I am writing concerning the recent animal abuse incident at the La Plata County Fairgrounds.
This was a deeply troubling incident and involved a pony that is cared for and much loved by a Durango family (including their child) that has been part of our community for over a decade.
Needless to say, this sad incident was devastating for this family and, notably, to their child. The effects are deeply felt and will have repercussions for some time to come.
Despite this knowledge, The Durango Herald chose to approach its coverage of this incident in a sensationalized and inappropriate manner. The headline – "Durango Police search for man suspected of having sexual intercourse with a horse” (June 21) – was despicable click-bait that clearly brought the paper the traffic it was aiming for (and caused the article to be picked up by news outlets nationwide).
The follow-up article (June 28, Durango “Man faces cruelty charge for alleged sexual act with a horse”) posted when the perpetrator was captured included a highly insensitive, superfluous comment from the police report:
“Jonah said the horse had given indications to him, based on its behavior, that it was interested in participating in sexual activity.”
The inclusion of this comment blatantly marginalizes this heinous crime, which involved animal abuse, deviant criminal behavior and the pure pain of a family in our community.
Where is your sense of common decency – and a respect for our local families and an animal’s own right to safety?
Perhaps The Durango Herald needs to have a #MeToo moment.
Erinn Morgan
Durango
