I was horrified to see the pictures of the Yorkshire terrier who had been mauled by a rottweiler in last week's Wandsworth and Putney Guardian.

I quite agree with the vet quoted in the article who said that the owners of such dogs need to train them properly and exercise proper control over these animals.

On the estate on which I live in the Wandsworth area, many of the young men have big, aggressive dogs which they seem to think gives them status within the estate.

This is completely the wrong attitude with dogs like these which are, after all, dangerous animals.

We have seen the kind of consequences of the irresponsible ownership of dangerous dogs with the sad case of the small child who was killed in Leicester.

I don't want to demonise these dogs as I am told that when properly looked after, rottweilers can be lovely pets. But irresponsible owners, particularly teenage owners, need to be made to face up to the duties that come with keeping dogs like these.

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