Johnny Wilson Mauled to Death by His Daughters 6 Pit Bulls

• Every Pit I've ever met was a lap dog. They were sweeter than sweet and were originally called nanny dogs, because they were so caring and protective of the children in the family. Bad dogs are the result of bad people. We should not put down dogs that do what they've been trained to do by some asshole jerk. We should put down the jerk. And the fucking band plays on.........

• I know from my own personal experience not all Pit Bulls are dangerously aggressive. There was a female Pit that lived next door to me who terrified me. Every time she was out in the yard on a chain and saw me she'd bark and growl. She would also at times charge the chain linked fence. I was glad when she did that she was on a strong chain on the other side of a chain link fence. On the other hand there is a male Pit Bull that lives across the alley from me. All he ever did was walk a few steps toward me on his chain and merely barked once. He has never growled at me so I'm not afraid of him. I agree also the problem must be inbreeding. Pit Bulls were bred to be aggressive towards other dogs but not towards people.

• IGetIT, thanks for pointing out that breeds are bred to excel at certain actions. Pit Bull owners may think it's cute that Labradors excel at fetching and that Newfoundlands will try to rescue someone just messing around in water but conveniently forget what their Pit Bull was historically bred for. They were bred to kill to establish dominance.

• Very well said "Getitsaid". I carried mail for many years and was attacked by many different dogs. Once by a pack of mixed breeds. I never underestimated any potential threat. My favorite saying to a dog owner that says "My dog wouldn't bite" is you know that and I know that but does he know that. My fear was more with Pit Bulls because of what they were BRED for. The potential for severe injury or death is much higher than it would be with a Collie or a small Terrier.

• Ever notice when Pitts attack its always a mystery as to why, or is always unprovoked? well..... Labs were bred to retrieve IE birds and other foul, and have a predisposition to do so. (ever see a Lab NOT fetch with glee) Pit Bulls:His ancestors were brought to the United States in the mid - 1800's by Boston-Irish immigrants. Originally bred from a variety of bulldogs and terriers, American breeders increased his weight and gave him a more powerful head. A forbearer to the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, they were originally bred to be a fighting dog. Bull baiting was banned in England in 1835. Ever see a Pit Bull with a solid history of Bite Inhibition??? No. This breed was created purposely to fight. Aggression may NEVER NEVER rear its head in certain animals. I myself have had a pit for 8 yrs that was a mushy sweet kind hearted dope. BUT make no mistake, I never for a second NOT for one logical second, believed her temperment couldnt go south if the right stimuli was introduced. We think we KNOW these animals. We do not. They are just that. Animals, some have play drive, some have PREY drive. My neighbor from 10 yrs back had 2 Pits, purebred, nice nice animals, that lived with a little Scottie! They all got along FABULOUS,...soooo neighbor ASSUMED these Pits were good with ALLLLL little dogs. (that is a BIG problem here, the whole "well they are FINE with MY Cat, Little Dog, Kids, Noises, Bicycles, Car...so they HAVE to be OK across the Board) The Pitts ended up breaking through a Cedar Fence one afternoon to rip another 62 yr old neighbors Pomeranian to pieces while teathered to the leash the old woman was holding, subsuquently biting HER viciously as she tried to save her dog. These dogs lived with alittle dog, Women and Pom were just walking down the road on the other side of the street. This was PREY drive. A switch clicked that NO ONE wanted to admit was there. There is a genetic level of aggression that is in this Breed, as well as Cane Corso's, Presa Canero's and certain Mastiffs. This is NOT damning the breed, it is fact. Chihuahas shake and nip,..Shepherds guard and herd, and Pitts defend and attack.The BIGGEST human mistake is ever saying "My Dog Wouldnt Do That" Period

• It is very sad when anyone is harmed or killed by ANY animal. Pit bulls have gotten such a bad rep because of the dog fights and drug dealers. But we own a pit who everyone in the neighborhood loves. I know a guy who breeds them to sell and he says the ones that turn are usually ones who are INNERBREED (mother & son, brother and sister) It does something to their brain (shrinks it like in dobermans) and that is what causes them to turn. That's why he will ONLY breed a dog 3 times and get it fixed. To outlaw one breed of dog is not fair. I have been attacked by stupid tiny dogs, bitten by a labador and such. Should we ban all dogs, all animals? I have great sorrow over these things, but I blame the breeders who want to make a bunch of money and the owners who see something happening but don't address it.

• God's Cop: So not true about the majority of Pit Bull owners being Thugs and gang members. This is the most misunderstood breed and unfortunately, their are some incredibly irresponsible owners. I have only ever owned Pit Bulls and do not let my dogs out without a leash and without myself or my husband's supervision...OUTSIDE WITH THEM AT ALL TIMES. There is NO room for error or neglect with this breed. They already have a bad rap, due to gangsters and thugs mistreating them by fighting and abusing them. The problem is that you only see in the news, the bad stories with regard to the breed. Look up Villalobos Animal Sanctuary, they rescue and find proper homes for Pit Bulls. They are not all bad. Just like Races of people. Society has put a label on animals/people and unfortunately people who don't know enough about the situation make a rash judgment. That's not to say that there aren't "bad/mean" pit bulls out there, there certainly are, but there are also mean dobermin pinchers, dalmations, labs, huskies, etc. The owners need to be held accountable and responsible for their animals. If you cannot be a responsible owner, you shouldn't be an owner at all, (kindof like parenting, huh?).

