Baby dragon is eating children in a local village. I go to kill it. It tells me, "But, I have no food, Sir.". Big soulful eyes. "Please Sir. I'm just so hungry. Please don't kill me."
"Lying wyrm! Eat chickens and cows. Not people. Die!"
"I didn't know better. I'm just a kid. Please Sir."
What the flip do I do? Let it live just because it's "misunderstood?". It was eating children!
But it's just so child-like and seems good, and, well, it could be good if raised right.
Well. Sucks to be the parents of those dead kids. I'm gonna keep the monster and raise it myself, cause it MIGHT be good. Maybe.
Well, you could at least ask the cows and chickens in your story how they feel about being eaten, before offering them to the baby dragon.
I have to say, D&D doesn't make humans look that good. You have spells that let you communicate with animals, which would let you easily find out how sentient they are.