To the editor:

I would like to respond to the “Pet issues” letter in Sunday’s Public Forum about the pit bull incident in Lawrence. To say that pit bulls and “other killer kinds of dogs” should be banned is absolutely ridiculous. Certain breeds of dogs obviously are more likely than others to become violent, but training is the key to overcome that. A pit bull that is raised in a loving environment around people and other dogs with positive interaction is not going to kill.

What people have to realize is that it is their upbringing that intensifies this violence. It could be neglect, abuse and inhumane treatment that made these dogs do what they did. These incidents happen if a dog is taught how to fight or is trained to protect in the wrong way, but not just because of what breed it is. No one is addressing the issue of how these dogs lived, what training they had (if any), or how to prevent such incidents without blaming the whole breed.

A pit bull puppy isn’t going to kill anyone :quot; it isn’t a monster. Yes, there are calmer breeds out there, but who has the right to tell someone else that they can’t have the kind of dog that they want? It’s like telling a couple adopting a child that they can only adopt from a certain ethnic group.

Responsible pet owners know their dogs’ personalities and don’t train them to kill. In these situations, it’s the owner who is to blame, not the dog.

Gina Korleski,

Lawrence