List of Pit Bulls Recently Adopted From Shelters That Seriously Attack
People often perceive pit bull rescuers, shelters, and animal control officers to be experts on pit bull behavior and safety. Potential adopters often believe they can rely on these perceived experts' knowledge, judgment and temperament testing procedures to give them sound advice about pit bull safety and to match them with safe pit bulls.
Sadly, these perceived experts are not required to have much expertise at all. More importantly they have sworn no oath and have no mandate to protect public safety. And they often are extremely misguided. They refuse to acknowledge the inherent dangers of pit bulls and believe if they foist off an "iffy" pit bull on someone, well, it gives the pit bull another chance for a home, and it might turn out alright. Other times, shelter workers have reportedly failed to provide known information about aggression, and in some cases, when pit bulls attacked right after being adopted, they blamed the adopter.
This is a recent and rapidly escalating problem illustrated:
The following list shows the results of these misguided priorities and lack of mandated responsibility by these animal care "experts." Most of these articles are about recently adopted pit bulls that launched a serious attack, sometimes killing a person. Many of these pit bulls came with assurances that the pit bull was non-aggressive and/or had been temperament tested. A few articles concern other dangerous dogs, and some articles concern attacks that occurred while the dog was still in the care of the animal control, shelter or rescue. The list is not complete or comprehensive, but merely highlights the growing problem.
2014 IL - New No Kill director at the helm when Oak Park Animal Care League adopts dog to family and 3 hours later, the dog kills the family cat. After the dog is returned, long-time employees felt like they were forced to lie to the second family who adopted the dog without being told that the dog had killed a family pet cat.
http://bit.ly/1p4xppw
2014 MA - Unnamed Rescue Network adopted a pit bull to a couple that seriously attacked a man, a woman and their dog in an unprovoked, off property attack on a sidewalk. Instead of having the pit bull put down, the owners give the pit bull back to the rescue network the victims found out later " that the dog was not euthanized. Instead, the volunteer network tried to find a new home for the dog by posting a listing on its website that indicated the animal had no history of violence."
http://bit.ly/WrS5yk
2014 - Number of people attacked by dogs in or recently adopted from shelters is skyrocketing according to this report.
http://bit.ly/1x7Kulm
2014 NY - A pit bull owner wanted to keep and not put down their pit bull that bit two people. So the shelter agreed to keep it for the 10 day rabies quarantine. They observed the pit bull for 10 days and saw no signs of aggression. Hours before the pit bull was to be given back to the owner and allowed to bite the public, the pit bull attacked 4 people in the shelter, 2 severely. The shelter workers reveal they are unaware that pit bulls are unpredictable and that friendly pit bulls can suddenly and severely maul for no reason and with no warning.
http://bit.ly/1mAz41e
2014 IL - Dog rescuer allows her pit bulls to escape twice and on each occasion, they killed a small, neighborhood dog.
http://bit.ly/1qxk7ST
2014 TN - Blount county Animal Shelter is sued for negligence after newly adopted pit bull attacked a child unprovoked
http://bit.ly/1lxUe04
2014 OH - After BAD RAP's Tim Racer and Donna Reynolds, nationally acclaimed pit bull "expert evaluators" give the green light for adoption to six fight bust pit bulls, two of the fight bust dogs must be put down for dangerous behavior concerns.
http://bit.ly/1epM5bY
2014 WV - Rescuer adopts fight bust pit bull to an 18 year old girl assuring her that the pit bull was "peaceful." The pit bull launched its first full blown attack while the family was snowed in. The pit bull chewed through two doors to get to the family while the family waited 2 hours barricaded in the basement for animal control to get there.
http://bit.ly/1pkyz20
2014 - "We were talked into adopting a rescued pitbull ... One day we let it out, and it attacked my son ... Luckily, I had a gun in the home"
http://on.fb.me/1kLsJnf
2014 NY - Shelter allegedly withheld info about a pit bull's past and pit bull attacked children a day after it was adopted. The shelter blamed the new adoptive owner who was having none of it saying that he was an experienced dog owner.
http://bit.ly/1nuVbNL
2014 GA - Newly adopted pit bull shows never-before-seen aggression and attacks a boy completely unprovoked.
http://bit.ly/1hfKK6V
2014 NY - Woman attack by her adopted pit bull sues town for not disclosing violent fighting history of the dog.
http://7ny.tv/SfE0Bx
2014 IL - Pit bull in foster care creates a "bloodbath" in a vet office seriously injuring 2 vet workers. Foster owners want to "save" mauling pit bull. The rescue owner was fined $250 for allowing a dangerous dog to attack.
