‘A dog is more than a fashion accessory’

I truly feel so privileged to dwell in Florence, mainly due to the bicycle path’s proximity to my property. For the earlier 11 decades, I have been in a position to walk my dog twice a day on that bicycle route, the place we have both savored the exercise as very well as our encounters with other walkers and their canines.

But we have been not so fortunate on May well 10. On that day, my 15-pound, 13-yr-previous rescue pet dog Romeo was attacked by a pit bull on the bicycle path. 3 days later on, right after paying out $2,500 at the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Medical center in South Deerfield in an attempt to help you save Romeo’s everyday living, he succumbed to his accidents.

At the time of the assault, the pit bull’s owner had not been completely knowledgeable of what was heading on with her dog she was engrossed in a cellphone conversation. Therein lays the problem it can be difficult to foresee any dog’s reaction to another pet dog (or to a compact, swift-shifting little one) and so it is very important that pet dog homeowners be totally informed of their dogs’ tendencies and breed proclivities at all times when in public.

I am begging puppy owners to be cognizant of their dogs’ temperaments in a reasonable and neighborhood-oriented way. A dog is extra than a style accessory it can simply grow to be a deadly weapon. It is each individual puppy owner’s duty that their doggy be completely under their management so that anyone (be they canine or human) can delight in their time on the bicycle path.

Kate Simmons

Florence