Two pit bull terriers terrorized a Jacksonville Neighborhood earlier last week, when they killed at least a dozen cats. The dogs got loose in the area of Ingleside Avenue and Post Street. One of the owners of the dogs has said that they are having both dogs put down.
The owners of the pit bulls are likely to face fines and could even face animal cruelty charges, Action News Jax reports. One of the attacks has been captured on video, confirming the charges. The owner of the dogs has been identified as Brandon Carlisle. Speaking with Action News Jax, his fiancée made a statement about the tragic incident, claiming that as a cat lover, she was horrified to hear the news:
“I would like take this time to reach out to the families of the kittens that my dogs unfortunately took their lives. I cannot- for the life of me- tell you how sorry I am. I am also a cat lover and was horrified to hear the news of such tragic events.”
The video below shows the horrifying moment the pit bulls attack one of the cats. Viewer discretion is advised.
The moments before 2 pit bulls attack & kill Felix the cat, who was lying on the porch. Neighbors: 12+ killed by them Fri. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/9wZrqEG4VC
— Russell Colburn (@RColburnnews) November 7, 2017
This isn’t an isolated incident involving aggressive pit bulls. Pit bulls were created by breeding bulldogs and terriers together. They were meant to be fighting dogs for blood sport, and as such, were selectively bred to be aggressive and vicious. Today, a few hundred years later, such games are illegal, but the breed lives on and with a bad reputation.
Cappy’s owners say of the cats attacked by pit bulls Fri, he was the only one who survived. Nursing wounds & limping, but OK @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/Xt0rBjf7JZ
— Russell Colburn (@RColburnnews) November 7, 2017
Many people argue that pit bulls are not vicious breeds by birth, and it is the owners of these dogs that lead them into becoming vicious. While it is true with any large/working breed of dogs that an inexperienced owner can lead it to become aggressive and vicious, incidents of aggression from pit bulls are more commonly reported than with other breeds, possibly owing to the bad reputation.
The United Kennel Club, the second oldest Kennel Club in the United States and possibly the world’s largest performance dog registry, describes the characteristics of the American pit bull terrier as strong, confident, and having a zest for life. They are also said to make good family dogs and are good with children and other pets such as cats.
While many pit bulls are gentle and happy family dogs, incidents such as these have led several countries around the world and some states in the U.S. to impose restrictions and in some cases outright bans on the ownership of the breed.
[Featured Image by Audrey Lohkamp/Shutterstock]