by KYW's vice president and general manager David Yadgaroff

By what stretch of the imagination could it be perfectly legal to take a gun and callously shoot a dog you simply no longer want? Much less 80 of them?

But that’s just what two Berks County, Pa. brothers did recently (see related news story).

As they were reloading and pulling the trigger over and over again, legislation was languishing in Harrisburg that would have prevented this slaughter.

To most of us who just recently learned of the horrors being perpetrated on dogs at so called “puppy mills” in Pennsylvania, it is inconceivable that laws to protect animals from abuse should even be needed. There can be no justification for this kind of morally repugnant conduct.

But sadly, we find that what most people consider outrageous abuse is not yet illegal, and callous minds are not guided by basic human considerations.

The mental image of that many dogs, chillingly shot to death and dumped on a compost heap, must be the catalyst to end the legislative gridlock. Pennsylvania lawmakers have an urgent duty to make the people who traffic in the misery of their animals accountable for their actions.

 
To submit a comment or reply to this editorial, send an e-mail to yadgaroff@KYW.com.