Dog Owners: It’s Time to Take Responsibility or Dogs Will Pay The Price

Marc Morfitt and his Staffordshire bull terrier Charlie are relieved today after hearing no charges will be brought against them. For those who do not know what I’m talking about, Marc is Charlie’s owner and he left Charlie tied up outside a busy takeaway on 17th September. According to newspaper reports a group of small children were also outside the takeaway. No one seems to know exactly what happened next but a two-year-old child has had to have stitches to his cheek as a result of an injury by the dog. Mr Morfitt is quoted in the Hull Daily Mail as saying “As I tied up the dog, I warned the kids and their parents to leave him alone. They were crowding round him. He didn’t like it.”

Well thank god for that! Everything is OK then isn’t it? Mr Morfitt claims his dog is not dangerous and he is probably quite right. However Mr Morfitt’s actions ARE dangerous and the proof of this sadly is now on the face and possibly the mind of a two year old child.

Mr Morfitt, after warning the children and their parents made a concious decision to leave his dog unattended. He did not witness what happened because he was busy queing for his take away. What is even more amazing isMr Morfitt left the scene and it took a police appeal to trace him!

Now most people know I’m all for “deed not breed” and I firmly believe that no dog is born dangerous. But the fact that this person ( and I mean person not the dog) will face no charges for being in my mind, completely irresponsible, just shows me we really do have terrible laws.

You would not leave a small child with access to an open car because we all know a child could push the wrong buttons and that car could move. To warn a small child is not enough. To warn parents is not enough. You have a dog, it is YOUR responsiblilty to keep that dog safe and to keep the public safe. Your dog, your choice, your responsibility!

Mr Morfitt is not entirely to blame, the child’s parents do have to take some responsibility too. Reports say that the two year old was outside the shop and the child’s mother inside. I have a three year old and the thought of her not being firmly attached to my side fills me with terror. She too would quite likely want to stroke every dog around. She would maybe not be as gentle as she could be. She is three. This child was two. One report says the mother knew the child was stroking the dog. Instantly she too has put the child at risk.

What I am trying to say is this whole thing could easily have been avoided with a little responsibility from the adults. Maybe Mr Morfitt thought the child’s parents would order the children back into the takeaway. Maybe the child’s parents thought the dog was “safe” as the dog had been left unattended. You may be the best parent and dog owner in the world but you cannot expect everyone else to be as good as you. The one person who was completely innocent of any blame is the child who is now scarred.

It is about time this country woke up and started taking responsibilty for our actions. Our dogs and our children do not understand responsibilty but we do. Theres never been a more urgent need for a Dog Ownership Test to make sure we are fully aware of what we should be doing.

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Dangerous Dogs, Act Now!

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