http://bit.ly/1kszUhK
2014 MA - Pit bull recently adopted in Baltimore attacks woman, boys in York
http://bit.ly/1nCwZXd
2013 CO - Longmont Humane Society places pit bull that had been designated "dangerous" in another county in foster care in the community of Longmont because they felt they had "rehabilitated" it and it attacked a dog and a person, just as it had done several times before. They may be the first Humane Society to be fined for allowing a dangerous dog to attack. Longmont takes in dangerous and aggressive dogs from other locations, "rehabilitates" them and adopts them into the community.
http://bit.ly/1kgH0Uk
2013 NC - Gaston County Animal Shelter shows prospective adopter and her 7 year old son a pit bull puppy they think would be a good match for them, and the pit bull puppy promptly attacks both the mother and son.
http://bit.ly/1hekKAc
2013 IL - Recently adopted pit bull with supposedly stellar temperament attacks other dog in family in front of young child and must be shot by police to stop the attack.
http://bit.ly/1hz4bt8
2012 PA - Owner cited after newly adopted pit bull seriously, and without provocation, mauls child it was familiar with . The pit bull had supposedly passed behavior tests at the shelter, but had only been at the shelter for five days before it was adopted out again.
http://bit.ly/1pkji19
2012 KS - Rescued pit bull with known "dog aggression" was touted as friendly with people. It killed 2 year old Savannah Edwards
http://bit.ly/1gp9sSm
2011 MI - The owner of a dog boarding facility who agreed to house a pit bull for a rescue and then got attacked is suing the rescue.
http://bit.ly/SfPsNh
2011 NYC - Social Tees Rescue adopted and fostered out two pit bulls that seriously attacked two dogs in separate incidents. In addition, the same rescue's pit bulls were responsible for several less severe attacks at a dog park in New York City
http://dnain.fo/1pyKlDp
2010 CA - Shadow's Fund pit bull "rescue" brought pit bulls to an adoption booth set up in a public park. A 22 year old 14 pound dog was attacked and her owner had a finger removed by one or more of the pit bulls that escaped from the booth to attack.
http://bit.ly/1yJFFQ2
2010 IN - Humane Society of Indianapolis is sued after a recently adopted pit bull launched a terrible attack two months after adoption.
http://bit.ly/1ko7DM7
2009 ID - Pitbull attacks owner 24 hours after adoption
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Yk7Zmraeg
2003 NY - Six weeks after adoption from a shelter where it had lived for a year, a pit bull killed a 75 year old woman in a ferocious, unprovoked attack.
http://nyti.ms/1k3DOjo
Studies indicating temperament tests are not reliable or have not been tested for validity or reliability:
"The overall inter-rater reliability of the B.A.R.K. protocol was moderate to strong however the test–retest reliability was relatively weak. Amongst dogs that initially passed the test and were subsequently rehomed, the predictive validity of the protocol was also quite poor, with ‘fear’ (r = 0.42, n = 67, P < 0.01) and ‘friendliness’ (r = 0.49, n = 67, P < 0.01) being the only measures that proved to be predictive. The results of the study imply that a standardised behavioural test may be of less value in identifying the suitability of dogs for placement in the community than is currently believed. If so, this has significant implications for how such tests are employed."
Stamford shelter manager is first in U.S. to be charged with reckless endangerment for rehoming dangerous dogs
Shelter dogs wreak havoc at either end of the Taconic Parkway
Sadly, these perceived experts are not required to have much expertise at all. More importantly they have sworn no oath and have no mandate to protect public safety. And they often are extremely misguided. They refuse to acknowledge the inherent dangers of pit bulls and believe if they foist off an "iffy" pit bull on someone, well, it gives the pit bull another chance for a home, and it might turn out alright. Other times, shelter workers have reportedly failed to provide known information about aggression, and in some cases, when pit bulls attacked right after being adopted, they blamed the adopter.
This is a recent and rapidly escalating problem illustrated:
 |
2014 IL - New No Kill director at the helm when Oak Park Animal Care League adopts dog to family and 3 hours later, the dog kills the family cat. After the dog is returned, long-time employees felt like they were forced to lie to the second family who adopted the dog without being told that the dog had killed a family pet cat.
http://bit.ly/1p4xppw
2014 MA - Unnamed Rescue Network adopted a pit bull to a couple that seriously attacked a man, a woman and their dog in an unprovoked, off property attack on a sidewalk. Instead of having the pit bull put down, the owners give the pit bull back to the rescue network the victims found out later " that the dog was not euthanized. Instead, the volunteer network tried to find a new home for the dog by posting a listing on its website that indicated the animal had no history of violence."
http://bit.ly/WrS5yk
2014 NC - Rowan County AC adopts an aggressive, stray German Shepherd that bit a Sheriff's Canine Deputy who was assessing it to a "certified trainer." While "socializing" the dangerous dog in a public park two weeks later, the GSD attacked the two women with the dog, and a deputy had to shoot the GSD to death.
