No Excuse

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Had dinner with a great long-time friend. We’ve known each other for about 25 years so we’ve had all sorts of dinners through the years...

...dinners at golf courses, dinner at fancy places, dinner while watching games, or, long ago, having drinks.

This time, we spent part of our dinner talking about our dogs.

He takes his dog for a run, and then throws the ball for him.

I take mine for a ride and then they get a couple of bonies.

We were both smiling as we were speaking about our dogs.

“They’re always ready with love,” I said.

We did discuss business, our families and the Yankees, but I think we both would’ve been fine just talking about Buster, Melky and Paris.

Then I read through the local Buffalo news and saw the story.

A man with a criminal record was arrested after a grim discovery was made:

A dog was found hung in a tree.

The people in the neighborhood made the gruesome find and the police quickly solved it.

The man who was arrested was unapologetic.

He said that the dog got aggressive and that he had no choice. He said that he wished that he would’ve given the dog a decent burial...

...but that he had no choice.

I’ve had a lot of dogs in my life...

...they have never been aggressive unless they have felt cornered.

I just don’t buy that a certain breed of dog is prone to violence.

I’ve owned boxers and pit bulls.

Most gentle dogs I’ve owned.

My pit bull weeps a few times a week.

I thought about my buddy smiling as he talked about how great it is to see his dog at the end of the day...

...and that man hung his dog from a tree until it died?

Sorry, there are no excuses.

He should go to jail.

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