Events on Oct. 15 conspired against Jenny, a 3-year-old black Lab that belonged to the Klein family of New Castle.

Jenny escaped from her yard and ran loose for several hours until New Castle police captured her. By the end of the afternoon, Jenny was dead. Police said they shot her because she had no identifying collar tags and was vicious.

But the case isn’t that simple, and emotions are running strong in favor of Jenny and her family on one side, and the police officers’ actions on the other.

The New Castle Police Department should request an independent investigation, resulting in a full report to the public.

People need more information before they can feel confident the officers did not overreact. And an independent investigation would provide answers to the questions that have been raised about this incident, such as:

Why wasn’t a veterinarian called to sedate the dog, so her owners could be found?

Could police have traced the owner via an out-of-date rabies tag?

Why did officers take the dog to a field north of Silt?

What is the Silt officer’s account of events leading up to the shooting?

Have New Castle police shot other dogs, and under what circumstances?

What policy would officers follow for a similar incident in the future?

There’s little excuse for pet owners who don’t make sure their animals have proper identifying tags on their collars. But death is a harsh consequence.

Residents have a right to know if Jenny was treated fairly or not, and the furor and doubt won’t subside without knowing more facts.