The Shadow
Dear Mr. Editor,
It is with sadness and complete outrage that I find myself writing.
Recently, a Clifton Forge police officer was convicted of animal neglect, fined a paltry sum and ordered to complete 24 hours of community service.
His dog was found chained with a metal collar embedded so tightly in her neck that her skin began to grow around it.
If that wasn’t horrific enough, the officer is still employed with the police force and our protector, Police Chief Barry Balser, was quoted as saying that he wasn’t concerned about it because he knew the “facts of the case.” This is the man we’re trusting with our safety and well-being?
Domesticated animals depend on us for their protection and comfort, and how dare any of us assume this responsibility if we cannot handle it.
Mr. Balser is supposed to be someone we can turn to in time of trouble and injustice. I’m nauseated at the thought that he just might not be so concerned with future criminal cases because he “knows the facts.”
At least that police officer at the heart of this case is no longer allowed to own animals. Perhaps then some will be safe.
Sincerely,
Brittany Feazell
Wood Hollow Road
Clifton Forge
