The loss of a family pet

I've talked many times about the changes in our family, growing kids and changes in general. This loss of our family pet wasn't something that we had thought would happen. This was a mixed loss. He was a biting dog. We were able to reason, in the past, to believe that he wasn't a mean dog. (and we don't believe that he was a mean dog just a dog looking for control) It's NEVER easy to see a child get bite by a dog. We have 4 children and we all love the children that were bitten. WE knew that it was serious each time and never meant for the next to happen or ever thought that he would bite again. This is a dog that we have had in our family, around our children for the life of the dog. We were NOT sure of what to do, but we tied the dog and we thought that with other behavioral changes we were making a difference. It didn't work out that way. So this weekend we had to make a choice. NOT ever the choice that we wanted, but this dog could not be saved. I'm most sorry that my son had to be home for his R and R when this happened, for it was the dog that he picked out for us to have. I'm most proud of the man that he is and the action that he was able to take. There are many feelings, guilt, anger, frustration and sadness. We know that we as the owners are responsible for the dog and the safety of the people that come in contact with the dog and we are sad that the two could not, for whatever reason be together. We are sad that those bitten were hurt and thankful that it could have been worse and it wasn't. We are sad that in some ways we failed our dog, not being attentive enough, not properly training him or not supporting him in a way that he needed us to. We loved and shared our lives with this dog for almost 3 years, and we are thankful for that time. We are sorry that we had to end this time together and we wish that things could have been different. We loved our dog.