Dear Editor,

As a loving pet owner, I was deeply saddened to read the Oct. 27 article concerning the shooting of the Kleins’ dog, Jenny. After the Oct. 28 article demonstrating Tammy Klein’s irresponsible handling of a citation regarding Jenny, my sadness deepened.

Our pets rely on us to remember and be responsible for keeping current with vaccinations and contact information. If your pets, even indoor cats, don’t have tags with updated contact information, you risk never seeing them again if they wander off or are picked up.

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Our state and local laws give us plenty of second chances to do the right thing with our pets. As far as I’m concerned, Tammy Klein is ultimately responsible for Jenny’s death.

Michael Gueriera

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Glenwood Springs

Dear Editor,

I am appalled by the recent dog shooting of the 50-pound family pet, Jenny, who was obviously very loved by the Kleins. If Sgt. Wilks was familiar with this particular dog, why didn’t he get in touch with Tammy Klein personally? And, if the dog got out while Tammy was at work, and the kids were at school, how would anyone in the family know? However, if the dog got out all the time, as stated by Sgt. Wilks, didn’t someone know whom the dog belonged to?

I realize barking dogs are annoying, but that’s what they do, they bark. They don’t meow. Yes, the barking should be dealt with, and I agree that pets should be caught up on shots, and registered, etc. But this is not about negligent dog owners. This is about destroying a family pet. And that is very sad, indeed.

Shame on everyone involved. There’s no doubt the officers and Jenny’s family feel bad.

However, there were three alternatives in handling the situation. You chose to destroy the dog. Ever think of tossing a stick or a ball for the dog to get it to do what you would like? Besides that, I know a number of people who would’ve volunteered to come help out, myself included.

Everyone, please keep up on registrations, shots and vaccinations for your family pets, because as we’ve been informed, similar cases to Jenny’s will be handled the same way.

Sincerely,

Laurie Sutliff

New Castle

Dear Editor,

I was absolutely blown away to read about the family dog being shot “out back in the field.” Since when does our local law enforcement have the right, based on previous warnings for barking and registration expirations (it’s not like the dog hadn’t been registered before) just to take it “out back” like the “good ole days” and shoot it!

Growing up in Silt, on a ranch, I know that not only do the police as shown here take unwanted animals “out back” to shoot them, but so have many local residents.

Having grown up, I see that it comes from an adolescent paradigm, basically the inability for adults to be adults because they are stuck in their egos and their adolescence.

This is not high school anymore guys! Stand up and be accountable and responsible for taking the life of an innocent animal, which probably knew its life was in danger.

It amazes me how thinking we are a small town grants us the permission to be judge, jury and executioner!

Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Your adolescent choices have impact, and should not be justified just because you wear a badge in a small town! This is the 21st century; things are truly different now!

Ginger Currie

Glenwood Springs

Dear Editor,

We are blessed to live in an area in western Colorado with such rich cultural opportunities, exciting recreational pastimes, and splendid physical beauty. We also, however, live in a community that is not void of poverty, spousal abuse, illicit drugs, teenage pregnancies, and other big-city dilemmas.

Have you seen that bumper sticker that says Think Globally, Act Locally? Most of us want to make the world a better place by wishing for things like the elimination of world hunger or eradicating diseases like AIDS and cancer. The truth is solving the world’s problems is beyond the control of any one individual.

You can, however, make a difference locally. One way to help our community is to support United Way. Payroll deductions, individual and corporate donations, and sharing your time and talent with the individual agencies that United Way supports can make a huge difference in the quality of life of those who live in our beautiful surroundings.

United Way is in the middle of its annual fund-raising campaign. Do you remember the days when the United Way thermometer was in downtown Glenwood? The thermometer will soon be back, measuring the participation of businesses and individuals in our community.

The local United Way spirit has been resurrected under the steady leadership of Leslie Robinson. Please consider making a difference in your local community this year. If we all do a little, we’ll end up doing a lot.

To learn how you can help, please contact Ms. Robinson at 625-8189.

Rick Padrnos

Glenwood Springs

Dear Editor,

With all the discussion, planning and arguing over how to control mosquitoes in Garfield County, I’ve never heard a single word promoting one of the safest, most effective and ecologically sound insect controls ” bats.

I don’t know if it’s folklore, dreadful Hollywood movies or just general squeamishness about bats but very few people consider them to be a safe alternative to dangerous aerial spraying.

Mosquitoes were thick when I moved to my home near New Castle several years ago. I couldn’t walk across the yard at dawn or dusk without being bombarded or nearly eaten alive by these pests. Forget a pleasant evening outside ” it was impossible.

Then the bats moved in. They chose the space underneath my roof for their roost. Within a few weeks the mosquitoes vanished. I have not seen or heard one since!

From April to October they provide insect control. I don’t need to spray, either the yard or myself.

But comments from people, knowing I am a bat landlord, range from comical to frightening.

“Don’t they fly in and suck your blood at night?” (Little brown bats don’t do this.)

“They all have rabies!” (You stand a better chance of contracting rabies from a raccoon or skunk, and no, they don’t all have rabies!)

“They get tangled in your hair!” (An old wives’ tale.)

“You mean you like bats?” Yes. I do.

Learn more about them. Put up bathouses. For more information, go to: coloradobats.com, batconservation.org or batcon.org.

Let’s hear it for the bats!

Susan Mountjoy