Dog attacks child
Dear Editor: On May 25, across the bridge from Point Marion in Greene County, a vicious dog that has a history of attacking attacked my 4-year old son. The dog had attacked a lady the previous Thursday, and she received numerous injuries and received stitches.
The dog viciously attacked my son without cause. He went for my son’s throat. If my husband had not been there my son would not be alive today. The dog did bite my son on the back of his neck, causing puncture wounds behind both ears.
When my husband called the state dog warden he could not be reached; so he called the Point Marion police and was told that because it was in Greene County it was out of his jurisdiction. My husband was advised to call the Pennsylvania State Police. The Point Marion officer advised of state law section 502, Dog Bite Law. After calling the state police several times to have them investigate, he was told that there was nothing that they could do and he would have to wait until the dog warden could be reached.
Clearly the dog warden did not do his job, since the dog was not put down from attacking its second victim just last week, and clearly the state police failed in their duty to serve and protect.
Now, I’m waiting in limbo to find out if this dog has its rabies vaccinations so my 4-year-old doesn’t have to be put through the excruciating pain of all the shots he will have to take if we don’t find out.
I want the dog confiscated and put down, but no one is doing his or her job. Clearly no one is doing their job because the dog has attacked twice before and was able to attack my son.
If there is anyway you can help, would you?
Twila McGee
Walter McGee
Mannington, W.Va.
Why not visit local area?
Dear Editor:
It’s time to wake up and face reality about the economic condition we are in. We have good things to work with here in the Mon Valley. Let us choose not to be depressed anymore. Let’s all give this some deep thought.
When you make plans to go away on vacation or visit somewhere, just what are you looking for? What kind of conditions? Environment? What do you plan on spending your hard-earned money on? What “fun” things do you look for? What kind of places do you want to eat at, stay in, play in, work in…do you follow this line of thought?
You are willing to drive clear out of your way to go other places to enjoy these things, then why not here, too? Why not in our own backyard? You are willing to spend in someone else’s backyard to help their economy, then why not here – to help your own?
That is what we must do to turn around our region. Clean up. Beautify. Create and develop (consider unique heritage-oriented lighthouses) our towns as river tourism towns. Many of us are making the effort and we have great geographical assets to work with. We must do everything possible to make the most of them, to enhance our connection to them and each other, so that not only do we all benefit, but every single person who would go out of their way to come to our river side communities know where to go for a really good time.
This will attract our offspring to come back and/or to stay local because the tourism “industry” (yes, industry) generates jobs in all kinds of areas and “some” jobs are better than no jobs at all.
Let’s all continue to pull together and make prosperity our new found reality. God willing, with focused and dedicated teamwork, we can make a new future for us all.
Nikki A.C. Sheppick
Charleroi