In my opinion and experience, the legal system in this country has been convoluted for years (maybe decades), but today they proved without doubt that their priorities are skewed severely out of place. I just read in the BC that, in Phoenix, AZ, a cop left his police dog in his car for hours on a day when the temperature was exploding the mercury at 110F. His neglect resulted in the death of the dog. The cop was arrested and charged with animal neglect and cruelty; he could well lose his job over this, along with being subjected to punitive action. They threw the book at this guy.

Now, before all you animal lovers sic PETA on me, I believe this guy deserves everything he gets and then some; actually, I think someone should lock HIM in a hot car for an hour so he knows what it feels like. The thing that upsets me is what I heard getting ready for work on the Today show this morning. A woman left her two-year-old daughter in her car for eight hours on a scorching day while she sat in her nice cool office. The baby died. The reason the moron gave was that she had stopped for donuts on the way to work and the donut run had upset her routine so much so that she forgot she had not already dropped the baby off at the sitter. But this dumb broad got off SCOT-FREE!!!! I am apalled and furious. Apparently a donut run is just cause for child neglect and endangerment, according to our judicial system.

This story brought me to tears. I cannot get the picture of a screaming, suffering baby strapped into a car seat in a hot car out of my head. I am not saying that woman should be slammed with murder-one, but she should get some type of punishment for her neglect. I can't buy into the idea that she did not think about that baby once during her workday. When my kids were that age, I called the sitter or daycare center twice a day at least, just to check on them. I have pictures of them on my desk, and I think of them several times a day. I still talk to my oldest boy every day when he gets home, and he just started college. My youngest son died four years ago, and I still miss him as much as ever. I cry for him every day. I cannot imagine going EIGHT HOURS without thinking about my kids!

This is really sad when a dog's life is more valued by the legal system than that of a child. Shame, shame, shame!!!