• I knew this guy from work. He was one of the nicest person you could ever meet. It was such a shock to hear what happen to Johnny. I cannot understand what kind of person would have that many dogs, let along pit bulls in there home. What we were not told was were they kept in the house, or did she allow that many dogs freedom of the house. There are many questions, never answered. She now has to live with her dads death and regardless as to what kind of money the daughter made from breeding, it could not have been worth the headache before his death or after. Now she has to live with her ridiculous decision to breed especially in the home they had to live in. Had it been my dad when they ripped his clothes they would definitely been history.

• God works in mysterious ways mabey he needed to be with his wife. sounds stupid i know, think about it.

• I live in San Francisco where a lot of non-thug, non-gang people have pit bulls because they are incredibly great dogs. They are very human-friendly and loyal to their owners. I have met so many sweet pit bulls, I am a huge fan of the breed. Having said that, owning six dogs, all apparently unaltered (because she was a breeder) is really irresponsible and a recipe for disaster. A boy was killed here in San Francisco when his mother left him alone with the family's two pitbulls - one was a female in heat and the other was an unaltered male. Doy! I read a story once about an old woman who was killed by a "pack" of six Chihuahuahs and terriers - all her own pets. Apparently she fell out of her wheelchair and was flailing around on the floor and/or squealing and she triggered the dogs' atavistic prey instincts. Pit bulls do have a strong prey drive, and aren't all that dog-friendly, and it's possible if one was in heat, or if they all got riled up somehow, that they could turn into a killer pack. But then again, so can any group of dogs in the wrong circumstances - ESPECIALLY if they're not fixed.

• I owned a pit bull and she was the greatest dog ever.. I have three boy's and she was never aggressive to any of them. Stop blaiming the breed... It has alot to do with the ownerl. And as for the person who said they associate the breed with thugs and gang members, your totally wrong because I am neither of those and I owned one. R.I.P. Lady I miss you terrible...

• Hold On! You all are giving the dogs way too much credit and responsibility (and I am in no way blaming the daughter b/c i can't imagine how a person could ever see this coming and we tend to trust our dogs b/c they usually do love us so much) but dogs do not have the same brain we do, their world is leader, follower, pack, territory and that's all there is to it and ever will be. They are not acting like this b/c they were abused. An abused dog would be hiding from people and attacking when cornered.

• What a horrific way to go. I can't even imagine how his daughter feels. As a side note, though, this is another reason to be against dog breeding.

• i knew and worked with the father,johnny wilson.number 1 he was not a carrier. he was a mail clerk. he didnt wear a uniform. he wore regular clothes to work.i dont know where the media got mail carrier from.he was one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.very out going had no known enemies.he loved to laugh always spoke to everyone,loved bowling,sports and friendships.he will be truely missed !!

• I just want to put this out there if for no one else for LIFE LONG PET OWNER. first and foremost I owned a female pit white and brendal named Shy and she was the best freind i ever had she lived out her life and never turned on or hurt anyone. Secondly to insinuate this womans father did anything to these dogs is an outrage!! I work at an SPCA no kill animal shelter and can tell you for 100% fact a Pit does not have to be BEAT ABUSED OR TORMENTED to turn. partly to do with overbreeding partly to do with a chemical change in the brain as they get older and pit's are very prey driven animals.Then u have the pack mentality going on here when one attacks and hurts the rest of the pack follow suit. I think this woman had to much going on and as well intended she may have been did not take proper precautions.Also dogs can missunderstand nervousness and the father probably was very nervous after the week b4 incident. But to blame the father and the uniform is making a little bit to much excuse!!

• This is a tragedy that perhaps could have been avoided had someone taken the time to find out what caused the dogs to suddenly become aggressive. Was someone abusing them? Were they not being fed enough? I've owned Pit Bulls (No I am not a Thug or gang member as someone else suggested those were the ONLY types to own this particular breed that type of stereo typical thinking is why the media loves these types of stories) and I know from experience these dogs can be the sweetest, friendliest and yes, most protective animals when taken care of properly. ANY dog can become a killing machine if they are abused or neglected, even smaller breeds than Pit Bulls. I think the media tends to leach onto a story about vicious dogs most often when the breed is a Pit Bull to feed and profit off of the fear they can create in the public's eye. Chows, Chihuahuas, German Shepards even Poodles have been known to attack but there are always triggers. I also agree with some of the other posts about the uniform, for all we know the daughters mail carrier could have done something to cause those dogs to fear others wearing uniforms (I've actually saw a "nervous" mail carrier pepper spray a basset hound who was too old to be bothered to even so much as bark at the carrier), or sadly dad could even have done something before hand. Good dogs just don't go bad for no reason and when it comes to uniforms dogs aren't able to tell the difference in one person in a uniform who perhaps hurt them and a person who hasn't hurt them. I am sorry for this woman's loss and am not making light of the fact that her father was killed but I do wonder what was it that caused these dogs to become aggressive in the first place. After all, these were NOT feral dogs, these were pets. Big difference.

