Officer Risked Life When He Shot Dog

* This is in response to the letter from the Smallen family (“Facing Sad Holidays After Dog’s Loss,” Nov. 28). The Smallens lost their dog Max after an Orange County sheriff’s deputy shot the dog while responding to an alarm at the Smallens’ home. Although I understand that losing a pet (in any manner) is sad and hard, enough is enough!

Apparently the Smallens have uncovered a plot by all police agencies to victimize innocent citizens and their pets. However, they have overlooked some very important facts. The Smallens are the ones who installed the alarm system, knowing full well that an activation would bring a police response. Why didn’t the Smallens tell the alarm company to notify the responding police that there was a large dog in the back yard?

The Smallens are forgetting that the same deputy whom they now hate was risking his life to protect their property. Many officers are killed each year responding to alarms.

The Smallens now tell us that they no longer trust the police. I wonder who Mrs. Smallen would call if she heard a strange noise outside during the night. I wonder who Mr. Smallen would call if someone stole his car. I find it disgusting that they harbor so much hate toward the police and teach their daughter not to trust the police. What are they teaching their family?

It also disgusts me that they keep getting all this media attention over a dog. There are families entering this holiday season without loved ones (human) who have been killed. One of them is the family of Howard Dallies (slain Garden Grove police officer) whose killer has not yet been caught. I wonder if the Smallens have as much contempt for the killer of a police officer as they do for the deputy whose only mistake was responding to the Smallens house, to protect them and their property.

MITCHELL O’BRIEN

Lake Forest