Our Readers' Opinions
March 24, 2006

SVG gone to the dogs?

EDITOR: Looking back it was a pleasure seeing a maturing young man pass by with a young lady, hand-in-hand they would pass usually going to cinema or as we called it in my day “Matiny”. Sad to say this sight is almost a thing of the past; it would appear that today’s young men are more fascinated with “cRap” music and dogs. Walking a dog seems preferable to a stroll with a young lady. Even a simple conversation used to be about women…no longer, this too has gone to the dogs.

This fascination seems mainly to revolve around the dreaded Pitt Bull. These dogs are very dangerous; in some countries they are treated as a deadly weapon and outlawed in others. These dogs are easily aggravated and can kill a young child as effortlessly as would a gun or a vehicle. Why then are so many people desirous of owning these dogs?

Is it a power thing? Some persons now breed these dogs full time, since a pup can fetch anything from eight hundred to a thousand dollars. And why not? It would take one how long and how many sheep to fetch a price like that.

Whether business or pleasure, these dogs remain very dangerous and need to be monitored. Those in authority should implement restrictions on this breed before someone is hurt or killed. With all the talk about road safety being bandied about, one needs also to look at the walking public’s safety. In a so-called “free country” I need to walk down the road and elsewhere freely without having to move to the other side because I feel threatened by the presence of these animals.

A wise man learns from others’ mistakes, take some advice from Barbados or Trinidad and legislate the ownership of these animals or impose an island-wide ban before it’s too late.

Concerned