by Skathock Motyka

Created on: June 17, 2008

Irresponsible dog owners are a blight on society. Because of people who own dogs 'because they can', those who refuse to socialize or train their dog and the idiots who get a certain breed of dog because it's 'tough' or for supposed protection purposes dog owners every where suffer. Dogs are animals, companions and by law they are property. As pet owners it is our responsibility to keep the public safe from our dogs while at the same time keeping our dogs safe from the public. Along with the responsibility for their care we have a duty to teach and maintain proper etiquette in our canine companions or risk losing them.

The biggest effect seen at the moment of irresponsible dog owners is BSL (breed-specific legislation). People jumped into the fad of owning a 'macho' dog without realizing how much training and socialization these breeds require then find themselves facing injury and potentially death of a friend, family member or stranger because of their lack of research. For the desire to be 'cool' or prove themselves, non-dog lovers and victims are crying out for the mass destruction of dogs who fit a certain type specified by size, shape and over-all appearance. Forethought, research and constant vigilance could have prevented many of these devastating situations from becoming reality but the irresponsible have nearly ruined these breeds for everyone.

Another effect is the pet overpopulation. There is NO excuse for allowing animals of any species to randomly wander around sowing their wild oats regardless of income, living situation or current circumstance. There are plenty of organizations providing assistance with the costs associated with spaying or neutering a pet. Those who have refused to get their poorly-bred or pet quality dogs altered have given rise to the new MSN (mandatory spay/neuter)laws. This means added hardship for those who have high-quality, proven dogs who either show in confirmation or responsibly breed their dogs in an attempt to improve and continue their chosen breed. It also places financial burden on those whose dogs are intact due to medical reasons preventing their de-sexing.

Then there is the 'minor' issue of public safety caused by those who chose not to clean up after their dog, vaccinate them or provide them with medical care. Rabies is a serious issue in the United States causing death in humans and animals nation-wide. Although not every dog illness can be passed to humans,they can all be passed to other dogs which means those of us who are responsible about our pets suffer from the nervousness of people who are worried about their health and being restricted from fun places because of those who refused to protect the public from wastes, parasites or viruses.

In short, although responsible dog owners out number the irresponsible, human nature causes the negative incidents to have more of an impact on society's perceptions about dog owners in general. Communities start banning dogs based on size or appearance, limiting access to public areas and passing laws which allow BYBs/puppy mills to thrive while simultaneously eroding responsible breeders. The combination of these effects results in responsible owners having to move away or re-home their dogs to save them, lower quality genetics and eventually no dogs allowed on public property.

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