Not all of our readers appreciate the bond between pets and owners

Nothing stirs our readers like a story about a pet being abused or killed.

We were reminded of this Monday when we published online, and then in Tuesday's Journal, a story about a rat terrier in Salina that police reported was beaten to death, and then a wrench was shoved into the dog.

On Tuesday, the dog's owner told Journal reporter Erin Mathews that she believed her dog, Bugg, was killed by another dog. She said a veterinarian who looked at Bugg said its wounds were consistent with those caused by another animal. Mathews' story appears on today's A1.

The reaction to the report that the dog had been beaten to death was swift, angry and predictable. We encourage our readers to go to our Web site, salina.com, and read what people are saying, and to post their own comments.

The thought of someone beating a dog to death is more than most of us can stomach, because then we can't help but imagine that happening to one of our pets, and that makes us even more sick and angry.

Among those who was revolted by this news was Salina Animal Shelter Coordinator Rose Base. You'd think that in more than two decades at the shelter, she'd have seen a lot of similar cases. Not so.

She recalls a case a number of years ago in Salina where a man, angry at his stepson, took a dog by its hind legs and split its head open by bashing it on some concrete.

Her reaction to the police report that the terrier had beaten to death?

"I was just flabbergasted when I heard about it."

For many of us, our pets are like our children. This is especially true with dogs, which tend to be child-like.

In return for our love and care, they reward us with affection and loyalty. While that bond is difficult for the "It's just a dog, get over it!" crowd, it's not for most of our readers. We find that bond predictable, and wonderful.

-- Ben Wearing

Executive Editor

822-1421

bwearing@salina.com

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another slow news week says....
Ben, How come there are 3 articles (plus this editorial, total of 4) all about this same dead dog? Is it really that tough to find material with which to stuff this "news"paper?
7/1/2009

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David says....
Thanks Ben,Amen to that.I'd like to say I've owned and loved dogs all of my life,about a year and a half ago I got a cat,as maligned as they are by some people I've found out with a little time and care they can be wonderful pets.
7/1/2009

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