We Charge Just Because?

Even though the owner had his dog on a leash he will be charged "anyway" for biting another dog and chomping a good samaritan who lent a helping hand.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/07/17/10166436-sun.html

At the outset, I think it is important to remember that dogs are dogs, and some are more unpredictable than others. Following the annual smattering of news reports on dog attacks, it certainly seems pit bulls are involved in a great many of them. With this in mind, Pit Bull owners should probably be on high alert, all of the time.

But in this case, two dog owners approach each other whilst walking their hounds. Both dogs are on a leash. Now, I don't know exactly what happened, but I imagine that dogs -- being dogs -- sniffed each other and unfortunately the pitbull bit the other dog on the ear.

The question is, how responsible is the dog handler in this case? Things happen fast. Perhaps both dog owners were happy to let their dogs sniff each other? Since the dog was on a leash, I imagine the owner had, at the very least, a high degree of control over the animal? Perhaps, if the owner did not have this control, the bite would have been in a more serious location?

A good samaritan than puts her hands between two dogs and is not surprisingly bitten.

No doubt, all of this is troubling. I can't imagine how I would feel or how I would react if another dog bit my puppy. But this is precisely why I don't allow my puppy near other dogs -- and in particular pitbulls.

Now I am not saying that the owner of the pitbull should not be ticketed. However, I am concerned about a by-law enforcement position that sounds like nothing more than the owner will be ticketed for the sake of being ticketed. Consider the by-law enforcement officer's remarks:

He said the situation could have been prevented if each owner took control of their dog before it escalated and if the woman stayed out of the confrontation.
"We see this all the time," he said.

"Unless you're a trained professional, no one should stick their hand in the middle of two dogs."

But he said charges will be laid against the pit bull owner for not having control of the dog and causing injury to a human.

"But we're laying charges anyway because a bite is a bite," he said.
Neither dog was injured.

So let me get this straight, each owner is responsible for letting their animals get too close to each other. The good samaritan is responsibile for putting her hand in a bad spot. Dogs are dogs and both were leashed. But the owner will get ticketed "anyway".

In life, sometimes things happen. Not all bad or worrisome things that happen deserve reprimand by law enforcement. Some bad things carry lessons on their own. Sometimes we should be greatful it wasn't worse and let bygons be bygons.... Humans can learn lessons without the State issuing fines or charges....