Disregard for life | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Re "Parowan police chief accused of shooting dog" (Tribune, March 16):

Concerning the alleged shooting of a dog by Parowan Police Chief Preston Griffiths, Parowan Mayor Donald Landes says "there are many things more important than a dog." Considering all the facets of running a city, he may be right, but when considering the merits of a police chief who shoots a dog for inflicting a wound that did not break the skin, this is an extremely salient point.

Griffiths' acts involved disregard for life, dishonesty (repeatedly lying to Tootsie's owner) and deceit (disposing of the dog's body).

Griffiths displayed selfishness by saying he is embarrassed by the incident. He acknowledges only his own feelings, while failing to apologize and recognize the grief he has caused Tootsie's owner, Amber Burton.

The way a person treats animals is a measure of how he views humanity. I hope I never get pulled over in Parowan. Is Griffiths really the man the citizens of Parowan want heading up their police department?

Rebecca Simmons

Murray