Tuesday, January 17, 2012

flashback: summer of 1987



The mean ones are the aberrations still. But the aberrations are more numerous.
—RICHARD F. STRATTON July 8, 1987

The July 1987 issue of SI reported the frightening statistics that would be repeated for the next 25 years: the pit bull terrier was responsible for 67% of the dog related fatalities. Pit nutters blame this issue of SI for fanning the flames that ignited media hysteria. (the media hysteria was ignited in the 1800's) The quote from the pro pit bull camp by dog fighting aficionado Stratton certainly did not help the nutter's defense of their wiggle butts. One striking difference between 1987 and 2012 is that people within the veterinary profession and the humane fields had not yet been bought or beaten into submission by Jane Berkey and Company.

A week after the release of SI, the New York Times chimed in...
"American pit bull terriers can become exceedingly aggressive, even when properly trained and handled. Doberman pinschers, Rottweilers and other large dogs can be dangerous too, but their attacks are easier to ward off."

Ten days after the New Times...
Patricia Hollis of D.C. was driving in her car, child strapped in the back seat and pittie riding shotgun. For no apparent reason, the pit bull attacked her. Hollis was able to get the pit bull out of the car but then feared it would be hit by a car so she opened the door and let the pit bull back in and it promptly attacked her again. Hollis forced the pit bull out a second time and drove her self to the hospital for treatment to the bites on her hands, arms, legs and chest. The man-biter was picked up later and given a dirt nap. Too bad the facebook nutters weren't around to champion his cause.

OBTW, the nanny dog did not hurt the child.


Sports Illustrated July, 27, 1987

New York Times, August 2, 1987

Pittsburgh Press, August 12, 1987

Washington Post, August 14, 1987

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe nutters formed the rottie and doberman mythos from this article that barely hints to such a thing? I've been doing research and there's little if any negative press concerning GSD, rotties, and dobermans according to their purposed decades of "discrimination." In fact, most of the articles speak well of the three breeds abilities to protect or serve people in times of warfare.

Anonymous said...

Patricia Hollis' wigglebutts name was "Lord Tuggington".

LMAO! You can't make this stuff up!

Anonymous said...

Speaking of nutty concepts. On the patrick pit bull face book page one of the vets shows a paper written by his daughter about pit bulls where she says that pit bulls are people to. The mutters quite literally state and agree that they are and that this should be their new mantra. Seriously go check out the Facebook page.

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

which patrick page?

http://www.facebook.com/ThePatrickMiracle

or

http://www.facebook.com/PrayersForPatrick?sk=info

or maybe there is a 3rd or 4th?


can you say, CHA-CHING!

Anonymous said...

The Patrick miracle. Click on their wall posts only and look for the post where the author pimps out his daughter's paper that pimps out pit bulls as people.

Anonymous said...

Also the people who own Patrick mention that they're not in it for the money. Seeing how they are constantly asking for donations it makes me wonder. Are they really giving all the money that's donated to the animals or are they taking some on the side lines.

scurrilous amateur blogger said...

Melanie Bowles of Escondido said she doesn't have children, but her dog can be distracting.
"He tries to sit on my lap, even though he knows he's not supposed to," Bowles, 24, said of her 30-pound mutt. She added that he usually behaves, and that she has never crashed because of him.
Her other dog, a 90-pound pitbull puppy, isn't allowed in the car unless there's another person to deal with him, she said.
"I'd get in a crash if I were in the car with him," she said. "He's not a drive-alone dog."

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