We get letters
Actually, we get a few. But this one I thought was worth posting:
As I opened my front door to take my five year old daughter to school, a random Pit Bull (I don’t owe them the respect of using their proper name) charged through our door, approached my daughter, and as I immediatley picked her up and yelled at the dog, he was distracted by my Bichon Frise puppy. He made a beeline for him, and without hesitation, grabbed him by the neck and fatally shook him. He proceeded to run back out the door with him–all this as my daughter and her schoolmate and her mother watched and screamed and kicked at the evil animal. My dog was no threat, but that dogwas unmerciful. I just praise the Lord that my little puppy was there. God chose not to stop the dog, but He did choose to protect my daughter. I am petitioning for a local ordinance banning Pit Bulls–if humans can’t raise them right, then get rid of them. I have seen too many of these incidences And, yes, I am fairly cognizant on this subject . . . I’m a vet.
Erica
Washington
First, I don’t buy for a second that she’s a vet but that’s a separate issue. My reply was:
Erica,
You need to petition for enforcement of existing leash and restraint laws. Odds are, the dog was illegally running loose and was poorly socialized. Being a vet, then surely you of all people would understand that the owner of that particular dog is at fault.
And, being a vet, you would also understand that dogs are animals. There is no mercy. There is no evil. There is a pack and an order; and there is hunter and prey. People forget that when it comes to dogs because they are accustomed to their own dog that they have likely spent a lifetime properly socializing.
Dogs are naturally animals. Dogs are naturally hunters. Dogs are naturally pack animals. Dogs are naturally killers. Even Bichon Frise. It’s up to people to socialize them and train them to not be that way.
It is sad that the pit bull breed (and other breeds like Rottweilers, Shepherds, and Dobermans) attracts some poor owners who shouldn’t be owning dogs of any breed. These same people spend their time turning their specific dog into a dangerous threat because of their ignorance and a desire for a mean protection dog. They fail to realize that a dog can be protective and not be mean.
My sympathies over the loss of your pet as it is a hard thing to deal with, particularly given the trauma of your particular situation. I wish you’d devote your efforts to promoting responsible pet ownership rather than banning a breed. As breed specific legislation has proven many times, once you ban a breed of dog, irresponsible owners just pick another breed.
Thanks for the email.
December 4th, 2003 at 1:18 pm
Maybe Erica served in the military. That would make her a “vet,” no? 😉
But your response was wholly appropriate.
I often wonder why people forget (or don’t know, or ignore) the fact that small yip-yip dogs are far more likely to bite people than the big ones are. And yet you never see torch-wielding mobs moving to ban poodles…
December 4th, 2003 at 6:53 pm
I have a 8 pound Jack Russell that does not like children (she growls at them and backs away) and tries to attack my mothers staff terrier through the fence. meanwhile my moms dog, the staff, rolls on her back when she sees someone and lets my moms other dog, schitzu bite her tail when they play with each other.