OPINION: Should we put down a dog for behaving like a dog?

Everyone gets emotional over dogs and children, but maybe we need to slow down and wait for all the information before we decide the fate of a living creature.

For several days I have seen so many people taking sides on this issue, and I am finally ready to give my opinion. On Sunday afternoon, a 4-year-old-boy — who had a sock over his hand — reached under a solid vinyl fence into the neighbors’ yard. One of two neighboring huskies bit the boy’s arm with enough force to sever the arm above the wrist. The boy is recovering without the hand, and the dogs are in quarantine to see if there is a concern for rabies. But now the emerging debate is if the dog needs to be put down.

While some are rallying around the family of the boy raising funds for his care, tens-of-thousands are rallying around the dogs, petitioning to save the dogs from being terminated.

It’s a horrifying tragedy, but we have to step back and look at the reality here. Dogs will be dogs, kids will be kids.

Without arguing who is to blame for this horrifying tragedy, we have to step back and look at the reality here. Again, dogs will be dogs. If it was my dog, who loves socks and loves to play tug-of-war, he would have reacted in the same way. He would have seen the sock as a toy and went after it without malicious intent.

When we consider if a dog should be put down, we need to ask the question of there is a continued threat to humans. I don’t think the dog registered the sock as a human. 

I don’t think there is evidence here to remove a dog from his owner’s life.

JayMac News Show is usually hosted by KSL News Radio’s Jay McFarland, who also hosts the fictional podcast, Hosts of Eden. KSL News Radio is part of Bonneville Media and based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Don’t forget to review and subscribe to the JayMac Mac News Show podcast on iTunes. Or follow Jay on Twitter and Instagram @JayMacNewsShow or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JayMacNewsShow/