Beware of the dog!

I apologize beforehand with all those individuals who'll feel hurt about my comments in this post, but there are good reasons to expose the following.

Believe me, I like animals. I really do. I consider that they are beings that in many ways contribute to preserve life in our planet. Some animals, like the ones who serve as pets and live in urban areas (frequently dogs), have a direct positive impact in human life too, like guide dogs do.

But there's something that we can't forget about dog pets: They're still animals, and as such, they are more driven by instinct than reason. That means that they don't always react to stimuli in an intelligent way; I would even dare to say that, regardless of how docile they usually are, there's always a latent inherent risk on their behaviour. There are many examples that could be cited to defend such theory, probably the most famous is the case of a French woman called Isabelle Dinoire who underwent a partial face transplant in November 2005 after her own dog mauled her while sleeping.
Other cases have been reported in various parts of the world. Here in Canada, for example, just today appeared a note in The Globe and Mail (one of the most important national newspapers) where it's documented a case of a couple of unattended Rottweilers that attacked a two year old boy in Ontario without an apparent reason (click here if you wish to read the entire note from The Globe and Mail).

Myself, I have been attacked by dogs in the past. I have seen people with serious injuries because of bites of domestic dogs. And not only that, but just today I had a scary situation with a dog. For no reason, some dog (I think a German Shepherd) appeared today in the street where I was walking, it barked at me and was really willing to attack me. I am really lucky to say that I was able to escape the situation without any kind of injuries.

And all because of what? Because of irresponsible people who own dogs at homes and don't lock them or place them in areas where they can't attack people in the streets, or even put them a muzzle for other people's safety. The most common, selfish and ridiculous thing that I always hear from people who own dogs and don't have any consideration for others is "he doesn't bite" or "he doesn't attack people". In the most extreme cases, I've seen dog owners that walk it around without even a leash. That's a popular way of underestimating the dog's innate aggressiveness. But when attacks do happen, it's always the same excuse: "Oh, this is strange... this is the very first time that my dog attacks a person".

Do you own a dog? I'd suggest you to keep it off the reach of other people when you're not able to keep an eye on it. And when you do keep an eye on it, like when walking around the streets with your pet, use a leash to control it (and if your dog is a big and strong one, a muzzle as well). There exist regulations in many places in the world where it's stated that dogs' owners are responsible for any damages or injuries that the animal causes to third parties. So don't be one of those irresponsible owners, and avoid some trouble to yourself and your dog too!