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A Serious Look at
Dogs
Most of the people who get mauled by dogs
are young kids. When you think about it real hard, you
should wonder, why do parents let their young children go
out and play unsupervised? Maybe because this is a small
village and a lot of people think that nothing remotely
dangerous can really happen to their kids. But parents need
to be aware of all the possible dangers there are that await
their young kids as they step out the door without a
watchful eye on them. Dogs are especially dangerous when
they have pups, and they will do anything to protect their
young just as parents would do for their kids.
I think that all dogs should be put in a
fenced enclosure, most importantly the ones with pups.
Little kids are curious, they don't think about what a dog
can do to them if the dog is mean. One time when I was about
five years old, I went to Pitkas Point with my dad and my
older brother. I saw some cute little puppies and wanted to
pet them, but I was wondering why they were kept inside a
fence. Suddenly a big dog jumped out of a dog house inside
the fence and started barking at me. Then I knew why they
kept the dog and pups inside a fence. At the time I was just
afraid, but now that I am grown up I am thankful that the
owner of those dogs had them behind a fence. There are also
kids who like to tease dogs. This could make the dogs mad,
and then they attack the children out of frustration. It's
hard to tell kids what they shouldn't do because often they
don't listen since they lack something important that should
be given to all children, discipline. That's why it's
necessary for all parents, no matter if their child is a
good listener or not, to watch what their kids are doing at
all times. Nothing is going to stop kids from exploring
things they don't know about, like cute little puppies.
Penning up dogs would make it easier because parents
wouldn't have to worry about their kids getting mauled. But
parents need to remember that there are other things that
could happen to kids that could get them hurt, like playing
with dangerous tools or weapons, or wandering down to the
beach and falling in the water.
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For dog mushers, it could cost a lot of
money to fence up their dogs. Most mushers have a lot of
dogs and it could be hard for some of them to pay the high
price. But, if it means safety for people of all ages, I
think that it would be a really good idea. I know a lot of
grown people who are also afraid of being bitten by dogs,
and they are especially cautious during dog races. There are
tons of people who would give a big sigh of relief to know
they're less likely to get a dog bite. Mushers have always
done a good job at watching their dogs and making sure that
they don't hurt anyone while they're racing. But while
they're not racing, it's hard to watch every move their dogs
make and be sure that people or kids don't wander too
close.
If you have dogs, just think how much
more secure people could feel around them if they were
penned up. People have enough stress from everyday life not
to have to worry about being bitten by an angry
dog.
So if you have kids, or if you plan to
have them someday, remember to watch them and make sure they
don't get into things you don't want them to. Keep them safe
and teach them right from wrong. Never underestimate the
curiosity of a young mind.
Charlotte Alstrom
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Marshall
Cultural Atlas