http://bit.ly/1x7Kulm
2014 NY - A pit bull owner wanted to keep and not put down their pit bull that bit two people. So the shelter agreed to keep it for the 10 day rabies quarantine. They observed the pit bull for 10 days and saw no signs of aggression. Hours before the pit bull was to be given back to the owner and allowed to bite the public, the pit bull attacked 4 people in the shelter, 2 severely. The shelter workers reveal they are unaware that pit bulls are unpredictable and that friendly pit bulls can suddenly and severely maul for no reason and with no warning.
http://bit.ly/1mAz41e
2014 IL - Dog rescuer allows her pit bulls to escape twice and on each occasion, they killed a small, neighborhood dog.
http://bit.ly/1qxk7ST
2014 CT - Stamford Animal Shelter manager fired, arrested and charged with three counts of reckless endangerment for repeatedly adopting dogs out with bite histories and not telling potential adopters about the dangers. Despite her arrest, she has passionate followers and defenders because she saves dangerous dogs.
http://bit.ly/1lKaHCo
2014 CT - Pit bull that had been adopted only months before ran out of a house to attack a 93 year old woman leaving devastating wounds. The shelter reports conducting extensive testing, training and socializing. The shelter director also prides herself on "rehabilitating" vicious dogs. Neighbors and the shelter say the owners were good people and extremely responsible about owning their pit bull. The victim died 6 weeks after the attack.
http://bit.ly/1lKaHCo
2014 CT - Pit bull that had been adopted only months before ran out of a house to attack a 93 year old woman leaving devastating wounds. The shelter reports conducting extensive testing, training and socializing. The shelter director also prides herself on "rehabilitating" vicious dogs. Neighbors and the shelter say the owners were good people and extremely responsible about owning their pit bull. The victim died 6 weeks after the attack.
http://bit.ly/1lxUe04
2014 OH - After BAD RAP's Tim Racer and Donna Reynolds, nationally acclaimed pit bull "expert evaluators" give the green light for adoption to six fight bust pit bulls, two of the fight bust dogs must be put down for dangerous behavior concerns.
http://bit.ly/1epM5bY
2014 WV - Rescuer adopts fight bust pit bull to an 18 year old girl assuring her that the pit bull was "peaceful." The pit bull launched its first full blown attack while the family was snowed in. The pit bull chewed through two doors to get to the family while the family waited 2 hours barricaded in the basement for animal control to get there.
http://bit.ly/1pkyz20
2014 - "We were talked into adopting a rescued pitbull ... One day we let it out, and it attacked my son ... Luckily, I had a gun in the home"
http://on.fb.me/1kLsJnf
2014 NY - Shelter allegedly withheld info about a pit bull's past and pit bull attacked children a day after it was adopted. The shelter blamed the new adoptive owner who was having none of it saying that he was an experienced dog owner.
http://bit.ly/1nuVbNL
2014 GA - Newly adopted pit bull shows never-before-seen aggression and attacks a boy completely unprovoked.
http://bit.ly/1hfKK6V
2014 NY - Woman attack by her adopted pit bull sues town for not disclosing violent fighting history of the dog.
http://7ny.tv/SfE0Bx
2014 IL - Pit bull in foster care creates a "bloodbath" in a vet office seriously injuring 2 vet workers. Foster owners want to "save" mauling pit bull. The rescue owner was fined $250 for allowing a dangerous dog to attack.
http://bit.ly/1kszUhK
2014 MA - Pit bull recently adopted in Baltimore attacks woman, boys in York
http://bit.ly/1nCwZXd
2013 CO - Longmont Humane Society places pit bull that had been designated "dangerous" in another county in foster care in the community of Longmont because they felt they had "rehabilitated" it and it attacked a dog and a person, just as it had done several times before. They may be the first Humane Society to be fined for allowing a dangerous dog to attack. Longmont takes in dangerous and aggressive dogs from other locations, "rehabilitates" them and adopts them into the community.
http://bit.ly/1kgH0Uk
2013 NC - Gaston County Animal Shelter shows prospective adopter and her 7 year old son a pit bull puppy they think would be a good match for them, and the pit bull puppy promptly attacks both the mother and son.
http://bit.ly/1hekKAc
2013 IL - Recently adopted pit bull with supposedly stellar temperament attacks other dog in family in front of young child and must be shot by police to stop the attack.
http://bit.ly/1hz4bt8
2012 PA - Owner cited after newly adopted pit bull seriously, and without provocation, mauls child it was familiar with . The pit bull had supposedly passed behavior tests at the shelter, but had only been at the shelter for five days before it was adopted out again.
