This is the title of a new HBO
series about a dog’s place in our life.
It covered puppy mills, rescue
organizations, individual owners of vicious dogs and euthanasia.
Initially, I was not sure I wanted to
watch the program. After years of raising Irish Setters and Longhaired
Standard Dachshunds, I have a hard time watching animals not raised the way I
raise my dogs, placed in the manner I place my dogs and monitored for life the
way I monitor my dogs. Yet, I muddled through. In today's Blog I am going
to speak to one specific segment of this program because Mediation might have
helped all the parties involved.
The segment, involving vicious dogs, was
near and dear to my heart. I believe dogs are not necessarily born vicious.
Some inherit protective tendencies and if those tendencies are not gently
guided or modified the dog exhibiting such propensities may need to be strictly
supervised.
The program followed a doctor and his
family who owned Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs. They were beautiful dogs and
family pets. Yet, the family failed to recognize that their family pets, gentle
and kind to them, were going back to their lineage and instinctive behaviors with
strangers. These dogs were bred to be guard dogs, taking on lions to
protect their masters. Family friends were not immune from the ferocity of
these dogs. When the dogs were left alone with a friend or stranger, they
bit. Each time they bit someone the dog’s owner, a doctor, asked the
victim and their families to remain quiet. He paid all required medical
expenses. This worked several times, until one of the more
aggressive/protective dogs ripped off a small girl’s ear.
Multiple court proceedings ensued, the
doctor's professional life was ruined, his family's life and reputation in the
small town was ruined and ultimately the dog was euthanized. It was
inevitable given the lying and avoidance of addressing the bigger issues
surrounding the care and containment of dogs that had exhibited vicious
tendencies. As a mediator of conflicts between people involving an
animal, I understand how hard it is to have the kind of conversation needed
after the first bite. Everyone is frightened and in both physical and
emotional pain. The owner of the dog wanted to keep it quiet so his dog
wouldn't get a reputation. The victim and her family were new to the town
and didn't know what to do and didn't want to create enemies.
If we look at the incident as it confronted
the first victim, had they used a tool for effective communication, Mediation,
a discussion may have occurred and precautions discussed and implemented. This
discussion and implementation may have saved later victims from the trauma
of their injuries and encounters. Mediation, if implemented at the onset
of a conflict between people involving an animal, is a process that affords the
victim the ability to speak about how they feel, what they would like to
implement to prevent something like this from happening again and have all
their medical expenses paid. The doctor would also have been able to
speak about how this was the first such act by this dog and listen to suggested
steps he could take to insure such an attack would never occur again. By
remaining silent, covering up for the dog and never having a meaningful
conversation, the doctor, the victim and the dog all suffered serious
consequences. And so did the
future victims.
This was a clear case of, "locking
the door after the horse was stolen." Had the requirements to lock
up the dogs behind a huge fence and keep them in constant care and control of
the owners when other than family members were present on the premises, after
the first bite, the initial victim and the owner would have done a far better
service to each other and the dogs than keeping silent. By keeping
silent, the dogs were allowed to maintain a lifestyle that endangered
non-family members or their dogs. This is an unacceptable outcome that
could have been ameliorated by the early and confidential use of Mediation.
In the end, the dog that ripped off the
child's ear was euthanized. The other dogs were put in a fenced enclosure
inside a fenced enclosure. The child withstood painful surgeries, other
victims were injured or traumatized by the dogs and being ordered to euthanize
a vicious dog traumatized the dog’s owners. It is the way in which people
handle incidents such as these that spell disaster or compromise.
In my mediation practice, addressing a
conflict of this kind between parties involving a dog at the initial stages and
in a manner that addresses the dog’s conduct and the safety of others may have
enabled all to remain unharmed in each others presence. It may have been
as simple as putting in a kennel room where the dogs would be housed when non
family members where in the same space as the dogs. This may have been
suggested by the first victim or the dog owners and been implemented, thereby
eliminating the threat from the dogs going forward. Yet, they all chose
to treat the victim and remain silent, resulting in future injuries, trauma and
the ultimate death of the dog.
If you have an issue involving a dog, and
a conflict ensues, please consider using mediation to talk about alternatives
and options. In this case study it may have meant the difference between life
and death.
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