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Can you predict which dog will bite you?
There's a lot of pressure these days to allow
dogs to run loose on some or all of our beaches. Some people prefer not
to take a simple NO! for an answer. Having been generously permitted to
walk their dogs on a leash in most parts of the public domain, they now
want those dogs to be able to run loose.
I've owned a number of dogs in my day. A beautiful Norwegian Elkhound
we called Bingo was the most memorable. This ancient breed from Scandinavia
gave a great deal of pleasure to me and members of my family. While it's
true I never attempted to permit him to run freely on the beach, Bingo
also gave me an example of how a dog owner, that owner being myself, can
go into full denial when confronted with unpleasant facts.
There was the day Bingo snapped at my wife. I'm sure a dog psychologist
might explain it as his attempt to assert his rights in the pack. He accepted
me as pack leader, but he thought he was second in command. Bingo's been
gone for 17 or 18 years now, but it took me a long time to accept the
fact I should have made it crystal clear to him that human family members
come far ahead of dogs.
Most Pacifica dogs are not Presa Canarios. They're gentle and friendly,
most of the time, as Bingo was, most of the time. But no dog should be
allowed to run loose on a beach unless he and his owner are absolutely
the only creatures around. The recent trial of those self-centered San
Francisco lawyers demonstrated just how serious a turn an attack by a
dog can take.
It takes months of time, thousands of dollars, and a highly specialized
breed to create a guide dog for a blind person. Most of us aren't prepared
to spend the time and effort needed to train dogs to the limit of their
potential. The German Shepherds used by Pacifica's police represent a
large investment. Most dog owners have neither the money, time or skill
to invest in that kind of training. More to the point, no citizen who
just wants to take a walk on the beach should have to figure out whether
he can trust a given large, loose dog to be docile.
No dog should be allowed to run loose on any Pacifica beach or park, with
only a few exceptions. Those are either Guide Dogs for the blind or the
highly trained dogs under control of the police. Most Guide Dogs don't
ever run loose anyway.
Am I being unfair to some, even most, dogs and dog owners? Perhaps. But
there are too many dog bites, too many dog fights, and too many children
and adults hurt by dogs. The truth is, even if all dogs in public were
always on leash, there would be dog bites and dog fights in Pacifica.
It shouldn't be up to the average citizen, especially the average small
child, to have to continually assess whether he or she is in danger each
time there's a loose dog in the area. Of course, as in the dog which once
attacked my son on a Sharp Park street, you may not even see the animal
until you've been jumped. I hope the City Council stands firm. Don't give
in to the pressures from those special interest groups who think their
dogs should be made exceptions to the rules. All dogs, at all times, should
be either leashed or fenced.
Paul Azevedo's E mail address is Paul@thereactor.net.
Check his website at http://www.thereactor.net.
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