You want me to do what with MY dog?

I have a bit of (apparently) *earth shattering* news. Dogs are predators. They belong to entire group of mammals called carnivores that eat other beasties for a living. The biggest clue to this stunning new information would be their canines (usually large often pointy teeth). Let me give you a moment to catch your breath, I know that bit of information can be overwhelming.

I have shared my living space with a lot of dogs. I love dogs. I have been called on to do temperament evaluation and training for Boxer rescue. I have volunteered as a trainer at Town Lake Animal. There are dogs that should and need to be destroyed because they have unprovoked seriously injured or killed a person. Seen 'em up close. It's always sad and usually the fault of a cruel or stupid human. The point I'm getting to is that if I lived with a dog for say a year or so I'd probably catch on (quickly) if they were a danger and act accordingly. That means I would take them to my vet and have the animal humanely destroyed before anyone else could get hurt. I say anyone else because in all likelyhood I would be the first someone to get hurt. To date I have never had a dog in my home that I felt was a genuine human threat.

I have a dog for adoption that will be the only dog in the home where ever she is placed mostly because she would be happiest that way. I have had her around children, cats, other dogs and adults. She is perfectly safe. She is in no way to be trusted around poultry which brings me to my bitch. I go on a lot of home visits, I met people and invariably learn things about *my dog* I would not otherwise know. I stress that she is my dog because until I relinquish ownership that is exactly what she is. I have not raised her from a puppy, there are unknowns. I took my dog on a home visit to the country. She got along with his very large farm dog. Everything went fine for 2 hours we decided to give a weeks trial. As we were leaving both dogs chased and played with the man's turkey and it died.

I sent the man a check for $50.00 to cover the expense of the lost turkey.

2 weeks later I received a very cordial letter that contained an earnest plea that I destroy my dog as a dangerous animal.

Lets review the facts:

1. Monkey is a dog.
2. Dogs are by nature predatory animals
3. This is her only act of predatory behavior that I know of
4. I've had her over a year
5. Whatever she did, she didn't do it alone
6. Turkeys are prey animals

I am not destroying my dog. I don't quite understand his thinking but the whole experience has been a bit surreal.