For a summer or two during college, I worked at a dog boarding kennel. It wasn’t the most glamorous of jobs — it involved a lot of cleaning up dog poop and dog barf, and a couple of times cleaning up something that I wasn’t sure from which end it originated. But since I’m a lifelong dog lover, I enjoyed taking the dogs for walks and giving them some attention. Most were thrilled to have a belly rub or a few minutes to play fetch.
The dogs ranged in sizes and temperaments, and, yes, a few of them were aggressive. But in all my time working there, I only got bit twice — once by a doberman puppy who got my jeans when his paw got caught in his chain-link door and I had to free him, and once by, of all things, a Bichon Frise. If you’ve never seen a Bichon Frise, they’re about 5 pounds, usually with white, fluffy fur, and very cute. Unless they’re biting the person who’s supposed to be taking them out for a walk. Luckily, I wasn’t hurt badly — how much damage can a 5-pound dog do?
I tell you this story because a dangerous dog ordinance is in the news again — Saginaw’s ordinance went into effect a few weeks ago. And while I encourage responsible dog ownership, especially if you have what’s considered a bully breed, I don’t think singling out dogs for their lineage is the answer. I walked, rubbed the bellies of, bathed, and otherwise cared for hundreds of dogs during my time at the kennel. Yes, some were pit bulls. Yes, some were Great Danes. Yes, some were German shepherds, and rottweilers, and dobermans. But the only one who bit me for no good reason was a 5-pound fluffball. Do you see me pushing to ban all small dogs? Of course not.
I’ve always wanted dogs once I lived on my own, and it didn’t take long for a pit bull mix to find my husband and I. In fact, another pit bull mix found my husband last week. Pit bulls get a bad rap because they’re used for fighting and can be trained to be aggressive. But anyone who knows my babies knows better. Our babies are incredibly affectionate, friendly with other people, and loyal. Why? Because we’ve tried to train them to be good dogs. But if we were to move to Saginaw, we’d be unfairly punished for the irresponsibility of others.
That’s unfair to me — and to my dogs.
This post is brought to you by the fine folks at Paragon Aparments, offering apartments across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, and the Paragon Patio, where residents connect. We’d love to talk with you on Facebook and Twitter!
