Gone to the dogs

The Swedes love pets, mainly cats and dogs.  Everywhere I go, there's always someone walking his dog/dogs.  Even when I go to the centre of town, I see people walking their dogs, bringing them along on their shopping trips.  They would tie the leashes outside the stores as they shop inside.  Dogs are even allowed into buses and trains!

I don't mind at all since I love looking at the dogs.  I have seen many types of dogs here, from tiny puppies to the very huge Great Dane and Mastiff.  They are all very adorable.  And I think they are generally quite well-behaved.  Apart from some barking sometimes, the dogs followed their owners obediently everywhere.

Pete doesn't really like the dogs though.  Well, he doesn't like the dogs owners, mainly because they don't pick up after their dogs and they don't follow rules.  There are open spaces and fields around the city and where we live but some areas are supposed to be dog-free.  There are signs indicating that but some dog owners let their dogs roam there.  Also some dog owners allow their dogs to run unleashed.  All these makes Pete uptight about these dog owners.

I used to think that he was maybe a bit too cynical and harsh but after tonight's incident, I am beginning to think that he is right after all.  After supper, as we were settling down to watch a movie, we heard a commotion outside our door.  We tried to listen carefully and found that the loud noises were the barking of dogs and some shouting.  The noises got louder and we could hear footsteps running down the stairs.  Then we heard a lady screaming and crying. 

After a few more tense minutes of shouting, the noises stopped.  Whatever that was, I got chills when I heard the commotion, especially when I heard the lady's voice.  Pete later told me that it seemed like a small dog got attacked by a bigger one.  From the sounds of the lady, the small one got bitten and was probably seriously wounded.  It also seemed like the big dog wasn't leashed.  The owners of the small dog were heard demanding compensation from the owner of the attacking dog.

How sad.  Having had lost a few pets in the past myself, I could understand the lady's anguish.  I am glad, though, that I didn't witness the attack or see the wounded dog.  I can't stand looking at animals or people in pain.  Anyway, I hope these people would learn from this and at the very least, keep their dogs leashed.  I really don't want to witness another incident like this.