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I think it is wrong to say that all staff's are killers, any dog could attack not just staff's. They are loving loyal family pets who have a bad rep.. As for staff's attacking dogs its in there instinct which people have bred them for,this is not the dogs falt and i have a staff pup who was recently set on by a border collie, so all dogs have it in them not just staff's or as people call them 'killer dogs'. I am realy sorry to here about what happened to this lady and hope shes ok but not all the responsibility for this attack should rest on the dog as it might of felt the need to protect its family, but should have been supervised more.

- becky, leeds, 07/06/2010 14:29
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Why are the government ignoring all of these brutal attacks from Staffordshire bull Terriers most from which are crossed with American Pitts. People are to scared to walk in the parks anymore. If you see the type of people who own these dangerous dogs you will notice their dogs are always off the lead crapping everywhere. My gentle collie was attacked three times in just one year by Staffs. The police turn a blind eye and the government are useless. The publick should have a say to have the laws changes and the RSPCA need more immediate power to act upon animal abuse and neglect. So many staffs are kicked against the head so they become more agressive...now how mental is taht! The thick owners need to be banned from owning any dog, period. Our resources are running out because these inacapable ignorant staff owners are bullying every dog owner that comes in their way and the RSPCA and Battersea dogs home just dont have the room to kennel all of these abused and abandoned dogs. Hello, Conservative governement, maybe its time to wake up and smell the coffee!

- Lena Rosenberg, London, 29/05/2010 19:12
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The lady attacked is the nan of a good friend of my family so I feel compelled to make a comment having read through the other comments. I think what you are all probaly missing here is the fact that they have brought this to the attention of everyone and set up the petition on the downing street website for one major reason only - to have the dangerous dogs act redrawn so that it covers both public and private property. They are not asking for these dogs to be destroyed or banned but controlled better so that the owners are more culpable for their actions. As people have said, the dog was probably protecting the child but that doesn't make it acceptable and doesn't mean that something shouldn't be done. A better law should be drawn including dog licencing. Whether this would make a difference though is a major debate. Please help them get the law looked at by going to the downing street website and signing the petition.

- Chris Kemp, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, 02/03/2010 12:51
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Janice and Frank you have obviously never had any contact with staffies they are not killer dogs they are wonderful family pets they're loyal, loving, caring and great with children if they are as you so call them "KILLER DOGS" then why? are they 1 of only 2 breeds recommend by the KENNEL CLUB suitable with children out of a 190 other breeds, obviously in this case the dog miss judged the situation and acted upon loyalty and protected the child and it is terrible what has happened. I know people who's staffs have been attacked by labradors and greyhounds and the amount of times my staffie has been snapped at by other dog and they are not what you would say are dangerous or killer dogs they were border collies and jack russells, but attacks by those kind of breeds are RARELY made public they publish staffie attacks because they can use the staffords undeserved reputation to make them sound like they are dangerous animals (which they aren't). So before you comment I suggest you do some research on the breed because you clearly uneducated about these wonderful creatures, and next time there is a dog attack and someone blames the breed they and you should look at the other end of the lead (it's the owners) in most cases.

- Simon Badham, Birmingham, United Kingdom, 28/02/2010 19:06
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I am so sorry to hear about what happened to this lady. I volunteer at a staffie rescue and I have a staffie cross rescue bitch myself. Calling for a ban on these breeds isnt helpful. Statistically they are responsible for less deaths or injury than family members. They are not dangerous dogs. The dog problem in London and other major cities has got bigger since the introduction of the dangerous dogs act. Problem dogs are not breed specific. Dog licencing would be a much more sensible solution. Compulsory neutering except for licenced breeder would help. Fines for unlicenced breeding would help. Education of the public about responsible dog ownership would also be a step forward. You cannot ban all the dog breeds who have bitten, that would be all dogs. Cocker spaniels have a higher bite incident among children than staffies. Any dog can be dangerous in the wrong hands, and I dont mean just the people who actively encourage aggression in their animals, I also mean the people who dont invest time in socialising their animals with other animals, children, men and old people. My dog has been trained not to guard the house, or me. She is not allowed to bark at visitors or approach visitors before me. She isnt my protector she is my pet and its my responsibility to look after her, not hers to look after me. She is well exercised and socialised and guests in the house including children are told not to crowd her or cuddle her round the neck. It is not the breed.

- Anon, London, 26/02/2010 22:31
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Anyone blaming this on the breed is barking up the wrong tree. There are many factors that cause dogs to attack: training, socialization, particular circumstances, abuse etc. The one thing we know that does not matter is the breed. The rate of dog attacks in Britain has actually increased since the Dangerous Dogs Act was introduced. It is unfair to responsible dog owners and ineffective in preventing dog attacks because it focuses on something completely irrelevant to the problem it's supposed to be fixing. It's like trying to reduce traffic accidents by banning cars of a particular colour.

