I am writing this letter in regards to the dog poisoning in Elko in February.
I don't want to seem heartless, it was horrible that someone felt the need to poison a poor helpless animal; but on the same note people need to keep their dogs in their own yards! Now, I'm not saying that people should go to such extremes as to killing off the dogs, just go to the owners and talk like civilized human beings. I am sure if you just ask the owners to tie up their dogs because they are being a nuisance they would comply.
I have friends who live in Elko that I like to visit, and every time I go there dogs are running around the place. Do the owners not care about their animal’s well being? Some of these dogs have even been seen chasing the wildlife, what happens if the wildlife turns on them and kills them? Or maybe they get hit on the highway, would the owners even care?
My friends had an encounter with another person’s dog attacking their’s in their own yard! When the owners were contacted, they denied that their dogs were out of their yard. Just because Elko is “out in the country” doesn't mean you don't have to keep your dog on a leash and let it run about doing whatever it wants, whenever it wants.
Mrs. Pion admits in the newspaper article that “Oscar took off for 10 minutes and came back shaking, throwing up, and just acting completely off.” This sounds to me, and yes I admit I could be wrong, that the dog found something while he was out of his yard. Ten minutes does not sound like a very long time, but even if he left for 10 minutes a week that is over an hour he could be chasing cars, getting into garbage, chasing wildlife, getting into fights or who knows what else?
Owning a dog is a privilege, not a right, and should be treated as such. Keep your dogs in your own yards people, it's a simple thing to do. Just because you love your dog doesn't mean everyone else does too.
Jenna Smith
Cranbrook