Time for reform?
Time for reform?
Our animal control laws need to be reformed. They currently do nothing to prevent innocent victims from dangerous animals until tragedy strikes.
My neighbors have two dogs, who repeatedly escape and come after my two dogs. Luckily, my mother, often with help from neighbors and even our mail carrier, has been able to intervene before injuries occurred.
My elderly dog has been knocked down, jumped on and mouthed, helpless to defend herself. My mother badly sprained her wrist last month after falling while pulling the larger of the two away from my dog.
Unfortunately, the laws make no distinction between aggressive dogs and those who are just a nuisance and poop in the neighbor’s yard. These two dogs even killed their owner’s cat, but because it’s their cat on their property, it holds no bearing in the current laws.
Their owner has seen how they behave, yet in less than two months they have escaped three times. On July 24, these dogs attacked another neighbor’s cat, who was out on a walk with his owner. It took multiple people to get the dog to let go of the cat, and one dog later tried to go after my dog.
Sadly, the cat died at the vet a few hours later. The biggest tragedy is that this incident was completely avoidable. Knowing their history, the owners should have been more responsible in making sure their animals were secure, but they were not.
Other neighbors have toddlers that play outside; what if one of them is next? We need laws to penalize owners more harshly for being negligent in not securing their animals with aggressive tendencies before serious damage is done, rather than being helpless until an innocent is seriously injured or dead before an official dangerous dog complaint can be filed.
Renee Ishisaka
Hilo
Armed, dangerous
Islamic terrorists must be laughing their butts off at the “crazy Americans.”
No need to send saboteurs, bombers or gunmen. There are plenty of dissatisfied, misguided, armed American assassins already in America. We’re our own worst enemy.
Ray Peralta
Hilo
Rooster alert
To the gentleman who tragically had his pet rooster, Myna, stolen from his yard: I am a volunteer at the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo. When I arrived there this morning (July 23) and parked in the lot, there was a very beautiful, large rooster wandering about, looking lost. (We often have unwanted chickens abandoned here).
I don’t know if he is Myna. I couldn’t see under his wings for white patches. He is very tame, and came right up to me. If not Myna, surely he could use a loving home.
Oh, yes; he seems to have a companion. A pretty red hen.
Renee Kama
Mountain View