Take Animal Torture Seriously

Last night I read the article in the April 27 San Gabriel Valley Section on cat mutilations in Covina. I find it an outrage that Detective Frank Schmid thinks the kids involved “just got caught up in things.”

This is just ridiculous! Fourteen incidents of mutilating animals is not to be ignored. At the ages of 16 and 17, these “kids” can drive, and are almost of age to be considered adult enough to vote and be drafted. But they obviously do not have the maturity to recognize that their actions were wrong. And the statements by Schmid just reinforce that perspective.

And, so what if these “kids” don’t look like juvenile delinquents. Neither did (executed murderer) Ted Bundy. Recently, The Times ran a long article about a teen-ager who was murdered by his peers just for the fun of it. What these “kids” did before they bludgeoned this boy to death was to torture and mutilate small animals. And, psychiatrists say that many murderers began their careers by doing these things to animals.

The city attorney’s office must take action to insure that these “kids” are prosecuted. And forget the community service; they need psychological help. If this is not pursued in this manner, all we as a society are doing is quietly condoning this behavior.

KRIS BLASZCAK

Sierra Madre