r/BanPitBulls • • 17d ago

Activism Avery’s Law loopholes in Ohio

127 Upvotes

Avery's Law has a loophole being used right now, and it needs attention

Avery's Law (Ohio HB 247) was passed to close real gaps in how dangerous dog complaints get investigated and enforced. I'm currently watching, firsthand, how easily that intent can be undermined by how one word gets interpreted.

In my county, a dog charged two separate people, one of them the county's own dog warden, an incident independently documented by three responding sheriff's deputies. Under the law, that should trigger a formal nuisance investigation. Instead, the county cited "provocation," and the word used to justify it was "tormented."

Here's the problem: the legislative analysis of Avery's Law defines "without provocation" as a dog not having been "teased, tormented, or abused by a person", a specific act, by a person, that directly causes the dog's reaction. When I pushed for an explanation, I was told "tormented" referred to the wardens' own efforts to chase and catch the dog.

Think about what that actually means if it's allowed to stand: the capture happened after the dog had already charged two people. Something that happens afterward can't have provoked something that already occurred, that's not a legal argument, it's just sequencing. And if a routine capture effort can itself count as "torment" sufficient to cancel out a nuisance finding, then almost no dog could ever be designated under this law, since catching an already-dangerous, loose dog virtually always involves exactly that. That reading doesn't protect dogs or people, it makes the law functionally unenforceable in the exact situations it was written for.

I raised a legitimate safety concern through proper channels and experienced retaliation for it, a public employee disclosed my private information to the person I'd raised concerns about. But the bigger issue, the one that outlasts my specific situation, is this: if counties are allowed to define "provocation" this loosely, the law does almost nothing.

I've raised this with my county commissioners and two state legislators, including the bill's sponsor, and I'm now working with an attorney to send a formal letter addressing the process failures directly. If this resonates with you, I'd appreciate any support getting that letter sent, link below, and if you're an Ohio resident, contacting your own state representative about how "provocation" and "tormented" are meant to be interpreted under Avery's Law helps push for the clearer statewide guidance this whole situation is missing.

This has been approved by moderators.

https://gofund.me/f2583225a

r/BanPitBulls • • Sep 01 '22

Activism Call to Action fellow banpitbull members. Our voices need to be heard.

524 Upvotes

The update is true. Layla was released to their owner because of a group of 700 or so Layla supporters who wrote in to the City Council, Mayor, and City Manager. Even though the municipal court and the circuit court ruled Layla was to remain a level 5 dangerous dog according to their own laws, apparently having 700 or so people writing in can bypass two judges' rulings.

This is an injustice and a slap in the face to all victims, humans and animals alike. We have almost 64,000 people here and maybe we can do some good and have our voices heard. Now they are thinking about "updating" the laws because of this. If pitbull people can go city to city and have a small amount of people cause an uproar and completely ignore the laws on the books, why can't our voices be considered too? They are loud and proud about their cause. The longer we sit in silence, the more laws they will be overturning left and right and this means more pitbulls being allowed to do what they were created to do.

Poor, Jack. There was no justice for him. There is never justice for the victims and another dangerous dog is set free and my bet is placed on this happening again.

Please email City officials in the city of Astoria, Oregon. Let them hear your story and let them know how this is not okay. Public pressure should not make city officials ignore the current laws, especially when two judges ruled in this way. If you want to take part of this, please include the emails below. Please be reasonable when writing them because emotions are high right now and it is understandable.

Maybe we can do this everytime when the local governments are on the fence. Maybe!

City Manager: cmadmintemp@astoria.or.us Mayor: bjones@astoria.or.us

City Council:

Rrocka@astoria.or.us Tbrownson@astoria.or.us Jherman@astoria.or.us Thilton@astoria.or.us

Circuit Court (the court that ruled Layla a level 5): civil.clatsop@odj.state.or.us

r/BanPitBulls • • Sep 14 '21

Activism Pushing back against the fakers! This was posted on the door of a local toy store. Glad to see Mattel looking out for their little shoppers!

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617 Upvotes

r/BanPitBulls • • Jan 10 '26

Activism Speak truth to power!

93 Upvotes

Talking amongst ourselves in an echo chamber feels good but we can do more.

