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A 13-year-old Pomeranian bit a 2-year-old child in the face last summer in Fargo, N.D. The dog bit the child after the child strolled into the dog’s yard and tried to pet it. A pit bull, classified by the city as a dangerous dog, was euthanized in the same week across the river in Moorhead, Minn. The pit bull, “Princess,” bit two people. One was an adult male who entered the yard and tried to pet her. Miles away in St. Paul, Minn., a boy’s pit bull attacked and killed him in his home.

Stories like these pop up every day in cities across the country, along with questions about who to blame. It’s not a surprise certain breeds are banned in certain cities, and many more cities are pushing to ban “problem breeds.” It comes down to one thing, dog owners need to take responsibility for their dogs. If my dog bites someone, it’s my fault. It’s not my dog’s fault, not that person’s fault, but mine.

I work for the newspaper, and when Princess was euthanized, letters to the editor stormed in about how cruel and unfair the city of Moorhead was. A common argument was that children and others do not have the right to trespass. But what about the mailman? A girl scout selling cookies? A kid who throws her ball into her neighbor’s yard and walks over to retrieve it? The fact is, an aggressive or unpredictable dog should not be left in a yard unattended. Any owner who does so is irresponsible and asking for trouble.

The responsibility of being a dog owner means providing that dog with the exercise, shelter, love and socialization he needs. That means keeping it out of situations where it can be harmed or harm a person or another animal. Owning a powerful breed like the pit bull just adds to that responsibility, as the breed requires more attention than others. However, as in the situation with the Pomeranian, no dog can be trusted 100 percent of the time, especially around children or strangers.

I wish law enforcement officers did not have to seize and euthanize dangerous dogs. But the reality is, certain dogs living with certain owners make a deadly combination. If these owners do not give their dogs up to someone who has the time and training to rehabilitate them, then the safer choice is to have the dogs removed from that environment. And since no one wants to adopt a dog labeled “dangerous,” in most cases the dog is euthanized.

I have yet to meet a greater dog lover than myself, but I support euthanizing dogs in certain situations. An alarming number of friendly, unwanted dogs are euthanized in shelters every day because there are simply not enough homes for them. Killing a dog that has already attacked someone means there is one less dog to place in an animal shelter, which gives another friendlier dog a better chance at finding a home. I wish there was more money and more resources to help rehabiliate some of these dogs, but in reality there is not.

Related posts:

1. What’s most annoying about your friends’ and family’s dogs?
2. Bad dog: When the family pet bites
3. Some dogs do better in a new home
4. Why you should walk your dog