How often in the media do we hear reports about children and adults being bitten or attacked by dogs, and these stories are usually accompanied by a barrage of footage of the usual suspects most commonly referred to as 'Pit Bull' (which technically is not a breed but a generic term used to describe the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier). Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking the subject of dog attacks lightly, but a dangerous dog is usually a symptom of another more serious problem: irresponsible owners that don't understand dog behaviour, or cruel and criminal owners who damage dogs and make them dangerous. Relying solely on the removal or death of the offending dog doesn't work as the owner in question simply replaces it with another.
Breed Specific Legislation (BSL), the solution being touted about at the moment, has been shown as an inappropriate response which, while addressing the legislators immediate political emergency, can create a false sense of security among the general public who are led to believe that attacks originate from a specific breed of dog and not from other circumstances. There are many reasons and many ways that this response can fail, one of which is the fact that certain people are attracted to certain 'types' of dog, it is their treatment and expectation of these dogs that encourage the animals behaviour. I'd challenge anyone to segregate and chain a dog in the backyard, treat it roughly and teach it to chase small screeching animals, pigs for example, and also have a well-socialised and non-aggressive dog. If you remove one breed from those available to these people they will only work their way down the list to the next best fit. This knee jerk reaction can also have a devastating effect upon innocent owners and dogs, as well as the challenges for animal shelters that are left to cope with the flood of "cast offs."
Animal control is a band-aid solution; education is surely the most important approach to the prevention of dog attacks. Both owners and the general community must be aware of how a dog may behave in certain circumstances. It is our responsibility to train and educate not only our dogs but our children and ourselves as well. Dog attacks are not simply the result of 'dangerous breeds' but also that of ill judged human behaviour. Teach your children to never approach and pat a dog without the owners' permission. I can't tell you how many kids are allowed to run into my shop and dive bomb my dog Chewy. I also can't begin to explain my anger when I see dogs tied up outside shopping centres. This is an accident waiting to happen and it often does. These dogs have, in their eyes, been abandoned, add to this that when they are approached by total strangers they have nowhere to run as they have been tied up. This is a very common cause of dog bites.
Another act of irresponsible dog ownership is allowing your dog to roam around off lead. A perfect example of how this can go dangerously pear shaped happened the other day as I was chatting outside my shop. A couple drove up and got out of their car, as did their dog. It was, incidentally, what some would classify as a 'pit bull' cross. It was a perfectly friendly sweet natured dog; it came up to me for a pat and a chat, and then wandered over to a two-year-old child and gave it a good solid lick on the face. Luckily the child's grandmother was holding one of it's hands which prevented it from falling over, I jokingly told the child that the dog had given it a big kiss, which technically was all it had done, and the grandmother thankfully followed suit. I don't need to explain what the result could have been had a few of the circumstances of this situation been different.
We are meant to be the responsible, intelligent ones, the ones in control, not our dogs. So lets stop blaming the dogs for events that are not entirely of their doing. The media must also play a more responsible part in this as they can either drive the hysteria or highlight problems and potential solutions.
Being a dedicated supporter of animal rights and welfare you will find that DOGS and the CITY sells everything but the dog as it is our firm belief that animals do not belong in shops.
No comments:
Post a Comment