Family's 2 Pitbulls Kill Infant...

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A family's two pit bulls burst into the house from the backyard to attack a 4-month girl, mauling her to death even as her grandmother tried to escape with the baby into another room, police said.

The grandmother, who was baby-sitting at the time of the attack Friday, was hospitalized Saturday with non-life-threatening injuries. (Rest of story)

I am not sure that I could ever recover from something like this. This is such a tragic story. The history of the Pitbull:

Dog fighting, which could be carried out under clandestine measures, blossomed. Since Bulldogs proved too ponderous and uninterested in dog fighting, the Bulldogs were crossed with English White and Black and Tan Terriers. They were also bred to be intelligent and level-headed during fights and remain non-aggressive toward their handlers. Part of the standard for organized dog-fighting required that the match referee who is unacquainted with the dog be able to enter the ring, pick up a dog while it was engaged in a fight, and get the respective owner to carry it out of the ring without being bitten. Dogs that bit the referee were culled.

As a result, Victorian fighting dogs (Staffordshire Bull Terriers and, though less commonly used as fighters, English Bull Terriers) generally had stable temperaments and were commonly kept in the home by the gambling men who owned them. (wikepedia)

Here are some statistics from 2007 that gives us more insight on the breed:

Information about 2007 dog attack fatalities was gathered through media accounts that were available at the time of the attack or found through internet archives, including Google News Archive, The Internet Archive and NewspaperArchive.com.

1. 35 U.S. fatal dog attacks occurred in 2007. Pit bull type dogs were responsible for 60%. Pit bulls make up approximately 2-9% of the US dog population.
2. The combination of pit bulls (21), rottweilers (4) and American bulldogs (3) accounted for 80% of all fatal attacks.
3. 51% of the attacks occurred to children (11 years and under) and 49% occurred to adults (21 years and older). Of the adults, 76% occurred to ages 55 and older.
4. 46% of fatal attacks in 2007 involved multiple dogs; 23% involved chained dogs.
5. 71% of the attacks occurred on owner property and 29% off owner property. Of the off-property attacks, 70% (7) were attributed to pit bulls.
6. 60% of the victims were female; 40% of the victims were male. Of the female victims, nearly half (10) were 55 years and older.
7. The state of Texas had the most fatalities (7). Of these fatalities, 86% (6) were attributed to pit bulls.

In 2007, two fatalities involved dogs from two different breeds, thus producing a "death credit" total of 37, rather than 35. Four dog breeds each contributed to one death and included a: mastiff-mix, doberman, Siberian husky and wolf-hybrid.
(Dogbite.org)

Dog Mountain...

Located in St. Johnsbury is a place called Dog Mountain. For any dog lover, this place is amazing. Stephen Huneck is a dog lover and everything that is on Dog Mountain shows that. There are two ponds that your four legged friends can play in with others. There is an art gallery where you can get some great dog works of art (like the one to the left). And for people that have lost their pets (not just dogs), he has created a Dog Chapel. Inside this chapel is a place where you can go to remember your best friend. The walls are covered with thousands of pictures and noted of people animals that have made a difference in someone's life, but are no longer with them. This is the saddest part, but also the best. As you read some of the notes, poems, or letters, you realize just what a difference these little four legged creates make. Now the best part of visiting Dog Mountain with your best friend is that they are allowed to go where ever you are.

Below is a news segment on Dog Mountain and the artist who created this place for people and dogs to enjoy.