I read with horror about the Pit bull jumping the fence and attacking the ferret and owner. The authorities would do nothing? What about leash laws? Has the owner taken the case to civil court? Contacted the press? CAlled the State Department of Health? Called her Senators, Assemblymen and Mayor? She should. (My advice- get a baseball bat- the aluminum kind, and let that dog come around again. It will be the last time. If it were me, the least I would do is break off every tooth in it's mouth. OK- I'm sure I'll be flamed for cruelty to animals, but guess what? A toothless dog is better than a mauled baby.) What if the dog attacks a child? An elderly person? Any dog that jumps a fence to attack is a danger. Period. Even if it was to attack a ferret this time- what about next time? The really sad thing is that if it had attacked a smaller dog, I'm sure the authorities would have done something. Dogs that stand by the fence and bark are protecting thier territory- or just saying hi. But dogs that jump fences to attack are a tragedy in the wings. The owner should either put up a higher fence or chain the dog. Period. The sad thing is that in 99% of cases concerning vicious dogs, it is the owner that has created the problem due to aggressive training and handling, or poor care. Ugghhh. This whole situation has tragedy written all over it. -Mrs. Duck [Posted in FML issue 1740]