We ran the following story last night on our 10 o'clock newscast about dangerous or biting dogs and the legal issues involved. Here is a link to Dave Fehling's piece. You can also watch the actual story here.
1 Comments
Carrie said:
This is such a touchy issue! I agree that if an attack is serious the animal does need to be put down. I also believe irresponsible owners should be held liable and punished.
That being said, a lot of incidents like these could be avoided with just a little more effort on the owners part. Even if you believe your dog to be the sweetest in the world, don't let it around people it's not familiar with, especially when you're not there, until you know how it will behave around them. Warn people about any oddities your dog may have - like a passion for the trampoline or maybe a fear of young children. If you have a dog that isn't neutered or spayed or a bit rowdy, keep it inside when you're away or make sure you have the best fence ever made to keep it in.
Alhough these are domestic animals, they have years of instict built into them and sometimes the smallest things can set them off and bring out the hidden predator. My parents have a standard poodle that is the poster child for a sweet dog but it once felt I was being threatened by a neighbors dog and instantly became a snarling ready-to-attack dog. In college, my parents came to visit and my best friends dog, also a good dog, nearly bit my dad when he went to hug me because to the dog, it looked threatening. You just can't predict how an animal will react to every situation so it is better to err on the side of caution.
This is such a touchy issue! I agree that if an attack is serious the animal does need to be put down. I also believe irresponsible owners should be held liable and punished.
That being said, a lot of incidents like these could be avoided with just a little more effort on the owners part. Even if you believe your dog to be the sweetest in the world, don't let it around people it's not familiar with, especially when you're not there, until you know how it will behave around them. Warn people about any oddities your dog may have - like a passion for the trampoline or maybe a fear of young children. If you have a dog that isn't neutered or spayed or a bit rowdy, keep it inside when you're away or make sure you have the best fence ever made to keep it in.
Alhough these are domestic animals, they have years of instict built into them and sometimes the smallest things can set them off and bring out the hidden predator. My parents have a standard poodle that is the poster child for a sweet dog but it once felt I was being threatened by a neighbors dog and instantly became a snarling ready-to-attack dog. In college, my parents came to visit and my best friends dog, also a good dog, nearly bit my dad when he went to hug me because to the dog, it looked threatening. You just can't predict how an animal will react to every situation so it is better to err on the side of caution.