Small kids at dog park unwise

I was sorry to read about the small child being bitten by a dog at the bark park; however, it had to happen one day.

I used to take my dogs to the bark park in North Myrtle Beach. I was always amazed when someone would bring a small child into an area, a large dog park, where many of the dogs outweigh the child by many pounds, then allow the child to run around trying to pet the dogs.

Often, these people didn't have a dog with them; they'd been at the playground nearby and, I guess, thought it would be a good idea for their child to “meet the dogs.”

I have five dogs; they're all friendly towards adults but have never been around children. I don't know how they'd react to a small child. Apart from the biting risk, why would any parent want their child running around (frequently in flip flops or sandals) in an area where many dogs defecate?

This story was originally published September 21, 2017 at 4:48 PM with the headline "Small kids at dog park unwise."