Pet Killings Were Brutal, Sadistic Acts

* There are no words to adequately describe the knowledge that there walks among us a human or humans so filled with self-loathing that they brutally and sadistically kill innocent, defenseless creatures who brought the light of joy and caring to the lives of the innocent, defenseless children of the Patagonia child-care center.

Who are these individuals, who show themselves to be of no value to themselves or society, little more than receptacles that ingest food and produce physical and emotional waste?

Brutally killing animals and traumatizing children should not be described merely as vandalism--it is a heinous crime. It has been shown that those who brutalize animals have later been convicted of the most heinous of criminal acts on humans.

The older children have shown a healthy anger rather than an unhealthy emotional void. This shows that the children have been surrounded by loving parents and teachers who have made available a caring environment in which animals shared and contributed to their daily activities. If the center decides not to replace the animals, I fear the result will be that these brutal individuals will have killed twice. Not only will they have killed the animals but they will have killed the caring spirit of the children. I applaud Patagonia for bringing in a therapist to help the children. Patagonia is an exemplary corporate entity.

As a taxpayer, I request that police put their resources toward bringing these brutal, sadistic individuals to justice. That is the least we, as a society, can do to stop the cycle of brutality and hardened hearts.

CARROL McDONALD

Thousand Oaks