Whenever an animal attacks someone, the blame is generally put onto the animal for attacking the person in the first place. In many cases, the animal is sought out and killed by animal control or the people who it attacked. 

But these animals should be afforded some grace. They should not be put down, but rather rehabilitated and trained. 

Many people argue that if an animal attacks someone, that animal is now aggressive toward humans and could be a threat to others as well. Others argue the value of human life is far greater than any animal, and therefore we must do all we can to remain safe.

Humans like to think of themselves as the most superior being due to our intelligence. This mindset leads to reckless deforestation, habitat destruction and extinction of species. 

Humans are no more superior to any animal because we require their existence in order to maintain our own. For these reasons, we must treat all animals with the same grace we treat humans, including when they attack us.

The reason for wild animals attacking humans is generally not due to a thirst for human blood or desire to hurt humans in particular, but rather an attempt to protect their territory. When humans feed wild animals consistently, those animals become more comfortable around humans, which puts them in more situations where they may be aggressive. Animals may also attack humans because they see them as prey, but this is rare.

LijTafari Phelps, a senior psychology major, agreed that animals are not responsible for attacking humans. 

“I don’t think animals should be put down for attacking a person. They’re not programmed, so you can’t fix every single problem you have with them by putting it down. I think animals are a lot more complex than us, per se.” Phelps said. “I wouldn’t call them innocent. I would just call them natural, doing their natural duties.”

Lauren Adams, a junior psychology major, also sees alternative options to dealing with aggressive animals.

“I don’t think we should kill animals. Animals are animals,” Adams said. “They are just minding their own business and don’t deserve to be killed because of that. There are other options to protect humans from them, like isolation and rehabilitation, so we should focus on those instead.”

The best way to stay safe from wild animal attacks is by staying away from their territories, carrying non-lethal weapons and always being on the lookout for predators. 

Humans and animals can co-exist safely as long as humans take the necessary precautions when in the wild and respect the animal’s privacy. Animals are only trying to survive by following their instincts. It’s wrong to interrupt that and then blame the animal for attacking us when we do so.

Dogs are not an exception to this rule. There are certain breeds of dogs that are deemed as “more aggressive” than other breeds, and in many places, there are very strict laws surrounding dog attacks. People are much more likely to blame an “aggressive dog” for attacking someone than the owner or previous owners of that dog for not training it well.

Just because a dog is more likely to have behavioral issues, it doesn’t mean that they are going to become aggressive as long as they receive proper care. There are plenty of options to help a dog that has behavioral issues, including rehoming, changing their environment and providing behavior management training for the dog. 

Some dogs may just do better on their own away from humans, and so they should be put in a facility that’s separated from humans so they can have a good life.

“If a dog who has a history of abuse and/or aggression attacks someone, I blame the human,” Phelps said. “Again, animals are kind of natural, so they’re only really products of their environment. So if the dog attacks you, their environment probably kind of trained them for that.” 

The only humane reason to put down a dog is if even with all of the effort put into helping it it’s still suffering. There may be some dogs that will never be able to adjust their behavior and can’t be around humans or other animals without being aggressive. Moreover, older dogs with no behavioral issues can develop illnesses that are untreatable. \

This quality of life is not very healthy for the dog and so putting it down is more humane than letting it live. 

In general, animals deserve to be respected just as much as humans. As much as we don’t realize it, they are a vital part of keeping our population healthy, and they shouldn’t be taken for granted. 

They are just following what their instincts and evolution has taught them to do, and it’s up to us to be wary of that and keep a safe distance from animals that are dangerous.