When the topic of guns being used for self-defense comes up, many anti-gunners like to cite how many people are killed in self-defense as evidence that such claims are bogus. However, that metric is a poor statistic to use because “self-defense” doesn’t necessarily mean killing someone. Simply presenting a gun against an attacker can scare many of them off. Still others run after the first shot is fired, regardless of whether they’re hit or not. Meanwhile, some are shot and don’t die from the wound.

None of them will show up in any such statistics, yet all were thwarted by an armed citizen.

Here’s another example of a defensive gun use you won’t see reflected in the self-defense homicide statistics.

A man recently shot and killed a dog in West Jackson after seeing the dog act aggressively towards family members.

Deputies with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office were called for the incident on Duck Rd.

A man shot a dog twice after the dog was seen behaving aggressively at a family member’s house. The dog reportedly growled at a woman and her son and approached them aggressively.

Aggressive dogs aren’t calculated in most crime statistics, yet dogs can be incredibly dangerous to humans. While most dogs are great pets, some aren’t. Those that aren’t can well be particularly threatening.

Yet dogs aren’t the only threatening animals you’re likely to encounter. Depending on where you are, there’s any number of animals that may threaten you or a loved one. Here in my neck of the woods, we’ve got coyotes, bobcats, and venomous snakes that may well pose a risk to human life, though bobcats aren’t usually a threat in most circumstances. Using a gun against those won’t show up in most statistics.

The thing is, though, those are still valid defensive gun uses. What else are people expected to carry that would let them defend themselves from these kinds of animal attacks?

Using a firearm defensively can well mean taking out a dangerous animal before it hurts a person. We, as a species, have always valued human life more than animals and for good reason. This is just what we do and how we protect our species.

Anti-gunners, however, ignore these incidents. Arguably, they know about them and opt to ignore them because it doesn’t advance their narrative. Personally, I think it’s more from a place of ignorance. They don’t think about these kinds of gun uses because many of them live in places where they simply don’t happen. I mean, how many coyote attacks took place in Chicago last year?

Regardless, animal attacks are a thing, and using a gun to defend a human life from such an attack is a noble act. People deserve the right to defend themselves from predators, and not just the two-legged variety.

Look, I’m an animal lover myself. The idea of having to kill a dog is something I prefer not to think about. But, if it came down to either doing that or allowing an innocent person to be attacked, I’d much rather have the means to put the dog down than to be powerless to help.