• Gina if your lil quotations marks were directed at me in saying something should have been done about the dog's sooner I still mean that. This woman bred a powerful breed we aren't talking about a yorkshire terrier who scratched up his shirt, the article indicated they were'nt "playing" with him in his mail carrier uniform, they had started to act agressively in the week prior and ripped his clothes, leaving the assumption a week prior they were agressive to her father. SO i return to what i originally said if ur gonna own a powerful breed like this in a group of 6 at that u should be more responsible and take more precautions. If our 2 boxers ever got agressive around our parent's in their 60's they would'nt be around them anymore by kennel are locked in a bedroom till my parent's left.Just little precaution's like these. Don't own more animals than u can handle ppl

• Gina - that very well maybe true about the uniform. My dog never seems to bark when other people approach my door, but when the mailman comes she barks like crazy. Concerned Citizen - exactly. I'm terrified when I see feral dog packs. I've heard so many horror stories of dog packs. I'm strongly against people having packs of dogs in their home. I wouldn't hesitate to report them, especially since it is illegal where I live.

• Gina, I was thinking the same thing, that it was really ironic that he was a postal carrier. You are right but I think that the problem with this situation is that it is strange to begin with to have that many grown dogs of the same breed living in the house with you. My dog gets aggressive with my daughter but he is little and just acts tough and nips. But I know she is not in danger b/c he is 14 pounds. I love dogs, but I would have to say that I myself would feel uneasy being outnumbered by that many dogs of that size.

• What a shocking tragedy it would be to be her and come home and see your father torn apart by your own pets. I know this may seem cliche, or that Im making light of the situation, but I honestly wonder if his mail carrier uniform set them off? I've been a dog owner most of my life until recently and its wild how every single one of my dogs would freak out if the mail man was at the door or walking up the street. My german sheppard would even be that way if police were walking on the street as if it were the blue in their uniform. They wouldn't get all hyped up if they saw my fathers firefighter uniform or my brothers Navy uniform either, so it was beyond me; especially since it was never one particulat mail carrier. Its easy to say "hey why didnt you do something about them the first time they showed aggressiveness" but in all actuality dogs sometimes do get aggressive with certain people for no reason. She probably thought nothing of it. And it didn't say they attacked him that bad the first time, only was pulling on his clothes. Dogs even play that way sometimes. So, I can't blame her. She suffered from this tragedy horrbily. She lost her father, and Im sure blames herself. I'm not saying that this lady raised them to be aggresive, but I know some of the sweetest and tamest pit bulls so its not purely because of the breed.

• Just wanted to echo everyone else's opinion in that number one the first incident would have indicated the dogs should not have been alone with her father, preventive precaution's could have been taken. To she had way to many strong bred dog's to have as a pack in her home like that, some dog's are just prey driven and you put them in a pack it makes it worse.

• Actually, I think that these dogs have been bred so much for fighting now, that they have become aggressive. Dogs' life spans are about 1/7 or 1/8 of a humans so you can imagine, those characteristics that breeds have been bred for is concentrated at that rate. After ten years they will be more like what they were bred for and so on and so on. I actually saw this discovery channel show that said that dogs actually have some special gene that no other animal has that has allowed people to manipulate their physical characteristics so easily over such a short period of time. A lot of breeds have been developed over only several hundred years. And I even see a MAJOR pack mentality in my little min. pinscher. Yes, when they act aggressively like that, something is wrong.

• You're right Sharon, dogs are like any other animals, once a pack is formed, it can become dangerous, no matter what breed. Feral dogs have attacked and killed people because of the strength of their packs. This is very sad and probably should have been watched much closer given the previous incident.

• Some breeds of dogs were bred for the wrong reasons and just as not everybody is fit to be a parent not everyone is fit to be a dog owner. I think dogs take on the characteristics of their owners and if you mistreat them sooner or later they will turn on you. I don't know enough about this particular breed, so I can't make a judgment about their characteristics, but the overwhelming majority of people that I see with this breed are thugs and gang members.

• The sad thing is this could have been prevented and the daughter will have to live with this guilt. I'm a pit bull owner and it really makes me mad and sad this happened. It can be dangerous to have a pack of dogs. You have to be a strong leader. Packs will attack anyone that is weak. In Los Angeles, you're not allowed to have more than 3 dogs to a household. She really should have done something when they attacked him the first time.

• Unbelievable! If they started showing aggression a couple weeks ago she should have had them contained.

• Oh what a sad story :(((( Poor daddy, poor daughter, and even poor dogs eventually... I really hope I never end like Mr Wilson !

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