DOG: Shooting elevated doubts

In today’s editorial in the Press, I was surprised to read of your dismay because you had received no comments about the recent horrible murder committed by a young man who killed his wife and child. Yet, you note, there were a number of people who reacted to the piece about one of our police officers killing a dog who had “lunged” at him as the officer examined the car in which the dog was being kept.

Our news is saturated with horrible, sickening, tragic stories concerning human interaction of all kinds. On a daily basis we are informed of many tragedies; today the Press filled two full columns about a terrible murder of a family in Texas. The local evening new begins with the dramatic phrase, “breaking news,” followed by ten to fifteen minutes of the crime news of the day. Day after day we are reminded that we in America live in a violent culture, and it seems to me we have become numbed to the constant reminders of that violence.

At the same time, many locals are startled and disheartened at the number of times recently when our law enforcement personnel have shot and wounded or killed those they were apprehending. We all appreciate and honor the risk officers take as they protect our community, but the incident with the dog in the parking lot arouses understandable concern.

I am inclined to believe may readers have experienced walking through a parking lot and having a barking, growling dog “lunge” at the window of a nearby car. This is often startling and scary, but we know that many dogs are self-appointed protectors of the car when owners are absent. So why was it necessary to shoot the dog?

We, your readership, are not insensitive to the scores of victims killed on a daily basis during domestic violence. But the shooting of the dog has touched another issue about which many of us are concerned, and are looking for answers.

KEN GREEN

Coeur d’Alene