I agree, none of the story is the animal's "fault" - animals behave the way their instincts dive them. I also agree that keeping an animal at your whim, beck and call and in whatever conditions the owner chooses is unacceptable. In principle, animals belong in nature, not in human dwellings or other demarcated environment. Humans breed animals for food and those animals are to a substantial degree creations of their breeders - their wellbeing is their responsibility, from food to health, with environment and all these things are rightly strictly regulated. There is a gap in the regulation of animals that are simply a sop to their owner's weaknesses, insecurities and egos, not to mention fashion. That is where the problems that this story points to arise. No authority is likely to be prepared to enforce their opinion on these matters because they don't have the power to do so - until the sort of incident as those that have been referred to in this thread actually occurs. Then, as usual, it will be too late. Until then there will be legions of people who will scream Not my dog, Not my breed, etc., knowing full well that in this society they come under the sort of unspoken protection that in certain parts of the world is afforded the religiously pious. They are substantially beyond reproach simply because their choices are a social totem giving them a type of untouchability.