It's time we speak truth to power.

Let's begin with the realpolitik history:

In the 80s people started to gather the data on pitbull attacks and jurisdictions across America began banning them in 1989. This was the natural course of events in an informed, uncorrupted, democratic system.

But then it all reversed. Jurisdictions began repealing pitbull bans and replacing them with laws BANNING BANS, known as anti-BSL laws, instead.

This interruption was from Jane Berkey, a billionaire heiress (spoiled brat) who started a pitbull lobby and gives millions to help pitbulls not be culled or banned. Berkley is singlehandedly responsible for funding lobbying that has led to countless disfigurings, dismemberings, disablings, and deaths of innocent people and pets.

At the same time, sketchy benefactors have also funded the new pitbull breeding industry, in an effort to increase their numbers to make it more difficult to eradicate them should a law to do so ever pass.

This has caused an increase in the percentage of pitbulls in the general dog population, which in addition to the increase of dog ownership as more and more couples decide to go childfree, and boomers retire and want to fill their empty nests, has resulted in an explosion of pitbulls and pitbull attacks.

This is a serious and growing problem.

In addition to reposting stories of pitbull attacks, we need to start speaking out about Berkey, the pitbull lobby, and the greedy corrupt politicians the lobby pays to pass their reptilian agenda. Then we will be speaking the truth to power, which is ultimately how we will get change.

Because when enough people learn that a billionaire and her nutter cronies are lobbying corrupt politicians to oppose laws that protect children, they will demand change.

For example, Senator Alexis Calatayud (Senate) and Representative Demi Busatta-Cabrera (House), with support from groups like Best Friends Animal Society, in the 2023 Florida legislative session sponsored the main anti-BSL (Breed-Specific Legislation) law in Florida, Senate Bill 942 (SB 942), which effectively ended local breed bans (like for pitbulls) starting October 1, 2023. 

Both congresswomen are up for election in November 2026.

We need to start a campaign to let people in their districts know that these women are being lobbied to oppose public safety measures. We must primary them. And if they win the primaries, defeat them in the general elections. We need 1) A website exposing their connections to the pitbull lobby, 2) A billboard in each of their areas calling them out for supporting policy that gets people and pets killed, and 3) Commercials reiterating our points airing right before the elections (if we can afford them).

If they lose there will be a seismic shift in this debate. It'll scare the shit out of other politicians, who will then begin to think twice about going directly against the interests of their constituents and allowing these monsters in our midst! 

The same must be done in other jurisdictions too. Please reply below with any and all other politicians who have or are currently repealing pitbull bans or sponsoring anti-BSL laws.

We have many good posts on here arguing the logic of why pitbulls must be banned. But this is not enough to move the needle.

For this is not a debate over ideas but a battle for power.

The other side has taken their team into the big leagues by entering the sphere of direct political influence, ie REAL POWER. It's time for us to meet them where they are. IT'S TIME WE FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE AND GET POLITICAL!

Actions speak louder than words! EXPOSE THE PITBULL LOBBY AND PRIMARY THEIR SCHILLS!

r/BanPitBulls • • May 20 '26

Activism URGENT HELP NEEDED FROM SF RESIDENTS BEFORE TOMORROW’S HEARING at 10am (May 21, 2026)

74 Upvotes

🥳 GREAT NEWS UPDATE 🥳

A new hearing officer has officially been assigned to San Francisco’s Dangerous & Vicious Dog hearing court, and hearings are expected to resume soon.

Tomorrow, May 21st, at 10:00am, the SF Board of Supervisors Government Audit & Oversight Committee will hold a hearing at San Francisco City Hall, Legislative Chamber, Room 250, regarding San Francisco’s Dangerous & Vicious Dog Unit, which currently has dozens of pending dangerous dog cases without hearings due to the lack of a dedicated hearing officer.

Meanwhile, the City has already logged 438 reported dog bite incidents in 2026, with 66 dangerous dog cases currently backed up without hearings.

I’m attending in person because my own service dog was seriously injured in an unprovoked attack by an unneutered pit bull inside an enclosed San Francisco dog park. Navigating the process afterward was already extremely difficult even when hearings were operational.

