Guns or Dogs

The dog had bitten the child in the face, and the dog’s owner was angry. The child’s parents thought the owner was going to shoot the dog. This worried me because we needed the dog alive to see if it developed rabies. I called the Sheriff’s department and they patched me through to the deputy on scene. “Did he shoot the dog?” I asked.
“Yes, in the head,” replied the deputy. Oh no, I thought, shooting in the head is the worst, because second best to a live dog is having enough brain tissue to test for the
rabies virus.

“How’s the dog then?” I asked tentatively. “Well, when I pulled up,” the deputy replied, “he ran out, jumped up, and started licking me!” Turns out the dog had been shot with a pellet gun, not the shotgun I imagined, and the pellet didn’t penetrate his thick skull. This dog was lucky, because 9 times out of 10 dogs are shot with bigger weapons than pellet guns. People are afraid of police because every cop carries a gun, and police are afraid because there are so many guns among their constituents, who sometimes brandish them during routine traffic stops or domestic disputes.

Firearms are inherently dangerous. They’re designed to kill. They’re present in at least half of all Louisiana homes, and our state is one of the top with gun-related deaths in adults and children. In fact, guns in the home are far more likely to injure or kill a family member than an intruder. Exploring toddlers and children can accidentally shoot themselves. Despondent teenagers use them to commit suicide.

Angry spouses, in the heat of an argument, shoot each other. Guns stolen out of houses and cars are used in further crimes. I have a shotgun for duck hunting (or more often, given my aim, “duck scaring”). However, when my kids were growing up, my gun was stored at my father-in-law’s. Like swimming pools, when there are kids around, it’s best not to have them at the house. If you feel you must have a firearm, keep it locked up, unloaded and ammunition stored separately. For home protection, barking dogs are much more effective, and (mostly) safer. Get one that doesn’t bite!

While pellet guns aren’t great at dispatching larger animals like our dog mentioned last week, they’re effective against smaller pests. When rats infest our yard, eating from the bird feeders and freaking out my wife, I’ll phone my brother-in-law. “Hey, ‘Murder Incorporated,’” I’ll say, “come over with your pellet pistol.” We’ll swagger around the yard like mafia hit men, and then “cap” the offending rodents.

While in my wife’s book the dirty rats have it coming, firearm threats to humans are another story. As we mentioned last week, a gun’s sole design is to kill. Having one in the house with kids is unsafe. Depressed teenagers are one high-risk group. Teens are impulsive; one minute rational, the next minute ready to end their misery permanently. Gun suicide is too easy, and too quick, to give teens time for second thoughts. When we see despondent teenagers in the Emergency Department, we
advise removing guns from the home. Toddlers and school-age children are also high risk. These kids are explorers. When they find a new “toy,” (which they
will, no matter how well you hide it) they’ll play with it. My worst encounter was when a  DEA agent came home from an overnight stakeout. Exhausted, he tossed his pistol on the kitchen table and fell in bed.

His five year-old son woke up soon after, and you can guess the rest. Regardless of how you feel about the National Rifle Association (NRA), they have good safety advice for gun owners. Like we mentioned last week, if you must have a gun in the house, keep it locked up,unloaded and the ammunition locked up separately. When children are old enough, teach them about guns to take away the mystery and ensure they learn the right rules for firearm safety. The NRA advises teaching children that if they come across a stray firearm, they shouldn’t touch it.

Instead, they should run away from it and tell a responsible adult. Some argue that, if my gun is unloaded and locked up, how can I get it out in time if someone invades my home? The answer: that gun is statistically much more likely to kill the owner or another family member than an intruder. If you want real home protection, get a dog. Dogs are much more effective stranger deterrence—and they’re cuter, too.