Tom Schmidt: Big dogs are killing small dogs in the city
Two weeks ago, while we were walking in south Merced, my toy poodle was attacked by a German shepherd. I had to fight the big dog, punching and kicking, until it disappeared as swiftly as it had arrived. My dog suffered only one scratch, on her side, but I was recuperating from surgery to implant a defibrillator. The violent fight pulled one of the wires out of my heart, so that I had to have a second surgery.
Now I hear of other attacks. One friend, walking two small dogs on the north side, saw them attacked by a German shepherd. As the big dog bit the first, the second dog howled in fear. The big dog turned to the second dog and killed it. The shepherd was identified and picked up by animal control. After 10 days I am told it was returned to its owners.
We have a problem, Merced. People encourage me to carry a cattle prod or pepper spray. I follow the training precepts of The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Milan, who points out that the problem is usually the people, not the dog. The problem dogs have been abandoned to demonstrate their raw instincts. Beware of dogs.
Tom Schmidt, Merced
This story was originally published February 29, 2016 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Tom Schmidt: Big dogs are killing small dogs in the city."