Jade Anderson dog attack: Tragic – but let’s keep a sense of proportion

4:20 pm Thursday 28 March 2013

A policeman near the the scene where a 14-year-old girl was found dead - believed to have been killed by five dogs in Chaucer Grove, Atherton (Picture: PA)

I was going to let the dust settle before adding my two-pennies’ worth over the tragic events in Atherton – I’d wait for the facts to emerge and then offer up my balanced and measured response.

I suppose it was asking too much that others might do the same. It’s all so predictable; a snarling, rabid, barking attack – from the anti-dog lobby.

We still don’t know what happened to poor Jade Anderson, but its still an excuse to tout the same timeworn agendas and pursue ancient vendettas – calling for more legislation.

There is no such thing as a bad dog – just a bad owner

The media stokes the fire by peddling the same tired stereotypes – stock images of hell-hounds the inevitable visual shorthand for sad stories like this.

So let me say this before it’s too late, and those flames are fanned further to prompt me into saying something I later regret.

I’m compelled to come to the defence of dogs – and one breed in particular, the Staffordshire bull terrier.

This is no devil-dog but a loyal, loving companion – man’s best friend. Traditionally, it is a breed so good with children that it was commonly known as the ‘nanny dog’.

However, that’s not what some would have you believe – never let the truth get in the way of a good story and all that.

Stop calling on the nanny state to protect you – it can’t

For the sake of those who would rather take all they read in the papers as gospel and make vicious vile comments on websites (there are plenty of those) - we don’t need any more legislation. In fact, we need less.

Scrap the Dangerous Dogs Act and then enforce the laws we already have. What’s the point of calling for the Staffordshire bull terrier to be included on the banned list? It’s never worked in the past – so why should it now?

There is no such thing as a bad dog – just a bad owner. If you want to reduce such attacks, the key is to promote responsible dog ownership and punish the deed, not the breed.

Banish the myth that one breed is inherently more dangerous than any other because that is simply not true.

On top of that, we need to regain some sense of proportion. You may find this fact unpalatable, but sometimes these things just happen – it’s nothing but plain bad luck.

It’s sad and tragic that a young girl lost her life in such horrific circumstances but we don’t live in a bubble. Danger is part and parcel of life; the price of freedom. Thankfully this is not a risk-free world  – who would choose to live in such a place anyway?

Let’s try to keep things in perspective – such attacks by dogs are rare and it’s right and proper that when they happen they are treated for the news that they are. Even so, I’ll wager that, each year, more people are electrocuted by rogue toasters than killed by dogs.

So stop calling on the nanny state to protect you – it can’t. Nor can it legislate against bad luck or pass a law that can protect you from misfortune.