Readers praise the Boy Scout program and advise pet owners
When It’s Warm, Don’t Leave Bowser in the Car – It’s Against State Law
Dear Editor,
On an 85-degree day, the temperature inside a vehicle with the windows slightly opened can reach 102 degrees within 10 minutes. In 30 minutes, it will go up to 120 degrees. On warmer days it will go even higher and quickly become deadly.
For most people, common sense dictates that leaving pets unattended inside a parked vehicle on a hot day is cruel and dangerous. For those pet owners who are neglectful of how quickly the temperature can become lethal and who continue to leave their pets in unsafe situations, it is now also against the law.
California Penal Code Section 597.7 states that: (a) No person shall leave or confine an animal in any unattended motor vehicle under conditions that endanger the health or well-being of an animal due to heat, cold, lack of adequate ventilation, or lack of food or water, or other circumstances that could reasonably be expected to cause suffering, disability, or death to the animal.
If you see an animal in a parked vehicle and conditions are unsafe for that animal:
Go to the nearest store and have the owner paged
Enlist help from a security guard
Call your local police department
Call your local animal control department.
Please leave your pets at home
Evon Dumesnil, Morgan Hill
Boy Scout Program Made a Huge Difference in This Young Man’s Choices in Life
Dear Editor,
The Boy Scouts of America program has made a huge impact on my life. When I joined cub scouts as an 8-year-old, my small family had been divorced for three years, and my mom, little brother and I were moving a lot. Every year was a different school and town, and a different scout troop as well. What set the routine program apart from other things was that the core values and purposes were the same; it was common ground and an opportunity to meet new friends in a safe environment as well as a source of stability.
As I progressed through the ranks, I experienced many different types of leaders and learned what kind of a leader I wanted to be. I started out with no rank at all, and then moved through scribe, historian, assistant senior patrol leader and patrol leader. All the while, I continued to develop the morals and qualities the scouting tradition promotes, and grew as a leader.
Now, as the Senior Patrol Leader of Troop 711, the lead scout, I can look back with pride on my achievements. As I finish the last requirements for my Eagle Scout, and prepare to go to the U.S. Marine Corps boot camp, I confidently say that were it not for the values, leadership and honor instilled in me by the Boy Scouts of America, I would not be who I am today.
Rob Cameran, Boy Scout Troop 711, Gilroy
