Bad dog owners, not bad breeds

Editor:

I am writing in response to the article on the front page of Tuesday's Havre Daily, "City hears pit bull concerns."

I agree with most of what was brought up in the article on a concerned community dealing with vicious animals. Clearly Mrs. Laux and her neighbors have an issue that needs to be dealt with.

The one problem I have with a proposal made by Mrs. Laux that she and her neighbors discussed that a limit be placed on the number of vicious animals, such as pit bulls, that can live in one house.

Clearly Mrs. Laux is uneducated in the pit bull breed. To make a statement like that would lead me to believe that the general media hype on this particular breed has influenced her. I would be a fool to say that there are no vicious pit bulls in this world, but what defines a vicious animal? To me it's not the breed, its the temperament of that particular dog or animal. If someone has a vicious dog within city limits, then it should be dealt with by the local authorities. Furthermore, Mrs. Laux claims she wants the city to limit households to "two vicious animals" and no more.

Boy, I would prefer that NO vicious animals were allowed!! If you want to go after pit bulls and label them "vicious," let me give my list of vicious dogs I have encountered in my life. They include: Dalmatians, poodles, cocker spaniels, black Labs and chows.

So, my point is, it's not a breed issue, it's an irresponsible owner issue. Vicious dogs are a product of irresponsible owners, abusive and neglectful owners, and the temperament of that particular dog. Period.

In closing, I would like to say that if there is a vicious dog of any breed in the city limits, then the dog and the owner should be dealt with on an individual basis.

Darren Laumeyer

Havre