I abandoned my three-year running route because of a scary dog

I moved to a residential area near Saigon three years ago. Once I moved there, I developed the habit of running every evening, after coming home from work.

My area has a large and straight sidewalk that is very suitable for running. Many young people in my neighborhood run, while older people jog or walk or play tai chi on a corner of the sidewalk. It’s an energetic neighborhood.

And I would have continued to happily be part of that community, if not for a new neighbor, who has two dogs, and one of them is very aggressive.

I didn’t know about the dogs until one day, I ran past that house and the dog jumped from inside to chase after me.

That day I was certain that it could catch me and bite me, but luckily someone along the road threatened it and caused it to run back home.

I was so scared that I could not continue running, and had to walk home, trembling.

After that day, I chose to walk slowly within a 100-meter radius from the house, in order not to trigger the dog.

But several times, the dog still ran out of the gate and barked loudly at me.

I have also seen the owner taking the dog for a walk every night, without muzzling it, despite many children playing and old people out in the area.

I believe that there’s no way I can talk to the owner about the dog, so I can feel safe running past their house.

I decided to give up running outdoors and registered at a gym and started running on a treadmill.

Dogs and cats are being raised without any control in Vietnamese residential areas, causing negative impacts on the community.

There are regulations about raising dogs, but they are loosely implemented.

How about we strictly enforce these regulations so that people like me do not have to take matters in our own hand by hiding from such dogs?