Vicious dogs should be banned

The Board of Aldermen has put more teeth into an ordinance governing vicious dogs in this city.

The ordinance does not go far enough in our opinion.

Pit bulls should be banned from public parks and spaces – and in fact, they should be banned entirely in the city.

The identification of a dog as vicious, in most instances, is usually about pit bulls.

Beagles, aren’t vicious. Labs aren’t vicious. Even German Shepherds aren’t vicious.

Pit bulls are vicious. The people who raise them and who walk them with heavy chains and who us them for personal protection do not aid in making the streets and parks safer.

Pit bulls inside homes are a danger to children and to the elderly.

In Lynn last week, a great grandmother, 76, was mauled by a pit bull.

The pit bull was put down as a result – and as a result, that particular vicious animal will never again attack a grandmother or maul a child.

Animal lovers are generally appalled about calls for banning certain animals.

After all, they point out, animals are a bit like people.

Some are vicious and some aren’t.

All animals shouldn’t be judged by the actions of some animals.

Pit bulls are largely responsible for more mauling of innocents than any other dog in Massachusetts.

They are a dangerous, vicious breed and we’re sorry to say, they reflect the general tendencies of their owners in many, many cases.

The owner of the pit bull that mauled the 76-year old great grandmother hid from police and tried to pin the ownership of the dog on his mother.

This was a very nice touch.

Then the pit bull owner tried to pin the mauling on the elderly woman, who, they claim, entered their apartment without knocking, which caused the pit bull to maul her.

Pit bulls were once a favored breed in America – but not anymore.

All pit bulls aren’t vicious and dangerous – just most of them.

The aldermen are right to re-visit dog rules and regulations for vicious dogs.

When you think about it, some people we know should be categorized the same way as dogs, as vicious individuals and removed from the general public in the name of public safety.

Pit bulls are vicious maulers. If you see one coming toward, get out of the way, because there’s a good chance the next one mauled will be you or one of your loved ones.