In light of the recent situation where a severely neglected "family pet" mauled an innocent 6 month old baby boy at the family's home, it is high time we step up and realise the grave importance of being responsible pet owners. Incidents of a family dog attacking a member of the family can most certainly be traced back to the animal being ill tempered due to some form of neglect.  Under fed dogs, dogs permanently tethered to one area or confined to a kennel for most of its life with zero exercise and very little human interaction, physically abused dogs etc are neglected dogs that will not have a balanced mental state. Studies done by dog behaviour specialist around the world such as Shelby Marlo and Cesar Milan have proven that neglected dogs suffer from negative psychological and emotional effects, which can result in unpredictable behaviour. Dogs are highly intelligent creatures and with the proper training and treatment, situations of this fatal nature will be very unlikely and more so even non existent. In Trinidad and Tobago, our laws for protecting animals from cruelty and neglect are extremely weak and almost all cases of cruelty reported are not taken seriously by the relevant authorities. The penalties for such offences are also extremely inadequate and the law is never enforced.  The Dog Control Act was brought about to curb "dangerous" dog attacks, but as we can see people are still at risk from dogs who are not even classified as dangerous under the act so it begs the question, what does the act really control? While the act has put a stop to a few ignorant and irresponsible people from owning potentially dangerous dogs such as the pit bull by making it a financial strain to do so, it does not touch the real cause of animal attacks which is BAD and IRRESPONSIBLE dog ownership. These owners need to be punished, not the breed or the dog itself. A dog's behaviour is the direct result of its environment and training. An animal cruelty police unit is desperately needed to enforce the laws. This will create employment and also generate a revenue when persons are convicted of animal neglect and cruelty. A nation can be judged by the way in which it treats its animals. It can also be quoted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good man. Cruelty to animals is often associated with people who possess a violent and uncaring character which are leading tendencies in criminals. Look around at the neglect many dogs and other animals as well in our twin island republic face everyday and you be the judge of this nation........