geographic location.

For example, they note that often pit bull-type dogs are reported in severe and fatal attacks. However, the reason is likely not related to the breed. Instead, it is likely because they are kept in certain high-risk neighborhoods and likely owned by individuals who may use them for dog fights or have involvement in criminal or violent acts.

Therefore, pit bulls with aggressive behavior are a reflection of their experiences.

Guess you missed that.

Years and years ago back in my home state my sister driving home from work snowy afternoon when a dog ran out in front of her she slammed on the brakes to no avail sadly saying killed the dog slid across the highway hitting a car head on.. Thank goodness because of the snow travel was slow no injuries. Police arrived charged the dog owner .
He paid both parties

But when they get aggressive we put them in jail, and depending on how aggressive.... we do not let them hurt others.

What has that got to do with this topic, bears kill people too. We are talking specifically about Pitbulls.

This, a thousand times.

In addition, what is "reported" isn't necessarily what is "true." Many reported pit-bull attacks are in fact not pit bulls at all.

There are several different breeds of dog that are usually lumped together in the USA, and called "pit bull." Meanwhile in the rest of the world, a "pit bull" refers almost exclusively to the American Pit Bull Terrier.

The Staffordshire Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and even the American Bulldog, are often confused for a pit bull and they just flat out aren't pit bulls.

Pit bulls get a lot of bad hype because they have been used for dogfighting, and they're very good at it. But MOST pit bulls that have been used for dogfighting, have also been tortured, deprived of food, neglected, otherwise abused, and used for "bait." Only the very rare few actually survive and become the ones you read about that are actively aggressive.

Many breeds of dog are bred for their protective nature. Mastiffs and shepherds will gallantly guard their flock - whether it be sheep or a human family, and kill - or die - to protect them. They require socialization and training, and their OWNERS require training as well.

If a pit-bull or any other dog attacks a person, it's because their owner has failed their OWN training. They have not learned how to control their dog. The owner has failed. The dog is just being a dog.

The owner hasn't failed. The dog, as you noted, is just being a dog. All breeds of dogs at times are just being dogs but they don't rip peoples arms off or kill them. The difference is ptbull attacks are deadly. You can defend them all you want and blame whomever you want but there are more killer pitbulls than any other breed

A dog or cat off leash is clearly not allowed. Domestic pets are not allowed to roam free. I have not heard of any stipulation on size of a dog here. I have seen several large ones...on a leash. Great Dane's stick in my mind. I wonder what is meant by your statement; "The Villages says they cannot enforce the covenant". I really wonder WHO you spoke to that you call " The Villages." Any deed restriction reported will be checked and the owner of the property warned and then fined. I am not sure this is a deed restriction. Did you talk to the Sumter County Sheriff's office?

In district 6 this is the deed restriction:

It's a deed restriction in 12 also.

Your argument is invalid. You're saying that it's okay for people to live here because you can put them in jail if they hurt other people.

But you can do the exact same thing with a pit bull if a pit bull becomes aggressive. And in fact, typically if a pit bull becomes aggressive and bites someone, that dog is euthanized. We don't typically put people to death when they attack other people.

People hurt and kill other people. We have laws to punish offenders, and we do NOT tell people they're not allowed to live in a particular neighborhood just in case they happen to end up becoming offenders.

If a pit bull has no "record" of attacking anyone, it is no more guilty than any PERSON who has no "record" of attacking anyone.

And to whoever said it was the pit bull and not the owner - no. Pit bulls are not naturally aggressive. They are TRAINED to be aggressive. They are naturally strong. What happens with that strength is up to whoever is training it.

Just watch Judge Judy or Peoples Court. Many on there! At least 1249 pounds. :) If dog is not leashed and causes harm the dogs owner is solely responsible every time. Interesting ASPCA articles on Pit Bulls. They are sweet until they rip off a child's face or kill another dog.

Position Statement on Pit Bulls | ASPCA

Today’s pit bull is a descendant of the original English bull-baiting dog—a dog that was bred to bite and hold bulls, bears and other large animals around the face and head.

It is likely that that the vast majority of pit bull type dogs in our communities today are the result of random breeding—two dogs being mated without regard to the behavioral traits being passed on to their offspring. The result of random breeding is a population of dogs with a wide range of behavioral predispositions.

As much as I like dogs, I feel uncomfortable mixing frail retired people with large animals the owners may not be able to control. You should have seen me when I was a teacher of very young children!

Also add wasp spray. Very effective.

I don’t understand why someone living in a retirement community would even consider owning a dog that is capable of killing a human. You own one of these killer breeds like pit bulls it is only a matter of time before they attack. Allowing one off leash should be a Felony.

First it has NOTHING to do with whether it is a pit bull or a yorkie! And whoever said hit is with a baseball bat....I hope you meant for the owner you xxx! This can happen no matter how well the dog is or is not trained BUT it should ALWAYS fall back to the owner if the dog is aggressive. Most likely the owner beats the dog already otherwise he/she wouldn't be aggressive.

psycho

The dog should not have been off leash. That is definitely an infraction right there.

Completely agree with you!!!!!!!

If you ever witness a mauling resulting in death by a Pitbull, you may think differently!