Any dog has potential to be vicious

After the recent mauling of a horse in the Foothills, I heard some people call for bans on pit bulls such as those that attacked the horse.

Yet I've seen some so-called friendly breeds turn mean because they had been abused or provoked. I also know someone whose dog was nearly killed by a dog no one suspected would go on the attack.

And I've seen a few scary-looking pit bulls that turned out to be friendly.

What's enlightening is the book “The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption.” Many of the dogs the Eagles quarterback had groomed for fighting ended up as loving pets in other people's homes or as working dogs in therapy programs.

What it gets down to is, dog owners need to make sure their pet's on a leash or confined. If they don't, the dog is as dangerous as any pit bull.