The story of a small dog being savaged to death is sheer horror. It has taken me time to put pen to paper but I wanted to be as objective and as unemotional as possible. I would wish to make three important points:

1. Pit bulls can be pets too - not all pit bulls are killers.

2. No dog is born a fighter - fighting dogs are trained for that purpose by so-called human beings.

3. No dog - even a savage pit bull - is to be punished for obeying its owner.

The only thing that could have saved Sophie's life is the law. According to the law the pit bull in question should have been muzzled.

Sophie's death is a tragedy that could have been avoided if the law were adhered to. But the law was broken and as in most other cases involving cruelty to animals the law is deficient.

The law should be amended to enable the police to take immediate action against the owner and whoever is walking any dog that attacks or savages man or beast.

Fines should constitute an effective deterrent and be accompanied by a jail term in cases where man or beast is mauled by a dog. An amendment which simply provides for the muzzling of dangerous dogs - a term that would have to be clearly defined if it is to be effective - is simply not enough.

If, and only if, the law is amended to ensure that responsibility for one's pets lies fairly and squarely with the owner, then, I believe that rather than face a jail sentence and a hefty fine, even the most irresponsible owner would muzzle a dangerous dog and ensure that it does not "escape" accidentally.

The million-dollar question is: When will the government take action? When will the law be changed? How long do innocent pets and their owners have to suffer?

This has nothing to do with the Animal Welfare Act which has been "under consideration" for years. One hopes that animal lovers will not yet again be fobbed off and told that draft amendments to the law have been submitted to yet another committee.