By KELLY PARKER
Los Alamos

I LOVE dogs. Ask anyone who knows me. I’d rather watch cute dog videos on Instagram than the latest TV program or movie. I stop and say hi to all the dogs when I walk and even wave to them when I see one in a car driving by. What I don’t love are irresponsible dog owners!

I was walking my 11 1⁄2 year old dog around 1:30 p.m., Nov. 19, on Grand Canyon in White Rock. She was feeling great that day and was excited to be out smelling the smells. We noticed two very large dogs approaching from the opposite direction. They were on leashes; a young lady was walking them. My dog and I crossed the street as soon as we saw them to avoid any kind of altercation. When the large dogs were about even with us, they bolted toward us, dragging the dog walker along.

The next thing I knew, my dog, a 65-pound mixed breed, was on the ground being violently attacked! I began pounding, kicking, screaming, begging for the dogs to stop. One of the dogs was eventually pulled away by the dog walker but the other dog continued to maul my dog. He was not giving up! In a risk my own safety, I reached for the dog’s harness, kept kicking, and finally pulled the dog away.

Injuries sustained in dog attack Nov. 19 in White Rock. Courtesy photo

My dog’s entire left side was ripped open, and her injuries required multiple stitches, 21 days of antibiotics, and had to wear a cone for many days. I have a back injury because of this attack, and both my dog and I are hesitant to walk outside for fear of encountering the big dogs again.

These dogs are a danger to the public. After some investigation I found that there are prior incidents—including a bite to a man’s hand—involving these dogs. The owner knows these dogs are dangerous. He still allowed a young woman to walk the dogs. She had no chance of holding them back. I don’t believe, even with training, these dogs can be trusted to behave in a reasonable manner around other dogs or maybe even around people.

Injuries sustained in dog attack Nov. 19 in White Rock. Courtesy photo

I don’t say any of this lightly and have in fact been in a similar position to the dog’s owner. I had a loving labrador many years ago. She became reactive after a botched procedure at the vet.

We couldn’t trust her, and after she bit my friend’s hand, I couldn’t live with the idea that my tiny niece might have been the victim of that bite. I had my beautiful 2-year-old dog, who was a member of our family, euthanized. It broke my heart and took me months to get over. It was also the right thing to do. Someone else would have eventually gotten hurt.

Like I said, I LOVE dogs. All dogs go to heaven, and that’s where these dangerous dogs need to go before something even worse happens.