Editor, The News:
Re: Proposed bylaw to single out pit bulls (The News July 18).
I applaud the District of Maple Ridge taking a firm stance on the issue of aggressive dogs.
As a veterinarian, I am frequently called upon to deal with this issue directly. Sometimes it is facing damage one dog has done to another.
The other week myself, another doctor and three of our staff spent six hours sewing up a German Shepherd that had been shredded to pieces by two other dogs.
Sometimes its euthanizing a very aggressive dog that has bitten family members or neighbors.
Last summer, one dog, even though it was sedated and muzzled, still managed to take a chunk of flesh out of my face.
Thankfully, our amazing staff was able to sew me back together with only a slight scar.
A veterinarian’s job is first and foremost human health, a duty I take very seriously. And yet I find myself disagreeing with the approach of the municipality.
Right now every TV show or movie that wants to show a scary dog will use a pit bull.
Before pit bulls, Dobermans were the vicious dog of choice, and before that it was German shepherds.
But you know what, as a veterinarian, when I walk into an exam room, it’s not the pit bulls and Rottweilers that scare me, it’s the Pomeranians and Chihuahuas. They are the dogs that most frequently try to bite me.
Or what about the Jack Russell terrier, aka the Jack Russell Terrorist.
Maybe it’s the overly bred golden retrievers, who in the ’90s were known for fear biting.
Dachshunds are known in the veterinary field as land sharks.
Dalmations are also frequently high strung and known to bite, whereas Rottweilers will give you warning before they try to eat you. Shar-pei, chow, Shiba Inu, Jendo or Akita, all breeds that will wag their tale while they try to take a chunk out of you.
And, of course, there is the animal that scares veterinarians the most, the animal for which we have special gloves and containment boxes: the aggressive cat.
Let’s also not forget the 12-inch scar on my right forearm from being clawed at by a rabbit.
Now before I alienate all my clientele, my point is that pets are animals and caution should be exercised around any animal.
So instead of a gut reaction against pit bulls, why don’t we take a more refined approach. Lets instead target:
• Intact male dogs of any breed. Let’s be honest, no one wants your mixed breed cocker spaniel/lhasa as a stud.
• Groups of three or more dogs. Pack mentality can quickly make docile dogs aggressive.
• Keeping your dog leashed. You know what? If my dog is off leash and goes up to your dog on leash and a fight occurs, it’s my fault.
• Education. Teach children how to safely approach a dog. No matter how friendly the dog is, a child is pulling on its tail is an accident waiting to happen.
• Training –socialize your dog from a young age. If you don’t have the time in your life to take your dog for a walk, maybe you shouldn’t be having a dog.
• And finally – be honest with yourself. If you are finding yourself with an aggressive dog, talk to your vet. Maybe it’s got arthritis and in pain. Maybe it’s just one of those dogs that is wired wrong, or the genes that promote the human-animal bond is missing. If your dog is a risk to your family, or your neighbors, consider humane euthanasia.
Dr. Adrian Walton
Maple Ridge