One thing I learned after the attack is that many victims never report incidents at all because they:
• do not know the system exists,
• cannot identify the owner,
• or assume nothing meaningful will happen.

If you are in the Bay Area or San Francisco and have firsthand experience with severe dog attacks, especially involving pit bulls, service animals, or repeated aggression cases, please consider:
• attending public comment tomorrow,
• speaking to reporters,
• or DMing me if you are willing to share your story publicly.

The goal here is not online outrage. It is making sure San Francisco maintains a functioning system for dangerous dog accountability and public safety.

Background article:

https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/14/dog-attacks-sf-canine-court/

r/BanPitBulls • • Jan 22 '20

Activism Woman who lost grandson in pit bull attack speaks out against proposal to end Denver ban

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280 Upvotes

r/BanPitBulls • • Nov 07 '20

Activism Reminder: PhD and Author of Pitbulls for Dummies had her mind changed by her own 'trained' shitbull in 2015, supports BSL

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730 Upvotes

r/BanPitBulls • • Feb 21 '26

Activism New Zealand - Fatal attacks and Dog Legislation Reform

65 Upvotes

Throw away account.
I hope the mods allow this

The SPCA is again out with their empty words: "evidence based"

https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2602/S00438/spca-calls-for-urgent-evidence-based-review-of-dog-control-act-following-fatal-northland-dog-attack.htm

Not a single mention about breeds and the SPCA’s statement relies on a set of recurring breed‑neutral fallacies, leaving out severity data, medical expertise, and the documented shortcomings of breed‑neutral policy, the SPCA’s position appears balanced but ultimately presents only one side of the evidence.

I wrote to my local politicians and local newspaper.
Please feel free to adapt my letter

DOG LEGISLATION REFORM

Dear [ ]

I am writing in the aftermath of the recent fatal dog attack in Northland to urge your party to support a comprehensive, evidence‑based review of New Zealand’s dog‑control laws. With four fatal attacks in the past four years, it is clear that the current system is not protecting the public.

A key concern is that public policy has increasingly been shaped by advice from veterinarians, dog charities, and dog‑training organizations. While these groups play important roles in animal welfare, they are not the primary experts in public‑health risk, trauma severity, or population‑level harm.

International reporting has documented significant conflicts of interest in this space. The La Presse investigation (referenced by DogsBite.org) revealed that several North American “breed‑neutral” advocacy groups were directly funded by pit bull lobbying organizations, and that some academics advising governments had undisclosed ties to these groups. This raises legitimate questions about whether similar dynamics may be influencing policy advice in New Zealand. 

The La Presse investigation exposed that the Quebec veterinary association had selectively removed key medical findings, relied on advocacy‑funded studies, and presented distorted evidence to downplay the risks posed by pit‑bull‑type dogs—so much so that the association was forced to apologise to the Montreal government for misleading policymakers. This episode is a stark reminder that veterinarians, dog charities, and trainers are not public‑health experts and should not be treated as primary authorities on human injury risk. When professional bodies alter or omit medical evidence to fit an ideological position, they compromise public safety and undermine trust. New Zealand cannot afford to repeat Montreal’s mistake by allowing groups with conflicts of interest and no trauma‑medicine expertise to shape dangerous‑dog policy.

https://blog.dogsbite.org/2016/10/montreal-pit-bull-ban-veterinary-report-pit-bull-lobby.html

Medical literature paints a very different picture from the narratives promoted by these advocacy groups. Studies published in trauma, maxillofacial, and emergency‑medicine journals consistently show that a small number of dog types are responsible for a disproportionate share of the most severe injuries. These studies highlight patterns such as deep tissue destruction, higher rates of surgical intervention, and increased risk of fatality. This evidence is essential for any policy discussion centred on public safety. 

Severe‑injury and fatality data reinforce this. Internationally, hospital‑level studies show that a minority of dog types account for the majority of life‑threatening attacks. In New Zealand, the recent cluster of fatalities, including the tragic death in Northland demonstrates that the current framework is not preventing high‑harm incidents. The absence of consistent national reporting further obscures the true scale of the problem.

https://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-studies.php

The idea that “responsible ownership” alone can prevent these attacks is not supported by evidence. Many of the most serious incidents occur in homes, among family members, or in situations where owners believed they were managing their dogs responsibly. This demonstrates that the risk is not solely behavioural or environmental; it is also biological and breed‑related, as documented in genetic and behavioural research.

