County officials, including members of the Robeson County Board of Commissioners, expected to get an earful on Thursday night.

After all, they were holding a public hearing during which they wanted input from residents on proposed rules that are designed to take the bite out of the threat of vicious dogs in Robeson County, a problem that appears to be getting worse. The rules are comprehensive, and range from charging residents for dog ownership to the possibility of seizing dangerous animals and putting them down, and a lot more rules in between.

But to everyone’s surprise, including this newspaper’s, no one really showed up to speak, at least in opposition. And what was expected to be a long night turned into a short one, with the hearing lasting only about 40 minutes.

But the night was not without a bit of drama.

The lone speaker was Joshua Currier, and we are sure he would have preferred not to have been motivated to do so. Currier knows well about vicious dogs: His 73-year-old mother was killed Dec. 10 in an attack during which two children were maimed, including one who lost an arm.

That attack forced action by the county.

“I am for the ordinance,” Currier said. “My mother was mauled to death by four Rottweilers, while she attempted to protect my niece.

“I’m here to be a voice for my mother and others who have been hurt by dog attacks. Dogs are not at fault, and any breed can go bad. We want people to be held accountable.”

Currier is certainly correct about the dogs not being at fault. They do what instincts instruct — and humans allow.

The problem of vicious dogs is not unique to Robeson County, but as is so often the case it’s worse here. County Attorney Gary Locklear cited a growing number of incidents, and we can all hope that the rules, once adopted and then enforced, will mean fewer going forward. The fees charged for ownership are seen as a revenue source to hire more Animal Control officers, which are needed in North Carolina’s largest county in terms of size.

In Robeson County, far too many dog owners are simply irresponsible. They allow the animals to roam and procreate, creating a problem of not only too many uncontrolled dogs who might be dangerous, but too many period. That is why thousands continue to be put down at the animal shelter each year, and although the number is fewer than two decades ago, it remains heartbreaking and a stain on all of us.

The proposed rules were put together by people with some expertise, including officials with the Health Department, which is in charge of enforcement; local law enforcement; veterinarians and other county officials. The public’s opportunity was Thursday, and no one bothered. The event was well-advertised, including by this newspaper, so our read is that county residents, including dog owners, are OK with what is being proposed.

County officials, without any real public input, are now free to retreat behind closed doors, toss out the bad and codify the good, and put teeth in Animal Control while trying to protect the public.

When that happens, and the sooner the better, the public should remain quiet, just as it was on Thursday.