Death By Dog--Again
www.fredericksburg.com
April 13, 2005, FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA -- Two of the most unpredictable creatures in the natural world are dogs and children. Ask any photographer. On Sunday, alas, that unpredictability erupted in tragedy when 4-year-old Robert Shafer of Orange County strayed too close to the family mutt. The Rottweiler-German shepherd mix, chained up inside a fenced area, killed the boy--the second death by dog hereabouts in recent days. Last month, three roaming pit bulls horribly mauled Dorothy Sullivan, 82, in her Spotsylvania County yard. So what are we to think about man's best friend now?
Despite a deluge of letters to the editor arguing otherwise, some breeds, including Rottweilers and pit bulls, command greater wariness than others. Humans developed specific breeds for specific purposes, and those bred to guard or fight will tend more toward belligerence. To repeat, people don't get dragged down by marauding Yorkies. Within a breed, of course, any individual animal can be placid or mean, but anyone with young children in the home should play the odds and choose a family pet from a breed whose original job was non-confrontational.
Also, dogs don't do well chained up. The Humane Society of the United States explains, "Dogs are naturally social beings who thrive on interaction with human beings and other animals. A dog kept chained in one spot for hours, days, months, or even years suffers immense psychological damage. An otherwise friendly and docile dog, when kept continuously chained, becomes neurotic, unhappy, anxious, and often aggressive." The U.S. Department of Agriculture adds, "Our experience in enforcing the Animal Welfare Act has led us to conclude that continuous confinement of dogs by a tether is inhumane."
A chained dog becomes hyper-territorial, and when a person invades its space, the dog, unable to flee, may, in classic fight-or-flight mode, attack. That could have occurred Sunday, when little Robert Shafer moved within range of "Chance," a pet thought gentle. Localities should seriously consider outlawing the tethering of dogs. After all, if chaining is both (1) cruel to the dog and (2) dangerous to human passersby, why countenance it?
Dogs will always play a big role in human society. As companions, helpers, herders, and protectors, they are first among beasts. But we allegedly smarter creatures must respect their breeding and their psychology. "Children and dogs," said Harry Truman, "are as necessary to the welfare of the country as Wall Street and the railroads." The law should change to help them safely coexist.
