Great to see you "Angels' at AAS back on line!!....It takes a special human being that keeps up the good fight for the lives of voiceless. Keep up the GREAT Journey....*Peace and Health*
Mike.

And the murder of innocence continues!!

Letter to editor: 'Police shootings of dogs are thoughtless'
[Published in Whitehorse Daily Star - Friday, August 15, 2008]////[Yukon News, August 20,2008]'Stop brutilzing dogs

Dog abuse, dog neglect, and dog killings are the norm in many northern communities.

I spoke with the RCMP in Ross River. They claimed they do not round up dogs and kill them
systematically, but they do kill dogs when people complain about them. They say no records are kept on
these dog killings, unless a file was started about a particular dog incident.

This says to me that not much thought is put into the taking of a dog's life. It shows a lack of concern for
the lives of these animals. It frankly surprises me that the RCMP wouldn't keep records on all the dogs
they kill. The RCMP in Ross River say they kill female dogs in heat when they present a "problem" by
inciting jealous fights among horny male dogs (a natural phenomenon).

The said the dog's owner may in fact request that the RCMP (or someone else) shoot the dog because
they don't want "it" anymore. What seems clear to me is that they don't want the responsibility of taking
care of that dog anymore. This is ignorant. They don't want her anymore because she is no longer a cute
puppy?

The RCMP also will shoot "vicious" dogs who might be a threat to other dogs or children. Whose fault is
this situation? Why are people not held accountable for not taking care of their dogs properly? And this
does not mean keeping the dogs on a chain all their life, etc.

The RCMP are complicit in cleaning up people's mess by "disposing" of their unwanted dogs and not
addressing the systemic nature of the problem. They are also showing the communtiy that it's OK not to
address the cause of the situation.

We need the RCMP to take a leadership role in the communities and bring about positive change, not to
maintain the status quo. The dogs' owners are teaching children by example that it's OK to have, use,
abandon and kill unwanted animals after the "cute" puppy stage has passed. This will not instill
compassion for animals in these children, who are raised to treat animals as if they are just disposable
pieces of property.

Children need to be taught that dogs need a life-long commitment, and should not just be looked at as
"cute" puppies, to be ignored or abandoned as they grow. Adults must lead by exampe instead of teaching
children that it is OK to treat dogs as if they are toys.

Ross River, being an unincorporated community, is not much different than the incorporated
communities. Animal neglect is a problem in the incorporated communities as well. Whitehorse just
handles it differently by disappearing loose dogs quietly (into the pound, where at least dogs have a
chance at being rescued, because they have a mandatory "holding time"). Irresponsible pet ownership
plagues all Yukon communities.

People (and all levels of government) need to recognize that non-human animals are sentient beings, and
are not our property to be mistreated, or disposed of at our convenience. Animals need serious laws that
the RCMP can enforce in the communities in order to bring about real, lasting change.

If people can't fulfill their obligations to animals in their care (which includes neutering and spaying), they
simply do not deserve to have them.

Period!

Mike Grieco,
Whitehorse