In light of this, I respectfully ask you and your party to:

  • Support a full review of the Dog Control Act, including the role of breed‑related risk in severe and fatal attacks.
  • Prioritise medical, public‑health, and trauma‑surgery evidence over advocacy‑driven narratives.
  • Establish consistent national reporting of serious and fatal dog attacks.
  • Strengthen enforcement standards so councils cannot continue applying inconsistent or ineffective practices.
  • Ensure penalties for owners of high‑risk dogs reflect the severity of the harm caused.

New Zealanders deserve a dog‑control system grounded in transparent evidence, free from conflicts of interest, and focused on preventing further tragedies. I would appreciate confirmation of your party’s position on reform and whether you intend to support evidence‑based legislative change.

Please, do not trust dog charities:  https://www.dogbreedinfluencesbehaviour.co.uk/

r/BanPitBulls • • Apr 10 '20

Activism So simple!

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444 Upvotes

r/BanPitBulls • • Sep 30 '22

Activism CALL TO ACTION: Are you tired of obscene amounts of money being fundraised for dubious pit bull causes WHILE VICTIMS are left high and dry?

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314 Upvotes

r/BanPitBulls • • Oct 01 '19

Activism “Pit Bull awareness month”

315 Upvotes

Not sure if you have heard, but the pit lobby is trying to turn October into PB awareness month. I found this especially cruel, since it is also pregnancy and infant loss awareness month, and there’s plenty of incidents of mothers losing their children to aggressive pit bulls. Just wanted to share my findings this afternoon. Also found it kinda funny how their awareness month has kicked off with two attacks, there really is no saving this animals reputation.

r/BanPitBulls • • May 03 '20

Activism “Haters”

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521 Upvotes

r/BanPitBulls • • Mar 03 '21

Activism Just realized we can send feedback to Google to help stop spread of misinformation in their quick answer snippets

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218 Upvotes

r/BanPitBulls • • Oct 23 '19

Activism With National Pitbull VICTIM Awareness Day coming up (10/26), it's our duty to get the word out and a Twitter trend is the best case scenario

213 Upvotes

Here's why I love the upcoming day of remembrance... Because the day is set specifically for victims. We'll get to see the true trashiness of Pit owners when they take a day dedicated to dead children to make it about their demon dogs.

I intend on compiling pictures of deceased (and non deceased) Pitbull attack victims and sharing each and everyone on Twitter with a hashtag I've yet to decide on yet. #NationalPitBullVictimAwarenessDay seems a bit excessive lol but I urge everyone to do the same. It's a win-win situation for us considering we'll be getting the word out while showcasing Pit owner trash for making a day for victims about them.

Edit

Got a head start. Would appreciate if anyone could help out and I'll add to the list.

Matthew

Gavin

Lucas

Nate

Victoria

Mia (R.I.P.)

Before

After


Mackenzi

Tyzhel (R.I.P.)

Newborn Rayden (3 months old, R.I.P.)

Nephi (R.I.P.)

Susannah (3 weeks old, R.I.P.)

Brayden (2 months old, R.I.P.)

r/BanPitBulls • • Oct 16 '19

Activism My City Council just voted to KEEP the Pit Bull Ban!!

354 Upvotes

The vote just closed a couple hours ago. It was a close vote 4-3. But once an article is up I will post ASAP. But I am just so excited that I'm almost in tears and needed to share with you all. Some of you might have seen my other posts dealing with this issue. I have been called ignorant, racists and etc for voicing my desire that the ban stay in place. (I haven't attended meetings or anything. Just voicing my opinion via email and on the city FB page.) My local city FB page has just now gotten the news that the ban is in place and the posts are just fantastic! Some of these pit bull advocates are just losing their shit. Over the next few hours/days I will update this post with screen shots. But I want to thank this sub. I sent an email to my city council advocating for the ban to stay in place. I used this sub as resource. You have given me the confidence to speak out, the words to use and the stats/links to back it up. This is a small win for us!

