Canine cruelty

I have a dog. A big white goldendoodle that I won’t allow to walk on concrete during the summer heat. If her protective booties aren’t in the car, I carry her to a shady place. Some people think that I’m spoiling her, but I wouldn’t walk barefoot on a sidewalk these days either.

If I knew that she was going to be sharing a single room with more than 20 other dogs of all sizes and breeds, I wouldn’t leave her there for 10 seconds, much less overnight.

But according to people who did leave their dogs to be cared for at the Green Acres Dog Boarding facility in Gilbert, there weren’t supposed to be 20, or even 10.

Shouldn’t there have been some human guardianship through the night?

After all, an air conditioner can fail under any circumstance. And as Sheriff Arpaio said, doesn’t it seem like an extraordinarily short time for the heat to overcome that many dogs — at night?

Homeless dogs survive daytime temperatures without care of any kind. The only value that comes from this heart-breaking loss is that now perhaps pet owners will be more selective about extended care for the furry members of the family.

I’m Pat McMahon

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