Manchester dog attack: Your dog isn’t your ‘child’ – it’s a dangerous animal

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. If the unhappy roll call seems endless, that’s because it appears to be: last year, a woman in her forties was killed and a man suffered life-changing injuries in a dog attack near Rotherham, even though South Yorkshire Police said neither of the two dogs involved were considered banned breeds under the Dangerous Dogs Act. The only thing more ubiquitous than dog attacks is the number of people declaring their pet is “different”; that it’s “gentle”; that it’s “more afraid of you than you are of it”. “He won’t hurt you,” dog owners laugh when they see my children cower – and it can feel incredibly belittling. “This can be due to a current perceived threat or even past experience making them uncomfortable.” The charity did say that dogs seldom attack without some form of warning, with growing aggression typically indicated by growling, snarling, snapping, baring their teeth and lunging – and there are seven warning signs we should all be aware of – but I would argue this is way, way beside the point.