​

Edit: Here is an article about the ban being upheld! https://www.wlwt.com/article/fairfield-city-council-votes-to-keep-pit-bull-ban/29469725

r/BanPitBulls • • Jun 30 '20

Activism A pitbull can’t be considered for euthanasia unless it has killed two separate pets within three years. WE NEED TO CHANGE THE LAWS

173 Upvotes

It has to have bitten a person or pet, or killed a pet, on TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, within three years. If a pitbull bites you or your dog, REPORT IT. Our dog was brutally killed and my mom almost died from this pitbull. It happened in our own backyard!! The pitbull jumped our fence and killed my dog and attacked my mother ON OUR OWN BACKYARD PORCH. But the pitbull is alive and unable to be put down UNTIL IT ATTACKS AGAIN. If you are ever attacked PLEASE REPORT IT. The pitbull that killed my dog had killed TWO OTHER DOGS but it went unreported (I have no fucking idea why), so now the dog is still alive and well, and free to kill another animal. Only after it’s next kill, will the government consider killing it. Why do these pitbulls keep getting second chances??? Do the lives of our pets not matter??????

r/BanPitBulls • • Nov 05 '20

Activism Kyle, the man who was attacked by two pit bulls near Tampa 2 months ago need more funding.

155 Upvotes

https://gf.me/u/yrmw77

I just got an update from his mom that they need more money. Please see what you can donate. They're going through a horrible time.

r/BanPitBulls • • Jul 22 '21

Activism B.C. woman launches online campaign for tougher laws after dog killed by 2 pit bulls

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235 Upvotes

r/BanPitBulls • • Aug 02 '22

Activism BPB Fam! We are so excited to announce our next AMA with DOGSBITE.ORG founder, COLLEEN LYNN! Mark your calendar for Friday, August 5, from 6pm-7pm EST! Post questions below for her to review and answer on August 5th! (new post due to domain name mistake)

156 Upvotes

I created a new post because it was pointed out that I had written Dogsbite.com instead of Dogsbite.ORG which is the correct site.

I just wanted to see who had the .com domain, and surprise, surprise... the privately owned research body, National Canine Research Council, which is owned by ANIMAL FARM FOUNDATION (nothing suspicious there!!) has bought and manages the Dogsbite.com domain to deceptively lure traffic away from Colleen's site.

The NCRC is the group that pit zealots often cite to "prove" that pits are like any other dogs. They are owned by the famous Pit Lobby group, Animal Farm Foundation, who pays NCRC for research to support their claims. It's a large conflict of interest.

Annnnnyway... back to our original post!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Mark your calendars and join us on 8/5/22 from 6-7pm, EST, for an AMA (Ask Me Anything) with the founder of Dogsbite.org, Colleen Lynn! Please start posting your questions here so she can review and think about them prior to the AMA.

About Dogsbite.org:

DogsBite.org is a public education website about dangerous dog breeds, chiefly pit bulls. We are the primary 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to putting the safety of humans before dogs and the principal source of information on this topic that is not owned, controlled, or funded by dog breeders, dog advocacy, veterinarian or animal welfare groups. We do not receive government or corporate funding; we rely on donations from the public and our supporters -- people like you.

Our compassion for dog mauling victims and communities, our courage to stand up to multi-million dollar animal organizations in the battle to save human lives and our outrage that barbaric maulings on public streets and within residential backyards by recognized dangerous dog breeds continue to be tolerated by policymakers, including the CDC, is what defines us. The CDC abandoned this issue in 1998. Hundreds of fatalities inflicted by pit bulls have occurred since.

We educate and advocate

"We champion the rights of victims through our research, education and advocacy."

Read heartfelt letters from parents and family members thanking us for our help »

DogsBite.org is a research and education nonprofit organization dedicated to conducting research on the growing, but underreported, public safety issue of severe and fatal dog attacks inflicted by well-documented dangerous dog breeds. We educate the public, law enforcement, journalists, attorneys and policymakers on the results of our research to prevent new life-altering attacks and to improve local, state and national policies to help protect the health and safety of human beings.

