Anyone who owns a dog knows that they can be escape artists, but there are some animals that should never be allowed to escape and roam the streets, ever.
When a tragic event occurs, the knee jerk reaction is to call for more laws. Generally speaking, such reactions are never wise. However, in the case of 11-year-old Justin Gilstrap, the Columbia County boy mauled by a neighbor’s pit bulls, a demand for tighter laws regarding vicious animals is justified.
Opinion
We all know that some breeds of dogs have more tendencies to be aggressive than others and, if not trained and handled correctly, can turn into dangerous weapons. People who decide to own such animals ought to be held to a high standard that forces responsibility.
Currently, State Rep. Lee Anderson is working on crafting legislation that would force home owners to take out a minimum amount of homeowners insurance if they decide to own a breed of animal known to be aggressive.
Anderson’s proposed legislation would also introduce criminal penalties for people who allow their animals to roam freely and that then cause physical harm to a person.
Burt Thomas Baker III, the owner of the dogs that nearly killed Gilstrap and left the boy maimed for life, was only charged with reckless conduct when he should have been charged with attempted murder, in our opinion.
If Baker had directed his dogs to attack Gilstrap, he would have been charged with a felony. The fact that he allowed the dogs to roam freely, knowing they were vicious, is the same intent in our view.
The law allows us to drink alcohol, and the law allows us to drive automobiles, but the law does not allow us to drink and drive. Likewise, the law should allow us to own the pet of our choice but should not allow for that pet to become a dangerous weapon.
Furthermore, Columbia County should strengthen the local ordinances to give animal control officers more latitude when it comes to removing animals from abusive situations, as such appears to be the case in the Baker household which has been cited over the years for having animals living in squalid conditions.
Owning any animal takes commitment and requires responsibility, and our laws should reflect that.
