A 5-year-old Huntsville boy was mauled to death by a dog the other night – and the tragedy should be cause for dog owners to seriously contemplate on the safety and reliability of their own canines insofar as a possible attack on a human being is concerned. Some specific questions seem appropriate: Is your dog prone to be excitable around strangers? Has it ever had a record o biting? D0 you realize, as an owner, your responsibility and liability should an attack occur? Do you abide by the law in keeping your dog on your property or on a leash? A Provo woman still hasn’t otten over the trauma and pain 0% an attack by a large dog a few’ months ago when she suffered a serious bite that required sustained medical care. A senior citizen, just recently retired after operating a business for decades, says he fears strolling in his neighborhood because of potentially-ferocious dogs. More than one small child has been treated at the emergency ward for dog bites on the face and arms. Frequently in dog bites a violation of the law is involved, with the offending animal not properly controlled. In one case recently, a large dog, given a ride in a piickup, , leaped out and attac ed a pedestrian. Most owners love their canine pets – and in some cases have never contemplated that the animals could ever be anything but “man’s best friend.” This may be ture in the preponderance of cases. But occasionally an owner has a rude awakening when an unexpected dog bite has caused physical suffering, not to mention inconvenience that involves medical bills, time off work, etc. Cities and counties naturally should do all they can to rid the area of dangerous dogs. But the owners have an important responsibility too. If there’s a situation that needs to be taken care of, let’s not wait until tragedy comes, as it did in the case of the Huntsville case. Out to Lunch The U.S. Civil Service Commission is concerned that too many government workers in Washington are stretching their lunch hours and proposes cracking down on them. Fine, says the national Federation of Federal Employed, which calls itself the largest union in the career federal civil service. But what’s sauce for the peons ought to be sauce for the bosses.