By Magee Police Chief Denis J. Borges
This week, I want to address something that should concern every parent, grandparent, and resident in our community. When children cannot ride a bike, walk down the street, or go visit a friend without the risk of being attacked by a loose or aggressive dog, that is a real public safety issue.
We have recently dealt with incidents involving children being bitten by dogs. Thankfully, those situations were not even worse than they could have been, but that is exactly the point. We should not wait until a tragedy happens before taking this seriously.
Let me be clear. Dog ownership comes with responsibility. When you buy a dog, that is your dog and your responsibility. It is not the neighborhood’s responsibility. It is not the public’s responsibility. It is not a child’s responsibility to figure out whether your dog is friendly, aggressive, loose, or dangerous. If you choose to own a dog, it is your duty to keep that animal secured, controlled, and from becoming a threat to others.
This is not an attack on responsible pet owners. Many people in our city take care of their animals and do the right thing. This is about accountability for the ones who do not. When dogs are repeatedly allowed to roam, when fencing is not maintained, or when warnings are ignored, that becomes more than carelessness. It becomes a threat to the public.
We also need to speak honestly about feral dogs. A feral dog is not the same as a family pet that simply got out of the yard. Feral dogs are often unsocialized, unpredictable, and in some cases may roam in packs. That makes them especially dangerous. When dogs begin moving in groups, their behavior can become more aggressive, more territorial, and harder to stop.
Feral dogs can also develop predatory tendencies. That means the danger is not limited to a simple bite. In the worst situations, a pack can quickly become a serious threat to small children, pets, and anyone caught alone and vulnerable. While feral dogs are not the same thing as coyotes, from a public safety standpoint a pack of feral dogs can pose a similar immediate danger when they are roaming, acting aggressively, and focused on a target. That is why these situations must be taken seriously before someone is severely injured or killed.
Parents also need to have honest conversations with their children. Teach them not to approach unknown dogs. Teach them not to run toward a loose dog or a pack. Teach them to get away, create distance, and call for help if a dog is acting aggressively. Prevention matters. Awareness matters. Seconds matter.
The public should also understand this: if a dog is actively attacking you, your child, or another person, you do have the right to protect yourself or that person from immediate harm. But that is very different from going onto someone else’s property after the fact once the danger has already passed. One is stopping an active threat. The other can create a completely separate legal issue.
The answer is not panic. The answer is responsibility, reporting, and action before someone gets badly hurt. If you know of dangerous dogs running loose, report it. If your dog is getting out, fix the problem now, not after somebody gets bitten. If you are a parent, stay alert and talk to your children. Public safety is not just the job of the police. It is a shared responsibility in a community that cares about its people.
No parent should have to wonder whether their child will make it home safely because of loose, aggressive, or feral dogs in the neighborhood. Protecting our children starts before an attack ever happens.
Chief Denis J. Borges
Magee Police Department