- Bryan Dale, Toronto, Canada, 26/02/2010 15:25
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This is a word from the wise here - I am a vet in a large practice in a large city - every day I see almost every breed imaginable of dog, rotts, staff, German shepherd, Labrador even designer breeds such as labradoodles and puggles - never in my 17 years of practising have I ever been bitten by a staff (out most popular breed we see) - with all dogs they can attack and act out of character (normally when they sense danger on a family member - clearly as in this case here) but 99% of them are loving loyal members of our families - I have been bitten by dogs - of course ! Worst offender in order 1-Jack Russell , 2 - Border Terrier 3 -West highland terrier 4 - Akita 5 - Yorkshire terrier .... but never a staff, my heart goes out to the lady that has been bitten, it truly is awful - but making comments like "Janice and Frank" have is extremely ill-educated and are not factual or influential - just a little childish and ridiculous.

- The Vet, Essex, 26/02/2010 15:14
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I think everyone here is very quick to judge the owners. I know the family who owned the dog very well, and know how gutted and distraught they are over the attack on Ms White, and know that they didn't teach or train the dog to be malicious in any way.If anyone ever visited the dog, he would act like a puppy and simply roll over for a belly rub - he wasn't agressive in any way, and he lived with two young children (that had never been harmed).
I know that dogs can be very protective over children, and if you look at the story it says the one of the children answered the door - the only way the dog knows how to protect is to attack, it's the dog's insinct. So I don't think it's fair that people are judging the owners, and accusing them of mistreating the dog, or training him to be aggressive, and I think there has been a lot of prejudice just from hearing the dog's breed.
I understand that Ms White has gone through a horrific ordeal, and it should never happen to anyone. However, the dog has been destroyed as a result, and the family are forever checking up on Ms White's welfare and wish her the best, so I don't think its fair to see them as villains. Accidents have happened to many good dog owners, and animals are unpredictable the same as humans.

- ??, London, 25/02/2010 23:31
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sorry about whats happened, but just got to say that i have a staffy and american bull dog, and they are fantastic dogs,never a problem, so ban the owners.

- Martin, west midlands, united kingdom, 25/02/2010 22:16
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Dogs do not need to be so strong. People have the right to keep dogs, but not the right to keep dogs big enough to eat people.

- Arsalan, london, 25/02/2010 20:29
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I myself own 2 staffies 1 male 1 female and love these dogs to the bottom of my hart i feel for the family and friends of mrs white. But surely now people will start to wake up to the fact that these powerful breeds of dog need responsible animal lovers people than know and understand the breed for owners not young boys trying to be men !!! any one can go and buy a dog which is wrong a test should be taken before owning a dog because after all as you can see they can be way more dangerous than any car if in the wrong hands . BLAME THE DEED NOT THE BREED

- Rachael Lockie, newmarket, 25/02/2010 19:44
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Children should never be left unsupervised when near dogs - end of. The article says that the granddaughter answered the door whilst the mother was in the shower. I accept that like everyone else I am not in possession of the full facts, but in the dog's mind it may have thought it was protecting the child.

As for killer instinct, it would be interesting to know the statistics of how may people die each year as a result of dog attacks compared with people being killed by other people. After all, almost every day we hear of someone dying from stab wounds. Difference is 'dangerous humans' have human rights - dog's don't and have no way of communicating in their defence.

This is a human being problem, not an animal one - after all, it is the dog's owner (a human) that is supposed to be responsible for the dog. Not all humans are bad - not all dogs are bad either. So don't tar them all with the same brush. There are good people and bad people - the same is true of dogs. Difference is, dangerous people don't get put down!

- M Robinson, Surrey, 25/02/2010 17:12
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This is my friends grandmother, that I am very fond of. And I am shocked at what has hapaned to her, and apalled that the owner has not taken action yet. Even more appalled that the law in its own way protects dangerous dogs.

I feel bad for the dog too. It is just an animal. And the thing is you just never know. But once a dog has been violent, then we know about that one dog, and it should be put down to prevent future attacks on people.

When I was a kid, our dog, a St Bernard attacked my dad, and ofcourse it was put down, despite the sadness in it. Dad didnt want to risk it attacking someone else !!

- Pia, Copenhagen, Denmark, 25/02/2010 16:09
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This is my nana. I am campaigning to get the law changed so that the DDA act covers private property as well as public space.