http://bit.ly/1pkji19
2012 KS - Rescued pit bull with known "dog aggression" was touted as friendly with people. It killed 2 year old Savannah Edwards
http://bit.ly/1gp9sSm
2011 MI - The owner of a dog boarding facility who agreed to house a pit bull for a rescue and then got attacked is suing the rescue.
http://bit.ly/SfPsNh
2011 NYC - Social Tees Rescue adopted and fostered out two pit bulls that seriously attacked two dogs in separate incidents. In addition, the same rescue's pit bulls were responsible for several less severe attacks at a dog park in New York City
http://dnain.fo/1pyKlDp
2010 CA - Shadow's Fund pit bull "rescue" brought pit bulls to an adoption booth set up in a public park. A 22 year old 14 pound dog was attacked and her owner had a finger removed by one or more of the pit bulls that escaped from the booth to attack.
http://bit.ly/1yJFFQ2
2010 IN - Humane Society of Indianapolis is sued after a recently adopted pit bull launched a terrible attack two months after adoption.
http://bit.ly/1ko7DM7
2009 ID - Pitbull attacks owner 24 hours after adoption
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Yk7Zmraeg
2003 NY - Six weeks after adoption from a shelter where it had lived for a year, a pit bull killed a 75 year old woman in a ferocious, unprovoked attack.
http://nyti.ms/1k3DOjo
Studies indicating temperament tests are not reliable or have not been tested for validity or reliability:
Mornement KM, Coleman GJ, Toukhsati S, Bennett PC. Development of the behavioural assessment for re-homing K9′s (B.A.R.K.) protocol. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 2013; Article in Press.
http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(13)00266-9/abstract
http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(13)00266-9/abstract
Abstract states that these tests are only erroneously called "temperament" tests because they actually test behavior.
"Few (behavior tests) have been tested for reliability and validity. Those that have either fared very poorly or are not feasible within the constraints of normal workplace practices.
This clearly presents a significant problem for those wanting to assess canine behaviour. The use of invalid tests may result in dogs being incorrectly classified as safe or unsafe, with potentially devastating consequences. Mornement K, Toukhsati S, Coleman G, et al. Reliability, validity and feasibility of existing tests of canine behavior."
"Few (behavior tests) have been tested for reliability and validity. Those that have either fared very poorly or are not feasible within the constraints of normal workplace practices.
This clearly presents a significant problem for those wanting to assess canine behaviour. The use of invalid tests may result in dogs being incorrectly classified as safe or unsafe, with potentially devastating consequences. Mornement K, Toukhsati S, Coleman G, et al. Reliability, validity and feasibility of existing tests of canine behavior."
AIAM Annual Conference on Urban Animal Management, Proceedings. 2009;11-18.
http://www.aiam.com.au/resources/files/proceedings/AIAM%202009/KMornement_Reliability.pdf
http://www.aiam.com.au/resources/files/proceedings/AIAM%202009/KMornement_Reliability.pdf
"Our results strongly suggest that there are certain types of aggressive tendencies that are not exhibited reliably during temperament testing using the techniques de- scribed above. A significant number of dogs passing this temperament test exhibited aggressive tendencies in situations suggesting motivations such as territorial, predatory, and intra-specific aggression."
Aggressive behavior in adopted dogs that passed a temperament test in a shelter setting
http://www.dogsbite.org/pdf/aggressive-behavior-in-adopted-dogs-that-passed-temperament-test.pdf
http://www.dogsbite.org/pdf/aggressive-behavior-in-adopted-dogs-that-passed-temperament-test.pdf
In the study, 55% of the dogs that were deemed to be food aggressive based on the fake hand test were judged to be not food aggressive by the adopting family. Conversely, 22% of the dogs that passed the fake hand test in the shelter and were deemed to be not food aggressive based on the test, were reported to be food aggressive in the adoptive home.
Food-related aggression in shelter dogs: A comparison of behavior identified by a behavior evaluation in the shelter and owner reports after adoption
http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(13)00181-0/abstract
Food-related aggression in shelter dogs: A comparison of behavior identified by a behavior evaluation in the shelter and owner reports after adoption
http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(13)00181-0/abstract
Caution: what the researcher's results indicate is that the fake hand test for food aggression is not reliable to identify or rule out food aggression. However the researchers' conclusion is that since it is not reliable, even the dogs that show apparent food aggression can be adopted out!
Read more about this problem:
What Happens When ‘Save Rates’ Trump Common Sense?
Fitchburg becomes third public shelter to suspend operations due to liability concerns about pit bullsRead more about this problem:
What Happens When ‘Save Rates’ Trump Common Sense?
Stamford shelter manager is first in U.S. to be charged with reckless endangerment for rehoming dangerous dogs
Shelter dogs wreak havoc at either end of the Taconic Parkway
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