I refer to the recent press report headlined Four dogs attack three-year-old .

What had happened is truly sad and what that little boy went through must have surely been a traumatic experience for him. I wish him a speedy recovery. I live in Klang and I have seen this pack of dogs (which I believe is the same pack) in the surrounding area on numerous occasions. I have seen them crossing the road, chasing one another playfully and I have even made friends with one of them and had successfully re-homed him.

To all the readers out there, this incident could have been avoided. There are precautions we have to take and factors to consider when confronted or caught in a situation with dogs: be it by a pack or a lone dog, be it a stray or a kept dog. Below are a few pointers which I hope will help your readers to help themselves when in such a situation.

  1. Our body language plays a big role and it speaks volumes to the dogs; whether we are friends or foes, to attack or retreat.

  • When you see a pack of approaching dogs, avoid them and take another route. They attack when they feel threatened. So avoid eye contact. Make a silent retreat.

  • If you have a small child with you, carry up your child. When confronted by a pack of dogs a small child is in a very vulnerable position and is an easy target for them.

  • Remember that dogs, especially strays, have to fight for survival. As such, when their territory is encroached or threatened their aggressiveness rears its ugly head.

  • When on heat, male dogs tend to be aggressive.

  • Sounds such as screams may sometimes confuse them. For example, a child on a bicycle sees a dog and screams out of fear. To the dog, it's like a signal, 'Playtime!'. The dog chases the child, child falls from bike, dog pounces on child playfully, child kicks at dog out of fear, more screams and more cries - dog gets confused and bites back.

  • Education plays an important role. Take your child to animal shelters. Introduce him to puppies. Give him the exposure.

  • Local councils can play a part by helping in spaying and neutering. They also need to rethink their present strategies on stray management.