I’VE been a dog owner all my life and have only ever been bitten by one of our pets, but it was nowhere near as serious as the one that left a 10-year-old boy in Springbourne with nasty bites over his body.

But the result was the same. My dad couldn’t risk any of his four kids being attacked again and our beloved dog was put down.

That was more than 40 years ago and this is a different world, one where people purchase or breed pets not just to protect their property, but also to intimidate and frighten others.

Few dogs have had a worse public relations nightmare than the Staffordshire bull terrier, a stout and noble breed which appears to have become the favoured chien du jour of those who prefer weapons to pets.

It’s a pity, because I’ve come across some lovely Staffies and owners who have trained them up to that level of affability.

But while the laws governing dogs that attack people and animals remain so vague, incidents like this that could have cost a young child his life will continue to happen.

The attack became a non-criminal offence as it took place on private property. That’s an utter joke and had the dogs’ owner not done the right thing, it could have taken a long time to have the dogs destroyed.

Stricter laws will address dogs who attack. What a pity we can’t do something now about those who thrive on turning potential loving, family pets into potential killers.