What a beautiful dog. One gets used to a particular breed - there seems to have been a German Shepherd in the family since about 1968. (Stop sniggering at the back.)
My initial and totally sentimental response to the whole thing is, of course, bring back hanging. Or at least flogging.
A more reasoned response, though goes along these lines.
It seems to be the dog's job instead of its handler's to take the knife/bullet. I have huge problems with this, but hey, I'm sentimental and that's how it's done.
The dog is well trained. AFAIK, it's all a game to the dog. Right until some low-life frightened teenager knifes it. Courage doesn't really come into it.
If there's a moral problem here, surely it involves putting dogs in harm's way in this manner. They're not being brave (except, I would guess, when they turn on someone they perceive to be threatening their human) - they're simply responding to commands as they were trained.
Can they even begin to estimate the degree of danger they're in?
I don't think it makes sense to afford a police/guide/mountain rescue/whatever dog more protection than any other dog. I'm just glad I don't make the decision whether or not police (in this instance) dogs should be used - or a lot of very decent policemen and women would be in even more danger than they are now. The dogs really do seem to look after them as they pursue their duties.
Having said all that - get well cards for a dog? Sweet, perhaps - but yes, I tend to along with the "sentimental tosh" approach.
Feeling a tendency to sniff a bit on seeing photos of the injured dog is, of course, another matter entirely.
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