Outrage Follows “Dangerous Dogs”

There is no such thing as a mean dog only mean owners who make their dogs mean.  The fact is dogs aren’t born vicious, they are forced to be that way. Take my new pal Buddy as an example.

Neighbors in the Hollywood Heights section of Dallas found Buddy roaming the streets scared and in desperate need of care.  In just 3 short weeks with Buddy, his host family transformed him into a kind gentle friend.  So kind, I wish I could take him home.  My wife says our hands are full enough with Bella (her ego has grown after graduating from High School).

Buddy was so impressive, and good with kids, I left him asking myself, what kind of whack job would just dump him in the street to fend for himself?  It turns out the stray dog problem has reached a crisis point.  It’s not just in Hollywood Heights, but all over Dallas.  Animal Control is overwhelmed and administrators admit, there is no way they can get every loose dog off the street.

A note about my story that aired at 10pm last night:  I apologize that NBC5 used Buddy’s picture as a graphic for “Dangerous Dogs.”  Clearly he is not dangerous.  But the reality is, dogs living and fending for themselves on the street quickly become dangerous and untrusting.  A scared dog, becomes a dangerous dog because his only options are fight or flight.

The people I interviewed for my story were very upset that I portrayed their neighborhood in a negative light. 

They said the Pit bulls that were dumped in their neighborhood last week are not dangerous, for the record I called them “Scared and in need of care”.  But the experts all agree, dogs that were trained to fight, as these ones most likely were, can be dangerous and unpredictable.  They are not fit for roaming free in neighborhood filled with children. 

At least two of the women I interviewed were also angry I called the dogs that recently attacked the woman and her small dog while out walking, “pit bulls”, they now tell me they were not pit bulls just loose aggressive dogs.  My mistake, I’m sorry.  Either way, a woman and her dog was attacked, or no one should have to worry about that while walking in their own neighborhood.

I truly applaud the three women I interviewed for helping to rescue so many dogs in their neighborhood.  They may be angry at me, I will take the heat.  But I must say, other neighbors did come up to me after the story aired thanking me for calling attention to a problem that has them scared to walk in their own neighborhood.

The real problem, I think we can all agree on, is idiots who should not be allowed to own a dog!  And I am now sure they will no longer even consider letting this “lowly, no good, sensationalistic newsman” adopt Buddy.  Who by the way, still needs a good home.  I think he already has one in the home where he’s staying now.