Dogs are no longer seen as just pets to owners; they have largely become members of the family. Gone are the days when they are kept only outside in a kennel and brought inside when there is bad weather. Today, many owners keep their furry family members inside and give them their own dedicated areas to eat and sleep.

Countries in Europe take dog ownership to the next level. The Netherlands, for instance, is as pet-friendly as you can get. There are restaurants, retail outlets and workplaces that allow dogs to accompany their owners. Small dogs are allowed to be carried on buses and larger dogs, with the purchase of a “dog ticket”, are welcomed on trams and trains.

If you are wondering how the Netherlands could ensure the safety of people with many dogs sharing their public spaces, albeit with a leash, the Dutch have created an environment to make it possible. They have an abundance of resources available to help with the care and management of their dogs.

Along with standard services such as veterinarians, dog trainers and walking services, owners have access to behaviour specialists, physical therapists and alternative medicine specialists for their dogs. There is an animal ambulance service, in case of an emergency, and there are optional pet insurance plans available that would cover medication, emergency care, unexpected injuries and illnesses.

Within the Dutch national police force, there is a special division that is dedicated to protecting animals and wildlife. Certain breeds of dogs must go through mandatory training and there are strict laws for the abuse of any animal. The Netherlands was the first country in Europe to have no stray dogs.

Bermuda has also created a much better environment for dogs today when compared with the past. This was partially accomplished by the improvement and introduction of legislation. Various stakeholders collaborated — such as representatives from the Government, advisory committees, animal wardens, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and advocacy groups — and a new Dogs Act was established in 2008.

The outcome resulted in fewer biting incidents, which improved safety in the community. After consultation with members of the public, the Act was amended in 2017 to further improve the care and management of dogs.

Bermuda may not have the wide variety of resources the Netherlands has, but we do love our dogs just the same. Like the Netherlands, many owners now keep their dogs inside with the family, feed their dogs healthy meals, make sure they exercise regularly, and give them more attention.

Dogs are dogs no matter where they are born. Yet, dogs in the Netherlands appear to be calmer and more disciplined, especially around people. My son, speaking out loud unprompted, said the same thing. The difference between the two countries is the environment they are raised in.

Although Bermuda can “pet” its back for improving the environment for man’s best friends, flipping the script, the environment for some of our young people has deteriorated. How else can one explain the ongoing shootings, stabbings and other acts of violence in our society? What about the segmenting and claiming of various parts of the island for their own? In the past, anyone could travel anywhere without the need to look over their shoulder.

Many of our young people are not reaching their full potential in the environment we have created. For sure, life learning begins in the home. However, our environment has made it more challenging for some parents to raise their children, particularly those on lower incomes.

The clock cannot simply be turned back for us to live life as we did in the past; those times are gone. Our failure, though, is not recognising how the environment has changed and how it affects us.

Take, for instance, this one trend as an example: the decline of people going to church. Let us put aside one’s religious beliefs and focus on other benefits. Going to Sunday school gives children values that help to build their life foundation. It improves a child’s social skills, helps to build their character and, most of all, it is fun.

I am certainly not suggesting every child should attend Sunday school, nor am I insinuating it is a necessity. This, of course, is a parent’s choice. However, for the children who do not attend, they are being robbed of these foundational values unless they are continuously taught in the home or elsewhere.

Over the holidays, my house was running low on water. This was puzzling and it was suspected the tank had a leak. On New Year’s Day, my cousins and uncles leapt into action to help, cleaned out the tank and fixed the cracks. Although my family saved me a bundle, it was not lost on me that they gave up part of their holiday to do the job. Times may have changed, but this is one of the values we have kept as a family — to help one another.

I am cognisant there are some people in our community that do not have this level of support. It is even more distressing for single parents, in general, who feel they are on their own. Some must work two and three jobs, and the support to assist is simply not there. If a child is not getting love and guidance in the home, they may be susceptible to receiving it wrongly elsewhere.

If we truly are our brother’s keeper, it is up to the community to become part of the village for those that need the support. It is up to us to help improve the environment. If the various stakeholders and public could get together, collaborate and improve the care and management for our dogs, there needs to be a coming together of the minds to do the same for the people who are vulnerable.

As I highlighted in a previous column, “Stop the violence: act or be acted upon”, I am aware of those in the social work field, activists and volunteers, working hard to improve the wellbeing of those who are in need. I also stated the effort seems disjointed and a national plan is required to fully understand and address the root causes to the senseless violence the island has been experiencing.

Bermuda needs a blueprint on how we are going to resolve our social ills, detailed with tasks and timelines. It needs to be clearly articulated to the public, as I am certain many in the residential and business community would want to know how they could help. It is a huge problem that is bigger than any one institution, and the country needs to invest the time and resources that are necessary to fix it.

As Frederick Douglass once said: “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

• Malcolm Raynor has worked in the telecommunications industry in Bermuda for more than 30 years. Benefiting from Cable & Wireless’s internal training and education programmes held in Bermuda, Barbados, St Lucia (The University of the West Indies) and Britain, he rose to the level as senior vice-president. An independent thinker possessing a moderate ideology, his opinions are influenced by principle, data and trends