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Microchip pets to find them in event of crisis

Re: Family pleads to reclaim pets, story, June 28.

While it is not my intention to fault anyone for allowing these dogs to be adopted, I will say that if the Pinellas Humane Society or any other organization that rescued pets from Hurricane Katrina had owners' names, the pets should not have been adopted out, especially if the animal tested positive for heartworms.

On the other hand, when you bring back 288 stressed-out animals from a disaster, mistakes can happen, animals are fostered and then, right or wrong, adopted to new families. During this time after Katrina, every shelter was filled to the max and then some, and please remember that the shelters were still caring for the pets they already had.

I feel for all the folks who lost their pets during the disaster, and it seems as though the Coutures did the right thing as far as leaving their names with the New Orleans shelter where the Pinellas Humane Society later picked up the dogs.

I have followed this story and have had mixed feelings about what should happen. Is this a legal issue? A moral issue? Would I return the pet? Were the pets in bad shape? Hard questions. Even harder are the answers that are yet to come.

Please, readers, microchip your pets. This action will solve many of the problems brought on during Katrina. Microchipping allows agencies to contact you or a relative to let you know that your pet has been found. Most shelters perform this service for a nominal fee and it is well worth the cost. For an additional fee your pet is registered with a national agency that has your information as well as an alternate contact. This way, even if you are without a phone, someone can be contacted and alerted that the pet is safe.

While I was in New Orleans and Tylertown, Miss., we found that most animals were not chipped, which made the process of finding owners much more difficult.

Take care of your pets during the hurricane season, and please do not leave them behind.

Nancy Dively

Quit blaming the Humane Society

Re: Family pleads to reclaim pets, story, June 28.

I find it amazing that the Humane Society of Pinellas is being blamed in connection with the two Katrina dogs. Why would we want those two dogs to go back to a home where they are kept outside?

It seems to me the St. Bernard "Noah" is now living the life of a king. He is an inside dog and is getting the best medical care and is on heartworm prevention. I am sure new owner Pam Bondi would never leave Noah behind if she needed to evacuate.

And why blame the Humane Society? It gave those two Katrina dogs the best medical care. They were treated for heartworms, they were spayed and neutered and also treated for multiple other problems. And the Humane Society is considered the bad guys? What would have happened to those two dogs had the Humane Society not come to their rescue?

Quit blaming the Humane Society. It is quite obvious these people were not good pet owners and do not deserve to own animals. In my opinion, you do not deserve them back! Grow up and move on with your lives and quit blaming the Humane Society for your own negligence.

Lillian Pottberg, Clearwater

Taser is essential tool for police officers

Re: Police need training to handle psychiatric situation, not Tasers, letter, June 28.

In response to John Moore's letter concerning police handling people, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office deputies and officers from other agencies do receive specific training in handling psychiatric patients. Some training is received during the yearly in-service training, and a weeklong program is offered several times a year by experts in the field.

It is always difficult to effectively and safely deal with people with drug, alcohol and psychiatric problems, as reasoning with them during a crisis is often difficult if not impossible. Many become violent and deputies must try to find nonlethal ways to handle them without causing harm to the person or the deputy.

In these types of cases, spray is not usually effective, and a hands-on approach is dangerous for all involved. I spent three years supervising our training unit, and I have voluntarily experienced an application of a Taser, as have many of the deputies who utilize it. There is an eight-hour training class required before deputies are issued the Taser, with refresher training every year.

If you do actual research on the Taser, you will find that in every case where there is a death, the Taser was found not to be responsible. There were serious contributing causes, such as illegal drug ingestion and the person was often exhibiting symptoms of excited delirium.

I can attest to the fact that there are no effects from the Taser felt once the current is stopped after a five-second delivery. During one class, as a test, paramedics put a 12-point EKG lead on a volunteer during a Taser exposure and found there were no fluctuations in heart rate.

The Taser, along with our other nonlethal options, are tools to prevent injuries to people who are out of control and to protect our deputies. Since the Sheriff's Office has initiated the Taser, deputy and suspect injuries have dropped dramatically. Most of the rumors and misconceptions about the Taser are due to ignorance. It has actually saved many lives, where in the past the only other option would have been the legal use of deadly force.

Regarding the electric chair, the electric mechanism of the Taser and the electric chair are vastly different. To make a comparison like the letter writer did, it is evident this gentleman does not understand or have any knowledge concerning this valuable tool or of the many lives it has already saved and injuries it has prevented. It is wise to do extensive research before you condemn anything.

Linda Kunzman, Clearwater

Churches in Partnership lacks support

Re: Deputies call, churches stand up, story, June 27.

While it's commendable that 13 churches answered the call to participate in the Pinellas County sheriff's Churches in Partnership program, I think the 95 percent of churches that have chosen not to participate should ask their congregations to reread whatever particular scriptures they happen to believe in and see if they can spot anything in there about helping people.

It doesn't sound like the program is asking that much - a little food now and then for a family in need, help paying a single bill, etc. I'll bet if you sent the same letter to a random group of 300 companies in this area, the response would be much higher. Maybe our companies make better community citizens than our churches.

John Rockwell, Palm Harbor

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[Last modified June 30, 2006, 11:27:38]