Some small dogs have irascible personalities to the point where they behave in an aggressively vile manner. Ours are not like that. They prefer being among people. The older one, a miniature poodle, is not particularly gregarious by nature, she can take or leave communication, but the younger one, a toy poodle, is mad for notice by people and eager to reciprocate. We rarely leave them at home alone, preferring to take them with, wherever we go. Highly intelligent dogs become very upset when they're left to their own devices, they would far prefer to be with their companion-humans.

Since they were puppies, she 18 years ago, and he 11 years earlier, they have been accustomed to accompanying us, by being placed in carrying bags which we sling over our shoulders. They're both unobtrusive, draw little attention, and remain quietly complacent, often enough just settling down deep into their bags and falling asleep while we go about our business.

Then came community news that a woman with a shih tsu had created quite a dreadful situation in a local Home Depot store. The shih tsu had been seated in the infant seat of a shopping cart and when a woman who was a store greeter bent toward the dog to pet it, it leaped at her and bit off the end of her nose. The woman with the dog expressed no compassionate concern, let alone a sense of personal responsibility, only a sudden desire to leave as expeditiously as she could manage - which she did, escorted out of the store by one of its managers.

By-law officers and paramedics arrived on cue, the former to investigate the occurrence, the latter to see to the poor injured woman's condition. A doctor later stitched the loose skin of her nose in place and restored her left nostril, but informed her that she will carry the physical scars of the attack for the rest of her life. As for the psychological trauma, she will doubtless forever recall the other woman's lack of conscience.

Needless to say, stores that had formerly looked the other way using their own discretion when dogs were brought onto their premises will think twice. A municipal by-law exists that forbids the entrance of a dog other than a service animal anywhere food is sold. The careless and unthinking attitude of one individual is all it takes to unsettle a balanced situation of social goodwill and in the doing, contribute to pain and suffering and future misery for one unfortunate victim of a dog attack.