Good-Bye, Mikey
By C.V.
Beck
My very good boy, 24 pounds,
orange tabby, age about 10, was killed by a dog or dogs on Tuesday, June 13,
2006 at about 5 pm. These dog(s) were off-leash although the owners apparently
were nearby, indulging themselves in permitting their animals to run, hunt,
quest in a pack of two.
Mikey was minding his own business,
catching some rays in the backyard, was cornered in the carport area. He had his
throat ripped out and internal injuries caused by large teeth. I found him lying
there around 6 pm, covered in dirt and lawn clippings with his collar nearby and
signs of a struggle in the debris. I find it almost unbelievable that he should
have been killed such a short time after I wrote the piece in the June issue of
this paper regarding certain irresponsible, hostile and aggressive dog owners
who are taking advantage of the unstable, irregular situation at Lincoln Place
(Mike’s home since 2002).
As is
usual at Lincoln Place, and Venice in general, words fail me and I am struck
dumb.
A neighbor reported hearing a
scream around 5 pm which “stopped his heart”; I heard nothing. This
neighbor reported seeing the same day, around the same time, two neighbors
walking two white-ish retriever-like dogs in the “maintenance
alley”, and letting them go off-leash there. People don’t seem to
realize that their beloved dog, out of sight for a few moments only, can kill or
injure a cat and then run back to their masters, with only a drop of two of
blood on their lips, and happy as clams. The owners remain blissfully unaware of
what has just happened to someone else’s pet and remain convinced they are
doing a good thing, walking their
dog(s).
This event is a clear example
of why we have leash laws and I would like this leash law to be enforced more. I
wish people would make the effort to take their dogs to the dog park – I
don’t understand why this is too much trouble. I also believe there is
room to make a dog park at the western end of the Penmar Golf Course, (where the
culvert is) and this could be wrapped around the northern edge of the course
without too much trouble.
Good-bye,
Mike. I’m sorry I had a moment of inattention. You were a majestic cat and
a handsome boy and I loved you very much. Susan, Frieda, Marcia, Ingrid,
Barbara, Judy and Peter loved you, too. No doubt there were others who you
charmed and I have been told you are in a better place now.
Posted: Sat
- July 1, 2006 at 03:15 AM