A Dog’s Life

The story that you printed about the little cockapoo who was rescued from the freeway was very heartwarming. I’m sure that this story with the photos was responsible for getting this dog adopted. The diligent work of animal regulation officers and highway patrol officers saved her life once. You saved it a second time. Bringing the follow-up story to our attention, the fact that she would be euthanized (killed) because she was unclaimed and unwanted, certainly brought those people to the shelter willing to give her a good an loving home.

I hope that this little dog’s story helps to make the public aware of just how many wonderful dogs and cats are sitting in our shelters right now, waiting for a home. They don’t have their pictures in the paper. There are two basic reasons that these animals are sitting in shelter cages. Too many people didn’t get their animals spayed or neutered. Approximately 18,000 animals are killed in our county each year because they are not wanted.

The other reason is that people who adopt or purchase an animal do not see this as a lifetime commitment to the pet. At the first sign of a behavior problem in the animal, such as digging or chewing, instead of working with a reliable animal behavior consultant or even reading a book on training, the animal is discarded.

I hope that all the people who were touched by the story of the little dog will remember the thousands of others who need loving homes. Some of them will die today.

DEBBY MOONEY

Ventura

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I am writing with regard to the article “Fight Grows Over Missing Dog” on Oct. 2.

I am the owner of several dogs and currently have my dogs Identichipped, which is a microchip. The microchip is the AKC-recommended form of identification for dogs.

Had Lady/Cassie been microchipped, there would be no questions as to her identity. The animal control officers could simply pass the scanner over the dog and determine immediately if in fact she was the Frenches’ dog.

Had Lady/Cassie been microchipped, it would have minimized the Frenches’ heartache, eased Ms. Warwick’s doubts and saved us the taxpayers the cost, which we will ultimately bear, for the lawsuit and the enforcement.

LAUREL McVEY

Newbury Park