Letters to the editor

Letters to the editor / News Virginian
Published: July 6, 2007

Thanks from Faith Primary School

This past June, the faculty and parents of St. John's Episcopal Primary School began the task of packing up and relocating. After being informed in January that the Vestry of St. John's Episcopal Church had decided that the school would no longer be part of the church mission, the parents and faculty began the process of incorporation as the new Faith Primary School.
We would like to thank St. John's Episcopal Church for thirteen years of service and ministry to the Primary School and to the over 150 students who attended school there.

On Friday, June 8, with all of the boxes packed, we loaded the truck in preparation for our move to Blue Ridge Chapel Church of the Brethren, our new home. We would like to thank the parents and faculty, as well as past and current students for their help that day.

In addition, we would like to take the opportunity to thank two local businesses that provided assistance to the school. Many thanks to Bill Chambers of American of Virginia, Inc., for providing two courteous and hard-working young men, Troy and Ben, who ably and professionally packed the truck for us that day.

Our appreciation also goes out to John Rorrer of E and E Plumbing for providing four men and much heavy equipment to aid us in moving our playground equipment. Thank you to Angie Campbell, office manager, who arranged for Casey Carter, Kevin Hale, D.C. Campbell and Aaron Fitzgerald to be there with a backhoe and jack hammer to remove the equipment from its concrete foundations and move it to our new location at Blue Ridge Chapel.

Again, thank you to all who helped make this a smooth transition to our new location.

Amy N. Warren
Head of School
Faith Primary School

Not all chained dogs are unloved

It is an incorrect assumption to generalize that all dogs that are tethered (chained) are lonely, depressed, or unhappy ("Chain reaction," July 2).

I do recognize there are dogs and other types of animals that are not cared for properly and are neglected. I just cannot accept that tethering a dog is abusive in all cases.

When an animal's owner is not home to monitor the safety of their dog, the animal must be secured in some fashion. Options include letting the dog run loose indoors, having the dog outside in a fenced enclosure, using invisible outdoor fencing, using a kennel, a tethered run, or tethering (chaining).

The crate is a small wire cage that offers the dog no ability to walk around. The dog sits or lies in the crate and isn't allowed out until the owner lets them out.

Letting a dog run loose in the house can result in a mess indoors. Having a dog run loose in a fenced yard is great as long as the dog cannot leave the property. If the dog gets through the fence, the dog is at risk of getting hit in the road or harming someone else.

The underground fencing seems to be a great innovation, but I've heard of dogs panicking and jumping through the fence area.

Kennels seem to be very popular, but I have had several dogs that got claustrophobic in kennels. When dogs are tethered, they have a full, unobstructed view of their surroundings and seem much happier. I've had dogs for 30 years; I've run into more trouble with dogs being unhappy about being in kennels than being tethered.

Each dog is an individual. The owner should find a method of securing their dog that is functional, gives the dog the greatest amount of room to play or walk around in, and makes the dog content.

Philip Hall
Crimora