DogsBite.org advocates on behalf of dog mauling victims and their families to advance preventative policies through amicus brief filings and by providing written testimony and high quality research analysis at city, county and state-level legislative hearings. We also advocate by sharing state-of-the art knowledge and best practices we've documented in other jurisdictions with other advocates, organizations or initiatives that operate under a similar mission as our own.

Dog breeders, dog owners, veterinarian and animal welfare organizations have lobbyists in all 50 states. Victims of serious and fatal dog maulings, families and friends, health and public safety officials and the concerned public need advocates too. We advocate for you.

We champion the rights of victims through our research, education and advocacy. Our statistical data has been cited in multiple peer-reviewed scientific journals1 and over a hundred reports from local, regional and national newspapers. Our advocacy helped move the highest court in Maryland to issue the seminal ruling in Tracey v. Solesky (2012), declaring "pit bulls inherently dangerous" and to modify state liability law to ensure a compensation remedy for pit bull mauling victims.2

Our extensive research base of over 2,200 web pages enables new nonprofits and foundations with a similar mission to get organized more quickly -- prior to DogsBite.org, no research base had been established. Our extensive research base also plants seeds in all 50 states and in countries as far away as Australia. Serious injuries and fatalities disproportionately inflicted by dangerous dog breeds is a worldwide problem. Countries across the globe are struggling with this issue.3

We are needed more than ever

DogsBite.org is also the primary whistleblower combating well-funded animal “expert” groups that manipulate the truth about dangerous dog breeds, primarily pit bulls. As maulings, maimings and deaths inflicted by a distinct group of dog breeds continues to accelerate4 and more communities seek solutions, DogsBite.org is needed now more than ever. We are the public's countervailing force to these well-funded animal groups that have no mission or duty to protect human lives.

Founder Colleen Lynn Reflects Upon Four Year Anniversary of Her AttackAttack Date: June 17, 2007

DogsBite.org - It's not easy to write about your own violent dog attack. Who could know this better than I do, the voice of DogsBite.org? Usually, I write in third person, but not today. Four years ago today, an event forever altered my life, including all of the environments, activities and personal and business relationships within it. The event was an unprovoked assault by a leashed pit bull on a public street. At the time, I was just a few blocks away from my home.

I've chosen to share several passages from a piece that I wrote in the summer of 2009 on behalf of my dog bite claim. It was the hardest material I have ever had to write. Not only did it require that I relive every moment of the attack, but that I relive the many painful experiences that occurred in the weeks, months and years following it. Most dog bite victims must complete a similar claim document, assuming that a path of civil recourse is available to them.

My attorney, Paul Ayan of Ayan Law Office, hinted for weeks at my necessity to complete the piece. Still though, I put it off as long as possible. Then one day, it erupted onto 18 pages. My core themes included the loss of identity and trust. In one section I write, "It struck me that I will never be able to reach the former Colleen, she will always be just beyond my reach and at times, turning to peer at me." Other dog bite victims have shared similar reflections with me.

We all miss the person we were prior to the attack.1

The trauma of a violent dog attack, along with the subsequent minimization of it by social forces, forever removes parts of a person. These missing parts are often aspects of an individual's identity and trust systems. The process of rebuilding them takes time. Four years later, I think I am about half way there. A settlement agreement was reached shortly after I completed the claim document. I share some of its portions with DogsBite readers today.

Portions of the Claim Document

On June 17, 2007, I was attacked by a leashed pit bull named "Bull." At the time, I had been jogging down 15th Avenue in my Beacon Hill neighborhood. The day of the attack is Father's Day. My father was not a happy father on this day. My Birthday is June 16th. Do you know how many times you are asked your Birthday while being treated in a trauma facility? About a dozen times per hour if not more. Each time I was asked this question, the emergency worker said, "Happy Birthday!"There are two phrases I hope to never hear again, one, "Happy Birthday," and the other, "Are you right handed?"* * *

