Whether or not I would want the dogs PTS would depend on what I felt the likelyhood of them doing the same thing again was. If allowed to stay with their current owner, given the fact that you say their were 7 dogs surrounding your son--seven dogs of any breed, much less one with the potential of doing serious damage, being allowed to run loose, unsupervised, not properly disciplined, is a recipe for disaster and I would think it's a pretty high probability that it would happen again.
Having them taken from the owner and evaluated by professional behavioral specialists and then going from there would be the best option, I would think. If you could know FOR certain that was what was happening and the dogs were not just being passed on to someone else without the issue being properly addressed and corrected. I understand however, that going to that extreme is not often an option and it comes down to a simple, PTS or not. If that's the case, I'm sorry to say, but it would be my opinion that the dogs should be euthanized. I have a high regard for the rights and lives of animals, but I have a higher regard for that of humans.
In any event, it may be that it's out of your hands altogether. If you have not already, make sure that your county's health department and animal control has record of the indident. (If you or your son had to receive medical treatment for your injuries, then the hospital is required by law to report it to both agencies...but regardless, follow up with them to make sure they actually got the info from the hospital.) You and the owners may not have any choice in the matter, depending on what regulations your county has.
Again though, if it came down to them giving the dogs back after their quarrantine, and there was not going to be any regulation by someone other than the owners to have them evaluated, then yes, I would pursue having them PTS. Either way, I would do whatever it took to ensure that the dogs were not living near me anymore. |