I have so many emotions running through me that it’s hard to put into words. I’ve been reading the news about the man and woman in West Dallas who were attacked by two loose pit bulls. When I first saw the story on the news last night, I felt awful for the victims and my heart broke even more when I saw the footage of the two dogs in quarantine. They looked beautiful, so sweet and loving, although I know that I can’t possibly expect someone who has been attacked by a pit bull to look at them the same way. Then I became angry because I know how loyal and gentle these dogs can be…with the right type of owners.

I read the hateful comments on the Dallas Morning News articles…comments like “Kill them all. Shoot them as soon as you see them so they can’t hurt you. They should be banned. Only sick people have pit bulls as pets.” I tried to conjure up some type of response that would make these people understand what so many people already know. I know these animals are powerful. I know they can be loyal and eager to please to the point that they will harm someone if they think that’s what their owners want. I also know how wonderful they can be when they are raised responsibly, with enough exercise, socialization, training, and authority. It breaks my heart to know that some people would rather destroy them all rather than restrict ownership to those who are willing to raise them correctly.

Then tonight as I was checking my RSS reader, I saw another article about an attack that happened just a few hours ago in Oak Cliff. The victim was bitten in the ankle and taken to Methodist Dallas Medical Center but no other details are available right now. The two people who were attacked in West Dallas were more severely injured, with one having several facial injuries that will probably take many months to heal. On the same day as the attacks in West Dallas, a 12-year-old boy was bitten by a Pit Bull when he jumped over his neighbor’s fence to retrieve a ball. In this case, as unfortunate as it was, I believe the dog was doing what any dog would do if a stranger entered his property - he was protecting his owners. But it doesn’t matter that the dog was on his owner’s property and that the boy was trespassing, because the public hears “vicious, unprovoked pit bull attack.”

It seems pretty obvious that officials are not interested in determining fault or responsibility where pit bulls are concerned. The McKinney police officer who tracked down, shot, and killed a pit bull that he believed had lunged at his wife has been cleared of any wrong-doing and will not be charged with a crime. Never mind the witness reports that the dog was nowhere near the woman by the time her husband arrived. Never mind that the officer did not call Animal Control, but instead went looking for the dog with a loaded weapon. It’s disturbing that the authorities are sending a message that it’s okay to shoot a pit bull if you’re scared of it.

My thoughts and prayers are with each person who has been injured by these dogs, and I don’t expect them to become pit bull advocates or anything. I can only hope that people will place the blame where it belongs - with irresponsible owners who are perpetuating the already tarnished reputation of these beautiful animals.