Recognizing that the recent number of serious dog bite cases in New Mexico indicates a need for more public awareness and education, the Albuquerque Journal published the following editorial and APNM guest column on the subject.
As part our ongoing commitment to challenge neglect and cruelty to all animals, we use a multi-faceted approach to improve the lives of dogs in our state. There is no time like the present to remind people about what often causes canine aggression; we see the devastating results much too often. Dogs who are neglected, abused or chained are often forgotten dogs -- that is, until a bite occurs. The “problem with dogs” is, more often than not, a “problem with people.”
People hold the keys to bite prevention: Responsible ownership and humane care of dogs. That means reward-based training, proper socialization and proper restraint.
(Learn more: Train. Don’t Chain.®) It also means regular exercise and veterinary care, including spaying or neutering. People can teach other people, especially children, how to approach a dog.
What can you do to help? Please help improve the lives of New Mexico’s dogs and help protect us all by sharing this message with your family, friends and co-workers. Forward it, post it on your favorite social networking page, write about it in letters to the editor, post it in online comments whenever you have a chance. Finally, remember to report concerns about animals, especially cruelty and neglect, to your local animal control office. Too much is at stake not to do your part.
Albuquerque Journal Editorial
June 23, 2011
This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by editorial page staff and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
It has become the first and last question after a serious dog bite or attack: “Was the animal put down?”
Not “Was the owner a responsible, law-abiding person who licensed the animal, ensured it had veterinary care and was properly restrained?” Not “Was the owner cited and held responsible?”
And that leaves the animal — the one part of the equation that does not have opposable thumbs and the ability to reason — as acceptable collateral damage. And it supports the contention of Gary Salcedo, whose sister was fatally mauled by four dogs on Easter in Truth or Consequences, that “there’s no justice here.”
According to the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, which serves Bernalillo County, the state’s most populous, there have been no felony prosecutions in its office under the 2005 Dangerous Dog Act, which provides for owners to be held accountable for not properly restraining/training their animals. In fact, according to a statewide DA database, there have been a total of just 58 dangerous dog cases filed in six years — and Alamogordo’s 12th Judicial District accounts for 16 of those, almost 30 percent.
By comparison, in addition to Margie Salcedo’s death there were three other serious dog attacks in a matter of weeks this spring.
The answer to the question in the Tor C attack is yes, the dogs have been killed. But Salcedo has a valid question as to why no charges have been filed against owners John and Maria Hardiman. Margie Salcedo was walking down a residential street when the dogs, which were roaming free, mauled her to death.
Law enforcement says the investigation is ongoing, yet Salcedo’s frustration is understandable. What isn’t acceptable is allowing the bodies of alleged family pets to stack up while those truly responsible aren’t held accountable.
Posted with permission of the Albuquerque Publishing Company.
June 27, 2011
By Leslie King, Community Programs Manager,
Animal Protection of New Mexico
New Mexico’s communities have experienced several dog bite cases in the last few months — one each in Rio Rancho, Moriarty, Truth or Consequences and Vado, and three in Albuquerque.
One woman was killed and four children, two men and a small dog were seriously injured. Each of these cases is horrifying and the effects of these attacks on the victims and their families can be far-reaching.
It’s understandable that some people might feel helpless and frightened, and that others want to “just do something” to put a stop to it.
But, rather than reacting to waves of dog bite incidents with rash and ineffective actions like scapegoating certain dog breeds, these tragic occurrences underscore the need to understand why attacks likely happen and what are the most effective ways to prevent them.
Finding useful statistics about dog attacks can be difficult because studies use different variables, such as dissimilar populations, time periods, victim ages and levels of injury. Also, the exact circumstances of an incident may not always be reported. Yet, those circumstances can point to the cause of an attack and, in turn, shed light on how to prevent future attacks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Veterinary Medical Association agree that dogs may show aggression for many reasons: being provoked or fearful, protective of an owner or of territory, being chained, isolated, abused, a stray, injured, untrained and not spayed or neutered. Other considerations include inherited and learned behaviors, genetics, breeding, socialization, physical condition and size and individual temperament.
Karen Delise, author of the book, “Fatal Dog Attacks,” boils it down to three factors:
Function of the dog (the dog was acquired for fighting, guarding or a tough image);
Owner irresponsibility (the dog was allowed to run loose, permitted or encouraged to behave aggressively, chained, neglected, abused; dogs and/or children around the dog were unsupervised);
Reproductive status of the dog (unaltered male dog, female dog with puppies, children coming between a male dog and female dog in estrus).
Recognizing that specific circumstances are the most important factors in any dog bite case, in 2005 the New Mexico Legislature enacted the Dangerous Dog Act, which correctly focuses on behaviors of individual dogs and their owners. The law holds dog owners criminally and civilly accountable if their dogs cause harm and prescribes ways to identify, register, handle and house dangerous or potentially dangerous dogs.
What does it mean that all the dogs involved in our recent cases were reported to have been pit bull-type dogs? It is vital to understand that any dog has the potential to bite.
Popular large breeds appear more often in dog bite statistics precisely because of their prevalence and because big dogs physically can do more damage if they do bite, according to a 2001 report by the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human-Canine Interactions.
The report concludes that singling out any breed for control (as in a ban) can result in a false sense of security and will not result in a responsible approach to protecting people.
Information on preventing dog bites is available for dog owners, parents and children.
Animal Protection of New Mexico offers free dog safety and humane education presentations for individual classrooms, pre-school through mid-school, and to community groups in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe areas. Call 505-265-2322 for more information.
Excellent online resources include our “
Train. Don’t Chain” program, Victoria Stilwell’s “
Safety Guide for Children and Dogs,” the
Doggone Safe program and the
Blue Dog Parent Guide and CD for children.
To prevent more tragedies, it’s up to every one of us to learn how to interact safely with dogs and to teach others — especially children. We must also care for our dogs responsibly and humanely.
