POLL: BAD DOGGIES!

On the heels of several dog attacks over the last several months, pit bulls are seen as dangerous animals in Hudson County, according to a recent Jersey Journal/New Jersey City University poll.

Nearly a third - 31 percent - of county residents who responded think pit bulls should be outlawed, the poll found, while 50 percent disagreed.

In addition, 50 percent of those polled said they believe pit bulls are more dangerous than other dog breeds, compared to 35 percent who said they are not more dangerous.

“Pit bulls are unlikely to replace poodles, Yorkies and Labs in the hearts and hearths of Hudson County residents anytime soon,” wrote NJCU political science professor Fran Moran, one of the poll’s authors.

Last month, a man was charged with animal cruelty after his pit bull tore apart a live chicken in Enos Jones Park, according to a police report. It was the latest incident to involve a pit bull.

Pit bulls have been blamed in recent months for attacking cops in three separate incidents, terrorizing Hamilton Park and biting off a woman’s fingertip on Myrtle Avenue, according to police reports.

Of the poll’s respondents, 34 percent said they own a pit bull or know someone who does, while 61 percent said they do not. “No doubt at least part of the reason that this is not a particularly popular family pet in the county is the breed’s aggressive reputation,” Moran wrote.

Aurora Piacentino, of the Liberty Humane Society, wrote in an e-mail that she was “very surprised” more people did not know a pit bull owner, saying that “the sheer number of pit bulls in this area is astounding.”

She also said the dogs get a bad rap.

“While there are some bad pit bulls, it is not fair to ban a whole breed based on the actions of relatively few,” Piacentino wrote, adding that banning them would solve nothing.

“The majority of the dogs that cause problems are owned by irresponsible pet owners. These people would simply move on to another breed of dog.”

http://www.nj.com/jjournal/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1197444080179750.xml&coll=3