Ban vicious dog owners

When I talk of vicious dog owners, first let me make myself absolutely clear. I do not mean the owners of vicious dogs, rather the vicious owners of dogs. Unfortunately, my investigation has proved that there are far too many of this species in today's society. It is regrettable to report that the vicious dog owners are more than ready to tarnish the reputations of kind, intelligent and responsible owners, worldwide.

My Facebook page - sorry, Webmaster - has attracted all manner of visitors. On the whole, I have received tremendous support from all camps and even bumped into a few fans who followed me there from The Land of Blog. On the other hand, there is a dark element at work and one that I am more than happy to expose to the world.

My original blog, 'Ban Vicious Dogs', was a plea to dog owners to come forth and give me reasons why they own large breeds like mastiffs and rottweilers. Even I am forced to admit that I learned a great deal about the doggy world - not the world of dogging; that is something completely different and not a suitable subject for a family online newspaper - and the majority of readers offered their honest opinions and indulged in healthy debate.

However, there is a band of people who are of the opinion that ANYONE should be entitled to own a large breed, regardless of the fact that perhaps they have not read up on the needs of particular dogs. According to some of these misguided individuals, it is all down to choice and, as far as they're concerned, it is quite acceptable to home dogs in council flats and small houses without gardens.

The VON (Vicious Owner Network) has taken umbrage at my daring to offer the opinion that owners should do some homework before exchanging large amounts of cash for dogs whose needs they have given either very little or no consideration whatsoever.

During my investigation, VON has pooled its resources and gone into overdrive by insulting and threatening me. Their insults have ranged from calling me a 'sad old man' to accusing me of being a 'cat lover'. They have also sent intimidating emails to a number of owners who attempted to defend my views. They have gone so far as to urge responsible owners to take me off of their 'friends list' or risk being deleted themselves. Such tactics can only be attributed to a lack of brain cells and I can't help but be reminded of the similarity of the far-right's campaign of hate last year against local traders who choose News Shopper to advertise their businesses.

One dear lady, whose own dog is sadly not very well at the moment, received a large amount of these vindictive emails from VON. She informed me that she is no longer considered a friend and has been struck off the list. During a secret meeting, far away from the eyes and ears of VON, she described how she feels that this unruly mob of antagonists are to blame for the many misconceptions that are attributed to large breeds and their owners. After a tearful farewell, my source left me with no doubt in my mind that the VON are giving decent, responsible and caring dog owners, unwarranted bad press and media coverage.

My investigation continues.

Erastus