MAILBOX

Editor:

I read with interest and sympathy Mr. Kirtley’s comments about vicious dogs that are allowed to roam free in the community. I’ve talked to many people who express the same concern. Let’s do something about it. Are you listening, county commissioners?

Here’s my suggestion. I say that certain breeds of dogs are raised not as pets but as watch dogs. Let’s license them just like you would if you wanted to have a gun in your house. Are you listening, county commissioners? Charge a big licensing fee for dogs typically used for protection. Do a background check on people who feel they need them. And then, if they are allowed to roam, charge them again for the violation.

A note to the public at large: Dogs are territorial and only do what their people allow them to do. They will revert back to a pack mentality if we let it happen. If you give your dog the whole county to protect, that’s where the poor dog will go (in groups, for their own protection). Your dog only sees your home as a place to eat, sometimes, and sleep, sometimes. Do everyone a favor, get an alarm system, which is more effective. At the very least, please keep your dog in your own yard behind a fence.

My experience with errant owners in my area is if I tell them that, “oh, I thought your dog was a stray. I was going to take it,” suddenly the dog becomes valuable. Is anyone listening out there?

Margaret A. Bols

Los Lunas

Column told a new story

Editor:

I would like to commend you for such an informative newspaper. I always try to read it all; in fact, I cut out articles for my children.

The reason I am writing is because I think that this column should be reading material for all school children

from middle school to college. My children are adults and they will be getting a copy of “Presidents never acknowledge them” by Roy Lemons.

I am retired, and I have never read or heard of this much hunger in the United States. I wish to thank Mr. Lemons for such a fine article.

Elvira Dietz

Tomé

Dogs attacked her

Editor:

To the interest of the society that forgets, they are not the only ones that live in this fine city. The society includes a variety of different people; some are frail, deaf, young and unaware of the danger that may be in their very bad yards.

On March 13, 2002, I, Ms. Joan SittingBull, got a phone call about 9:30 a.m. to assist a close partner and feed his horses on the South (Bosque) Loop. Since it was a nice day, and I felt like walking, I leashed my four dogs and started our walk on the Bosque Boulevard, heading for an area where we could enter and walk the ditch.

At about 9:45 a.m., … I heard a noise coming from the yard to my right. I looked to see a Rottweiler, at least as tall as to my knees, running at me with its teeth showing and glaring at me. I began to holler and yell at the dog to get back in its yard. It just kept coming.

My four dogs yanked at their leashes to get away and run toward the street where the traffic was very heavy. I pulled back on them as I braced myself for a battle. In a split second, I looked up to see if the owners of a … car in the driveway heard the commotion and would come and retrieve their dog. No one came, no one stopped and no one seemed to care that this animal was attacking my animals and me. The dog lunged toward me and I began to hit the animal in self-defense. It acted as though I barely touched him. Then the animal began to attack my dog that was recovering from another dog fight that happened several weeks previously.

Again, I twisted my wrist to the left to move my dogs out of harm’s way as I again hit the Rottweiler. This time, we are facing the traffic and my stick flew from my hand and landed on the street side of the curb.

Now I was without a weapon to defend us, and the dog was too close for comfort. In hopes that the dog would not lunge at my face, I put one foot on the curb, one off the curb, reached down and grabbed my stick.

Once again, the battle of survival was on. I got the dog standing on the sidewalk parallel with the open gate, and, by the grace of God, he ran back into his yard, and, once behind the fence and gate, again thanks to the good Lord above, he only barked furiously and stayed behind the fence.

…. I know for a fact that my mother, grandmother or granddaughter would not have survived the attack. It would have been too late for them.

I choose to let the citizens of our fine community know, whether they like it or not, there is an animal ordinance to control their animals. We are all accountable for our animals and their actions.

The animal control officer of Bosque Farms informed me that he would try to find the owner and give them a warning. That is not sufficient in my eyes. My life was in danger on the streets of Bosque Farms and a warning letter is not enough. The citizens need to know that our families can walk the streets, especially in broad daylight and come home safe. If someone is going to have an animal on their property, then they need to control, train and take care of the animal to prevent them from being hurt or from hurting someone else.

There have been people killed from dogs attacking them or, if they live, they have to go through some very intense shots to the stomach area because the animal did not have their rabies shots. Please bring this awareness and knowledge to the public and educate them on the animal ordinances that are enforceable.

Thank you for your interest in this matter and effort to let the public know we are accountable for all of our actions as well as of our families’ actions.

Joan SittingBull

Bosque Farms

STREETTALK

Q: Was justice done in the Andrea Yates case?