Wednesday, April 3, 2002
|
Wednesday, April 3, 2002 |
|
Caution urged before buying dogs to avoid dangerous circumstances By JOHN
MUNFORD
The way Bill Newman sees it, just about anything can make a dog snap. That goes for the cute, harmless looking dogs and the mean, ugly looking ones, too, says Newman, who oversees Fayette County's animal control efforts and the county animal shelter. Newman, who has been in the business 38 years, is troubled by recent reports of dog-mauling deaths that have occurred elsewhere. "People say, 'He won't bite,'" Newman said. "But my theory is, he's got teeth, doesn't he?" A dog attack could start just because of a perfume, facial hair or other features, Newman noted. "You don't know what can set them off," he said. "Some dogs don't like kids. Some don't like men. Some don't like women. Animals see things in people that we don't see." Newman recalled a local incident in January when a 12-year-old Fayette County boy was attacked by an Akita dog in the Timberlake subdivision. A neighbor was able to shoo the dog away and help the child get to safety after striking the dog with a shovel. "That was a close call," Newman said. "That dog was huge. It could've killed that kid." Dog owners can be held liable in court for more than just bite injuries, Newman said, citing the example of a dog wandering onto a road, causing the driver to swerve and have an accident. Many insurance companies won't cover judgements in those lawsuits beyond the owner's regular liability coverage in most cases, Newman added. Newman shares this three-pronged advice for prospective dog owners: First, make sure you can afford a dog. Food, equipment, shots and trips to the vet are expensive; Second, make sure you have a physical space to keep the dog such as a fenced-in yard; Third, make sure you have enough time to spend with the dog. If you can't meet the above requirements, don't bother bringing a puppy home for the kids, Newman said. "I want people to be responsible," Newman said, adding that he also thinks "every child should have a pet. Animals play such an important part in children's lives." Parents need to instruct their children not to approach unfamiliar dogs, even when they're sleeping over at a friend's house, Newman suggested. Curious kids can get up in a pet's face and agitate them enough to cause a stir, he added. "They need to preach to kids that if they do not know that animal, do not go up to it and don't approach it," Newman said. He added that the sounds of children screaming and hollering when they play can also irritate pets into becoming aggressive. Newman suggests researching the breed of dog before actually buying one. It's also nice to see the puppy's mother and father if possible and determine if the dog has a good temperament, he added. "Dogs can also be rough in nature and hurt you by just playing rough," Newman said. It's a bad idea to buy or take in animals from people who set up shop in front of shopping centers, "because they'll do anything to get rid of them," Newman advises. Although Peachtree City has ordinances allowing pets to be unleashed with voice command, the rest of Fayette County except Brooks and Woolsey requires cats and dogs to be on leashes at all times, Newman said. They must also remain on the owner's property at all times and not be allowed to wander the neighborhood, Newman added. "When you get an animal, it ought to be for life," Newman said. Fayette County Animal Control picks up stray dogs, not those owned by local residents. They also respond to animal bite cases and injured animals on a 24-hour on-call basis. Newman encourages bite cases to be reported immediately so the animal can be quarantined for 10 days to make sure the victim wasn't infected with rabies. Animal control officers can cite pet owners for cruelty to animals, violations of the leash law. Also, certain dogs can be declared vicious, requiring dog owners to have a double fence and a roof to prevent the dog from escaping and measures to prevent the dog from digging its way out.
|
||