I was awoken last night to some really horrible shit.

[EnviroBat]

The neighbors pit bulls apparently started mauling each other last night at around 1:30 am. It was cool last night so I had the windows open. I'd just drifted off when I was startled awake by screaming, and dogs crying in anguish. The adults, (and I use the term loosely) were shouting at each other, and a young girl, maybe 9, was screaming and crying. She kept shouting, "I love my dog, help my dog, he's dying..." The police showed up, and I could somewhat make out the assholes, carrying a lifeless carcass into the back patio door.

I hate these fucking people, and I want them evicted from the neighborhood. There seems to be nothing I can do to push back against the encroaching stupidity that surrounds me. I just keep thinking about that little girl, and what she witnessed last night. It's still making me sick to my stomach. Why is that stupid fucking red-necks feel the need to harbor vicious dogs like some fucked up status symbol? And yes, I know not all pits are vicious. But after what went down last night, I'm convinced there's a dog fighting ring being promoted in my neighborhood, and I want the law to investigate these assholes.

[MADem]

1. Keep the number of the dog officer handy, along with a video camera. NT

[YOY]

2. Poor pooches and poor little girl.

Yeah...owning one of those dogs as a ghetto status symbol is totally trashy...and not limited to any particular kind of trash.

[vadawg]

6. in the same way as owning a cat means your a sad lonely person

got to go with the broadbrush effect, not everyone with a pitbull is trash or running a dogfighting ring, some people actually like them or come across them and end up adopting them.

[YOY]

7. I didn't say that.

You know exactly what I was saying...and it wasn't that.

Plenty of responsible Pit owners...and plenty of people using them as a ghetto status symbol...unless mine lying eyes deceive me and they are totally one in the same...but it's pretty easy to tell who wants a dog to love and who wants to train an animal to be monster because of some macho bullshit urge.

It's what I love about DU. You say the right thing and someone inevitably will jump down your throat for not typing a paragraph explaining your beliefs in triplicate so as not to offend anyone...

[JuniperLea]

16. Yeah, that's true, and totally screwed up...

So they get sweet, innocent puppies, and torture them until they become killers.

I have a friend in Pennsylvania who rescues these dogs. In all the years she's been doing this, she's only had to put one down that couldn't be "brought back to sanity." And it was a very sad day.

People who create these killers from precious pups belong behind bars.

[YOY]

17. Your friend has a heart of gold.

I have no idea how she does it. It must have been heartbreaking to put the one down.

[JuniperLea]

21. She's an awesome human being...

It was heartbreaking... still is. She wouldn't have done it except the dog couldn't be trusted around other dogs, which is a huge part of their reintegration. She tried so hard to make it work. Some mental damage just isn't fixable... in humans and dogs. I think there is a lot of human mental damage that leads to this stupidity.

[LuvNewcastle]

3. What about the local ASPCA?

Is there anything they could do about it?

[EnviroBat]

11. I haven't called them yet. I was shaken by this crap, and not thinking clearly.

I will give them a call today. Thanks...

:hi:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. If you suspect dog fighting,

contact your local ASPCA and ask them what they would recommend you do to collect evidence, etc. They will be more sympathetic to your cause than the cops will.

[Whoa_Nelly]

22. Tell the cops you suspect dog fighting

Let them handle it.

And, report every time you suspect it happening.

[mwb970]

5. Would you consider moving at some point?

How annoying to have lowlifes right next door. Who needs it?

[EnviroBat]

12. Because I've got a great little house.

Most of my neighbors are like family, and would do anything for you. It's just a few bad shit-stains that are screwing up the area.

[mwb970]

19. It's too bad neighborhoods don't reject toxins the way the body does. /nt

[villager]

8. dog fight-y ex-neighbors here up and moved after SPCA was called...

There was a series of "calls," actually, since they had a bunch of dogs in their back yard-- and side yard -- that they never cleaned up after...

Once the dime was dropped, they didn't stay much longer...

The house was empty for a year, but now we've got really great neighbors!

(and btw, the dog fight-y couple fought viciously with each other all the time, too -- coincidence?)

[LWolf]

9. It's the people that are responsible,

and I hope you are wrong about a local dogfighting ring, although it certainly sounds possible. :(

I have a neighbor with a 2yo pit; she joined their family a few months back, and is expert at escaping. She's always at my place, trying to play with my dog and climb into my lap for cuddles, which my dog appreciates not at all.

She wears a pink collar, is as sweet as the day is long, and is lucky that we are rural, no where near a paved, or well traveled, road, with few neighbors to bother and nowhere to go.

She's been in the back around my chickens and horses; I was a little tense the first time she showed up, but she ignored them all completely, only focused on the dog and on me.

She visited with the vet when he was out vaccinating the horses; he took the time to talk to her and give her a few scratches. My neighbors are frustrated; she is truly an escape artist. They keep apologizing and trying to reinforce the fence, and I'm just used to walking her home when she comes to play. They have 20 acres of fence for her to dig under.

I wish all dogs had people with the same amount of care, concern, patience, and love.

[960]

10. That's why pit bulls should be banned and all owners arrested.

[Cal Carpenter]

13. Are you gonna be the one to go door-to-door and enforce that?

Good luck with that.

[Xithras]

18. Dogs fighting isn't a pitbull thing.

A friends Beagle was gutted by a neighbors Lhasa Apso when I was a kid. The dogs had barked at each other through the fence for years, but one day the Lhasa got through, the two dogs went at it, and the Beagle was mortally wounded by the time they were pulled apart (ripping bite across the belly, it was pretty horrific).

Neither was a fighting dog. They just didn't like each other.

[EmilyAnne]

14. Do you by chance live in Pittsburgh?

Maybe in my neighborhood?
Maybe even on my street?

I am so fed up with the uncontrolled, irresponsible, easy money breeding of pit bulls that is rampant in my city.
It makes me sick.
I hate these fucking people, too.

Get ready for some DUers to respond by defending the pit bull breed and accuse you of something akin to racism (breedism, I guess?)
Then, they will tell you that the dogs probably weren't really pit bulls anyway.
Then, that there really isn't such a thing as a pit bull.
You'll probably see one of those pictures of a pit bull cuddled up with a baby.

[JuniperLea]

15. "Why is that stupid fucking red-necks feel the need to harbor vicious dogs..."

They no doubt created the vicious dogs, idiots do that, unfortunately. Pits are strong dogs; any dog, strong or not, can be cruelly treated and made vicious.

Anyone involved in a dog fighting ring, on any level, is subhuman and belongs behind bars.

I'm begining to like dogs a lot more than people these days.

[BonnieJW]

20. Allert the Humane Society

They have power to arrest.

[tech3149]

23. I don't know where to start with this

Your neighbors are your neighbors, you have about as much choice in neighbors as family. As a neighbor you have to learn to deal with good and bad. I don't like to listen to my neighbors screaming at one another, but it gives me a chance to play family therapist and help them keep things together.

I get pissed off that they have a beautiful hound caged up and barely pay any attention to her. My solution, buy a bag of food, take her out for a run, I could use the exercise as well, and sit down with them and tell them how lucky they are to have such a great dog.

They know where I'm coming from but times are tough and 16 hour days seem like a vacation to these guys. It might not be a bad idea to sit down with these neighbors and figure out a way you can live in peace or be supportive. It takes much less energy to make friends than enemies.

If they are doing dog fighting, that should be easy to prove. Just watch for traffic to the house.

[KittyWampus]

24. I'd desperately want to see that little girl & give her a hug.