Pet story unleashes debate …

Frontiersman editorial board

Politics always get people talking, and crime can get a community buzzing, but emotional stories about children or pets always raise an uproar. A recent article about a young St. Bernard-malamute mix that killed a neighbor's cat has certainly generated an impassioned debate. Frontiersman has actually received more letters and phone calls about Bear and the cat than we did about the Big Lake preacher who shot and killed two alleged burglars.

Most of the letters have pondered the matter of responsibility, and also of what the correct outcome for Bear should be. Bear, an 80-pound dog, was being walked by a 10-year-old girl on rollerblades when he spotted a neighbor's cat and ran toward it. The girl was unable to restrain the dog, and Bear bit and shook the cat to death. Bear was initially labeled as vicious, and was set for euthanasia. An exception in the ordinance guiding vicious vs. dangerous animals saved Bear's life.

Most of our readers who have weighed in on this matter do not blame Bear for the incident. Some have questioned whether Bear had been properly trained and socialized, and whether the young girl should have been alone with the dog. In the end, one family pet was saved, but another was lost in a tragic situation. It should be mentioned that even the cat's owner did not want to see Bear put down.

The question here is one of response. It will certainly not be the last time someone's dog kills a neighbor's pet, or livestock, in the Valley. The law concerning proper restraint leaves some wiggle room, adding to the difficulty of deciding these cases. The law does require restraint of pets, but also explains that voice control is an acceptable form of restraint. Even a dog that might normally respond to voice commands might be faced with a situation that diminishes that response. Because the law is not explicit -- by defining what voice control means -- it would seem each case will have to be examined upon its own merits.

With a high number of pet owners in the Valley, and a growing population, it will become increasingly important for us to have clear laws and enforcement of animal control issues. In the case of restraint, some dogs are well-trained and obedient, while others are less apt to mind their owners, especially in intense situations. That being the case, it is usually better to err on the side of caution, and require strict rules of restraint. That may not seem fair to the owners of the well-trained dogs, but even they will benefit if truly troublesome dogs are properly restrained.

Our hearts go out to the owners of the cat, and we're also happy that Bear was not put down for a moment's indiscretion. We can only hope that Bear's case will encourage people to be more responsible with their pets.