This week I went off the beaten path and took a look at two of the proposals concerning our four-legged friends. Mostly I attack the idea that breeding is more responsible for vicious dogs than training and care.
Of course, the day I do this the newspaper reports on a "pit bull" biting a 13 year-old girl.
My brother also commented on the issue in a letter to the editor in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Owners responsible for controlling pets
Recently, a resident of Waukesha indicated that a breed-specific ban be introduced to protect her from her neighbor's pit bulls. It was reported that a woman has had multiple instances of allowing her dogs to leave her yard, possibly through an inadequate or damaged fencing. The pit bulls apparently attacked another dog that was secured in its own yard by a cable.
While I am very sympathetic to the resident's plight, her attention needs to be focused on making sure her neighbor is taking the necessary steps to keep her dogs under control. It seems the pit bull owner has admitted to authorities that she can't afford to fix her fence. If that's the case, the responsible owner of any breed would keep the dogs on a leash, tie-down or other means to secure them and not let them run loose.
Breed-specific legislation would fail in this case, as the irresponsible party could own a different breed and have the exact same problem.
Erik Wigderson
Waukesha
