Pit Bulls Get Bad Rap After Attacks
New York, NY —
Two separate, vicious attacks by pit bulls this week is again shining a harsh spotlight on the breed.
A 90-year-old Staten Island man remains in critical condition after he was attacked late Tuesday morning in his yard on John Street. And a three-year old Brooklyn boy was attacked in an East New York apartment early yesterday after the dog's owner, in an argument with his estranged wife, put his pit bull through a window into a room where five children were sleeping.
Kamar Reynolds was in serious condition after surgery to re-attach his left ear. Both owners face criminal charges and the dogs involved have been or will be euthanized.
But spokesman Richard Gentles with the City's Animal Care and Control says pit bulls are not necessarily dangerous.
GENTLES: That's the breed where there's the biggest hype. That's who you see in the news most often. All breeds of dogs attack unfortunately and it's how they're brought up and how they're raised and how they're raised.
REPORTER: He says anyone who believes a dangerous dog is in the neighborhood can report it to the city's 311 hotline.
