I’m writing this in rebuttal to letter writer Wolfgang Janssen, the cat owner who had his pet run down by a passing vehicle.
In his Sept. 18 letter, Janssen places blame squarely on the shoulders of the driver for the demise of his cat.
It is regrettable that a beloved pet was lost, and my condolences go out to Janssen. But my sympathy is primarily for the animal that was killed, when it never had to happen. Let us place responsibility where it belongs.
It is illegal in Red Deer to let your pet run at large.
The question of whether the driver made any attempt to locate the owner of the cat, or stop to determine whether they’d injured or killed it is unknown. Perhaps he did, perhaps not.
This is irrelevant. Had the cat not been allowed to waltz all over the neighbourhood, the issue would be moot.
If you live in the city and refuse to recognize the real danger to your pet in allowing it to wander wherever it likes, you are neglecting your pet.
You are failing to ensure its safety, which to me is no different than failing to feed and water it.
Sometimes, the lessons life tries to teach us are harsh. It’s my hope, for the sake of any possible future cat he may acquire, that Wolfgang learned something from all of this.
Rob Hopkins
Red Deer