http://www.mlive.com/news/jacitpat/index.ssf?/base/news-2/113406156951590.xml&coll=3&thispage=2

JACKSON -- I am responding to the Nov. 22 Voice of the People letter regarding the accidental death of a lost family dog at the Jackson County Shelter. My heart goes out to this family. I am sorry for them that they trusted the shelter to contact them after they had given them a detailed description of their lost pet.

What is even more bothersome is that the day they were at the shelter looking for their dog, they were told no dog in the building matched their description, when in fact the dog was on-site in an isolation room. The dog was destroyed four days later just before the family went back to the shelter to look once again. They were never contacted.

I thought the purpose of the shelter was to try to return lost animals to their owners, or at the very least try to adopt these animals out to good homes.

It's too bad that we cannot trust our county shelter to keep records of inquiries or descriptions of lost animals. Most people work full-time and cannot go to the shelter every day to view the animals, especially since viewing hours are limited.

I have to wonder how many other times this has happened to people who never find out that their pet has been put to sleep or worse, in my opinion, sold for research purposes. This is a prime example of what can happen to anyone who loses a pet -- responsible or not.

I believe Jackson County needs to make some changes, or what I'd like to view as "improvements." Is our county commission so adverse to change we cannot improve our institutions that are supposed to be humane? Can we please get some new procedures at the pound in place to help these pets get back to their owners? I've got some simple ideas and would be willing to discuss them with the county -- and they're free!

-- Lisa McCully

JACKSON -- This is regarding the young hunter who was hunting in a cornfield, west of the Berry Road rest stop on U.S. 127 on the morning of opening day of deer season:

As I pulled into the rest stop to take a break from driving, I noticed a small deer playing in this cornfield adjacent to the rest stop. You could tell this deer was very young by its size and its behavior. This deer was running and jumping through the rows of picked corn; it was in a playful mood.

I heard a shot and said to myself, "No hunter would shoot a deer that small." But someone did. I could see this young hunter standing there watching this deer. It was desperately trying to get up on its feet. He raised his gun, took aim ... but no shot. I thought, "Finish the deer off, stop its suffering." But to my surprise, the hunter lowered his gun and walked away.

He walked about 50 yards and sat down. I thought, "Why doesn't he finish that deer off?" I looked back over at that deer; it was trying to get up on his feet, again, and again. It was a struggle for him, and it was obvious he wasn't going to make it. The hunter sat there for an hour as that deer continued to struggle, trying to get up, but it was no use. The deer collapsed and died.

That young hunter let that deer suffer and die a slow death; in fact, he left it laying there.

He was no hunter, but a killer. Hunters have respect for the wildlife they hunt, and when they take one, they do it in a fashion to eliminate as much suffering as possible, but this young hunter didn't.

Remember, I was watching.

-- Thomas A. Smith