For the second time in less than a month, an irresponsible dog owner on our little peninsula has harmed an innocent victim – this time, a 9 year old boy, the same age as my oldest grandchild.
\nAnd the chicken-hearted officials who are responsible for our health and safety have once again, punted on their responsibilities.<\/p>
For the second time in less than a month, an irresponsible dog owner on our little peninsula has harmed an innocent victim – this time, a 9 year old boy, the same age as my oldest grandchild. And the chicken-hearted … Continue reading
\nLest one assume that I am an irrational dog-hater, please know that this past weekend, I was totally smitten with Dakota, a gorgeous Alaskan who lives in our neighborhood. But I’ll admit that I am a fierce lover of only one breed – Huskies – and find most other dogs to be smelly, noisy nuisances.
\nIn particular, I am not a big fan of dogs that seem to be bred and raised as assault weapons: Dobermans, Shepherds, etc.
\nOn to a story from today’s Cape Cod Times<\/a>:
\nA 200-pound dog attacked a 9-year-old boy at a benefit Sunday for homeless animals, injuring the child so badly he may never regain full function of one hand.<\/i>
\nThe Times also reports that the same dog, which lives in the town of Dennis, has attacked the owner’s<\/b> two children in the past. Further, no reports were filed with the town, as is required<\/b> by law.
\nFollowing this, the third attack on a child, the Dennis dog officer offered this comment:
\n“I have to find out if the situation would warrant a criminal charge,” she said. “At this point it doesn’t look like anything criminal was done.”
\nNothing criminal, huh? Attacks on 3 children at 3 separate times, the last of which will likely leave a 9 year old boy permanently crippled, doesn’t constitute anything criminal<\/b>?
\nAs for the owner, he told the Times he has no intention of “putting the animal to sleep”: “He’s a family pet,” he said. “He’s a very good dog except in this one incident.”<\/i>
\nThe town of Dennis’s law enforcement officials may be ready to dismiss this as some kind of minor incident, but not the readers of the Cape Cod Times, who have shown their usual, good common sense in today’s poll:
\nA 200-pound dog severely injured a boy at an animal benefit in Dennis. A dog attacked and killed another dog at a public event in September. What is the appropriate punishment for such dogs?
\n73.4%
\nEuthanizing offending dog.
\n22.4%
\nA warning from town officials.
\n4%
\nBanishment from town<\/i>
\nWill the opinion of over 73% of the public be enough to wake them up in Dennis?
\nSomehow I doubt it, but I’ll keep you posted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"