Dear Editor,

I express my heartfelt sorrow to the Klien family in the loss of their pet.

For 11 years I have trained, field-trialed and judged hunting dogs.

There is one given rule, whether it be a sporting dog or a family pet. They all have the ability to return to a feral state. The most domesticated family pet can turn vicious or become aggressive, even in friendly situations. As parents it is our responsibility to teach this to our children.

When my year-old daughter wanted to approach a friend’s pet dog, I asked first if he was friendly. She told me the dog loved little children. We approached, only to have him lunge, bearing teeth and growling. Had I not turned so quickly, his teeth would have been in her face. The owner remarked she’d never seen her dog act that way. My sister bears a scar on her face from a “friendly family pet.”

Silt Mesa has its daily occurrence of dogs at large. My children have been taught to come indoors immediately when they see one. I wish we had the speedy response from our local law enforcement here as from the New Castle officers. We are county, not city, but that doesn’t mean the dogs could act any differently.

One act of aggression from a dog should not be considered an isolated incident. Most dog bites come from friendly pets that belong to the nicest families.

Cindy Scholl

Silt