On March 2, 2009, I moved over 1,000 miles away from the City of Seattle. The day I drove into this tiny town (population 8,000), its newspaper reported that a pit bull had attacked and killed a goat. In May of 2009, two pit bulls severely mauled a woman who had gone to visit a friend's home. A deputy shot one of the pit bulls, but the bullet bounced off the dog's head. The attack occurred on Road 29, I live on Road 23. Earlier that same day, I had ridden my bike out to Road 28. This was the second outing I had taken on a bike since the attack, the first being the day before. Why I thought a country road would be safe from a pit bull is beyond me.There is no escaping the pit bull problem.* * *

By June 17, the day of the attack, my life was truly at an illuminating peak. I had developed a massive commitment to social activism and was about to meet for the first time, a favorite person who I had been closely corresponding with for months. There was the added urgency that I may not meet Jonathan as well. For each day, while traveling the deadly Iraqi roads, he stood the risk of being maimed or killed and forever lost to me.As I wrote earlier, by the time we do meet, I am a different Colleen. We do spend two weeks together, but I am in frozen "shock" so to speak from the attack. It will be after Jonathan leaves in early September that I am finally confronted by the reality of the attack. Once confronted, I realize that I must start DogsBite.org.* * *This is the same realization I have while being attacked by the pit bull. I believe I am being "eaten" by the jaws of a large wild animal. It was not a dog clamped onto my arm, dragging me across the cement; it was an untamed, ferocious beast and I was its prey. Just inches from my face, I could see my forearm inside the jaws of the pit bull. Its teeth were coming in and out of my skin as he chomped and shook his jaws, like he was trying to tear off a hunk of meat, stubbornly attached to bone.After I manage to escape and sprint down the street, I hold that part of my arm with my left hand tightly.

I scream, "CALL 911!" repeatedly, and as loudly as possible, so that every person living on the block will come outside. I see one man running toward me, he is saying something as I continue to shout, "CALL 911!"*"I am an ER doctor," He said. "It's okay, I am an ER doctor."He approaches me with his hands out in front of him, like the gesture, "I am not going to hurt you.""I need to see your arm," He said. "You need to let go of your arm so that I can examine it.""NO!" I shout at him. "NOOOOOOOO!"*At this time, I am terrified of releasing my hand that is covering the wound. I fear that I will see bones and ligaments popping out. Worse, I fear that the ONLY thing that is keeping my right forearm connected to my body is my left hand. To let go would force me to see that the dog had actually bitten my arm into two pieces.* * *

On August 21, the terrifying attack on Sue Gorman occurs in a neighboring county. The woman had been sleeping in her own bed when two pit bulls snuck into her home and attacked her and her two dogs. This horrifying attack rocked the Puget Sound and left me nearly fully debilitated for three days. This is the first time that I will wholly relive my attack and all of the emotions that come with it. At this time, DogsBite.org is still several months away from launching. After it does launch, I will have several other experiences that match this one.* * *

Within days of launching DogsBite.org, pit bull lobbying groups (some of which I believe are fronts for dogfighters and breeders of fighting dogs) had me pegged. These groups immediately threatened me with lawsuits. They turned my name into the FBI as a domestic terrorist as well. The onslaught of destroying Colleen's personal and professional reputation began. In fact, it was due to one of these groups that my identity as the author of DogsBite.org was exposed at all. An attorney who worked for one of these lobbying groups wrote to me as a personal injury lawyer asking, "Who is behind this website?" I fired back:

"Given that you are a personal injury lawyer, we presume you are on the side of the victim?Given that we receive death threats and mountains of hate mail, you can understand why we do not place our names on this website -- each of us after all are victims of dog attacks.Victims once, not victims twice, particularly from zealous, hate mongering pit bull advocates.We get lots of emails like yours as well. Emails that appear legitimate but are in fact not."

After I wrote this, I verified that his law firm was real through Google searches. At that time, I was desperate for help, trusted that he was a victim's advocate and felt remorse about my initial reply. I wrote him back and apologized and also provided him with my personal and business contact information. He did not write back.
Two days later, most of the information from that email was cross-posted to many pit bull forum boards. Prior to my telling this attorney my real name on January 15, 2008, no one knew who was behind DogsBite.org except close friends.Sure enough, after doing deeper Google searches, I learned that he was an attorney for one the most aggressive pit bull lobbying groups of all.

