Must every dog have his day? The recent incident in San Francisco, where two Presa Canarios (mastiff-type dogs) attacked and killed a woman outside her apartment, has brought this question to the forefront.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, 10- to 20 persons die every year as a result of dog bites.

A sampling of the news:

• "Three black pit bull dogs terrorized an East San Jose neighborhood Monday, biting three people…" (San Jose Mercury News, April 10).

• "A 10-year-old boy was found mauled to death by dogs Tuesday morning in a neighborhood park…" (Associated Press, March 6).

• "Two 80-pound fighting dogs, ordered muzzled after an attack earlier this year, mauled a 16-year-old delivering newspapers…" (Toronto Star, Jan. 14).