Whether they raise them to be sweet lap dogs or territorial protectors, some folks are way too cavalier about the danger their animals can pose to other people.
Even dogs that are generally genial can be dangerous in certain situations. They could react violently to a stranger who strikes them as untrustworthy.
In extreme cases, where dogs are not properly supervised or left to roam, they can threaten the very life of anyone who has the misfortune of straying across their path.
Such a scenario unfolded recently near the hamlet of Cutler, nestled in the countryside between Kokomo and Lafayette.
Two women, ages 19 and 20, were out for a walk on a remote county road when four pit bulls chased them into a field and attacked them. The dogs' owner tried to intervene, but the dogs attacked him, as well.
Fortunately, a passing motorist saw the attacks and drove her car into the field to save the women. One of them was airlifted to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. The other woman and the owner of the dogs were treated for injuries at a Lafayette hospital.
The owner might recover fully from his wounds, but he's still in big trouble. The Carroll County sheriff said he would ask the county prosecutor to pursue charges to the fullest extent of the law.
The owner, reportedly, had been cited repeatedly, including once this past summer, for failing to keep the dogs on his property.
While few people have a pack of four large dogs that they let run wild, some might not be careful enough to consider the damage their dogs could do to visitors or other animals that might stray onto the property.
If you let your dog run loose, even if he always comes home, he could easily team up with other dogs to form a dangerous pack. Even small dogs can inflict serious wounds.
If you love a dog enough to give it a home, you should be more than willing to protect her — and other people and animals — from harm.