The increased spotlight on aggressive dogs has been augmented by the wrongful death of a five-year-old girl in Thomasville by her family's pet pit bulls. Chyenne Peppers was attacked by the three dogs, one of which was roaming free in the yard while the other two remain chained. The attack was apparently instigated by a pregnant female pit bull, and the other two dogs quickly broke the chains, and joined her in the mauling. The dogs have been turned over to animal control for euthanization, but the attack has raised questions in the community. The sheriff of Thomas County wants a complete ban on pit bulls. The call has raised the ire of pit bull lovers who insist that these are good dogs and if well trained, are good family dogs. All dogs can bite or attack family members they say, and it's unfair to single out pit bulls as a breed. While that may be true, the fact is the majority of dog bite attacks in Georgia and throughout the country are from aggressive breeds like pit bulls and Rottweilers.

As state laws continue to be ineffective in preventing dog bite attacks and keeping dangerous dogs off the street, it's increasingly evident to Georgia dog bite lawyers like me, that there is an urgent need for these laws to be made tougher in an effort to protect the innocent victims, usually children, of the inevitable trauma of a dog attacks.