There’s No ‘Breed From Hell’ : Dogs: Pit bulls are the current villains, but the breeders, not the animals, are the problem.

Fatal maulings by pit bulls have occurred often enough in recent years to seem almost commonplace. Equally common and predictable are the reactions of everyone concerned.

Politicians, such as Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn and Gov. George Deukmejian, talk of an outright ban on pit bulls, and the dog lobby reacts with an immediate campaign against such legislation.

The news media slavishly recount the gruesome details of the latest attack, and the public clamors for something, anything, to prevent such atrocities.

I am a reserve animal-control officer, a dog owner and a writer about dogs (including pit bulls), and this latest killing leaves me with an eerie sense of deja vu.

Marjee Lilly, a 70-year-old San Diego woman visiting her grandson’s home in Los Angeles, was killed by his two dogs, young pit bull mixes. We’ll probably never know why Vic and Chomper attacked her.

In any case, Marjee Lilly’s death calls for solutions beyond the usual lip service to good laws and platitudes about responsible pet ownership.

First, though, we need a common understanding of the nature of the problem.

The term “pit bull” has been used to identify a large population of registered and unregistered, purebred and mixed-breed dogs. Their ancestors were bred and raised to fight other animals. As such, most share a remarkably uncanine characteristic: They will fight to the bloody end and rarely warn of an impending attack.

Just because they are genetically selected to fight other animals does not mean they present a danger to people. On the contrary, the old-time dogfighters bred their animals to be docile with humans.

Those dogfighters may not be everyone’s idea of the perfect gentlemen--except when compared to the owners who emerged in the 1980s: the street-corner fighters, the drug dealers and the macho guys who want the meanest dog on the block. Backyard breeders, looking to make a quick buck, started mass-producing the dogs with no regard to temperament.

No one can dispute the fact that pit bulls are over-represented in fatal attacks. From 1979 through 1988, at least 157 people were killed by dogs in the United States, and pit-bull breeds were involved in 41.6% of those fatal attacks, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. Although there are no reliable statistics on the number of pit bulls, we know that those breeds do not account for anywhere near 40% of our canine population.

In reality, though, the pit bull is just the latest breed to reap the spoils of over-popularity. In the 1960s and 1970s, guard and attack dogs became popular, and the wrong people wanted Doberman pinschers and German shepherds. Soon, German shepherds headed the list of dogs that killed. In this decade, there’s a strong likelihood the Rottweiler will replace the pit bull as the media’s dog from hell.

One of the obvious solutions is to pass laws, but not those outlawing a new dangerous dog each decade. Both San Diego and Los Angeles recently passed model laws. In those cities, a dog can be impounded by animal control officers if it attacks or even shows a propensity to cause injury to humans (and in Los Angeles, other animals.) Enforcing the laws against dogfighting also helps.

But laws and enforcement can do only so much. Dog owners must be held liable for the actions of their canine charges. In that regard, we have made strides. At least two people, including a California man, have been convicted of manslaughter after their pit bulls killed.

But why stop there? Why not hold dog sellers, including pet stores, responsible as well?

Dog-fanciers in other countries are ahead of Americans in recognizing the importance of canine temperament. For instance, in Mexico, a German shepherd must have proof of a sound temperament in order to have its championship recognized. Tests of temperament are available and are already used by law-enforcement agencies and other specialty trainers.

Strong steps should at least be thoughtfully studied before we forget Marjee Lilly:

* Demand that all breeding dogs have proof of sound temperament as well as proof that they are free of the ever-growing numbers of genetic defects showing up in purebred dogs. Concurrently, set up free clinics to encourage spaying and neutering of companion pets.

* License dog breeders. Anyone wanting to produce puppies would have to prove knowledge of canine behavior, genetics and the importance of socializing young animals.

* Establish minimum standards to help consumers identify first-class, well-socialized puppies, whose parents are sound in health and temperament.

Well-bred, well-socialized dogs do not kill. We must take strong, creative action to avoid future pit bull (or Doberman or Rottweiler) incidents.