->  WC> A Fall River MA. man killed a Pit Bull he said
->  WC> was "sniping at him", whatever that means.

-> In the courts of today, it means whatever the hell HE decides it means!
-> :P
-> (but only IF he can afford a better lawyer than the dog owner or state!)

->  WC> Still the owner is partly responsible IMO for leaving her dog
->  WC> unattended.

-> True -- especially since it's well-known that there MAY well be some
-> genetic predisposition to violence in the breed, even when individuals
-> seem exempted.

I'd be afraid my dog would be injured.
My Pit has been attacked by other dogs 14 times and repeatedly by a
feral cat.
Spanky's never retaliated so it's been up to me to protect the Pit Bull!

->  WC> Animal cruelty charges have been filed against the Fall Rivers
->  WC> man who killed the dog.

-> As it should be.

-> If he did act excessively, he should be dealt with appropriately.    

I'd say he acted excessively in that he was unharmed when he
went into the security of his home yet retreived   a knife only
to return outside to kill the dog.

-> I don't believe, myself, that all dogs of any breed are automatically
-> "bad" and I think it's bloody stupid all this hysteria and prejudice
-> against pitbull owners! (in general,however, those who have shown
-> themselves to be bad owners should be dealt with appropriately!)

Too many get the breed for bad reasons.
Former girlfriend and ex-owner was irresponsible so the Pit came into my
hands by chance.
I'd bought into the media BS myself but soon discovered what 
a remarkably smart and gentle dog I had :-)

OTOH there's a skinhead who has a Pit twice the size of mine down the
road and there's not a day does by I don't expect to hear of a 
child being killed :-(
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