I know of the Gold Coast story and i followed it over 3 years.
The particulars of the case include the owner trying to put forward the notion that American Staffies are an entirely different breed to American Pit Bulls and that unlike Pit Bulls they are entirely passive.
I have never ever come accross a passive one yet.
In fact, they are prized by amateurs in pseudo dog fights on the Gold Coast - i have sen it happening in person. Up there the city has a few idiots who live there or visit who have a passion for letting animals kill each other for money or fun. American PitBulls usually lose because they have the agression but not the stamina or lethal enough bight.
Beware of the American Staffordshire Terrier for it shares both traits and culture with the American PitBull. Many of the pups were bred from fighting genes who were imported to the Gold Coast and so the pups have the predisposition for warring. Males will fight anything generally and the females will protect one or two people at most, often unnecessarily. I had a friend who owned one. You know how determined this dog was? He had it on a chain, with a (thick, not low profile) 13 inch car tyre attached to the other end of the chain. It would pick the tire up in its mouth and throw it over its own neck whenever it wanted to jump the fence to kill something - often a cat or small dog. (Thats the late 90's for you). It never ever failed to get over that fence, so fences are uselss...it bit holes in the palings.
Yes, it got put down fortunately, after the owner finally accepted it wasn't a one two or three off thing and that it was just the nature of the dog to protect its yard OR VIEW outside with lethal force.
