Owner of Pluto, poodle killed at Dubai Pet Show, against putting down pit bull responsible

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Last weekend,

at the Dubai Pet Show, and

The National

has been front and centre in

, and

.

Arts&Life reporter Alex Ritman has been receiving emails from readers on practically a daily basis, all of whom have varied comments on the tragedy that took place.

The latest email to come our way was from none other than the owner of Pluto the poodle, Nazanin, who had this to say:

Pluto's tragic death story made a huge splash in media, communities, news web sites and also social networks. It also generated many interests, discussions as well as opportunity for some to show off and resort to personal attacks. The least outcome of the story is that it generated a wave of comments and reactions from people belonging to different walks of life, which is very positive because it can prevent similar incidents from happening again.

In all our comments that we have posted so far, we have tried to highlight 3 main points:

  • To explain what really happened
  • Emphasis the importance of safety rules
  • Point out the lack of control and monitoring prevailing in dog shows

Dogs as well as other animals act based on their instincts. Based on our training they learn how to behave and react in different situations. It's the responsibility of dog owners to:

  • Choose a suitable dog based of his or her life style and living conditions.
  • Have a clear understanding of the dog's habits and its reactions during different circumstances.
  • Based on this knowledge and understanding let the dog interact socially with people and animals.
  • Follow the safety regulations and social conventions, because these laws and regulations guarantee our safety and well being.

A dog cannot be blamed simply because it's following its instinct. Punishment is also not applicable here, because obviously dogs are not human. Based on the Philosophy of law, the concept of punishment has been envisaged to prevent criminal activities and the recurrence. It also ensures that people with criminal instincts are won't and trained against committing such acts in the future. However none of these apply to dogs.

We are neither seeking punishment nor revenge. Nobody has even asked us about what we think or what we want regarding the dog. And we have no answer either. Municipality officials are deciding the course of action to be taken based on the existing laws, similar experiences and scientific proofs.

However what we insist on is that Trip's (the dog which attacks Pluto) present owners are not up to the task of dog ownership. Furthermore it has to be investigated if Trip has been living in a suitable family oriented environment or not. Unfortunately there are lots of stories about dogs that have been treated as an entertainment tool rather than a genuine companion.

If according to law Trip had to wear muzzle then neglecting it led to the death of Pluto. In other words Pluto's death is not accidental.  We all follow the traffic laws to avoid accidents. Maybe the accident never happens but as precaution we have to follow the rules.  If somebody ran over a baby because he or she didn't respect the speed limit he is guilty and he cannot claim that he has never respected the speed limit and nothing has happened either. Or it is baby's parents' fault that did not look after their child. Nobody accepts this argument. The preventive laws and regulation should be observed all the time.

On the other hand in a show with the participation of families, thousands of kids in different ages and with different behaviors and also dogs with all types of breeds and sizes anything can happen. Nobody asked us to show any document regarding the vaccination, dog's ID or even municipality tag in the entrances. There was virtually no control on entrance. Nobody was checking if any banned breed is entering the premises. Simply there was no monitoring and no safety rules in place during the show.

If instead of a dog a child or an adult had been subject to an attack the consequences would have been far grimmer.  On the other hand what guarantees are there that this incident will not happen again in the future?

You might have heard different version of how Pluto died. Once again I'll explain the true version of what exactly happened during those deadly 5 seconds. You'll be the judge:

Pluto was standing only about a meter away from me (a 39 year old woman who has no daughter as mistakenly reported by one the newspapers).  Pluto gently approached Trip. Both sniffed each other. Then in a fraction of second Trip clutched Pluto's neck with its teeth and lift him with its two paws then shook him violently in the air and finally released him. The whole thing happened in less than 5 seconds. There was no assault, no snap, not even a single bark. There was no time for any of it. That's all.

Now, I think it is time to let the law to judge...

Nazanin - Pluto Owner