Early this afternoon, two dogs, a shepherd mix and a pit bull, were spotted roaming my neighborhood off leash. A message came over our list serve from a neighbor that the shepherd mix had harassed her dog during their afternoon walk. Then one of them mauled a neighbor's cat, a beloved family pet their son had brought home from a trip to China.
This afternoon's emails on the Crestwood list serve were so sad. The cat was at the emergency vet in critical condition. Later we heard the little guy didn't make it.
Animal Control was trying to round up the dogs this afternoon, and we haven't heard if they've been caught or who their humans might be.
There are pit bull owners who swear that their dogs are "sweet" and "gentle" family pets. And often they are, until one day the eat a neighbor's cat.
At any hour of the day, there are people on our streets walking their dogs on leash, pushing strollers with small children. And then there are cats who keep the neighborhood mice at bay. And I found today's incidents very unsettling.
It's not easy to make sure a dog never escapes from a fenced yard or runs out the front door as it opens. But the consequences of a Labradoodle loose in the neighborhood are generally less serious than if your dog is one of the more aggressive breeds.
Oh, and the dog in the picture isn't the culprit. He's courtesy of Wikopedia. And he even looks like a pretty nice dog.
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