Muzzles and leashes seem to be luxury for dog lovers

As a person who regularly jogs, I often choose urban areas or parks to practice safely. But even so, I still cannot avoid being chased by dogs. And the most recent time, while jogging, I had a dog without a muzzle or leash jump down from its owners' motorbike and head straight towards me with a very unfriendly look on its face.

Because I had experience, I immediately slowed down and didn't look back at the animal. So the dog stopped chasing me and returned to its owner. What angered me the most is that the dog owner didn't even care that their dog was causing danger and trouble to others, as if that was a normal thing. And I wonder if that is the common mentality of dog owners in Vietnam.

At the park I often choose to jog, every evening there are groups of young people bringing all kinds of dogs and letting them off their leashes, or not having one at all. And every time I pass that area, I always pray to God that no dog will chase me.

There were days when a dog might quietly follow me and not bark or growl, but even that is enough to make me unable to run with peace of mind. There are laws and regulations regarding bringing dogs to public places, but I feel the implementation is extremely lax.

According to my observations, the dog leash is already a luxury item for a large number of so-called dog lovers. Many people are willing to make cute clothes for their dogs and feed them expensive food, but are very lazy in ensuring the safety of those around them.

And maybe I don't need to talk about the repeated incidents of dogs attacking people, especially children. Dog owners will say their pets are gentle, but even if that's true, dogs might be gentle with their owners or acquaintances, but not necessarily with strangers on the street.

People who claim to love dogs often talk about "banning dog meat in a civilized world", but have they raised dogs in a civilized way at the same time?

Dog owners should perhaps question their own definition of civilization. I hope they can at least walk their dog with a leash around its neck, so people like me can feel safe when going out.