Too little — too late! On March 2, 2013, the day that Ryan Maxwell died at the jaws of a pit-bull, I was visiting my mother’s trailer with my 8 year-old grandson. The trailer park was just two blocks away from where the tragedy occurred. There was plenty of snow on the ground, and I kept peeking out the window to watch as my grandson constructed a snow fort. Maybe two hours after we left, my youngest brother called me, sobbing, telling me what he’d heard — the news about Ryan (whose grandfather he was close friends with). I did not know Ryan, but took my brother to the funeral. I was deeply affected by his death, and mourned for weeks; and also thought how that could have been my precious grandson. A couple of months later my brother called to tell me that two pit-bulls had run through the trailer park, and through and beyond Kiwanis Park (where luckily no children were playing). He had called a policeman, who told him that since it was beyond the city limits, the city ordinances did not apply. The officer said he’d speak to the dog owners and advise them to keep the dogs in their yard. All the trailer parks are just outside the city limits, so what protection is there for people who reside in or near them? I have a dog and three cats. I understand how people grow to love their animals, and consider them part of their family, but I don’t understand how all the dogs in any city are as important as one human being, one bright, shining, irreplaceable child? So what difference does it make what the ordinances or penalties are, if we lose even one more life to a deadly animal attack?
Nov 21 2013
What do you think of the proposed changes to Galesburg’s animal control ordinance?
Too little — too late! On March 2, 2013, the day that Ryan Maxwell died at the jaws of a pit-bull, I was visiting my mother’s trailer with my 8 year-old grandson. The trailer park was just two blocks away from where the tragedy occurred. There was plenty of snow on the ground, and I kept peeking out the window to watch as my grandson constructed a snow fort. Maybe two hours after we left, my youngest brother called me, sobbing, telling me what he’d heard — the news about Ryan (whose grandfather he was close friends with). I did not know Ryan, but took my brother to the funeral. I was deeply affected by his death, and mourned for weeks; and also thought how that could have been my precious grandson. A couple of months later my brother called to tell me that two pit-bulls had run through the trailer park, and through and beyond Kiwanis Park (where luckily no children were playing). He had called a policeman, who told him that since it was beyond the city limits, the city ordinances did not apply. The officer said he’d speak to the dog owners and advise them to keep the dogs in their yard. All the trailer parks are just outside the city limits, so what protection is there for people who reside in or near them? I have a dog and three cats. I understand how people grow to love their animals, and consider them part of their family, but I don’t understand how all the dogs in any city are as important as one human being, one bright, shining, irreplaceable child? So what difference does it make what the ordinances or penalties are, if we lose even one more life to a deadly animal attack?
By spiritspeak • Community Roundtable 0