Great editorial in the Indpls Star

July 9, 2007

Today's editorial
Dogs vs. humans: Let's all get along


Our position: Dog owners need to take responsibility, abide by the city's existing ordinance.


Mayor Bart Peterson was wise to recant his call for a ban on pit bulls.
The city's recently updated dangerous-dog ordinance already provides clear guidance to canine owners. A breed-specific ban would be superfluous.
The vast majority of the city's dog owners co-exist peacefully with their neighbors. Most owners and their dogs enjoy regular, uneventful interaction with others.
A breed-specific ban would punish that majority of law-abiding citizens and their pets. It would declare war on an entire breed because of the irresponsibility of a few, misguided owners.
Conflicts between dogs and humans are unavoidable. There are about 61 million dogs in the United States living among 296 million people. By the end of 2007, more than 4.7 million dog bites will have been reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the most serious of those cases, fines and jail terms are levied against owners. Civil lawsuits are often brought to recover medical expenses and to compensate for pain and suffering. In 2005, insurance companies paid more than $317.2 million in claims.
The prospect of a $1,000 fine and possibly a civil lawsuit ought to be an adequate deterrent for those who typically live within the law.
Acting responsibly can minimize risks of conflicts between dogs and people. Here are some tips, provided by U.S. Postal Service workers.
Don't assume your children will be accepted by the dogs of neighbors or friends. Many attacks on children are by dogs well-known to the victims.
To minimize aggressive behavior, owners should have their dogs spayed or neutered, actively "socialize" them and play nonaggressive games with them.
To protect yourself, never bother a dog that is sleeping, eating or caring for puppies.
As we said before here, laws can help resolve dog bite cases, but self-reliance, awareness and training can help avoid them.