PRESS RELEASE

RELEASE DATE: Immediately (June 14, 2005)

HUMANE SOCIETY: PETS + OPEN WATER = POTENTIAL DISASTER

   Following the June 9 media coverage of a dog who was enticed into a swiftly-running river in Utah County and swept away in the current, the Humane Society of Utah is reminding the public to exercise
common sense when allowing pets and children to be around open water, particularly since many of these areas are flooding and moving more powerfully as a result of the heavy rains the state has experienced this
season. "Pets trust their guardians implicitly and expect them to make the right decisions to protect them," says HSU Executive Director Gene Baierschmidt. "If you're going to take them places that have even a slight potential for harm, do the intelligent thing. Keep them on a leash when you're walking with them. Don't send them into running water - the current could be much more dangerous than it looks to you. Keep away from the banks of creeks and rivers that could collapse."

    The Humane Society notes that, while Utah's presently weak animal-cruelty laws would probably not allow prosecution of the individuals responsible for the Provo dog's disappearance, the incident nevertheless represents "near-criminal negligence," according to Mr. Baierschmidt. "It should be obvious to most people that keeping any helpless, dependent being out of harm's way is the first obligation of a responsible adult," he says.

For more information, please call 261-2919.