Dogs are not the problem, owners are

Dear Editor,

The level of ignorance in some communities is astounding, and worse yet is the lack of judgement and common sense displayed by those who are supposed to be law officers. I, along with many others locally and internationally, have seen the video on facebook and news sites about several pitbulls being chopped and shot whilst still penned in BV on the East Coast of Demerara. This followed the attack by two of the dogs on the wife of a dog breeder. I can understand the reaction to destroy the two who turned on the woman (even this should have been done humanely) but to kill the dogs that were penned? It reminded me of those videos of the Taliban or Boko Haram where persons are chopped systematically to death on camera because of their religious beliefs or for some perceived wrong.

If police ranks can actually kill your dogs which were penned and which were not a threat then it doesn’t say much for their common sense or humanity. (They should be sanctioned for this action.) To hear female neighbours exhorting others to hit and chop defenceless animals is truly sickening, and makes me wonder what those persons’ social lives are like, and by extension, what some communities are being subjected to. On another note, it may be time for the relevant ministry to look at licensing and certifying dog breeders. This could also result in them paying some type of insurance, etc, to cover incidents such as the attack. Dogs are not the problem, owners are!

Yours faithfully,

Paul Romeo McAdam