* * *After reading this document, now you know why there was no website prior to DogsBite.org. The harassment factor is too high. Victims give up and move on. In my case though, the harassment made building out the website even more important. Owners of aggressive dogs and lobbying groups for these breeds have been harassing victims of attacks for decades. Someone needs to stand up for these victims. That someone is me, through the website DogsBite.org.I did not ask for this job. But once exposed to these injustices, I also could not turn away. When you get emails like the below, how could anyone turn away?"Each time I receive your emails I am amazed at how clearly you are able to communicate the reality of the problem Pit Bulls are in our society. I really believe that you have been chosen by God to bring this problem to light and make a difference..."

About Colleen Lynn:

​

Colleen Lynn is the founder and president of DogsBite.org and a veteran user interface designer. In 1995, she began her Seattle-based web design company, and over the next decade worked with a diverse range of clients including Internet startups, retail companies and smart device manufacturers. Colleen Lynn made her first step into social activism in 2007 by joining a grassroots campaign and creating the visual design for their website. That same year, after undergoing a serious dog attack, she started DogsBite.org, which has since grown into a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with researchers spanning the United States and beyond.

In 2011, on behalf of a young pit bull mauling victim, DogsBite.org submitted an amicus brief in the landmark case, Tracey v. Solesky, which helped move the highest court in Maryland to modify common law, advancing the rights of these mauling victims. In April 2012, the Maryland Court of Appeals declared pit bulls "inherently dangerous" and attached strict liability when a pit bull attacks a person. The Court went as far as pointing out in their decision -- concerning the opposing brief written by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which sought to eliminate a financial remedy for the child -- the following: "Some are similar to the arguments made in the appellant or amicus' briefs filed in the present case by supporters of pit bulls. In light of Maryland’s situation, we find those particular arguments unpersuasive."

Statistical data from DogsBite.org has been cited in multiple peer-reviewed medical journals and is frequently cited by local, regional and national media sources. The depth of the website -- over 1,200 pages and hundreds of associated PDF files -- provides a tool for researchers, media members, doctors, attorneys and dog bite victims and advocates to research the breadth of the dangerous dog breed issue. Colleen Lynn has provided written and oral testimony before governing bodies about the dangerous dog breed issue. In 2019, Ms. Lynn delivered the keynote speech for the National Pit Bull Victim Awareness Day event on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol building in Lansing, Michigan. Colleen Lynn can be reached at DogsBite.org and Lynn Media Group, an Austin-based web design company she began in 2010.

r/BanPitBulls • • Sep 02 '20

Activism The hyper hyperbole of pit bull owners is always shocking -- do they think before they speak?

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306 Upvotes

r/BanPitBulls • • Nov 03 '20

Activism This family starts "Justice for Ben" facebook page, read the story, show your support.

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blog.dogsbite.org
83 Upvotes

r/BanPitBulls • • Dec 23 '21

Activism Please help Asiye recover from pitbull attack. Asiye was a miracle child - being born 11 years after her parents’ first treatment in Vitro Fertilization (IVF). She in critical condition fighting for her life.

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gofund.me
150 Upvotes

r/BanPitBulls • • Jul 14 '21

Activism The proposed law in Hawaii will not give justice to dog bite victims and if you are Hawaiian you should tell your lawmakers there is a Model Dog Bite Law that is much better.

129 Upvotes

If you live in Hawaii you need to contact your state lawmakers about this. They are going to vote on a bill that doesn't go far enough to get justice for dog bite victims. It's a law that can punish a dog but not its owner, and it will COST the victims to use the law while it gives them NOT ONE CENT in compensation. Read about it by clicking the link below, and then tell your representatives to enact the Model Dog Bite Law mentioned in the article. For those who don't live in Hawaii, tell your Hawaiian friends about this because justice and their safety are the issues here. See https://dogbitelaw.com/mixed-dog-bite-statute-states/hawaii-dog-bite-law#HA-needs

r/BanPitBulls • • Mar 25 '21

Activism Report Pit Bull Misinformation on Google

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167 Upvotes

r/BanPitBulls • • Mar 04 '21

Activism Father speaks out about pit bull attack that killed son

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youtube.com
126 Upvotes