- Suzanne Page, Sidcup, London, 25/02/2010 15:28
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I am very sorry to hear what happened to Mrs White and my thoughts are with her. I have also been attacked by a Staffie before. Still, I do not blame the dog only the owner. Same senario, owner was a young man. I fought not to have the dog destroyed but lost. I met with the dog after the incident and he was friendly as could be. He walked straight up to me and laid on his back so i could rub his belly. I have 2 Staffies of my own (1 male 2 years, and 1 bitch 1 year). I also have 3 girls 9, 10 and 13. I walk them everyday with my kids and have never had a problem. Both of my dogs have been attacked by dogs and none of them were Staffies but Jacks, Westies and Yorkies. My "Dangerous Dogs" didn't even fight or bite back. I've seend more aggressive Jacks then I have Staffies. Breed bans dont work. Temperment tests, licences and muzzles do. People are punishing the wrong end of the lead. I believe all dogs should wear a muzzle when in public areas. After all, ALL DOGS BITE!!!

- Shawn, Cambridge, England, 25/02/2010 15:11
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Very sad case, do read the article, it says the dog may have been owned by the son of the lady who was bitten. Loud cries of ban the dogs. What about ban the owners or even just the breeders of many of these dogs; they are totally responsible for the behaviour of the animals. If anyone dared do a study, it could be they find that dangerous dogs are most often bred higgledy piggeldy and without regard for genes or the use of too close members of the canine family involved (just like humans shouldn't have children with close relatives because of possible defects in the children. A survey might well find that the dangerous animals are usually brought up in poor conditions in households where the humans alone are excitable, loud, ill disciplined and capricious and often socially mal adjusted. What hope have the dogs got?

- Helen, norwich, 25/02/2010 12:33
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I sympathise enormously as this poor lady didn't deserve this but just have to say I own a staffie bitch who is as silly as a sheep and as gentle as a lamb. She adores people and socialises well with other dogs and has never ever shown the slightest hint of aggression.

These dogs get a really bad press which is understandable to some degree but I can't help wondering if the government re-instated the need for dog licenses might go some way to discouraging the wrong sort of owners from keeping them. Afterall, we all see on a daily basis in the news that some people keep them as weapons to bully and intimidate others which is abhorent and absolutley not the right reason to have a dog.

- Louise, burgess hill, united kingdom, 25/02/2010 12:32
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Firstly let me say how sorry i am to see such horrific injuries on such an innocent lady, but you cant just be so judgmental about animals which in there own mind must be doing something that the owner at one time or another has taught it to. they are just like children, if you teach with agression and learn them to attack anything then they will always carry out this sort of attack, it is not as random as it would appear. if the owners of the dog were jailed for example then maybe they wouldnt be as keen to say things like get it and see it off and such! i used to own a rottweiller and did so for 5 yrs till it died of cancer, and never once did me or any of my family or friends feel threatened by the 13 stone dog! maybe a dog owners test which is just as hard as the current driving test would be the way forward and stop all this devil dog branding. dont blame the dog blame the owner and make them responsible for the dogs actions! BAN THE OWNERS! not the dogs!

- Scott, blackpool , lancashire, 25/02/2010 12:17
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Is it time that all dogs in Public area's wear a muzzle. Dog owner.

- Shallotman, Basildon, 25/02/2010 12:17
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Frank,if and when we get a Tory government they can send dogs like this to rip Foxes apart all over the UK.

- Nick Smith, London, 25/02/2010 12:13
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This is totally disgusting, How can people get away with this, The dog should have been destroyed by now. The law regarding the dangerous dog act needs to be change.

- Matthew Fisher, london, 25/02/2010 11:40
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How many more stories of this kind do we need? When is this useless, feckless, incompetent government going to something about these animals????

Here is a clue for you - Dog licences.

- Frank, Home Counties, England., 25/02/2010 11:27
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This is absolutely disgusting! This lady is my friends nan and the family are so upset at what has happened. Due to the attack being on private property the police are unable to do anything! The dog is a liability and there should be something done to prevent this happening again......the next victim might not be as lucky as Mrs White, who's injuries are horrific.
My thoughts are with the family, and I am all for signing the petition that Suzanne has set up

- Sarah Waldron, Greenwich, England, 25/02/2010 11:27
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Ban these wild animals. How many more people must be injured, scared for life physically and mentally, or die before the government do something about it. These dogs are killing machines. I don't care what dog owners say, there are some breeds that should not be allowed to exist in England and don't tell me its down to the owners. A killer instinct is a killer instinct and you can never take that away from an animal.

- Frank, Copenhagen, Denmark, 25/02/2010 11:22
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Isn't it about time the breeding of staffordshire bull terriers was stopped. In each and every rescued dogs centre up and down the country they are full of this particular type of breed of dog. Stricter laws should be put in place regarding all dog breeding. Many people and friends that I know have either been hurt themselves by these dogs or had their pets attacked and killed or hurt so badly that it has cost them thousands in vetinary bills. The police do absolutely nothing. Strange isn't it if a burglar enters your houseold and he ends up getting hurt, you get arrested and charged for trying to protect your own property and yet a dog can attack and nearly kill somebody on its property and hey presto, no law broken and nothing done. Why am I not surprised in this apathetic country!

- Janice Hughes, Essex, United Kingdom, 25/02/2010 11:15
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