EDITORIAL - Happy ending

A story that appeared in this paper a few days ago had a surprising content: It reported of an admission by a City Hall official that, indeed, the manner of gathering and disposing of stray dogs was, to say the least, improper.

Surprising because, much earlier, that very same official took to task this paper for publishing a picture of men from the dog pound catching stray dogs with a noose made from a piece of wire.

But pictures do not lie. It was very clear in the photograph that the dog catchers were using pieces of wire to catch the stray dogs. So maybe the official objected because in the caption of the photo it was mentioned that unclaimed dogs would later be gassed to death.

But then again, that piece of information is true. This paper, about a couple of years ago, also ran a story regarding the manner in which the dogs were disposed of. Maybe some people just didn't want some old embers stoked again lest a new fire springs forth from them.

Anyway, back to the surprise. In the latest story, the same official who once took offense at our reporting about stray dogs was now admitting the veracity of what we had reported in our stories and photographs.

But lest we be misunderstood, our surprise is pleasant, and this piece is not intended to gloat over the new twist in the sad saga of stray dogs. We are pleasantly surprised because we expect the story to swing into a new direction that will at least be less cruel to the dogs.

The official made the admission of improper handling of stray dogs at an activity attended by some foreign experts on the issue, and it is expected that, henceforth, our local authorities will be adopting the proper methods and using the right equipment for the job.

We are pleased because what had started as a source of friction between two sectors that were obviously only trying to work on the same problem has been ironed out and that henceforth we can move together in the same direction.

Our only remaining wish now is for dog owners to help lessen the problem further by taking care of their pet dogs in a responsible manner and be aware of existing city regulations governing the keeping of pets.