It has come to my attention that once again the city is trying to take away the rights of our dogs, or a better way of putting it, "members of our family." I am a nurse at the hospital who did not know what a pit pull puppy looked like until it showed up at my door with my daughter.

With all the things and activities going on with her, this dog became my dog. He is 7 years old. I have had tea cup poodles, toy poodles, boxers, and have a husky -- and I will tell you by far this dog has been the best of all of them. He is so smart and gentle and has the most amazing and loving personality.

I don't have time to write all I want to write because I just learned of the meeting the city is having tonight to enforce a law to make sure pit bulls are leashed and muzzled if outside at all. This breaks my heart that I would have to muzzle my dog anytime he is outside; he has done nothing to anyone and so many people have dogs of their own that do not deserve this. Bottom line is it is animal cruelty. How are we suppose to play fetch with our dogs? Or Frisbee? What dog doesn't want to play fetch? Mine loves to play in the water and catch the water in his mouth, how do you do that with a muzzle?

I know all the pit bull controversy has come up again because of the incident with the killing of the dog by the pit bull mastiff. It was extremely unfortunate, but that was one incident. At the last meeting over wanting to ban pit bulls, I was told the sheriff was asked if the majority of attacks in the city were by pit bulls and he said no. So why aren't we going after the dogs with the majority of attacks? Why aren't they having to be muzzled? I know personally that the guy whose dog was attacked ended up with a part pit bull/boxer in his apartment because his roommate adopted it. I became aware of the puppy from the vet's office and tried to find it a home. In the end, my daughter and I had decided we would adopt the puppy and a guy she works with ended up with it and he was a roommate at the time of the guy who lost his dog. So he allowed a part pit bull puppy in his home or apartment after just losing his dog to a pit bull mastiff? So how is that fair to the rest of us? Why is the city trying to ban our dogs when he allowed this one in his home?

The girl who owned the dog was at that meeting and said she had adopted the dog and did not know where it had come from, had seen it was getting more aggressive and did not do anything about it and she was terribly sorry. Like I said, very, very unfortunate but that does not mean all our dogs that are part of our family are like this. And for our dogs and families to suffer from this incident is inhumane. If you are going to go after our dogs, you need to go after the other ones who are at the top of the list for attacks. It is all about how you raise any dog. Many say pit bulls can turn on you -- so can any other dog, and they have. So please don't do this to our dogs that we have raised and are as gentle as your poodle or Yorkie or boxer. If the tables were turned on you, how would you feel about this happening to your dog and family?

Tina Hotchkiss

602 E. 12th