About a month ago, I was involved in an incident that saw two roaming, uncontrolled ‘pitbull-style’ dogs attacking a tiny little dog being walked by a little girl on a leisurely Sunday morning in my usually quiet street.
I wrote about the incident at the time, happy that I was able to help a young girl in distress, and rescue her mother’s little dog from almost certain death.
It got a fair bit of media attention on the day. While I was a bit gun shy about this at first, once I had come down from the adrenalin rush of the incident, I was quite happy to make a little noise to highlight what had happened, and try and get a couple of dangerous dogs off a street frequented by lots of young children.
I was interviewed by both Channel 9, and Channel 7, as well as the local newspaper, and spoken to by radio station 3AW.
Naturally, the local council got involved as well, and that seemed like enough noise.
And it was.
The dogs and their owners were all successfully identified, and council made plans to have the dogs removed.
The owners apparently hid the dogs away from their property for some time, presumably to try and avoid losing the dogs. In recent days, we noted that the dogs had returned, and notified the council. The owners admitted the dogs belonged to them.
But here is the sucky part.
Because Annie – (the little dog I rescued on behalf of Claire and her mum Amanda) – fully recovered from the incident, the council were not able to do anything.
Because she recovered.
Now, and at the time of the incident, I feel/felt sure that if had I not gotten to Annie only a short period of time later, she would almost certainly have been killed. She appeared completely lifeless at the time of the attack, but has fortunately made a full recovery.
What makes me angry is that by saving Annie in time, it would seem I have inadvertently saved the attacking dogs too.
Imagine if you went out to a nightclub one Saturday night, and someone – (for no apparent reason) – beat you to within an inch of your life. You get rushed to hospital, and taken care of. You make a full recovery, and afterwards you show no signs of the incident.
Would you want the person who attacked you charged and punished to the full extent of the law?
Of course you would.
Little Annie was out for simple Sunday morning walk. Two dogs – (for no apparent reason) – ‘beat’ her to within an inch of her life. She got rushed to the vet, and taken care of. She made a full recovery, and afterwards shows no signs of the incident.
Her attackers will not be punished as the laws currently stand.
How fair is that?
This is why the dangerous dog laws need fixing, and fixing now – before the next little dog isn’t so lucky.