Pit Bull Attacks Girl with Dog in Montana

Two sisters were attacked by a Pit bull in Florence, Montana (pop. 1,002¹) when they were walking to the post office. The girls were with their Shiffon puppy to the post office and the dog came up from behind them. The dog went for their puppy and they tried to protect it. When the parents quickly arrived to the scene, the pit bull had the older sister's head in it's mouth.

House Bill 191 is currently going through the Montana legislature to detain and euthanize any "pit bulls" in the state that are not already registered. The act would prohibit the ownership of certain breeds of dogs classified as Pit Bulls, unless the owner already has the dog registered before the effective date (TBD). The bill is scheduled for a Hearing on 1/22/09. See the current status of the bill.

The bill started through the Montana House in November 2008, but the timing of this pit bull attack could not be more ironic, especially when there are several blogs and websites in opposition to the legislation.

Billings Gazette Letter to the Editor "Pit Bull Prejudice Comes from Ignorance" from Tuesday, January 21st.

Study on Dog Attacks: The Breeds Most Likely to Kill

Dog Attack Injuries and Deaths by Breed, 1982-2007 (Pit Bulls have the highest attack rate, Rottweilers are 2nd, and Wolf-dog hybrids have the third highest attack rate.)

Journal Article:
Ownership of High-Risk ("Vicious") Dogs as a Marker for Deviant Behaviors

Owners of cited high-risk ("vicious") dogs had significantly more criminal convictions than owners of licensed low-risk dogs. Findings suggest that the ownership of a high-risk ("vicious") dog can be a significant marker for general deviance and should be an element considered when assessing risk for child endangerment.

I'll try to locate the full text of this article through the MSU Library, but until then, check out the link with a summary of the article.

Related blog posts:
"Pit Bull H.B. 191 Cruelty in Montana"
"Hearing Set for bill to kill all the Pit Bulls in Montana"