To the editor:

I’m glad that Kansas now has a law making animal abuse a felony. But some animals in this country don’t have that justice. I came across a video of a woman named Tammy Grimes in Pennsylvania who was arrested for helping a dog that was starved and hurt to the point that he couldn’t move, couldn’t even get up off the wet ground he laid on. He was chained up in someone’s yard, and they just took off and left him. Tammy was arrested and charged with theft, receiving stolen property, criminal mischief and trespassing. This dog was left to die.

This is not right. Animals aren’t property, they’re friends and companions. To some people they are the only friends those people have. When are we going to stop looking at it as a matter of ownership? We don’t own animals. We take care of them.

I was appalled when I saw the condition this poor puppy was in. I applaud Tammy for doing what she did. She stood up for him. I would have done the same thing. This woman should not be condemned and punished for doing the right thing. What does this say about our nation as a whole if we punish a person for doing the right thing and not the perpetrators of a crime? It’s a good thing that Kansas law now says that animal abuse is a felony. At least now, Kansas animals will have justice, even though a year ago that wasn’t the case.

Rebecca Sturgeon,

Lawrence