He’s no dog lover

In one paragraph Steve Lopez describes how he turned away from a dog swimming toward his boat for help (column, Sept. 11). If there was room for only one more and he had a choice between a kid and the dog, that would be one thing. But that wasn’t the case. He just let the dog fend for itself and probably drown. Then in the very next paragraph he calls himself a dog lover. Like a lot of people who use that expression without really thinking about it, he’s not a dog lover. In the appropriate situation, he might be a dog liker. Millions of real animal lovers know the difference. He doesn’t.

JERRY BERNSTEIN

Woodland Hills