Dog attacks ...

Just recently, the news reported on five ferocious rottweilers that attacked a young Jack Russell and its owner while they were strolling along their neighbourhood, causing them to be emotionally traumatised and injured.

It seems the law is now finally catching up with errant dog owners who refuse to keep their precious pet on leash when taking walks at the parks. The penalty could be a hefty S$5000 fine.

I do know of many dog owners who fail to keep their dogs on leash and I have to say, I too sometimes fall into this category of dog owners who walk the dogs without a leash.

Being owners of Jack Russells, Sandy and I sometimes allow the dogs to run freely in open areas such as a deserted playground or any open field at East Coast Park. We believe that dogs, just like us humans, require frequent exercise to keep the heart and other body parts healthy and fit.

Before releasing Rain and Sun, we often would survey the area for a few things - fellow users of the park especially Muslim friends, other animals such as cats or dogs and park rangers. We will make sure that none of these listed are in close proximity as we too do not wish to get into unnecessary trouble.

After reading the incident on the Rottweiler attacks, my opinion on allowing Rain and Sun freedom to rein the empty fields has changed. Firstly, I do not want my dogs to be attacked and secondly, I do not want to be slapped a fine. Hey, its no joke having to fork out S$5,000 for freedom. I aren't William Wallace from Braveheart.

I think it is only fair and responsible that dog owners take preventive measures, keeping their dogs at bay with a leash and if its a bigger or ferocious breed, a muzzle is definitely a must to have on. This way, it helps reassure fellow park users that they will not fall prey to scratches and bites but then, something else these users might have to look out for is the poo-poo left behind by irresponsible owners. Fortunately, Sandy and I are always armed with tissue paper and plastic bags all for the purpose of picking gold and placing them in the right places - bins.