The following article appeared in the Ann Arbor News’ Letter to the Editor section on March 24, 2000

6-year-old was scarred in unprovoked dog attack

This letter is in response to Amy Mellow, who thinks a dog should be able to defend itself and its property.

My daughter was 6 whan she was the victim of a totally unprovoked dog attack. A 9-year-old child asked if she wanted to see his dog.

Since she was an animal lover, she said yes. The dog attacked, leaving her with a punctured lung and a narrow miss of her jugular vein. Five hours of surgery, innumerable stitches and a three-week stay in the hospital were the results. Her scars, from neck to thigh are permanent, too thick for plastic surgery.

She was a gentle, sweet little girl lit the more than a baby. Protection? I think not. The dog had bitten before. He was just a killer with no rights at all.

Is your property worth a child being maimed or killed?

No one even wanted this animal as a guard dog, and he was destroyed. I haven’t a violent bone in my body, but if authorities had not killed him, I would have.

Sharon Fellows

Northville