Everybody, of course, still feels awful about that recent incident in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park where one dog fatally attacked another. The owners of the attacked dog, a 10-pound Shih-tzu, are calling for rules that would separate dogs by size in the park’s small run. The dog that attacked the Shih-tzu was a 110-pound mastiff mix.
Officials note that Curtis Hixon Park is too small to justify separating dogs by size. But other, larger city parks can – and do – separate animals by size. To date, no such fatal attacks have ever taken place there.
Regardless, rules for all parks put owners on notice. Your dog is your responsibility. Alas, the signs reminding owners of that reality had not yet gone up when the incident occurred at Curtis Hixon.
But the point is this. Do you really need a reminder that a mastiff shouldn’t be mingling with a Shih-tzu in confined quarters? Even more to the point: If you really must have a 110-pound mastiff downtown, the onus is always on you.