More News

I hate to be negative in the face of what overall is a helpful article ["Police warn residents of holiday crime," Nov. 26], but I do have to take issue with one of the suggestions apparently made by the police in the article. Get a dog for protection is not an appropriate suggestion.

Dogs are living beings who need to feel part of a family and a pack; those who get them for protection do not have the interest of the dogs' well-being in their consciousness, and it usually shows. Moreover, most dogs are not appropriate for guard work. The police suggestion implies that people should just go out and get a dog so that she or he can scare would-be intruders away.

The reason to get a dog is because you and your household want a dog, like dogs, and [have] the means and desire to care for a dog. Dogs can live to be 10, 15 [or] even 20 years old, and this is not a commitment to be taken lightly, as they can intuit how you feel about them and they react accordingly. Dogs need work; they need to be walked, they need exercise regularly, [and they] need socialization and companionship. They can't be left for the weekend with a litter box, put outside to roam around on their own or ignored. They can't make their own dinner, or tell you when their water dish is empty or when they hurt.

It can also be very expensive to care for a dog. Dog food can cost $40 to $60 for a 30-pound bag. Add in vaccinations, vet visits and incidentals, too.

Dogs need your love, your care and your commitment to their well-being, and they will be dependent on that for their whole lives. Too many times, dogs end up in the shelter because they were acquired just to be guard dogs (or hunters, or whatever) and then unceremoniously dumped because they weren't good enough at it.

Yes, dogs can be a deterrent to a would-be intruder, but not always — our neighbor's house was broken into, and they have three dogs.

Please, do not get a dog just for protection. You will be disappointed, and the dog will be tortured.

There have to be videos on YouTube of dogs. Save them and play them on a timer or something if you really have to have a barking-dog sound. If you want a dog, there are thousands of wonderful dogs waiting in shelters and rescues for someone to see past the shelter stigma and love them.

Valerie Silensky, Mount Rainier