Take a look at this article about a dog who was responsible for the death of the child he lived with. Do you think he was responsible? Or should the parents who left the child unattended with the dog be charged? Let me know what your opinion is.

During my career I have always stressed that children should never be left alone with an animal of any type. Predatory animals have teeth (dogs and cats), some pets are large and can knock over or step on a kid, while others (like fish) might pose threats if the child knocks down and breaks the aquarium. Hamsters are bitters disguised as cute little pocket pets…and so on.

Pets can also be dangerous to one another. I cautioned one client to not leave their dogs alone when they first brought a new dog into the household–but they did. The newcomer seriously injured the resident pet. They replied, “We only left them alone for a few seconds.” Hmmm, does “do not leave them alone” indicate that there is any exception? It only takes a few seconds to have a tragedy.

So, my point is to pay attention to safety rules. Teach your kids and animals to be tolerant and don’t leave animals and kids together unattended.