Cheri said:
My aunt Cathy had a beautiful home, love and caring parent would never treat her dogs any shape or form of abuse or neglect.
But were your nephew nice to the dog at all?
After all, you didn't say that you were there to see it happen neither did you mention the parents being there to witness. Most dog attacks involving young children occurs when the child is left alone in a room with a dog according to several statistics. Children find it easy to abuse animals and get away with it most of the times. It can cause the pets to become defensive and view them as a threat. Remember, dogs don't see children the way we do. Especially when they aren't that much bigger in comparison to them. Don't ever leave a child alone in a room with a dog.
I'm not saying your nephew is evil. It's very common of children to cause trouble with the dogs and cats. It's pretty much normal and should be discouraged as much as possible.
Cheri said:
No, not always the case, Read Kalista's story again and mine, dogs can snapped but people don't want to believe it, they always pointed the blame at the owners of pets, It can happen either way bad owners nor the dogs itself.
It is rare for dogs to snap over nothing. It's the same with people, they don't just go into buildings and start shooting people for no reason. There's usually factors leading up to the attack; signs can be found if they know what to look for. Unfortunately, most pet owners are not educated on how to detect the signs of aggressive/mental problems. Everything happen for a reason. Like with your recent story regarding the unfortunate dog attack inflicted onto your nephew, I don't know nor do you know the whole story behind what happened to Kalista. The dog may had a mental disorder but isn't commonly diagnosed by veterinarians because they usually don't study the mental health of canines and felines.
It doesn't just "happen" in most cases. There's always a reason for a dog to attack. Period. Even though it is rarely justified, but that doesn't excuse the pet owners for neglecting on keeping their children safe and educated on these matters.
A pet is a big responsibility, don't expect a dog to understand everything like a human being would.
Dog bites are often due to abuse and irresponsibility. Many people shouldn't have a dog in their house because they don't know how to take care of one. Even if the pet owner is the most friendly person in the world, but it doesn't mean s/he is a suitable pet owner.
Sorry, but that's just how I see it. Despite what people think, the pet owners are responsible for their pets' actions, no matter what. That's how it goes.
In a way, it's better this way. If no pet owner was to take responsibility, then we'll be overrun with wild dogs in the cities. Imagine having a bunch of vicious dogs chasing you just because the pet owners aren't liable for them at all and there's nothing you can do about it except having them put to sleep, which won't stop the irresponsible pet owners from adopting more dogs.
Now, that's a scary thought.
Not trying to anger anybody here, but I am a strong believer in having the pet owners take responsibility for the pet's actions in order to keep the society safe.