On Sunday, Amazon issued the following “advice” to their delivery drivers:
“In recent weeks, we’ve seen an uptick in customer complaints related to dogs or pets running loose in neighborhoods. If a dog is on the loose and customer safety becomes a concern… call animal control at 911 immediately.”
This is unacceptable advice because there was no confirmed reason for the dog’s behavior. It isn’t safe to assume that all dogs are likely dangerous simply because they are on-leash. The same can be said of any pet owner who doesn’t sufficiently monitor their animals while they’re away from home, regardless of what breed those animals may be.
The only logical conclusion that can be drawn after the recent spate of dog attacks is that these incidents were provoked. The dog was likely on leash, but was not properly supervised by the owner. If a pet-owner is responsible for their pet’s behavior while they’re out of the house, they should be held accountable.
This isn’t to say that dogs should never be leashed while they’re outside. In fact, I’d prefer that it’s just an extremely rare occurrence . However, it appears there is a rising trend in this behavior.
