Many dogs without muzzles are taken to Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City although pets are banned from the area.

Tens of dogs of various kinds and sizes and some cats are often seen on the promenade in the evening.

As observed by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, just a few dogs were on a leash, while most of them did not wear muzzles and ran about visitors, including many children.

Some people had to move to other areas as they were allergic to dogs’ hair or could not stand dog poop.

Dog owners rarely bring with them tissues and plastic bags to clean up after their pets.

They often stand in groups or sit down to use mobile phones, letting their pets run about freely and not caring if they bite other people.

“I see many people take their dogs there without any problem," Minh Anh, a 23-year-old resident in Tan Binh District, said while carrying a poodle dog in his arms.

"These dogs are friendly and do not bite anyone.”

In addition, dogs that run about and run after others may cause children to fall down. They may also slam into vehicles if they run to other streets.

Parents tend to carry their children in their arms when they are on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street to keep the kids away from dogs.

Ho Thi Tinh, a 42-year-old resident in Thu Duc City, under Ho Chi Minh City, who often takes her daughter to the pedestrian street on weekends, feel worried as many dogs are not muzzled.

Her daughter is afraid of canines so she asked her mother to hold her when big dogs approached the girl.

“In crowded areas, dogs may get excited," Tinh said.

"Therefore, they should be muzzled so that they cannot bite people.

“If children are attacked by dogs, the consequences will be terrible.

“I see many people take their dogs to public places for pooping or peeing, which shows their lack of awareness and affects those coming to the places to take a stroll or enjoy the fresh air.”

Everyone has the right to have dogs. However, when they bring their dogs to public places, they should pay attention to their pets.

Dogs must wear muzzles and napkins and be fully vaccinated, while dog owners must bring with them tools to clean dog poop.

Vo Hoang Tam, 28, residing in District 3, opposes the act of taking dogs and cats to walking streets, parks, and restaurants.

“Not all people like dogs and cats, especially those having fallen down due to dogs, been attacked by them, or trodden on dog poop," Tam said.

“It’s good if you love dogs and cats but you should not be selfish and ignore the impact on others.”

Strict sanctions should be imposed on dog owners who let their pets loose in public spaces.

Nguyen Thi Yen, 25, residing in Phu Nhuan District, shared the view, saying that she does not hate dogs and cats but she is fearful of them as she was bitten by dogs several times when she was young.

“I am frightened when seeing dogs are not chained or muzzled although I have not been bitten by dogs since I came to Ho Chi Minh City,” Yen said, noting that she will keep a safe distance from dogs, especially large and vicious ones, in public places.

“I am afraid of stray dogs as I do not know if they are feral or raised by someone, vicious and fully vaccinated or not.

“If I bump into a stray dog, I will walk slower to avoid it. However, if I am riding a motorbike and a dog suddenly crosses the road, that will be extremely dangerous."

Yen and some other visitors agreed that dog owners should control their pets well so that surrounding people will not feel unsafe. If not, they should not bring their pets to public places.

Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy in Tan Binh District recounted that when she was taking her nieces to Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street during the Lunar New Year, or Tet, holiday last month, one of them was bitten by a dog.

“I asked my nieces to stay aloof from dogs but they forgot soon later. I heard one of them scream and she told me that a dog bit her ankle, causing it to bleed," Thuy said.

“There were nearly ten of dogs there so I did not know which one bit my niece and no one admitted that their dog bit my niece. A youngster even browbeat me as he thought I accused his dog unjustly.

“Although all of them said their dogs were fully vaccinated, I still had my niece vaccinated against rabies. I could not believe irresponsible dog owners to risk the life of my niece.”

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