Punishment for Ugly Act

My fiance Bobby and a friend were trailering Bobby’s horse Cisco and another horse from Chatsworth to Sylmar. Heading east on the Simi Valley Freeway near the DeSoto Avenue off-ramp, the horse trailer had a flat.

Pulling to the side in a small open area, they removed the horses from the trailer and tied them to a tire on the ground. A police officer who stopped said the people driving by honking their horns trying to spook the horses did not seem to be bothering the animals. Bobby concurred and the officer went on his way.

Just then, a car drove by carrying one or more people who let out horrible blood-curdling screams, with the obvious intent of spooking the horses. They succeeded. Cisco reared up and took off down the freeway, dragging the tire and the other horse with him. Just seconds later, Bobby saw Cisco go down. Cisco had broken his leg, with only the skin holding it together.

Bobby called for a police officer. Cisco now needed to be shot immediately to end his suffering. The same officer that had been there earlier answered the call and was very distraught over having to perform this act.

The first shot was unsuccessful. Cisco jumped up in terror, breathing hard, with blood spouting from his face. About 20 minutes later, Cisco finally dropped to the ground from loss of blood. The officer, his hand now shaking, lined up the gun once again and fired.

Cisco, after hours of torture and suffering, finally lay at rest on the freeway in 100-degree weather.

Bobby was half covered in blood from holding his horse and trying to comfort the animal in a desperate hour of need. To the person or persons who drove by that day with the intent to harm a stranded animal: You have to live with yourself. That’s the worst punishment of all.

DARCY SINISE, Canoga Park