The front page story (Chatham Daily News, Monday, Oct. 29) on the deadly mauling of Kim Scruton's beloved pet dog Sophie by a pit bull is a sad reminder of the danger posed by this breed.
Alarmingly, there is an ongoing delusion held by some that pit bulls should not be singled out and are no different than other dogs who bite. Yes, all dogs bite, but not all bites are created equal. Big or small, no other breed possesses the deadly combination of unpredictability and a bite of lethal force that a pit bull has. No other breed attacks with the sole intent to kill.
Only last month, an infant child in Detroit was savagely killed by a pit bull. As sad as Scruton's loss was, imagine if that had been your child or mine.
Unfortunately, despite a ban on the breed imposed in 2005, pit bulls don't appear to be getting the unique treatment that the law says they require.
Grayness around the ability to identify the breed has allowed officials to sidestep the issue and pit bull owners to perpetuate it. Without doubt there are many pit bulls younger than 8 years old in Chatham and Ontario.
Our hearts go out to Mr. Scruton on his loss. You have every right to be angry and to be heard. You were right in saying on the A-Channel news that ìofficials should not be sweeping this under the rug.
While I detest the quick to sue nature of modern society, I would suggest that you have ample grounds to do just that and should seek legal council.
Rick Youlton, Chatham
(Chatham Daily News - Nov 1, 2012)
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