There are reasons

My heart went out to the woman who mourned that her friendly pit bull would probably have to be muzzled when outside. It is truly unfortunate, but it seems like in anything, some dogs, and sometimes their owners, spoil it for the rest.

We hear a lot about owners who purposely raise their dogs to be antisocial, but it is not always the owner's fault. Any breed will display a range of temperament. Branches within the same breed can be selected to be calm and compliant, with others of the same type designed to be tough and touchy. But we know screening can't be done on every pooch in town and even mellow dogs can have bad days.

So why the pit bulls? We know that some pit bulls are sweet and are even used as guide dogs. However, provoked or not, the bite of a bull-type dog is different from other dogs. They tend to complete their very powerful bite and "lock," rendering the dog incapable of letting go even if it wants to. Pit bulls, pit bull relatives and their mixed offspring can destroy not just animals, but children's faces and mail carriers' legs. We can't know which pit bulls will "go off," so some sort of public protection seems reasonable.

The incident of a puppy being killed after being torn from a child's arms has not been the only pit bull attack. Over the years, many of us have become aware of other incidents that never made the paper. In fact, shortly after the puppy incident, another Hays child was severely bitten in the face.

I understand this particular pit bull had never been anything but friendly. The owner and the child's mother were both present. The child did not confront the owner or dog in any way. Yet the little girl nearly lost one of her eyes and has had to have significant plastic surgery.

Incidents will happen with any breed, even when the owner thinks they have complete verbal, even physical control. The difference is in the amount of damage that pit bull types of any temperament are capable of rendering under certain circumstances known only to the dog.

I realize not everyone is in a position to fence in their yard with a good gate or have a large pen, but I find it hard to think anyone would get in trouble playing with their pit bull, unmuzzled, within a secure outdoor enclosure. Hopefully, this is an alternative.

Looking at the ordinances of other Kansas cities, one finds that Hays' restrictions are lenient. In some places, any breed that has ever been bred as fighting dogs is completely outlawed unless muzzled and restrained at all times. Some even regulate when the dog is inside your house. If the dog's unmuzzled, you can't have an open window. I suppose it's because some pit bulls have attacked after jumping out of windows.

The bottom line is, compliance can certainly seem harsh in one's particular case, but is undoubtedly worth it if even one child is spared from a disfiguring or life-threatening attack.

Jean Binder

2220 E. 27th