Gun ownership and dog ownership are not mutually exclusive, and I fail to see why you’re suggesting that it is an either/or proposition.

I’m actually a dog and cat owner, and have adopted 3 dogs and 2 cats from shelters. Each of those animals has become a member of the family whom I cherish.

Although I love large dogs, it seems they actually aren’t good for society as a whole, due to their carbon (paw)print: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091220/sc_afp/lifestyleclimatewarminganimalsfood

Very few ordinary homeowners compete in pistol-shooting competitions where they have to handle their firearms under highly stressful and against-the-clock situations. Therefore, some aspects of handling a semiauto which might be second nature to the ISPCA shooter who puts several thousand rounds downrange a month might not be the case for a guy who might shoot a box of shells every few months.

In a break-in situation where one might be awakened, adrenaline will be pumping hard, and being able to 1)check that a round is chambered 2)check that the safety is in the “fire” positions 3)check that the magazine is fully seated 4)know what to do in the event of a misfire/stoppage might be too much a feat for ordinary homwowners who don’t shoot often enough for this kind of practice to be long habit. A revolver, on the other hand, is so reliable and so simple, that it’s almost literally point and click. In the highly unlikely event of a misfire (the round not discharging), a second double-action pull of the trigger is all that is required to bring the next round in the cylinder in line with the barrel and shoot the gun. Then repeat as necessary.