The intent of this letter is two-fold. One is to communicate to pet owners that not just anyone wants their unwanted animal. I live in a rural area and sometimes find stray dogs on my property that have been dropped off and abandoned by their owners. There seems to be a notion of ‘city folk’ that people on farms, ranches, or simple homesteads can benefit from stray dogs causing damage to their homes and property. Every city and county has a procedure to follow when animals are no longer wanted; please, stop dropping your animals off in the country for others to handle your problems.

Second, my father lives in Riverside, five miles east of Artesia. He is 92 years old. Two weeks ago, someone dropped off five large dogs that are presently running in a pack through the small community. In this time, the dogs have gained access to his gated property by forcing their way inside. They have torn up a porch door to enter the screened area to eat cat food and a cat that could not get away fast enough. These dogs have torn up a golf card cushion, a porch bench cushion, and scattered food containers over the property. In my dad’s chores of watering trees, plants, and feeding birds, he moves about this property hesitantly as he anticipates the dogs returning with force.

Animal Control has been called, but with few traps, Dad must wait his turn for any traps to be set. Apparently, the department used to have more traps but as people stole them, fewer are available for use. Perhaps, the city or county should charge residents a deposit so that traps are returned or money is collected to purchase additional traps.

Please help this issue by not dropping your unwanted dogs off for others to deal with, and not stealing animal control traps that prevent others from benefiting from that valuable service.

In HIS Service,

Lucia Benoit