" Good editorial. Except there is one problem - it does no good to report abuse if the claims are not taken seriously and if the abuse goes unpunished. When the Rose incident first made headlines, people chimed in that they have been trying to help those horses for some months. Although I admire our shelter and animal control staff and appreciate their hard work, I believe they need more legal training and assistance to make sure that these evil people get what they deserve. It seems that in the puppy mill case in Arthur and the Rose case evidence was not taken to the book and so that caused some legal troubles. I feel that the police could use a course in animal welfare as well. Maybe we need to petition the ASPCA and HSUS such assistance? "

" The new slaughter house, being fast tracked to comming to just out of town, would do well to put up a privacy fence.

While dog fighting, puppy mills, and many horses being improperly cared for are tragedies. The law is not on the animals side. Enforcement is not on their side, and many owners are not properly responsible to even own a gerble.

From the little old lady with 300 cats in her trailer, to Michael Vick, mistreatment of animals is largely a subjective point of view, but it constantly goes on. Since it has had three large cases of large types of abuse, right here, now we get an Our View on it. Has this paper done anything to raise awareness, educate, or coordinate? It even failed to quote Bob Barker, in its view gathered at the meeting of the unbiased, objective, people first, minds.

Some people would see a dog being outside in a pen, cage, or on a chain as abuse. Dogs spill their water, and mine scarfs its food. If not there within five minutes of my filling his bowl, the drool left behind will have evaporated, and my spoiled mutt would appear to be lacking food. He will do so to no end, if the bowl is filled again, and I dare not give him an automatic feeder, or he would likely eat a weeks worth by lunch, if he stopped then. Likely requiring a vet to perform surgery, for inverted intestines.

Neighbors already report too tall of grass, poor driving, barking dogs, and burning outside a grill. Police give limited consideration, to calls of personal concern or complaint, unless it is an emergency, or is presented to be one.

We got a warning for a barking dog complaint, and several 3 am phone calls, but had a inside dog. The neighborhood was full of outside dogs, but ours, who was inside, was the one disturbing the peace. We definately need more vigalent neighborhood reporting of everyone.

The horses were abused for a long time, I believe it was the smell of the dead, that finally got it investigated, but recall reports being previously submitted. Now it is very likely the case was irrepairably mishandled, once multiple investigations and inspections did get started. Unfortunate that they may very easily be back in the care of such a calus person, because the people who are supposed to be their advocates, didn't handle it correctly. Outright abuse laws are lax enough, without making them being less prosecuted, because those that initialy handle the case, don't know how to go about it.

Sponsor or organize discounted spay and newter clinics. Do more to educate, and create awareness. Taking public stances on things in the news, and presenting generic Our Views on them is trivial. What have you done, besides mentioning them in passing, to expand those views to any action or community involvement in any of the topics discussed, and causes adopted.

Jumping on bandwagons after they make the headlines, or already are in motion, is a cheap ploy to seem relavent. Many Our Views stem from constant issues. Present some possible solutions and what you as a paper, intend to do to help change that constant. Passing the buck, while feinting concern, gets covered regularly. Choose to be advocates of the causes you take up, or to continue to be fresh bird cage or litterbox liners. Having a regular soap box piece with no direct attributes, is a fun avenue to seem main stream and relavent, I am sure. The speed of need to become recycled, tossed or spread out for the puppy, hinges on substance, not we should jump in on this parade today, but only this much. Taking stands is not a bad thing, only doing it half heartedly, or because it is in the news, is demeaning. "

" What should be done with downer animals, at the new slaughter house.

1. Keep a deep backfill as you go hole dug out back.

2. Have a downed so its marked down aisle. If there is alot see #3

3. Get big lots to put in a meat section.

4. Put it on the truck to kal kan.

Down animals now can't be just drug in to put in the food supply, anymore. It is a reality of the industry, there will be some to deal with. Unless everything is comming in on a freezer truck, off the hoof. Some is travel stress, some is injury, some is farmer brought/sent a sick one in.

Slaughter house is gonna bring some jobs, but so would a lot of things. If X# people sifted through the two landfills, piece by piece, bag by bag, much could be recycled, and pay their wages. That doesn't make bringing those jobs to town a good idea.

Ask the right, and more questions, the next time one of these TIF fast tracks get a hearing. Or ask the home office if you can, however it has to work. Publish the proper notice to events, so someone can call the news, to send a reporter to have the meeting covered right. Might be some news agency, needs to put up a coles county branch. The coverage eminating from iowa or wherever now, seems to be just as continuedly ineffective as it was long before the bail out merger occured.

If not addressed now, it might make an OUR View, this time next year, when there is a dateline story on mad cow comming from the organic meat place. Or imigraion hauls in its work force.

The meat industry has a long history. Its not that unreasonable to question repeated, and new issues with it. If illinois goes back to being a horse meat exporter, would they be participating in any way in that? Lots of mights, and coulds, but there needs to be some legally binding won'ts and don'ts. Clear rules on what will not be allowed, and actions taken, need to be tied to this, before day one of it putting stakes in the ground, even if it wasn't a proped up by taxes venture.

City, county, and paper need to go tour a place just like it is proposed to be, and a bigger and smaller one. Take some notes and apply them to a 1 mile out of town site. Go one mile from each visited site, down wind, and note anything worth noting. "

" Unless the police actually ACT against abuse of animals or danger of them - instead of having a casual conversation with the owner like 'good old buddies' and discussing the nosy neighbor -- the abuse or safety problems will continue.

When you get told unless they actually attack you - they can't do anything -- one just leans toward not bothering to try and report dangers or abuse. "