Nancy Brockman’s letter “Why shoot gun if not to kill dog,” (Herald, Feb. 22) is by all definitions fictitious whistle-blowing. Saying that Larry Penick has no regard for a species and questioning his mind based on his reference to “chaining up a dog” is part of the La Plata County ordinance (Sec. 10-35).
The dog had, in fact, jeopardized the safety of the Penicks and was presently chasing down their pets. The fact is the dog was at large, the owner had no control over it, and it was harassing the persons and property of the Penick family.
It would have been a bigger tragedy to allow the dog to tear apart a cat or, worse, injure Penick or his wife. Defamation is a serious legal offense, especially when it is of a man who has worked and lived in Durango for decades. Fact: He was well within the law and questioning his humanity is not.
Erik Lang
Durango
