Opinion - Editorial

Well, my parents have registered both of my dogs. I have a Jack-Russell terrier named Toby that I've had for five years. My other dog was a boxer named Bruno, who I had for 11 years and I'm only 13

We were always together and he was like a brother to me. He was always there when you were sad, jumping around trying to cheer you up. If I was sick, he would be right by my side making sure I was alright.

When my parents split up, I moved out of my current home and Bruno stayed there. About a month later, the baby sitter got home and the dogs had gotten out.

My dad called the animal center and asked, "My dogs got out and I was wondering if they were there"? They replied, "We don't know, so you will have to call back at 3:30,"

At this time, it was 8 a.m. So when he called back, he was informed that they had Toby and he was found with Bruno, who had died the same night they got out.

So my dad called my grandma, the registered owner, to get the dogs so we could bury Bruno in the family cemetery. When she arrived, they informed her that the officer who found him had disposed of the body. But when she asked if she could talk to him, she was told that he was off duty and was given no other information.

She then asked them if she could have his collar and tags, but they told her that they didn't have them, that they must have disposed of them with the body.

I always said that when Bruno died that I wanted his collar, but they threw him away like a piece of trash. I think it's weird that no one called us when the two dogs were found together with the same tags.

He was registered! How does something like this happen? What's the point of having them registered if they are going to be treated like trash?

We pay the city to register our dogs so we can stay legal. I think the least they can do is give us a choice of what happens after their death.

I feel like there's a hole in my heart because I never got to say goodbye. Why should you pay money to register your pet if this is how they are treated?

MIRANDA JONES

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